# Are you happy with your username? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 15, 2007, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-username/426588 "2007-11-15T21:05:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-username/426588/41 "2007-11-16T00:41:48Z")
[QUOTE=pprgrl] So I panicked and entered my job description, minus the vowels. :smack: [/QUOTE] You’re that chick who comes around after I’ve had my first bite of salad and asks if I want any fresh ground pepper, aren’t you? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-username/426588/42 "2007-11-16T00:42:20Z")
I don’t mind it. It is just a handle for people to recognize my posts. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-username/426588/43 "2007-11-16T00:44:54Z")
[QUOTE=Dr. Drake] I’m assuming male (Salvatore), but I suppose it could be female (Sally). [/QUOTE] Don’t think “My Gal Sal,” and you’ll be on the right track. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-username/426588/44 "2007-11-16T00:45:57Z")
Is my UN me? Not really. Sierra. Indigo. It’s just the two first letters of my name extrapolated out into (not quite) phonetic form. I started using that a couple of years ago, when I decided that “Siokitty” didn’t work for me any more and “Cheesecakethulhu” just got too unweildy to type. I haven’t changed it because, well I just haven’t. But ever since that thread in the Cafe Society, I find myself wondering more and more what it would be like to be known as “A Question of Wesley”. ---
**Author:** ![StuffLikeThatThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@StuffLikeThatThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StuffLikeThatThere)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-username/426588/45 "2007-11-16T00:54:36Z")
I don’t like it. It’s too stinking long, and it doesn’t really have anything to do with me. Unfortunately, I can’t think of anything else, which was the original problem. I couldn’t think of anything the first time that wasn’t already taken, and typed in StuffLikeThatThere because I had recently heard the song. I accepted it because I was tired of trying. It annoys me in a low-level way when I see it, but I still can’t think of anything better. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-username/426588/46 "2007-11-16T01:10:30Z")
No, but I’ve been me for many years–since at least 1999. And I’ve carried this username to at least 8 other boards. If I changed it here, I’d have to change it everywhere, and it ain’t worth that. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-username/426588/47 "2007-11-16T01:11:54Z")
It’s fine for now though I’ve been thinking of changing it to something closer to my real name, or farther from it. There are a few people in my broader work circles named Shoshana now so it gets a little weird. ---
**Author:** ![Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilvert_s_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-username/426588/48 "2007-11-16T02:16:38Z")
I’m happy with mine. I have an ancestor who was a friend of Victorian English curate and diarist Frank Kilvert, and I am an atheist whose name derives from the word “pagan”. I like both the juxtaposition of the names and the obscurity of the reference. And I’ve already changed it once. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-username/426588/49 "2007-11-16T02:29:11Z")
No, I don’t really like mine. For one thing, it’s as unimaginative as you could possibly get; first name plus last initial. For another thing, it parses strangely, which I hadn’t considered before. It wasn’t until people started addressing me as “nori” that it occurred to me they were reading it as “nori new”. Duh. I’ve thought about a couple of possible changes, but then I think “What if I change it, then next year, the _perfect_ username occurs to me, and I can’t change it again?” Plus, I’ve been around quite awhile. People here know me as norinew. So I remain. . . ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-username/426588/50 "2007-11-16T02:41:49Z")
Yes and no. It’s very me. I’m a cat person. If someone came into the room right now and called out “Kat!” I’d look. On the other hand, I am unreasonably envious of those who can do vanity searches, plus I feel dull and unimaginative next to all the clever and witty names. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-username/426588/51 "2007-11-16T02:47:27Z")
I like mine just fine. Alliterative and descriptive. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-username/426588/52 "2007-11-16T04:23:29Z")
I’m not. When I was thinking of joining, I tried to think of an interesting username, and couldn’t find anything. Then I joined in order to respond to a post, and chose this name for some reason I can’t remember. I don’t know if it’s supposed to refer to Severus Snape of Harry Potter, or former Emperor Septimius Severus, or anyone else, but in any case it’s not me. Interestingly, a few months after joining I started dating a girl who also uses the name **severus** (plus a few numbers) on the Internet. This is odd, because one of the few good things I find about this name is that it unambiguously advertises my gender. I’ve been thinking about changing it since then, but I didn’t have any inspiration, so I didn’t change it. I’m actually thinking about starting a thread to ask for suggestions. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-username/426588/53 "2007-11-16T05:40:43Z")
Also, I’ve noticed while reading this thread that there is both a **Flander** and a **Walloon** on this board. I wonder what other interesting username pairs we can form? ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-username/426588/54 "2007-11-16T07:36:10Z")
When I first joined (in 1999!), I was under the impression that spaces were not allowed in the user name. So I separated **Crafter** and **Man** with an underscore. I _hate_ the underscore in my user name. :mad: Other than that, I’m O.K. with it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![rinni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f6c823/32.png) [@rinni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rinni)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-username/426588/55 "2007-11-16T09:43:29Z")
Mine’s okay. It’s my nickname, and it’s short and nondescript. No one will remember me using it, I don’t think, but I will survive! 😃 Username camouflage in full effect! ---
**Author:** ![scareyfaerie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scareyfaerie/32/3135_2.png) [@scareyfaerie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scareyfaerie)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-username/426588/56 "2007-11-16T10:02:13Z")
Mine’s ok, I have different usernames for different boards so I do get a bit of variety here and there. ---
**Author:** ![mamboman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mamboman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mamboman)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-username/426588/57 "2007-11-16T10:39:07Z")
Oh heck yes. I had Tito Puente killed so I could have this username. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-username/426588/58 "2007-11-16T11:02:09Z")
Yep. The reason I chose it stopped being applicable within a month of signing up here, but it’s served me well and I have no desire to change it. ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-username/426588/59 "2007-11-16T11:03:12Z")
I like mine, it’s distinctive and descriptive. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2007, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-username/426588/60 "2007-11-16T11:24:17Z")
I like mine a lot. It originally came from some creative writing I used to do, and it reminds me to cut loose from the usual, every once in a while. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-username/426588.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-happy-with-your-username/426588.md?page=4)