# About duplicate usernames
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-duplicate-usernames/274273
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [November 11, 2004, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-duplicate-usernames/274273 "2004-11-11T21:14:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2004, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-duplicate-usernames/274273/1 "2004-11-11T21:14:31Z")
Are we allowed to pick a username that is fairly similar to another person’s? For example, could someone else pick Elenia52?
Or Elena52?
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### Author:  [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2004, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-duplicate-usernames/274273/2 "2004-11-11T21:24:21Z")
We’ve had fairly similar ones in the past, and I’m sure there are some now. For a long time we had both **yojimbo** and **yojimboguy**. And I always do a little mental trip whenever I see posts from **Scarlet** and **Dr. Scarlett**.
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### Author:  [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)
#### Post date: [November 11, 2004, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-duplicate-usernames/274273/3 "2004-11-11T21:29:12Z")
Generally, we discourage (or disallow) names when one is selected to deliberately mimic another – that’s usually a sign of nasty intentions.
We’ve also disallowed a name when someone held that name for a long time, then changed to a new name; we wanted to not allow someone new posting under that old name (if you follow that.)
Basically, we’re pretty open about names. If some does post as “Elenia52” and you think there could be serious confusion, then let us know at once and we can try to head it off at the past. A new poster presumably wouldn’t want confusion, either, and can pick a different name IF IT COMES TO OUR ATTENTION QUICKLY. If the new Elenia52 has been using it for six months, it becomes a little awkward to ask for a change then.
Basically, no, we don’t do much monitoring of names that are similar, unless/until one of the parties brings it to our attention as a complaint/request.
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### Author:  [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2004, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-duplicate-usernames/274273/4 "2004-11-12T16:58:56Z")
No, it isn’t like that. I am thinking of changing it, but I don’t want to change ituntil I think of a good one that hasn’t been used. But I was afraid I might come up with something similar to what someone else did, and therefore be denied.
Thanks, Dex.
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### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2004, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-duplicate-usernames/274273/5 "2004-11-12T22:31:12Z")
You can get a pretty idea of whether anyone has a similar name using the search function on part of your user name with the “exact name” box unchecked. Such a search for ‘ele’ over the past year returns this list of similar names:
> [@](#):
>
> Posts Made By: Tari Elensar or lovelee or Triskelecat or Michele or Steelehead or Axel Wheeler or wireless or Ukulele Ike or Belenus or HelenWheels or Captain Clueless or Zelestron or Charmeleon or elelle or poncedeleon\_1 or Elenfair or Mirele or C#3’s Elephant Answer or Clueless or TanethTheTongueless or elen or ArchieLeach or Michele in SoCal or pitseleh or Telemark or Melenhead or ThreeLeggedBob or jwheeler or HopelessIdjit or elegance or ArchieLeech or chameleon or Mephistopheles or celester or jmelee or ElEff or skeleton or Carpe Felem or releet or Helen Flinders or nelly the elephant or erictelevision or Electroplater or HopeLess or Eelerette or [kelebrian@hotmail.com](mailto:kelebrian@hotmail.com) or electricwookie or ELEKTRICDREAMS or ageless6 or Speleophile or sureleigh\_u\_jest or Eleanor or Dan Electro or tdelelle or Helena or [Sexyangeleyes@aol.com](mailto:Sexyangeleyes@aol.com) or Judeless or celestina or Keleeh or Habitual Chameleon or helen42 or World\_Traveler or ktelewis or Jhaelen Irsei or Traveler or Elessar or Keppele or localceleb or Lorelei or Evil~Teletubby! or telechus or twentyeleven or MicheleD or TimeTraveler or MrMistoffelees or ElectricMouse or ElevatedSteve or dubbele or Belegur or dubele or Hamelensis or delepsgam or heimsteeleer or Elenia25 or Live Better Electrically! or Hanele or electrokungfu or VirgieLee or TomSwift’sElectricGrandmother or Biffy the Elephant Shrew or theleetbeagle or fabio.michelette or georgelee or elestat or steele100 or Nicklelee or LeeLee or elemieux or eleven is or Pelekhaty or elephant shoes or Elena or electrick or celestia\_ or eleanorigby or andrew zelenak or lorelei12 or rcirimele or WHEELER or Blue Heeler of Science or Robert L.Syeele or gothelen or Lightweight Traveler or Eleusis or Elephino or electrik or elementzero1 or cyndimagdelene or laurielesley or electroman or nameless or electricblunkett or bobby isosceles or Eleisawolf or teleute12 or Melenkurion or kheleksul or Shoeless or brianmelendez or steelerguy or Elethiomel or electricchickensoup or emele or Eleison or nodelete or Tari Tiwele or looseleaf or Elenloth or Mandeleev or TeleTronOne or Ayelet or AngelEyes-NAH or Celeborn or joele or annielee or Helen Nelander or elephty or Elemental or selesiana or Exoskeleton or clueless\_uk or selection or helenaagghh or celebguy\_dv or Celeste Mendelsohn or electrochemical or Selene or clueless1 or Finite Elephant or eleven\_eleven or Jaelen or electronbee or mispeler or helenahandbasket or hlanelee or hazeleyes or Rich Uncle Skeleton or Elexa or UselessGit or Teleolurian or ElectroSunDog or electric!sheep or Elemenopy or PeleofTroy or kori\_celeste or Selene0980 or celeste421 or Elewyne or melee or elenchos or Telepwen or elegiac or duaneleslie or Ethwi Elestirne or electrozion or Elethia or elektrakitty or uselessfacts or Danieletc or telesis2001 or electrum ringer or el elegante or intelekt or Michaelepd or kidchameleon or urfutureleader or Shoeless Joe or Lancelets Cousin or manuele or Irrelevent News or ElectricZ or Ageless Stranger or Delevation or releko or HelenTroy or Helen Cha or ArtistCeleste or teleology or gardentraveler or ReleaseTheMeat or Elephant Man or zenoofelea or nine\_eleven or Skeleton Key or Elenia28 or whatnamesareleft or Celestial or RoseHelen or friendscallmelenny or Telegram Sam or srtraveler or Mrsteele or ThreeEleven311 or Electronerd
There’s an **Elenia25** to match your **Elenia28**.
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### Author:  [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2004, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-duplicate-usernames/274273/6 "2004-11-12T23:39:46Z")
> [@C K Dexter Haven](#):
>
> Basically, we’re pretty open about names. If some does post as “Elenia52” and you think there could be serious confusion, then let us know at once and we can try to head it off **at the past**.
Bolding, mine.
Figures that the admins would get the nifty time-travel machines.
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### Author:  [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2004, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-duplicate-usernames/274273/7 "2004-11-13T18:57:37Z")
Send any admin an email (I’m happy to do it, email me at [TubaDiva@aol.com](mailto:TubaDiva@aol.com)) with your proposed new name and we’ll see if it works. If not, we’ll ask you to choose another one. If you think your first choice may not be feasible, throw in a couple more ranked in the order you like them and I’ll go down the list until I find something that sticks.
your humble TubaDiva
Administrator