# Bolded user names v @ names **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 5, 2021, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolded-user-names-v-names/937292 "2021-03-05T20:22:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolded-user-names-v-names/937292/1 "2021-03-05T20:22:26Z")
We used to bold user names but now with the @ username feature that seems to be falling by the wayside. What, if any, are the pluses/minuses for you? Does it make any difference to you at all? Do you still just bold names? For me, the @ user works great. The only small things I have with it are when I am requoted as part of somebodies reply and I get a notice but when I look they were replying to someone that replied to me. The other is I just think the bolded name looks better. Don’t ask me why. Overall, I just use the @ user. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolded-user-names-v-names/937292/2 "2021-03-05T20:27:12Z")
I bold names here because I think that’s how it’s done. In some ways it’s a very mild sign of respect. I hadn’t even _noticed_ the @ convention. ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolded-user-names-v-names/937292/3 "2021-03-05T20:32:24Z")
@begbert2: The @ isn’t just a convention; on Discourse, it’s functional. If you @ a username, they get notified. **Bolding** a username is a convention left over from the vBulletin days. It looks nice, and I use it when I mention a poster but aren’t really addressing them and don’t want to pester them with a notification, but I’m using that less and less and just using @ most of the time. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolded-user-names-v-names/937292/4 "2021-03-05T20:47:14Z")
Can they be mixed? @AHunter3 testing… @begbert2 in case I can’t @ myself… ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolded-user-names-v-names/937292/5 "2021-03-05T20:48:45Z")
If I was notified I didn’t, uh, notice. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolded-user-names-v-names/937292/6 "2021-03-05T20:51:07Z")
I use both. Since @ notifies the person, I use it when I want to notify them, or think they might want to be notified. Otherwise I use bolding. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolded-user-names-v-names/937292/7 "2021-03-05T21:03:00Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > I hadn’t even _noticed_ the @ convention. Dude, we’ve all been @ ing you for weeks! Pay attention! > [@gdave](#): > > **Bolding** a username is a convention left over from the vBulletin days. It looks nice, and I use it when I mention a poster but aren’t really addressing them and don’t want to pester them with a notification, but I’m using that less and less and just using @ most of the time. > [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > I use both. Since @ notifies the person, I use it when I want to notify them, or think they might want to be notified. Otherwise I use bolding Yeah, I’m in the same area. I expect sooner or later it will all be @ users. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolded-user-names-v-names/937292/8 "2021-03-05T21:04:51Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > Dude, we’ve all been @ ing you for weeks! Pay attention! Hmm, I guess I haven’t really been distinguishing between the @ notifications and the ‘reply’ notifications, since they’re identical except for the icon. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolded-user-names-v-names/937292/9 "2021-03-05T21:16:12Z")
> [@gdave](#): > > It looks nice, and I use it when I mention a poster but aren’t really addressing them and don’t want to pester them with a notification > [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > Since @ notifies the person, I use it when I want to notify them, or think they might want to be notified. Otherwise I use bolding I tend to lean more in this direction. Plus, also: > [@begbert2](#): > > I haven’t really been distinguishing between the @ notifications and the ‘reply’ notifications, since they’re identical except for the icon. So the @ seems to be especially useful when wanting to directly address or call attention to or “page” the person, in a post that is _ **not** _ a reply to theirs. Being someone who has self-proclaimedly entered early oldfartitude, I do expect though to keep using the old style for a good long while just because of stylistic inertia, while looking at the @ form more as in for instance _“That’s an interesting question about San Juan; I wonder if @JRDelirious can give us light about this, being he’s lived there a long time?”_ ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolded-user-names-v-names/937292/10 "2021-03-05T22:10:30Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > Hmm, I guess I haven’t really been distinguishing between the @ notifications and the ‘reply’ notifications, since they’re identical except for the icon. I think they are the same but, fer instance, if I’m quoting/replying to @begbert2 and slip in a mention of @JRDelirious being a big old meanie , **JRDelirious** will get a notification also. So if I want to slip it by him I can’t do the @ thing. edit: sorry, deleted something that sounded snarky ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolded-user-names-v-names/937292/11 "2021-03-05T22:14:59Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Being someone who has self-proclaimedly entered early oldfartitude Me, I’ll do anything it takes to get the @kids off **#mylawn**. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolded-user-names-v-names/937292/12 "2021-03-05T22:26:44Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > Me, I’ll do anything it takes to get the @kids off **#mylawn**. Me, I use **@bigdog**. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolded-user-names-v-names/937292/13 "2021-03-05T22:29:02Z")
Has anyone tried @BloodyMary @BloodyMary @BloodyMary or @BeetleJuice @BeetleJuice @BeetleJuice ETA: hey, the second one looks like it might work! ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolded-user-names-v-names/937292/14 "2021-03-05T23:44:49Z")
Exactly, and the demo worked as predicted – there’s **one** notification of a reply ( **Riemann** ’s) and one notification of an @ mention (yours). ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2021, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolded-user-names-v-names/937292/15 "2021-03-06T00:07:04Z")
I don’t know about the @. It feels slightly rude, like pointing a finger at someone. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2021, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolded-user-names-v-names/937292/16 "2021-03-06T03:21:52Z")
I think the @ option is probably better everywhere except the MMPS, where bolding is the norm and will probably remain so because most who post there are do so often and don’t need an @ to inform them. ---
**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:** [March 6, 2021, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolded-user-names-v-names/937292/17 "2021-03-06T03:33:23Z")
I use the @ sign by default, as it’s easier to type (especially on mobile). But I do think about when someone might not want to be notified (or when doing so would be inappropriate). Oh, and even when I do use bold, I’ll often use the @ notation first for longer names to make sure I get the spelling right (or to avoid typing so much on mobile), then delete it. On mobile I may also forget to bold a username. ---
**Author:** ![ASGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@ASGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2021, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolded-user-names-v-names/937292/18 "2021-03-06T14:02:34Z")
I’m strictly a bold person. Comes from being a printer I think but I agree it looks better. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2021, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolded-user-names-v-names/937292/19 "2021-03-06T16:25:49Z")
@ if I want to call the person’s attention to the fact that they’re being talked about; bolding if I don’t. Example: In this thread, the OP probably should have @'ed Spice\_Weasel rather than bolding her so she would have known she was being talked about: > [@Happy birthday, Horatio and Spicy!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-horatio-and-spicy/937194): > > Today, March 4, marks the birthday of two of our more prolific and popular members, Spice\_Weasel and Horatio\_Hellpop. Happy birthday to you both and please enjoy some cake on me. birthday birthday ---
**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:** [March 6, 2021, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolded-user-names-v-names/937292/20 "2021-03-06T17:29:38Z")
Yes, right. I had forgotten Discourse has this feature now. Giraffe Boards has it, too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolded-user-names-v-names/937292.md?page=2)