# Bye bye Christopher and how do I change my name anyway? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 6, 2008, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-christopher-and-how-do-i-change-my-name-anyway/448350 "2008-05-06T21:51:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-christopher-and-how-do-i-change-my-name-anyway/448350/1 "2008-05-06T21:51:37Z")
The fact is, I just don’t think that the internet is as safe as it was when I joined back in 1999. Back then, I don’t think anybody would have been able to figure out who I was or where I lived or anything really personal. At that time, I think having my first name as an identifier was not unreasonable. I have come to realize that enough information is provided and I am unique enough, that my personal location and information could be figured out from this website. With complete innocence, somebody on these boards has already basically found me. It is not that I am concerned right now, but as time goes on I feel the internet is only going to get less secure. I need to use something other than my first name to identify me. Perhaps I am not the most prominent person on these boards, but I think some people may know who I am. As such, I would like to make the transition a bit gradual. The problem is, I can’t figure out how to change my name at all. For some reason, I figured it would be just an edit to my profile, but I can’t find the page to do that. How do I change my name anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-christopher-and-how-do-i-change-my-name-anyway/448350/2 "2008-05-06T22:04:02Z")
[QUOTE=Christopher] Perhaps I am not the most prominent person on these boards, but I think some people may know who I am. As such, I would like to make the transition a bit gradual. The problem is, I can’t figure out how to change my name at all. For some reason, I figured it would be just an edit to my profile, but I can’t find the page to do that. How do I change my name anyway? [/QUOTE] You e-mail TubaDiva and ask her pretty please to change your username. Then you have to give her a new username and about a half-pound of excellent chocolate. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-christopher-and-how-do-i-change-my-name-anyway/448350/3 "2008-05-06T22:08:19Z")
You would email an administrator, like **TubaDiva** , asking for a change to a new, more obscure name, explaining why. Sorry to see the name go; my best friend growing up was Christopher. You’re not he, though, him being dead and all. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-christopher-and-how-do-i-change-my-name-anyway/448350/4 "2008-05-06T22:15:00Z")
[QUOTE=Morgyn] You e-mail TubaDiva and ask her pretty please to change your username. Then you have to give her a new username and about a half-pound of excellent chocolate. [/QUOTE] You left out the bit about PayPal’ing a dollar to all charter members. (hey…we gotta get _something_ out of this!) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-christopher-and-how-do-i-change-my-name-anyway/448350/5 "2008-05-06T22:18:06Z")
And a chorus of voices did go up from the peaceful valley, “Email TubaDiva, she what has the codes!” That’s it. You get one change, and it’ll get done as long as it’s reasonable. If you’re worried that people won’t know who you are, just activate and edit your signature, and/or announce your change in this (or another) thread. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-christopher-and-how-do-i-change-my-name-anyway/448350/6 "2008-05-06T22:34:11Z")
But keep in mind that if you change your username, all of your old posts will show up with your new name. BTW, shouldn’t this be in ATMB? ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-christopher-and-how-do-i-change-my-name-anyway/448350/7 "2008-05-06T22:35:57Z")
Of course, if you leave a long trail of notes behind you saying that “Mr.Newname used to be Christopher,” you’re not doing a lot toward obscuring your identity. ---
**Author:** ![Amblydoper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@Amblydoper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amblydoper)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-christopher-and-how-do-i-change-my-name-anyway/448350/8 "2008-05-07T00:42:50Z")
Christopher… I am posting from inside your house… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-christopher-and-how-do-i-change-my-name-anyway/448350/9 "2008-05-07T02:31:49Z")
Thanks. It’s not an immediate concern of mine, but the internet is only going to get less safe, so I thought I should take away the obvious. I suppose this should have been in ATMB. No matter, I got my answer. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-christopher-and-how-do-i-change-my-name-anyway/448350/10 "2008-05-07T03:22:14Z")
So Mr. Robin… we meet at last! ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-christopher-and-how-do-i-change-my-name-anyway/448350/11 "2008-05-07T17:26:49Z")
[QUOTE=Hal Briston] You left out the bit about PayPal’ing a dollar to all charter members. (hey…we gotta get _something_ out of this!) [/QUOTE] :smack: How could I possibly have forgotten that bit of information? It pays for my subscription every year! ---
**Author:** ![Sunrazor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sunrazor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunrazor)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-christopher-and-how-do-i-change-my-name-anyway/448350/12 "2008-05-07T17:35:17Z")
Hmm … so I s’pose my post a few weeks back, in which I listed my full name, address and phone number in response to yet another newbie chastizing us all for not listing our real-world addresses under “Location”, may have been ill-advised? ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-christopher-and-how-do-i-change-my-name-anyway/448350/13 "2008-05-07T18:13:18Z")
_cough **hideyouremailaddress** cough_ ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-christopher-and-how-do-i-change-my-name-anyway/448350/14 "2008-05-07T18:25:27Z")
[QUOTE=FatBaldGuy] But keep in mind that if you change your username, all of your old posts will show up with your new name. [/QUOTE] But evidently not in responses, as seen in post #2. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-christopher-and-how-do-i-change-my-name-anyway/448350/15 "2008-05-07T18:27:52Z")
[QUOTE=Plynck] But evidently not in responses, as seen in post #2. 😕 [/QUOTE] Yes, the names in quote boxes don’t change, but the **WarmNPrickly** handle is on all of his posts. Quote boxes are just text, whereas… well, I know there’s a technical reason, and if nobody can come along and explain it I’ll make something up for you. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-christopher-and-how-do-i-change-my-name-anyway/448350/16 "2008-05-07T18:55:14Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] Yes, the names in quote boxes don’t change, but the **WarmNPrickly** handle is on all of his posts. Quote boxes are just text, whereas… well, I know there’s a technical reason, and if nobody can come along and explain it I’ll make something up for you. [/QUOTE] User names are likely stored in a separate table with all other user information. His name field changed content, but he’s still member number 32876 (or whatever). Posts just fill in whatever name is listed for that number. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-christopher-and-how-do-i-change-my-name-anyway/448350/17 "2008-05-07T19:51:37Z")
umm…am I misunderstanding something? Couldn’t you let your membership expire, and then re-enlist as a new recruit? Yeah, it would cost $14.95, but you’d get to give yourself a new username. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-christopher-and-how-do-i-change-my-name-anyway/448350/18 "2008-05-07T19:54:17Z")
[QUOTE=chappachula] umm…am I misunderstanding something? Couldn’t you let your membership expire, and then re-enlist as a new recruit? Yeah, it would cost $14.95, but you’d get to give yourself a new username. [/QUOTE] You’d still have a guest membership registered, so you’d have to email the mods and tell them to shut it down, or you’d be banned for (sock) puppetry. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-christopher-and-how-do-i-change-my-name-anyway/448350/19 "2008-05-07T20:03:33Z")
He’d be a sock, and besides, what’s the point of paying $14.95 to change your handle when we’ll do it for free? Plus, he’s a 99er. Why give that up? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2008, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-christopher-and-how-do-i-change-my-name-anyway/448350/20 "2008-05-07T20:06:46Z")
I meant to add that if **WarmNPrickly** returned as a sock and wanted to stick around, we’d have merged his new account with his old one anyway. So the net change would have been zero, except for the money thing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bye-bye-christopher-and-how-do-i-change-my-name-anyway/448350.md?page=2)