# Changing user name?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-user-name/680582
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [February 5, 2014, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-user-name/680582 "2014-02-05T16:36:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2014, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-user-name/680582/1 "2014-02-05T16:36:03Z")
My good buddy formerly known as **Runner Pat** [changed his user name.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=714987)
Huh?
Streng verboten, I thought, for historical purposes. I don’t even know how he did it (props **runner coach**!).
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2014, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-user-name/680582/2 "2014-02-05T17:03:15Z")
TPTB allow one change for any reason. After that, you need to give a reason. And they really won’t allow numerous changes.
All your posts will change to the new name (though quoted posts will retain the old name in the quote).
E-mail an Admin to start the process. Have a list of three names in case the first is unavailable.
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2014, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-user-name/680582/3 "2014-02-05T17:12:01Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#):
>
> Streng verboten, I thought, for historical purposes.
No, we’ve done name changes for years and years. If you send the staff an email listing a couple of choices - in case some of them are already taken or just unacceptable - we’ll make the change at our earliest convenience. What you can’t do is just start a second account.
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### Author:  [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2014, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-user-name/680582/4 "2014-02-05T18:09:55Z")
One thing to be aware of that may cause a little confusion when older threads are resurrected is that if you were quoted by another poster prior to your name change, the old user name will appear within the quote box.
Your new user name will replace the old one, even in older posts, but not within the quote box.
So you could see **running coach** responding to a previous thread where someone has quoted **runner pat**.
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### Author:  [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2014, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-user-name/680582/5 "2014-02-05T18:21:20Z")
Here is an example of what I mean.
> **[Interesting new candy.](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=707919)**
>
> It’s UNREAL. Seriously, that’s the company name. Healthier alternatives to the big names. No GMOs, corn syrup, preservatives, artificial colors and so on. Ingredient sourcing. I tried four of their products-peanut butter cups, caramel nougat and...
Post #3 shows the new user name of **running coach**.\*\* Lord Feldon \*\*quoted him in post #6 and within the quote box we still see **runner pat**.
If the new vs old user names are quite different you may be tempted to ask “who are you talking to?”
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### Author:  [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2014, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-user-name/680582/6 "2014-02-05T18:24:36Z")
> [@Marley23](#):
>
> No, we’ve done name changes for years and years. If you send the staff an email listing a couple of choices - in case some of them are already taken or just unacceptable - we’ll make the change at our earliest convenience. What you can’t do is just start a second account.
Yeah, in case it isn’t clear: you can’t personally change your name, but you can request a name change from the staff.
My understanding is that they’ll be happy to do it once, but they’re reluctant to grant another name change after that one; so think carefully before you put in your request.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2014, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-user-name/680582/7 "2014-02-05T18:50:30Z")
In my case, my username was kept the same and WitSec was cool with it.
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### Author:  [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2014, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-user-name/680582/8 "2014-02-05T22:54:09Z")
I’ll be keeping an eye out for any posts coming from **Steve Dedalus**.
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### Author:  [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)
#### Post date: [February 5, 2014, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-user-name/680582/9 "2014-02-05T23:38:20Z")
> [@kayaker](#):
>
> In my case, my username was kept the same and WitSec was cool with it.
That’s because they’re hoping your former associates will catch up with you and take you off their hands. It’s nothing _personal_. 😉
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### Author:  [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2014, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-user-name/680582/10 "2014-02-07T06:00:27Z")
> [@kayaker](#):
>
> In my case, my username was kept the same and WitSec was cool with it.
Then how many times are you allowed to leave your user name the same on this board?
After the first time, do you have to give the mods a good reason every time you want to leave your user name the same?
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2014, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-user-name/680582/11 "2014-02-07T11:57:07Z")
Reported.
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### Author:  [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2014, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-user-name/680582/12 "2014-02-07T15:26:50Z")
Whoa, dial down the confrontational here.
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### Author:  [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2014, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-user-name/680582/13 "2014-02-07T15:27:11Z")
You can change your name if you like; send me an email from the address that controls the account and let’s discuss.
We know that names have power and your name is meaningful. It needs to be something you’re good with and sometimes where people start is not where they want to continue. People change; soo do screen names. We get that.
Sometimes it takes a little bit to make it right. We get that too.
Where we start getting resistant is when people want to change their names a lot – we’ve had people who wanted a new screen name every couple of months or so, and that’s crazy.
Your moderation staff is not responsible for posting name changes; that’s up to the user who has made the change.
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2014, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-user-name/680582/14 "2014-02-07T15:33:57Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#):
>
> Whoa, dial down the confrontational here.
I must be missing something. Where was the confrontational content?
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2014, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-user-name/680582/15 "2014-02-07T15:50:32Z")
> [@hajario](#):
>
> I must be missing something. Where was the confrontational content?
If my joking around caused any confusion, my apologies.
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### Author:  [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2014, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-user-name/680582/16 "2014-02-07T16:54:34Z")
> [@kayaker](#):
>
> If my joking around caused any confusion, my apologies.
Reported.
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### Author:  [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2014, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-user-name/680582/17 "2014-02-07T20:04:08Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#):
>
> I’ll be keeping an eye out for any posts coming from **Steve Dedalus**.
🙂
> [@kayaker](#):
>
> In my case, my username was kept the same and WitSec was cool with it.
😕 WitSec?
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### Author:  [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2014, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-user-name/680582/18 "2014-02-07T20:07:29Z")
> [@kayaker](#):
>
> If my joking around caused any confusion, my apologies.
Wow. I guess **Marley23** (or was it **Colibri**?) was right, in another unrelated recent thread, to suggest that EVERY little joke needs smilies!
When you wrote that you left your user-name the same, I certainly saw that as a light-hearted remark, in keeping with the way this thread has been mostly going, and my remark was just a joke too. Hey, I’ve kept _my_ user-name the same a _whole lot of times_ on this board so far, and I’m likely to do so again in the future! Haven’t had any resistance from the mods about that. _(Yet!)_
Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course!
Okay, everybody! Gotta have those smilies! 🙂 🆒 😛 😉 😃
**hajario** : You’re right. There’s wasn’t any confrontational content here, on anybody’s part.
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### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-user-name/680582/19 "2014-02-07T20:22:56Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#):
>
> 😕 WitSec?
The federal witness protection program.
> [@Senegoid](#):
>
> Wow. I guess **Marley23** (or was it **Colibri**?) was right, in another unrelated recent thread, to suggest that EVERY little joke needs smilies!
Must’ve been **Colibri** - I hate using the things. But sometimes you almost have to because it’s easy to misunderstand people when you’re only using text.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2014, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/changing-user-name/680582/20 "2014-02-07T23:00:52Z")
> [@Marley23](#):
>
> The federal witness protection program.
Shut up.
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