# For those of you who have been to gatherings... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 6, 2000, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-of-you-who-have-been-to-gatherings/32215 "2000-09-06T12:29:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![THespos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@THespos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/THespos)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-of-you-who-have-been-to-gatherings/32215/1 "2000-09-06T12:29:11Z")
Silly question, but I am curious. Let’s say I go to a regional gathering of Dopers. There, I am introduced to individual Dopers. (Let’s use ColdFire as an example.) What’s the protocol? Do I continue calling ColdFire “ColdFire” the entire time? Or does ColdFire tell me his name IRL? When will the New York City Dopers next get together? Yes, I am aware there’s something going on in Brooklyn, but I’ll be on a cruise to Halifax that week. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-of-you-who-have-been-to-gatherings/32215/2 "2000-09-06T12:34:09Z")
You will adress me as “Sir, Coldfire, Sir! Yes, I will get you a refill Sir!” 😃 I suppose IRL names are exchanged - I mean, it would be weird calling someone Satan all the time, for example. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-of-you-who-have-been-to-gatherings/32215/3 "2000-09-06T12:40:23Z")
Apparently it has a bit to do with what your IRL name is. At this past weekend’s Las Vegas gathering people were generally called by their real names, with the exceptions that people called techie both that and “Liz” about equally and I remained “beatle” to most. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Corrado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a88e4f/32.png) [@John\_Corrado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Corrado)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-of-you-who-have-been-to-gatherings/32215/4 "2000-09-06T12:43:16Z")
Usually, you ask the person what they want to be called, and go with that. Generally, though, I call people by their usernames or some variant thereof (for example, I generally call RTFirefly “Rufus”, and Satan shall likely always Satan be). ---
**Author:** ![Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/258eb7/32.png) [@Wonko\_The\_Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wonko_The_Sane)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-of-you-who-have-been-to-gatherings/32215/5 "2000-09-06T12:43:46Z")
People usually let you know their real name, and whether they prefer one over the other. If a 'doper does not answer to the sdmb name, try the other one. Works for me. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-of-you-who-have-been-to-gatherings/32215/6 "2000-09-06T12:50:46Z")
IRL names are exchanged beforehand… thats what you say. Or else give out name tags. Personally, I will be referring to Coldfire as “Clog-boy” or “Dutch” for the whole of Dubdope:) ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-of-you-who-have-been-to-gatherings/32215/7 "2000-09-06T12:55:32Z")
Fine with me, as long as it is in sentences like “Here’s your fresh Murphys, Clog-Boy!” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-of-you-who-have-been-to-gatherings/32215/8 "2000-09-06T13:28:21Z")
Please do NOT use his SDMB name when it comes to the sentences like, “Ready for another enema, Coldfire?” Or even, “Coldfire, you shore have a purty mouth.” ---
**Author:** ![Aglarond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@Aglarond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aglarond)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-of-you-who-have-been-to-gatherings/32215/9 "2000-09-06T14:45:03Z")
At the DFW meetings, we tend to keep using our SDMB names, or shortened versions. They call my Ag, usually. I wonder if they even know my real name? I don’t think it’s ever come up. ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-of-you-who-have-been-to-gatherings/32215/10 "2000-09-06T15:06:45Z")
Of _course_ we called him beatle. Who would use (or even want to know) the real name of a man who has already lost his pants? (Nice boxers, though!) ---
**Author:** ![tatertot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@tatertot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tatertot)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-of-you-who-have-been-to-gatherings/32215/11 "2000-09-06T15:10:56Z")
At CopeDope we called each other by our user names, I’m not sure why. When I go to DubDope, I absolutely refuse to call John Larrigan Twistyskates or whatever nonsense he’s taken to calling himself. And I shall have to call Ruadh by her real name because I don’t know how to pronounce Ruadh. And I have to say Coldclogs real name provided us with lots of giggles at CopeDope, it’s just fun to say. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-of-you-who-have-been-to-gatherings/32215/12 "2000-09-06T15:15:45Z")
“Jasper” is fun to say? Uhm… OK 😉 Watch your step, Tater, or it’s no stroopwafels for you… ---
**Author:** ![tatertot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@tatertot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tatertot)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-of-you-who-have-been-to-gatherings/32215/13 "2000-09-06T15:19:12Z")
No, it’s your last name that’s fun to say. It’s so…sexy, yeah, that’s it, sexy. 😉 Mmmmmm…stroopwafels. ---
**Author:** ![Globe-trotter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cab0a1/32.png) [@Globe-trotter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Globe-trotter)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-of-you-who-have-been-to-gatherings/32215/14 "2000-09-06T15:21:09Z")
I can’t imagine calling Coldie Clogs by his real name. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-of-you-who-have-been-to-gatherings/32215/15 "2000-09-06T15:24:45Z")
You’ll all be calling me John anyway, because thats how you know me. I wouldnt expect to be called ToF in real life, I just didnt really want my RL name on the boards all the time. but come to think of I I am starting to like twistyskates! ---
**Author:** ![Globe-trotter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cab0a1/32.png) [@Globe-trotter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Globe-trotter)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-of-you-who-have-been-to-gatherings/32215/16 "2000-09-06T15:26:43Z")
Well John, every time I see your new UN, I always think of that damn Olivia Newton-John song. Not a good thing. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Trion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Trion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trion)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-of-you-who-have-been-to-gatherings/32215/17 "2000-09-06T15:27:59Z")
Thanks a lot **Mr. Cynical**. Months of therapy, right out the window. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-of-you-who-have-been-to-gatherings/32215/18 "2000-09-06T15:34:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Globe-trotter \* > \*\*Well John, every time I see your new UN, I always think of that damn Olivia Newton-John song. Not a good thing. 😉 \*\* what? oh you mean **“You’re The one that I want?”** or do you mean **"Lets Get Physical?"** ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-of-you-who-have-been-to-gatherings/32215/19 "2000-09-06T15:36:11Z")
why am I puttling Question marks at the end of everything? ---
**Author:** ![Globe-trotter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cab0a1/32.png) [@Globe-trotter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Globe-trotter)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2000, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-of-you-who-have-been-to-gatherings/32215/20 "2000-09-06T15:36:44Z")
> [@](#): > > what? oh you mean **“You’re The one that I want?”** or do you mean **"Lets Get Physical?"** Neither. It’s called, oddly enough, “Twist of fate”. 😛 Find it on Napster and weep. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-those-of-you-who-have-been-to-gatherings/32215.md?page=2)