# Are we allowed to use new/different usernames on the new Discourse **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [June 17, 2020, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-allowed-to-use-new-different-usernames-on-the-new-discourse/855868 "2020-06-17T20:13:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2020, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-allowed-to-use-new-different-usernames-on-the-new-discourse/855868/1 "2020-06-17T20:13:27Z")
I know it’s against the Dope rules to have more than one username at a time. But suppose I ended my Velocity name and used a completely new name, starting from scratch, on the Discourse. Is that against the rules (since I’m assuming my Velocity account would still carry over?) Do I have to have Velocity terminated first? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2020, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-allowed-to-use-new-different-usernames-on-the-new-discourse/855868/2 "2020-06-17T20:17:51Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I know it’s against the Dope rules to have more than one username at a time. But suppose I ended my Velocity name and used a completely new name, starting from scratch, on the Discourse. Is that against the rules (since I’m assuming my Velocity account would still carry over?) Do I have to have Velocity terminated first? Were you thinking of losing speed or direction? 🙂 ~Max ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2020, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-allowed-to-use-new-different-usernames-on-the-new-discourse/855868/3 "2020-06-17T20:24:50Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Is that against the rules (since I’m assuming my Velocity account would still carry over?) Same account name, same board, different software & host. > [@](#): > > Do I have to have Velocity terminated first? You’d have to get banned for that to happen. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2020, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-allowed-to-use-new-different-usernames-on-the-new-discourse/855868/4 "2020-06-17T20:28:12Z")
> [@Max\_S](#): > > Were you thinking of losing speed or direction? 🙂 > > ~Max I’m thinking **Static** would cover both. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2020, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-allowed-to-use-new-different-usernames-on-the-new-discourse/855868/5 "2020-06-17T20:36:29Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > I’m thinking **Static** would cover both. In which frame of reference? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2020, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-allowed-to-use-new-different-usernames-on-the-new-discourse/855868/6 "2020-06-17T20:40:11Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I know it’s against the Dope rules to have more than one username at a time. But suppose I ended my Velocity name and used a completely new name, starting from scratch, on the Discourse. Is that against the rules (since I’m assuming my Velocity account would still carry over?) Do I have to have Velocity terminated first? TPTB are not granting name changes right now, but I’m sure that once we move to the new boards, you could email **TubaDiva** and ask for a name change. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2020, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-allowed-to-use-new-different-usernames-on-the-new-discourse/855868/7 "2020-06-17T20:49:10Z")
Even at that, I would recommend waiting a bit before asking: There are likely to be a number of users whose names get changed in ways they wouldn’t like, by the new board’s name restrictions, and I imagine that **TubaDiva** will have her hands full for a while taking care of them. But no, you don’t get to start over from scratch. The fact that we’re moving to different software under the hood doesn’t change that this is the same board, and the same community. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2020, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-allowed-to-use-new-different-usernames-on-the-new-discourse/855868/8 "2020-06-17T20:56:59Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Do I have to have Velocity terminated first? That sounds rather drastic. Have you considered counselling? 😃 ---
**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:** [June 17, 2020, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-allowed-to-use-new-different-usernames-on-the-new-discourse/855868/9 "2020-06-17T21:16:13Z")
As stated before, we are not doing name changes until everything is shipshape on the new board and we’re open for business. It has always been our policy that it’s ONE Straight Dope Message Board account to a human entity. It can be a bannable offense if we catch you with multiple accounts. There have been a few examples over the years of people who have needed to abandon their old names and start new ones. Usually these are people who have been stalked or have other extraordinary reasons to abandon a screen name and the history attached to it. No, I’m not going to tell you who they were. i discourage you from starting a new account. It’s a new site but you are still you and you’re responsible for what you say and do. So you can’t just jettison your past without sufficient reason. We will let you know when we’re open again for name changes. It won’t be right away. Sorry about that. But it’s safer that we wait until we have everything ported over correctly. Please be patient. Jenny your humble TubaDiva Administrator ---
**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:** [June 17, 2020, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-allowed-to-use-new-different-usernames-on-the-new-discourse/855868/10 "2020-06-17T21:22:11Z")
Common sense should tell you it’s not the real El Kabong. Though ours is pretty close. Jenny your humble TubaDiva ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2020, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-allowed-to-use-new-different-usernames-on-the-new-discourse/855868/11 "2020-06-17T21:28:47Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > Common sense should tell you it’s not the real El Kabong. Though ours is pretty close. > > Jenny > your humble TubaDiva [THREAD=898364]Wrong thread[/THREAD]? ~Max ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2020, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-allowed-to-use-new-different-usernames-on-the-new-discourse/855868/12 "2020-06-17T21:54:36Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > That sounds rather drastic. depends primarily on the rate of negative acceleration ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-allowed-to-use-new-different-usernames-on-the-new-discourse/855868/13 "2020-06-18T00:04:24Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Do I have to have Velocity terminated first? Yes. Typically, the subject being copied is terminated. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2020, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-allowed-to-use-new-different-usernames-on-the-new-discourse/855868/14 "2020-06-18T01:37:48Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Yes. Typically, the subject being copied is terminated. But don’t worry. That other copy is also still just as much you.