# Do you regret your username change?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-username-change/594004
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [August 25, 2011, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-username-change/594004 "2011-08-25T04:18:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2011, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-username-change/594004/1 "2011-08-25T04:18:06Z")
As most of us know, the SDMB allows one username change at whim.
If you’ve changed your username on a whim, are you happy with it? Wish you’d chosen a different name, or hadn’t changed at all?
If you’ve changed your username not on a whim, I intend to make this a non-public poll.
If you’ve haven’t, are you thinking about it? Are you content with the username you came up with at 4am after a long night at Ralph’s Bar and Grill?
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### Author:  [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2011, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-username-change/594004/2 "2011-08-25T04:23:25Z")
I started out as **This Year’s Model** , and while I mildly regret the loss of uniqueness, being **Frank** is a lot easier on everyone.
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### Author:  [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2011, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-username-change/594004/3 "2011-08-25T04:28:11Z")
I just recently changed my user name. I’m very glad I did. My new name fits me much better and my old one probably gave a strange impression anyway.
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### Author:  [@Implicit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Implicit)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2011, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-username-change/594004/4 "2011-08-25T04:29:16Z")
The customer service on my name change was excellent. I dropped the first letter of my username after only a few posts when I discovered another active user whose name was only different from mine by one letter. Unfortunately this name sucks for vanity searches.
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### Author:  [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2011, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-username-change/594004/5 "2011-08-25T04:32:24Z")
FTR, we’ve relaxed the “one user name change ever” rule. We still don’t want to see people abusing it by asking for constant name changes, but we’ll let people switch more than once now.
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### Author:  [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2011, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-username-change/594004/6 "2011-08-25T04:34:43Z")
> [@Implicit](#):
>
> Unfortunately this name sucks for vanity searches.
That was one of the reasons I dropped my old name. I couldn’t use the long form due to the apostrophe, and it was commonly abbreviated as **TYM** which I couldn’t search cause it was only three letters.
But, come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever done a vanity search on **Frank** since I stopped being a mod. Hmm . . .
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### Author:  [@Implicit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Implicit)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2011, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-username-change/594004/7 "2011-08-25T04:53:02Z")
> [@Frank](#):
>
> That was one of the reasons I dropped my old name. I couldn’t use the long form due to the apostrophe, and it was commonly abbreviated as **TYM** which I couldn’t search cause it was only three letters.
>
> But, come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever done a vanity search on **Frank** since I stopped being a mod. Hmm . . .
Good point, I mostly used vanity searches on my last forum because I was a mod and lots of people referred to me by the first 3 letters of my username so I ran into the same problem. This screws up vanity searches people, have a little courtesy. 😛
Simplicio should be banned, so I can add the S back to my username.
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### Author:  [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2011, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-username-change/594004/8 "2011-08-25T06:01:06Z")
> [@Frank](#):
>
> That was one of the reasons I dropped my old name. I couldn’t use the long form due to the apostrophe, and it was commonly abbreviated as **TYM** which I couldn’t search cause it was only three letters.
>
> But, come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever done a vanity search on **Frank** since I stopped being a mod. Hmm . . .
I like my name, but I can’t vanity search because everyone abbreviates it to STG. Probably just as well.
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### Author:  [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2011, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-username-change/594004/9 "2011-08-25T08:12:26Z")
I picked my name when I was a deeply unhappy, bit-of-a-shut-in, social recluse. Now life is very much better, I’m a social butterfly, and really need to get around to changing “hermette” to a more appropriate username!
And preferably a clever, thoughtful, witty one, which is why I’ve not done it yet 😉
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### Author:  [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2011, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-username-change/594004/10 "2011-08-25T08:24:09Z")
> [@Silver Tyger Girl](#):
>
> I like my name, but I can’t vanity search because everyone abbreviates it to STG. Probably just as well.
Just be glad you’re female, since Silver Tyger Dude would have a much worse abbreviation. \>\_\>
I occasionally consider changing, just to bring here in line with my usernames elsewhere, but…eh.
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### Author:  [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)
#### Post date: [August 25, 2011, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-username-change/594004/11 "2011-08-25T22:43:19Z")
All I did was change from lowercase to caps, so I’ve got no regrets, 🙂
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### Author:  [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2011, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-username-change/594004/12 "2011-08-26T06:15:48Z")
Was **Paul in Saudi now Paul in Qatar,** wants to change back but it seems too much trouble.
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### Author:  [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2011, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-username-change/594004/13 "2011-08-26T06:57:23Z")
changed from lame pun to initials, no regrets.
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### Author:  [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2011, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-username-change/594004/14 "2011-08-26T13:21:40Z")
I changed mine once, and had my sock account(s) busted at the same time. I came clean, did my time, cleared probation and now my record has been expunged. 😉
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### Author:  [@ShelliBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShelliBean)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2011, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-username-change/594004/15 "2011-08-26T14:07:04Z")
I started out as ellykat, which was my email for many years but was ruined for me by the song “Smelly Cat” on Friends. So I changed it to Rez. Then I got divorced and since Rez was derived from my married name I wanted it changed to ShelliBean (my nickname IRL).
I figure at this point even if an evil dictator bent on genocide comes out named ShelliBean, I don’t need to ask for another change. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2011, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-username-change/594004/16 "2011-08-26T14:08:55Z")
I changed mine. Your national security depended on it. I’m happy.
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### Author:  [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2011, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-username-change/594004/17 "2011-08-26T14:12:07Z")
I was **Smokinjbc** originally and I changed it a couple of years ago. The only regret I have is that I don’t live in LV anymore but since my sheep kindof do, the name is still relevant ;).
My previous username is one that I have used for about 17 years - my friends, family, former co-workers, etc would know it as my email and screenname. I had a bit of a fear, especially after being laid off and needing to vent about some things, of my name being put in a search and my posts easily identified. So I requested a change, got a mild lecture about not letting the username change replace common sense about posting private matters and got a quick name change. Now, I can be slightly less paranoid. Not that I really posted anything horribly personally or reputation damaging, just wanted to feel comfortable posting without worrying that someone I know IRL will read it.
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### Author:  [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2011, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-username-change/594004/18 "2011-08-26T14:14:07Z")
Yes, I wish I had taken the time to think of a clever one like everybody else. At teh time, though, I was in a hurry, and I just wanted to post a correction/update to a discussion on a topic that was important to me. I did not plan on becoming a regular poster.
On the other hand, knowing me, if I did change to something “clever” I would almost certainly come to feel it was more stupid than clever, and be embarrassed by it, after a while, so I have left it alone.
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### Author:  [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2011, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-username-change/594004/19 "2011-08-26T14:47:49Z")
> [@Miller](#):
>
> FTR, we’ve relaxed the “one user name change ever” rule. We still don’t want to see people abusing it by asking for constant name changes, but we’ll let people switch more than once now.
Really? That’s awesome. I’ve been kinda regretting choosing this name, and while I don’t want to go back to my original name (Aesiron), I wish I’d chosen something different.
I might email an admin later.
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### Author:  [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)
#### Post date: [August 26, 2011, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-regret-your-username-change/594004/20 "2011-08-26T14:56:34Z")
> [@Hades](#):
>
> Really? That’s awesome. I’ve been kinda regretting choosing this name, and while I don’t want to go back to my original name (Aesiron), I wish I’d chosen something different.
>
> I might email an admin later.
You are Aesiron??? :eek: Jeez. I’m always the last to know. I like Hades, though; it reminds me of James Woods as Hades in _Hercules_. “Wha? Did my hair go out?” 😃
My initial user name was just plain Ellen; I changed it a couple months later, I think.
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