That’s pretty much my stance on it as well. I was just curious to see how others felt about it.
I believe they have been worked out, and from when I worked as a reporter*, I recall that the rule is that you should leave a proper noun untouched re. capitalization, no matter where in a sentence it occurs.
*Business reporter dealing with several companies with wacky names.
Actually, you can ask to have your name changed, including different capitalization, and such a request is almost always granted, as long as you’re not changing your name too often.
Just email me or another admin, using the email account that’s associated with your SDMB name, and we’ll be happy to do it. But I think that most of us are kinda busy on Thursday, so maybe in a couple of days would be better.
Oh, so turkey and cranberries are more important that your charges at the 'Dope. eh?
Oh wait, no, not the jackboots!
Please, no!
Argh!
Yes, turkeys and cranberries are infinitely more important to me, at certain times.
OK, no jackboots. Just the Comfy Chair for YOU.
Indeed - the lower-case version was a special-purpose affectation, in fact not unlike an alias on a message board - which was my point.
If the name is lowercase, I tend to leave it that way at the beginning of a sentence, but that’s why I like bolding in the first place. It clearly sets off the poster’s name from the rest of the statement, and with some of the clever names we have here it’s virtually essential. I’ve noticed some names even look like insults when they’re not clearly distinguished from the context in which they’re used.
Lowanimalcunning.
CraftyPiker.
Yeah, O can see that. 
My name was tbg until I asked for it to be changed to TBG because it looked better on certain places it shows up automatically on a page. Whatever, just don’t call me late for dinner.
This is not a matter of courtesy. It is a matter of style. Different people choose different styles and in an informal forum such as a discussion board it hardly matters. I’m a little amused by the OP’s seeming to approach this issue so seriously.
It’s called being polite.
That’s called being circular.
You lost me on that. 
It’s a matter of courtesy because it’s polite? That’s a circular argument.
There is no courtesy surrounding capitalization or boldface. It’s a matter of (1) linguistic convention, (2) chosen typographic style, and (3) convenience.
To make this into a question of courtesy is not only unnecessary; it’s also annoying.
I think I’m guilty of “taking liberties” with many Dopers’ names sometimes. When it’s a long three part name, I’ll use the 1st letter of each one (ABC) and hope that person doesn’t take offense.
Sometimes, when it’s someone really close, I may add an “ie” at the end, again no offense meant. It’s like a term of endearment for lack of a better term.
For the most part, I think we’re all very courteous to each other, and I really like that we bold our names. I believe that began here, and I see it as giving our co-respondents a measure of respect, whether or not we agree.
That said, I don’t flip out when someone doesn’t bold mine, or even calls me by my real name. I’m totally okay with all of it.
Thanks
Quasimodem 
In general, you are correct. However, when someone expresses a preference for how they want their own name given, it is a matter of courtesy to conform to their preference.
I knew a guy named “Danny” - not “Daniel”, “Danny”. Calling him Daniel would be wrong, and if you knew it would also be discourtious.
If carnivorousplant, for example, wants to be lower case, then capitalizing it is against his stated preference.
(1) A user name or other internet handle is not someone’s actual name. It doesn’t carry the same aura that an actual name does.
(2) Insisting or even expecting that people are going to follow silly preferences like not capitalizing or boldfacing your name is juvenile, pretentious, and a series of other choice adjectives.
(3) In the informal context of an internet message board, it’s a failure of a sense roportion to expect people to capitalize even anyone’s actual name in any particular way.
(And anyway, even if it was someone’s name, I still wouldn’t put up with any silly non-capitalization nonsense. I refuse to engage in that kind of stupidity. Capitalization is based on linguistic convention, not a personal preference, and boldface definitely isn’t. Seriously, someone in real life walks up to you and insists his name can only be written in boldface?)
acsenray, thank you.
It was nothing.
You asked how courtesy entered into it. If someone expresses a preference, it is courtesy to comply. Where that courtesy fits on the grand scale of value is, of course, yours to decide for yourself. How much is courtesy worth?