# Are names without alphanumeric characters allowed? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 30, 2013, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579 "2013-08-30T15:18:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/21 "2013-09-03T03:19:14Z")
I think we’ve asked the referenced user for a name change. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/22 "2013-09-03T16:26:16Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > “Rhymes with _blythe_, don’t you know.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/23 "2013-09-03T16:41:09Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > I think we’ve asked the referenced user for a name change. You’re letting some newb rename the staff members? ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/24 "2013-09-03T17:59:50Z")
[«Ðëëp¤F®ïêd»™ aka Deep-Fried](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php) doesn’t seem to come around much anymore. And this guy, [{:-Df](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php), had a short stay hear some years ago. Probably others. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/25 "2013-09-03T18:05:49Z")
All such situations are handled on a case by case basis. Sometimes it’s not an issue. Sometimes it is. I can’t define it better than that. and sometimes we just miss stuff, that can happen too. We did ask the dot name for a change. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/26 "2013-09-03T19:45:56Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > I’m changing my handle to 🌇 🌈 🌉 🌊 🌋 🌌. Damn, that’s my password. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/27 "2013-09-03T20:11:51Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > All such situations are handled on a case by case basis. > > Sometimes it’s not an issue. Sometimes it is. > > I can’t define it better than that. > > and sometimes we just miss stuff, that can happen too. > > We did ask the dot name for a change. Well, if we see someone posting as EllipsisPeriod, we’ll know who it is. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/28 "2013-09-03T20:41:40Z")
Way back in the 20th century at Georgia Tech, when the first forum was set up on the Cyber 74, a user chose the name o (I think) and we typically called him ‘bracket-belt’. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/29 "2013-09-03T22:06:54Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > I think we’ve asked the referenced user for a name change. Why? What harm does his name do to anyone? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/30 "2013-09-03T22:55:33Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Why? What harm does his name do to anyone? It might act as a trigger for a postmenopausal doper. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/31 "2013-09-03T23:23:42Z")
There’s another message board I frequent, also with vBulletin software, where one person has a username that is a series of musical note symbols. I sometimes wonder how he does that. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/32 "2013-09-04T14:07:19Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Why? What harm does his name do to anyone? It keeps us in suspense. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/33 "2013-09-04T14:09:11Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Well, if we see someone posting as EllipsisPeriod, we’ll know who it is. I’m thinking **DotPeriodPointFullStop** might be the snarkiest response. Perhaps a more lighthearted approach would be to ask for **Dottie**. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/34 "2013-09-04T14:12:57Z")
It’s just as well these names aren’t “approved”, as I’d be tempted to change mine to :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/35 "2013-09-04T14:13:12Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > We did ask the dot name for a change. Why? I can’t see anything wrong with it. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/36 "2013-09-04T14:55:56Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Why? I can’t see anything wrong with it. Well, in this case, it’s probably irrelevant, anyway. I suspect this person is a comet poster, on a hyperbolic trajectory, never to return. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/37 "2013-09-04T15:14:56Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Why not? Nice user name/post combo. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2013, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579/38 "2013-09-04T15:27:59Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Why not? > [@Chimera](#): > > Nice user name/post combo. I’m not sure what WhyNot has to do with any of this anyways. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-names-without-alphanumeric-characters-allowed/667579.md?page=1)