# Changing nick - why possible?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-nick-why-possible/554369
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [September 20, 2010, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-nick-why-possible/554369 "2010-09-20T03:59:11Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@komolono](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/komolono)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2010, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-nick-why-possible/554369/1 "2010-09-20T03:59:11Z")
There are older threads, where quotes in some posts show that the poster has changed account - that is - someone is quoting another username than the name in the original post. Very confusing if you use the MB Search.
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### Author:  [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2010, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-nick-why-possible/554369/2 "2010-09-20T06:31:04Z")
Because if I made a username in 2000 that referenced _Battlefield Earth_ only to discover that now, in 2010 it’s much less popular than it was a decade ago and the username is now irrelevant, I might want to change it.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2010, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-nick-why-possible/554369/3 "2010-09-20T07:02:00Z")
In my case I originally posted under my real name. I later decided that was a little too public.
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2010, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-nick-why-possible/554369/4 "2010-09-20T12:50:15Z")
Why shouldn’t it be possible? The difference is that we ask people to contact the mods and have us change their names instead of starting new accounts. The alternative would be that people started and abandoned new more often and I think that would be more confusing.
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### Author:  [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2010, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-nick-why-possible/554369/5 "2010-09-20T15:57:11Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> In my case I originally posted under my real name. I later decided that was a little too public.
Likewise.
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### Author:  [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-nick-why-possible/554369/6 "2010-09-20T16:43:37Z")
> [@komolono](#):
>
> There are older threads, where quotes in some posts show that the poster has changed account - that is - someone is quoting another username than the name in the original post. Very confusing if you use the MB Search.
Some of us are on the run from the authorities. Not me though. I am the very milk of human kindness.
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### Author:  [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2010, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-nick-why-possible/554369/7 "2010-09-20T17:13:57Z")
I’m thinking about giving up coffee.
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### Author:  [@Ann\_Onimous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Onimous)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2010, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-nick-why-possible/554369/8 "2010-09-20T17:29:39Z")
> [@komolono](#):
>
> There are older threads, where quotes in some posts show that the poster has changed account - that is - someone is quoting another username than the name in the original post. Very confusing if you use the MB Search.
Mine was an old user name that I didn’t use anywhere else but here, and I no longer identified with it. So the gracious **TubaDiva** changed it for me.
> [@AClockworkMelon](#):
>
> Because if I made a username in 2000 that referenced _Battlefield Earth_ only to discover that now, in 2010 it’s much less popular than it was a decade ago and the username is now irrelevant, I might want to change it.
Battlefield Earth was relevant in 2000? 😉
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### Author:  [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2010, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-nick-why-possible/554369/9 "2010-09-20T17:50:36Z")
> [@Ann\_Onimous](#):
>
> > [@AClockworkMelon](#):
> >
> > Because if I made a username in 2000 that referenced _Battlefield Earth_ only to discover that now, in 2010 it’s much less popular than it was a decade ago and the username is now irrelevant, I might want to change it.
>
> Battlefield Earth was relevant in 2000? 😉
Yes - mainly as a warning, such as “You idiot! You could have spent the last two hours watching _Manos: The Hands of Fate_ and you would have enjoyed THAT far more than this waste of movie film [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2010, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-nick-why-possible/554369/10 "2010-09-20T17:55:07Z")
Because the code in vB allows the owner of the forum to set privileges for certain users, everything from editing others posts, deleting accounts, banning accounts, banning IPs, etc.
One of those privs is editing user names. That’s why it’s possible, someone set the setting that way.
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### Author:  [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-nick-why-possible/554369/11 "2010-09-20T17:56:18Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#):
>
> > [@Little\_Nemo](#):
> >
> > In my case I originally posted under my real name. I later decided that was a little too public.
>
> Likewise.
Changing the first K to a T is hardly the most amazing disguise though.
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### Author:  [@komolono](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/komolono)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2010, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-nick-why-possible/554369/12 "2010-09-20T18:01:23Z")
People changing their (account)names doesn’t bother me that much. There is also this little play-button near the quotation, which shows you to the original message. Is there a list of changed nicks? I quess not.
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2010, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-nick-why-possible/554369/13 "2010-09-20T18:05:03Z")
> [@komolono](#):
>
> Is there a list of changed nicks? I quess not.
There are a few threads that have partial lists.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-nick-why-possible/554369/14 "2010-09-20T18:16:39Z")
I might eventually find that I’ve eaten one of everything.
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### Author:  [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-nick-why-possible/554369/15 "2010-09-20T18:25:23Z")
> [@Ann\_Onimous](#):
>
> > [@AClockworkMelon](#):
> >
> > Because if I made a username in 2000 that referenced _Battlefield Earth_ only to discover that now, in 2010 it’s much less popular than it was a decade ago and the username is now irrelevant, I might want to change it.
>
> Battlefield Earth was relevant in 2000? 😉
It was _popular_ in 2000?
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### Author:  [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-nick-why-possible/554369/16 "2010-09-20T19:30:02Z")
> [@Scuba\_Ben](#):
>
> > [@Ann\_Onimous](#):
> >
> > Battlefield Earth was relevant in 2000? 😉
>
> Yes - mainly as a warning, such as “You idiot! You could have spent the last two hours watching _Manos: The Hands of Fate_ and you would have enjoyed THAT far more than this waste of movie film [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2010, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-nick-why-possible/554369/17 "2010-09-20T19:47:43Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#):
>
> Because if I made a username in 2000 that referenced _Battlefield Earth_ only to discover that now, in 2010 it’s much less popular than it was a decade ago and the username is now irrelevant, I might want to change it.
I hope I never feel the same way about my “BieberLuvR4EveR!!!” neck tattoo.
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### Author:  [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2010, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-nick-why-possible/554369/18 "2010-09-20T20:41:30Z")
Um, that’s J Bieb, just so you don’t continue to embarrass yourself.
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### Author:  [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2010, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-nick-why-possible/554369/19 "2010-09-20T21:04:24Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> In my case I originally posted under my real name. I later decided that was a little too public.
What he said.
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### Author:  [@EVERYNAMEISTAKEN](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EVERYNAMEISTAKEN)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2010, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-nick-why-possible/554369/20 "2010-09-20T22:27:48Z")
> [@needscoffee](#):
>
> I’m thinking about giving up coffee.
Hahaha! Thanks for that.
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