# changing screen name? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 15, 2001, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-screen-name/72581 "2001-07-15T15:54:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zap\_Rowsdower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3da27b/32.png) [@Zap\_Rowsdower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zap_Rowsdower)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2001, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-screen-name/72581/1 "2001-07-15T15:54:58Z")
Are we able to change screen names? I read the faq and did not say anything about it, but I have seen a few posts where folks have. Also, where do I send a request for it. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Amazing\_Tiki\_God](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Amazing\_Tiki\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazing_Tiki_God)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2001, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-screen-name/72581/2 "2001-07-15T16:07:20Z")
E-mail TubaDiva [tubadiva@aol.com](mailto:tubadiva@aol.com) and ask her. She’s the one that deals with name changings and such. Although pick a really good name and stick with it they don’t like changing names many times, or so I’ve heard. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2001, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-screen-name/72581/3 "2001-07-15T18:07:29Z")
Well, theoretically you can change your screen name as many times you want. I can think of one Doper who went through four name changes before she settled down with the one she has now (which starts with “V”–was it four? or three?) It’s just that after a while the rest of us start to lose track of who you are, exactly, and it can get a little confusing. Someone unfamiliar comes into a thread and responds to something you posted in such a way as to sound like she knows you. “Um– **JumboJets4ever** , do I know you?” “Well, when I first registered I was **SlowBoatToChina** , and then I was **PlanesTrainsCars** , and then when I was **RollerSkates** we interacted in the ‘Post Your Favorite Gummy Shape’ thread, where we disagreed strongly on the merits of Farley[sup]R[/sup] Gummy Dinosaurs, but now I’m **JumboJets4ever** …” And THEN you remember the idiot who flamed you–YOU–just for saying that you thought Farley[sup]R[/sup] Gummy Dinosaurs were pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2001, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-screen-name/72581/4 "2001-07-15T21:54:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Mighty Tiki God \* > \*\*E-mail TubaDiva [tubadiva@aol.com](mailto:tubadiva@aol.com) and ask her. She’s the one that deals with name changings and such. Although pick a really good name and stick with it they don’t like changing names many times, or so I’ve heard. \*\* No, we don’t like to change names too often. We don’t recycle names, so each time one person takes a name and then wants a new one, the first name is out of circulation for good. I can change names as well, so email Tuba AND me, for faster service. For instance, I just got back from a week’s visit to my folks, so I did almost no SD work this week. Anyone who wrote to me for the past week or so probably didn’t get any sort of response. Lynn ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2001, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-screen-name/72581/5 "2001-07-15T22:06:03Z")
> [@](#): > > For instance, I just got back from a week’s visit to my folks, so I did almost no SD work this week. Well, that explains the 12 police cars and emergency vehicles. “Give a MOD/Admin and inch, and…” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2001, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-screen-name/72581/6 "2001-07-15T22:19:31Z")
Ummmmm, that was because it was my daughter’s turn to drive. Yeah, that’s it, it was all HER fault! I was just taking a nice peaceful nap… ---
**Author:** ![Running\_with\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Running\_with\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_with_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-screen-name/72581/7 "2001-07-16T18:59:00Z")
Reminds me - since I’m considering changing my username, is there any way we can check to see if a particular name is already taken? ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2001, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-screen-name/72581/8 "2001-07-16T23:57:21Z")
Try doing a Search By User Name using the name in question. ---
**Author:** ![Running\_with\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Running\_with\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_with_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-screen-name/72581/9 "2001-07-17T14:24:54Z")
Unfortunately, that only tells you if a particular user has posted. It returns the same message whether there are no messages from a particular user or if the userid doesn’t exist at all. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-screen-name/72581/10 "2001-07-17T17:11:10Z")
You can also check profiles by username. For instance, if you try [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?action=getinfo&username=Chronos](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?action=getinfo&username=Chronos) , you’ll get my profile. I’m not sure if or how this’ll work for multi-word names, though. ---
**Author:** ![Protesilaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Protesilaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Protesilaus)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2001, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-screen-name/72581/11 "2001-07-17T18:21:09Z")
It works for multi-word names too. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?action=getinfo&username=Duck+Duck+Goose](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?action=getinfo&username=Duck+Duck+Goose) ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2001, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-screen-name/72581/12 "2001-07-18T00:40:22Z")
Ooh, cool! 😃 Now, lemme see, who can I look up…? ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2001, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-screen-name/72581/13 "2001-07-18T02:55:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by frogstein \* > \*\*Reminds me - since I’m considering changing my username, is there any way we can check to see if a particular name is already taken? \*\* Yeah, email Tuba or me. We can check, it’s an admin function. And I finally got around to changing the OP’s name.