# FYI: changing usernames to insult people in the Pit **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 7, 2006, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-changing-usernames-to-insult-people-in-the-pit/338910 "2006-01-07T18:22:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-changing-usernames-to-insult-people-in-the-pit/338910/1 "2006-01-07T18:22:26Z")
There has been some confusion about whether or not there is a rule against changing someone’s username in order to insult them. I want to clarify that there is no such rule in the Pit. I suspect the confusion originated when **Liberal** changed his username from **libertarian** , and another poster pledged to follow him around the board using his old username. The mods at the time felt this was inappropriate and made a rule against that behavior, for that situation. That rule was never meant to be a blanket prohibition on writing anyone’s username inaccurately. So, go nuts. It’s the Pit. If we let you call each other twats and ass-lickers, it seems silly to warn you for changing **Poster** to **Postard** or whatever. I would ask, however, that you refrain from changing usernames in quote attributions. I don’t know what the mod consensus would be in terms of warning such behavior, but it’s certainly borderline, so better not to do it. Cool? ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-changing-usernames-to-insult-people-in-the-pit/338910/2 "2006-01-07T18:38:21Z")
yep. thanks **giruff** ---
**Author:** ![imthjckaz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/imthjckaz/32/3223_2.png) [@imthjckaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imthjckaz)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-changing-usernames-to-insult-people-in-the-pit/338910/3 "2006-01-07T18:46:03Z")
Other than the Lib thing, was this a problem? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-changing-usernames-to-insult-people-in-the-pit/338910/4 "2006-01-07T19:06:45Z")
> [@imthjckaz](#): > > Other than the Lib thing, was this a problem? I wouldn’t think someone with your username could ever see it as a problem. 🙂 I have occasionally seen it come up in pit threads. ---
**Author:** ![Good\_Egg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@Good\_Egg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Good_Egg)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-changing-usernames-to-insult-people-in-the-pit/338910/5 "2006-01-07T19:35:05Z")
> [@Stupid butt licking animal](#): > > There has been some confusion about whether or not there is a rule against changing someone’s username in order to insult them. I want to clarify that there is no such rule in the Pit. … ---
**Author:** ![Walter\_Windchill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Walter\_Windchill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walter_Windchill)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-changing-usernames-to-insult-people-in-the-pit/338910/6 "2006-01-07T19:37:50Z")
> [@Good Egg](#): > > … Ooh… you’re a bad egg. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-changing-usernames-to-insult-people-in-the-pit/338910/7 "2006-01-07T19:49:58Z")
I seem to remember it being a problem with since-banned Aldebaran as well, where some people were calling him “Deb” much to his ire. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-changing-usernames-to-insult-people-in-the-pit/338910/8 "2006-01-07T20:32:43Z")
> [@Walter Windchill](#): > > Ooh… you’re a bad egg. Garr… I hate being beaten to the obvious jokes!!! ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-changing-usernames-to-insult-people-in-the-pit/338910/9 "2006-01-07T20:35:19Z")
jokes like that tend to scramble my brain ---
**Author:** ![Scruloose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Scruloose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scruloose)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-changing-usernames-to-insult-people-in-the-pit/338910/10 "2006-01-07T20:47:34Z")
> [@imthjckaz](#): > > Other than the Lib thing, was this a problem? Didn’t this become an issue with **Karl**? **Karl** [something], with the latex division? ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-changing-usernames-to-insult-people-in-the-pit/338910/11 "2006-01-07T21:52:00Z")
> [@imthjckaz](#): > > Other than the Lib thing, was this a problem? well, [this was recent](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=352303&highlight=poster), there did seem to be some confusion about the rule ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2006, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-changing-usernames-to-insult-people-in-the-pit/338910/12 "2006-01-07T22:18:30Z")
> [@Scruloose](#): > > Didn’t this become an issue with **Karl**? **Karl** [something], with the latex division? **Kel Varnsen, Latex Division**. He used to get annoyed that people would often misread his name as “Karl”, and it was eventually used to bait him. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-changing-usernames-to-insult-people-in-the-pit/338910/13 "2006-01-08T04:01:54Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > I suspect the confusion originated when **Liberal** changed his username from **libertarian** , and another poster pledged to follow him around the board using his old username. The mods at the time felt this was inappropriate and made a rule against that behavior, for that situation. That rule was never meant to be a blanket prohibition on writing anyone’s username inaccurately. So does the “don’t call **Liberal** **libertarian** ” rule apply just to this one poster who followed him around, or does it apply to everyone? If the latter, then why is **Liberal** the only one to whom this “feel free to modify usernames in the Pit” right doesn’t apply? ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-changing-usernames-to-insult-people-in-the-pit/338910/14 "2006-01-08T04:56:08Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > So does the “don’t call **Liberal** **libertarian** ” rule apply just to this one poster who followed him around, or does it apply to everyone? If the latter, then why is **Liberal** the only one to whom this “feel free to modify usernames in the Pit” right doesn’t apply? It’s against the rules to refuse to acknowledge someone’s name change and to make a policy of refering them by their old name. Although to my knowledge it’s only ever come up with **Liberal** and what’s-his-name, the behavior was deemed to be jerkish and would be equally prohibited toward any other poster who changed his/her username, if one were to make a habit of calling them by the old name. You’re welcome to modify **Liberal** ’s username in a Pit thread just as you would anyone else’s. Does that make sense? ---
**Author:** ![Albert\_Rose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Albert\_Rose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Albert_Rose)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-changing-usernames-to-insult-people-in-the-pit/338910/15 "2006-01-08T06:10:18Z")
So the problem wasn’t with changing **Liberal** ’s username, the problem was with being a prick about it. Gotcha ya. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-changing-usernames-to-insult-people-in-the-pit/338910/16 "2006-01-09T03:27:49Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > You’re welcome to modify **Liberal** ’s username in a Pit thread just as you would anyone else’s. Liberal Liberal Bo Biberal Banana Fana Fo Fiberal Fee Fi Fo Fiberal…LIBERAL! ---
**Author:** ![imthjckaz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/imthjckaz/32/3223_2.png) [@imthjckaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imthjckaz)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-changing-usernames-to-insult-people-in-the-pit/338910/17 "2006-01-09T04:28:40Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > You’re welcome to modify **Liberal** ’s username in a Pit thread just as you would anyone else’s. > > Does that make sense? So, if I get your drift, someone could then Pit Lib and could refer to him as\*\* Liberaltarian\*\*? ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-changing-usernames-to-insult-people-in-the-pit/338910/18 "2006-01-09T05:09:57Z")
> [@imthjckaz](#): > > So, if I get your drift, someone could then Pit Lib and could refer to him as\*\* Liberaltarian\*\*? Not that it would matter much, seeing as after his recent suspension he’s vowed to stay out of the Pit. I guess you could always Pit him _in absentia_, though… ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-changing-usernames-to-insult-people-in-the-pit/338910/19 "2006-01-09T05:58:54Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > I suspect the confusion originated when **Liberal** changed his username from **libertarian** , and another poster pledged to follow him around the board using his old username. [Not true.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=5048469) I had no intention of “following him around the boards.” In fact, if you do a search, you’ll find you could probably count on one hand the number of times I’ve even addressed Liberal in any subsequent discussion. I acknowledged in that long-ago pitting that referring to him by his old username was, in fact, namecalling, by “pledging” to do so _only in the Pit._ > [@lissener](#): > > I, personally, will refer to him as Liberal everywhere else on these boards, but will continue to refer to him as Libertarian in Pit threads. I don’t mean to stir anything up here. I have no intention of breaking the injuction, even though it now appears that it may have been based on a misreading of my post. Just fighting ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2006, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-changing-usernames-to-insult-people-in-the-pit/338910/20 "2006-01-09T06:05:32Z")
> [@Green Bean](#): > > Liberal Liberal Bo Biberal Banana Fana Fo Fiberal Fee Fi Fo Fiberal…LIBERAL! Let’s do **Tuckerfan**!! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fyi-changing-usernames-to-insult-people-in-the-pit/338910.md?page=2)