# Barack Obama posts here. Really? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 31, 2015, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barack-obama-posts-here-really/721272 "2015-05-31T18:42:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90ced4/32.png) [@Waltzes\_with\_Cacti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waltzes_with_Cacti)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2015, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barack-obama-posts-here-really/721272/1 "2015-05-31T18:42:16Z")
I notice that there’s a poster here who goes by the name Barack Obama. Is using the name of a real, public person kosher? If it is, can I be Brad Pitt? I’m not putting this in the Pit because I don’t have a beef with any of Barack’s posts. In fact, he seems like an okay guy. I’m just wondering about the appropriateness of the board name, is all. Is there a rule? ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barack-obama-posts-here-really/721272/2 "2015-05-31T18:44:31Z")
Yes, he’s a personal friend of Cecil, so don’t pit Barack. Cecil even considered being his running mate. ---
**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:** [May 31, 2015, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barack-obama-posts-here-really/721272/3 "2015-05-31T18:51:23Z")
This “okay guy”: might he be Barack Obama? If he, or Brad Pitt, wanted to register with their real name as their username, how do TPTB verify that they’re **not** plain old okay guys–for the nonce considering the President and actor not being part of that set–with problematic usernames? Does the administrator start demanding real-life ID? I hope not, because I’m marked for death and have to keep a low profile. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2015, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barack-obama-posts-here-really/721272/4 "2015-05-31T18:53:59Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > This “okay guy”: might he be Barack Obama? If he, or Brad Pitt, wanted to register with their real name as their username, how do TPTB verify that they’re **not** plain old okay guys–for the nonce considering the President and actor not being part of that set–with problematic usernames? > > Does the administrator start demanding real-life ID? I hope not, because I’m marked for death and have to keep a low profile. Which Leo Bloom are you, anyway? The one from Dublin or the nervous accountant? ---
**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:** [May 31, 2015, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barack-obama-posts-here-really/721272/5 "2015-05-31T19:03:05Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > Which Leo Bloom are you, anyway? The one from Dublin or the nervous accountant? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2015, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barack-obama-posts-here-really/721272/6 "2015-05-31T20:37:38Z")
My real name is John David Waltzes with Cacti, and I have a bone to pick with you. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2015, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barack-obama-posts-here-really/721272/7 "2015-05-31T20:51:18Z")
In my name the K is silent and the rest of the letters don’t count. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2015, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barack-obama-posts-here-really/721272/8 "2015-05-31T21:01:31Z")
Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2015, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barack-obama-posts-here-really/721272/9 "2015-05-31T21:02:38Z")
We have no specific rule. [Wesley Clark](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesley_Clark) also posts here. Although less well known than Mr. Obama now, when he joined in 2003 he was one of the top Democratic candidates for president. **Bill Clinton** posted here for a while in 2000-2001; I guess he had better things to do in retirement. **George Clooney** made one post in 2000. I am sure we have lots of other politicians and celebrities as members. The only thing I could see being a problem is if the poster used the username to troll. (This could include having a deliberately obnoxious username like, say, Charles Manson or Heinrich Himmler.) I would emphasize that this is not a rule, but rather something that would be handled on a case-by-case basis. ---
**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:** [May 31, 2015, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barack-obama-posts-here-really/721272/10 "2015-05-31T22:02:21Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > In my name the K is silent and the rest of the letters don’t count. 😉 **Opie** , is that you? ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2015, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barack-obama-posts-here-really/721272/11 "2015-05-31T22:56:51Z")
I don’t know about any of you, but I am Spartacus. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2015, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barack-obama-posts-here-really/721272/12 "2015-05-31T22:57:33Z")
I, on the other hand, actually am [Lamar Mundane](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzd0ndj9DlU). ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barack-obama-posts-here-really/721272/13 "2015-06-01T00:05:26Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > We have no specific rule. [Wesley Clark](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesley_Clark) also posts here. Although less well known than Mr. Obama now, when he joined in 2003 he was one of the top Democratic candidates for president. **Bill Clinton** posted here for a while in 2000-2001; I guess he had better things to do in retirement. **George Clooney** made one post in 2000. I am sure we have lots of other politicians and celebrities as members. > > The only thing I could see being a problem is if the poster used the username to troll. (This could include having a deliberately obnoxious username like, say, Charles Manson or Heinrich Himmler.) I would emphasize that this is not a rule, but rather something that would be handled on a case-by-case basis. I also would think it would be bad if the poster tried to really pretend he was the President, etc, but I guess that’s 'trolling". Who is the most famous person (other than Cecil) to post here- anyone know? ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barack-obama-posts-here-really/721272/14 "2015-06-01T00:09:13Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I also would think it would be bad if the poster tried to really pretend he was the President, etc, but I guess that’s 'trolling". > > Who is the most famous person (other than Cecil) to post here- anyone know? The Bad Astronomer (Phil Plait) used to post here, and authors Paul Levinson and John Varley posted once or twice here too. Hey - they’re famous to me! ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barack-obama-posts-here-really/721272/15 "2015-06-01T00:13:55Z")
Also actor Jim Beaver, who posted a few times as **jumblejim**. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barack-obama-posts-here-really/721272/16 "2015-06-01T11:23:33Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > I don’t know about any of you, but I am Spartacus. I AM … No, wait … no I’m not. ---
**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:** [June 1, 2015, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barack-obama-posts-here-really/721272/17 "2015-06-01T11:34:42Z")
Hell, Satan posted here, but was banned. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barack-obama-posts-here-really/721272/18 "2015-06-01T11:40:21Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > … Who is the most famous person (other than Cecil) to post here- anyone know? Check out this thread for folks’ self-assessment of their famousity: [How famous are you (or think you are)? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739667) ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barack-obama-posts-here-really/721272/19 "2015-06-01T11:48:03Z")
\*\*J Michael Straczynski \*\*popped in once to post a lengthy comment about Babylon 5, then went away again. And UK musical satirist/comedian/author/actor/probably-some-other-stuff \*\*Mitch Benn \*\*also did a driveby after a self-Google turned up a mention of him here. Both used their own names as usernames IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2015, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barack-obama-posts-here-really/721272/20 "2015-06-01T12:02:55Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > \*\*J Michael Straczynski \*\*popped in once to post a lengthy comment about Babylon 5, then went away again. > > And UK musical satirist/comedian/author/actor/probably-some-other-stuff \*\*Mitch Benn \*\*also did a driveby after a self-Google turned up a mention of him here. > > Both used their own names as usernames IIRC. linky? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/barack-obama-posts-here-really/721272.md?page=2)