# Choice of User Names
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choice-of-user-names/89565
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [October 25, 2001, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choice-of-user-names/89565 "2001-10-25T15:29:02Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2001, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choice-of-user-names/89565/1 "2001-10-25T15:29:02Z")
Are there any restrictions on the choice of usernames - apart from the usual coding restrictions? What I mean is, could someone register with the name **grimpixe** (or something equally close to my name) and go around belching hatred and filth, leaving me to recieve the abuse by those who didn’t notice the difference???
Just wondering…
Thanks
Gp
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### Author:  [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2001, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choice-of-user-names/89565/2 "2001-10-25T16:25:12Z")
We try to discourage that sort of thing for just the reason you mentioned. We don’t always catch them though and it’s kind of a judgement call.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2001, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choice-of-user-names/89565/3 "2001-10-25T18:44:27Z")
There’s no technical restrictions on such things, if that’s what you’re asking, but the mods wouldn’t stand for it. There have been a few cases of two people randomly picking similar names (nothing so uncommon as “grimpixie”, of course), with the usual result being that one or both of them requests a name change from one of the Goddesses to avoid confusion.
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### Author:  [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)
#### Post date: [October 25, 2001, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choice-of-user-names/89565/4 "2001-10-25T23:20:46Z")
Before the most recent upgrades, there was a bug in the software that made this type of thing very easy, and was exploited by a rash of troll(s) for a few months.
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### Author:  [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2001, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choice-of-user-names/89565/5 "2001-10-26T07:52:50Z")
Thanks all…
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### Author:  [@levity\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levity_3)
#### Post date: [October 28, 2001, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choice-of-user-names/89565/6 "2001-10-28T21:06:39Z")
I’m living proof it can be done.
I just signed up. I wanted “levity”, to match my email name, but it was taken by this dude who never even posted!
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?action=getinfo&username=levity](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?action=getinfo&username=levity)
So, figuring it was a possible waste of time trying for levity 2, I went straight to levity 3, which was available.
Now, however, it is I and levity that has a reputation to defend. So he’d better be nice!
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### Author:  [@grirnpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grirnpixie)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2001, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choice-of-user-names/89565/7 "2001-10-29T00:01:48Z")
You know, I’m really not as grim as my name suggests.
Nor as angry as my posts. I just can’t get irony to come through the printed word.
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### Author:  [@wolfstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfstu)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2001, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choice-of-user-names/89565/8 "2001-10-29T01:00:10Z")
Oh, no. Here we go again. Poor griMpixie.
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### Author:  [@Dr.Lao](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Lao)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2001, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choice-of-user-names/89565/9 "2001-10-29T01:33:27Z")
I don’t think your name is going to last **levity 3**. No part of your name can be less than 3 characters.
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### Author:  [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2001, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choice-of-user-names/89565/10 "2001-10-29T01:36:43Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Dr. Lao \*
> \*\*I don’t think your name is going to last **levity 3**. No part of your name can be less than 3 characters. \*\*
I thought it was OK as long as there were at least three contiguous non-whitespace characters.
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### Author:  [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2001, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choice-of-user-names/89565/11 "2001-10-29T13:55:57Z")
ultrafilter is correct.
your humble TubaDiva
Administrator
Remember each of us is unique and special in our own way.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2001, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choice-of-user-names/89565/12 "2001-10-29T14:11:21Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by TubaDiva \*
> \*\*Remember each of us is unique and special in our own way. \*\*
[Python]
We-are-all-individuals
[/Python]
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### Author:  [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2001, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choice-of-user-names/89565/13 "2001-10-29T15:57:02Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by wolfstu \*
> \*\*Oh, no. Here we go again. Poor griMpixie. \*\*
For those who haven’t noticed, **wolfstu** is referring to the recent appearance of a **grirnpixie**.
pan
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### Author:  [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2001, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choice-of-user-names/89565/14 "2001-10-29T17:39:10Z")
**grimpixie** –just FYI, I did notice that griRNpixie was not you.
I hope the mods/admins can do something about that. It’s very jerk-like.
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### Author:  [@Bill\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_H)
#### Post date: [October 29, 2001, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choice-of-user-names/89565/15 "2001-10-29T18:00:13Z")
**levity 3** wrote
> [@](#):
>
> I wanted “levity”, to match my email name, but it was taken by this dude who never even posted!
I know the feeling.
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?action=getinfo&username=Bill](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?action=getinfo&username=Bill)
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### Author:  [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)
#### Post date: [October 30, 2001, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choice-of-user-names/89565/16 "2001-10-30T04:53:12Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by TubaDiva \*
> \*\*Remember each of us is unique and special in our own way. \*\*
Just like everybody else.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [October 30, 2001, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choice-of-user-names/89565/17 "2001-10-30T08:41:05Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Green Bean \*
> \*\ ***grimpixie** –just FYI, I did notice that griRNpixie was not you.
>
> I hope the mods/admins can do something about that. It’s very jerk-like. \*\*
Something has been done; removal of posting priveleges - Thanks Lynn.
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### Author:  [@wolfstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfstu)
#### Post date: [October 30, 2001, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choice-of-user-names/89565/18 "2001-10-30T21:44:09Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Mangetout \*
> \*\*Something has been done; removal of posting priveleges - Thanks Lynn. \*\*
Really? Why doesn’t it say “BANNED” under the name? Or is that a different thing than “removal of posting priveleges”?
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### Author:  [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)
#### Post date: [October 30, 2001, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choice-of-user-names/89565/19 "2001-10-30T22:17:36Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by wolfstu \*
> \*\*
>
> > [@](#):
> >
> > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \*
> > \*\*Something has been done; removal of posting priveleges - Thanks Lynn. \*\*
>
> Really? Why doesn’t it say “BANNED” under the name? Or is that a different thing than “removal of posting priveleges”? \*\*
Yeah, they have to change the status too. It’s happened before, that someone has been banned without having their label changed.
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### Author:  [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)
#### Post date: [October 30, 2001, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/choice-of-user-names/89565/20 "2001-10-30T22:19:16Z")
You can have your posting privileges removed without having it say “BANNED” under your name. It’s considered more discreet. The word “BANNED” tends to spawn a lot of noisy “why was so-and-so banned?” Pit threads.
And, having your posting privileges removed just means that Lynn’s standing there with arms akimbo, waiting for an explanation. “Well?” she demands. “What’s your excuse this time?” Her cousin Vinny is out in center field, waiting to catch your severed head on a high pop fly.
If you provide a proper explanation, Vinny just has to keep standing there, humming along with the scoreboard music.
But if you’re BANNED, then Vinny already has your head in his glove and is jogging towards the clubhouse.
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