# Have you ever changed your doper name? Would you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 17, 2004, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-doper-name-would-you/275312 "2004-11-17T18:37:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**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:** [November 18, 2004, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-doper-name-would-you/275312/61 "2004-11-18T22:23:32Z")
Count me as another person who dislikes frivolous username changes. I find it disconcerting when a new poster with 10,000 posts comes along. If you must make a change, then it’s best if you can somehow relate it to your old name. Speaking of which, I’m embarrased to ask, but **Lute Skywatcher** , who the heck are you? **Smartini** –Don’t go changin’… I like your name lots. I’d like it better if it were capitalized, but that’s just because I’m a cranky old capitalizaton geek. **AwSnappity** –I remember you for your content when you were FUB. I understand why you changed, though. Nevermind that AwSnappity is only, like, the catchiest username on the whole board. You should pursue a career as a namer of things. Really. **Fruitbat** –Fruitbat is way better than Buttinski. Buttinski gives a real negative feeling. I like Fruitbat. It’s memorable. **Continuity eror** : If anyone thinks that you are too stupid to spell “error,” then they’re too stupid to be on this board. I love it. Keep it. It stands out without being obnoxious. Plus, every time I see it, I say to myself “but that’s a _spelling_ error, not a continuity error…” 🙂 Makes me giggle. ---
**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:** [November 18, 2004, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-doper-name-would-you/275312/62 "2004-11-18T22:26:09Z")
Oh, I forgot to say–I’ve never changed mine, nor have I considered changing it. How could I be anything but Green Bean? The mind boggles. ---
**Author:** ![smartini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/22d042/32.png) [@smartini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smartini)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-doper-name-would-you/275312/63 "2004-11-18T22:39:48Z")
**Green Bean** , I love the way you caught us all and gave us CAPITALS! **fruitbat!** get over here and put on this **“F”**! **continuity eror!** misspelling is one thing, but you are not leaving the house without this **“C”**! **smartini!** stop being such a smartypants and get your **“S”** on! I feel kinda dressed up! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-doper-name-would-you/275312/64 "2004-11-18T22:45:00Z")
_Have you ever changed your doper name?_ Yes. _What was it before, if you care to share?_ zgystardst \*Why did you change your doper name? \*It was from early AOL days and I compressed it because of the name length max at the time. rowrrbazzle sounded cool (but I didn’t know of its connection to Pogo Possum). _Are you glad you changed it?_ Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-doper-name-would-you/275312/65 "2004-11-18T22:48:15Z")
The only reason I haven’t changed my name here is that I hate it when other people do, it’s so confusing. I signed up here before I started using my current favorite pseudonym, postmoderngirl. (If you’re a cultural theorist, I think postmodernism is bunk, I just happened to be studying it when I needed a username and thought it sounded cool.) Kyla is my real name, so yeah, I’m boring. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-doper-name-would-you/275312/66 "2004-11-18T23:17:25Z")
I’ve had this username for nine years now, and it’s always available. That’s why I keep it; I never have to try to remember another name. It would be nice to have a neat username, though. Something memorable. Something witty. And I’ve had people on occasion (never here that I can remember) be offended by my name, which is both amusing and tedious. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-doper-name-would-you/275312/67 "2004-11-18T23:19:36Z")
> [@](#): > > Have you ever changed your doper name? What was it before, if you care to share? Yup. I am the poster formerly (little) known as Rocket88. > [@](#): > > Why did you change your doper name? Because it was boring, because I had never actually owned an Oldsmobile of any type, and because at the time there there seemed to be a whole bunch of posters with combinations of rockets and numbers in their handles. Although I hadn’t considered it at the time, given that these days anyone who shows up here with an ‘88’ in their name is immediately suspected of being a white supremacist, it’s just as well I changed it anyway. > [@](#): > > Are you glad you changed it? Or do you wish you had left it as it was? Over the moon, actually. Since I changed it I’ve lost thirty pounds, I’ve gotten a big raise at work, am frequently complimented on my rugged handsomeness, and never lack for dates with pro football cheerleaders. It’s all good. ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-doper-name-would-you/275312/68 "2004-11-18T23:42:46Z")
I have definitely outgrown this username. Nevertheless, it’s just as much my name as my real first name is, no changing it now. I only wish I had been wiser when choosing it at 13. ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-doper-name-would-you/275312/69 "2004-11-18T23:56:37Z")
I changed from **Mayflower** to **Chanteuse** , because I _needed_ a change. I have a lot of self-esteem issues and am trying to make some changes in my life. My former name was just something I’d outgrown, so to speak. I wanted a name that reflected something of myself and yet sound a little bit more elegant and mature. Since I enjoy singing, and am not bad at it, I ran a thesaurus check on synonyms of “singer.” **Chanteuse** was the one I liked best and it felt “right.” ---
**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-doper-name-would-you/275312/70 "2004-11-19T01:33:02Z")
> [@Green Bean](#): > > **AwSnappity** –I remember you for your content when you were FUB. I understand why you changed, though. Nevermind that AwSnappity is only, like, the catchiest username on the whole board. You should pursue a career as a namer of things. Really. Haha! Thanks. I always brag to my roommate about the awesome names I think up for my [Kingdom of Loathing](http://www.kingdomofloathing.com/main.html) familiars. Who brags about stuff like that? But I do. And I gotta say, I hope people _don’t_ remember me for the content I posted under **FUB** … there are a couple things that I’m extremely ashamed of, and I don’t want people to remember (although I bet at least one or two of you reading this thread right now will do a search just to find out what I’m talking about… I don’t mind, I’d do it too, just as long as you don’t hate me. I’ve changed, really I have). ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-doper-name-would-you/275312/71 "2004-11-19T01:43:06Z")
I’ve been thinking about changing mine, since I’m a computer geek, my name isn’t carmen, and I’m often confused for a woman. But I have my [reasons](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=2759218&postcount=99). ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-doper-name-would-you/275312/72 "2004-11-19T01:48:27Z")
> [@continuity eror](#): > > I’m considering changing mine. I have the feeling that the misspelling, though intentional, is annoying to some people, and I’m worried people might not get that it’s done on purpose, and if someone thinks I’m stupid enough to misspell a simple word like “error” they might not take the rest of my post seriously. I’d also like to change it before I rack up too many posts. > > What do y’all think? Is my username really annoying? I really like the name and have never noticed the misspelling, personally. I say keep it although, if you want, changing it to the correct spelling would be fine… just don’t change it completely. ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-doper-name-would-you/275312/73 "2004-11-19T03:22:08Z")
> [@Green Bean](#): > > Plus, every time I see it, I say to myself “but that’s a _spelling_ error, not a continuity error…” 🙂 Makes me giggle. And therein lies the “joke.” I don’t think I’ll change it, at least not just yet. But there will be no capitalizing! There’s no capitalizing on Livejournal, and most of the usernames on the other boards I frequent are in all lower case, so it seems weird that there’s capitalized names here. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-doper-name-would-you/275312/74 "2004-11-19T03:29:04Z")
I used to be **mayberrydan** but I changed it a year or two ago, I can’t remember. I only changed it because I felt like I needed a change. ---
**Author:** ![Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9dc877/32.png) [@Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightwatch_Trailer)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-doper-name-would-you/275312/75 "2004-11-19T04:11:31Z")
> [@continuity eror](#): > > And therein lies the “joke.” I don’t think I’ll change it, at least not just yet. > > But there will be no capitalizing! There’s no capitalizing on Livejournal, and most of the usernames on the other boards I frequent are in all lower case, so it seems weird that there’s capitalized names here. I like your name too…it’s clever. I say keep it. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-doper-name-would-you/275312/76 "2004-11-19T04:36:09Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > **taxi78cab** – there are fairly regular threads on this, one within the last month or two. Perhaps someone nicer than I will search and provide a link. [Here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=252045&highlight=Kate+Starbird) [are](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=98693&highlight=Friends+laughter+music) two. Actually, though, **twickster** is nicer than I am. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![START](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@START](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/START)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-doper-name-would-you/275312/77 "2004-11-19T09:57:35Z")
I did not read all the other replies yet but at one time **SHAKES** wanted me to change my name because people kept confusing us. I had no problem with doing that but I asked the Dopers and the general feeling was that **SHAKES** and **START** shouldn’t confuse people and that I should stay as **START**. Now I am liking the name\*\* START\*\* and would need a compelling reason to change it. It’s like I have established myself under this handle and whether you like me or hate me I am still best Identified as **START**. I personally like your username and I think you should keep it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Roland\_Orzabal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@Roland\_Orzabal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Orzabal)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-doper-name-would-you/275312/78 "2004-11-19T11:03:55Z")
No, I’ve never changed my username. But… Well, hell…do I really need to go through it all again? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![kiffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/d78d45/32.png) [@kiffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiffa)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-doper-name-would-you/275312/79 "2004-11-19T11:47:27Z")
I. Have you ever changed your doper name? What was it before, if you care to share? Yes. II. Why did you change your doper name? My first userid was a nickname given to me a long time ago. My sister, brachy, told me about the SDMB, looked interesting. So I signed on without much thought. That was a mistake - turns out that someone else had a very similar userid and she hit the roof as she accused me of identity theft…oops. :smack: I wondered if this was common behavior of most posters; I thought she was a bit over the top with her reaction. After deciding that I wanted to post some more, I picked kiffa [Maurentanian spit beads - that’s another story] because I collect African trade beads. I did a search before changing. III. Are you glad you changed it? Or do you wish you had left it as it was? Yes, kiffa is more the current me than that other name. 😃 Simple story ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-doper-name-would-you/275312/80 "2004-11-19T11:51:19Z")
I registered in 2000/1 under my prefered name (I believe I may have been imbibing at the time). Then I couldn’t remember the password. 😃 The next time I wanted to post **calm kiwi** was created. I don’t love the name but it will do. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-doper-name-would-you/275312.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-changed-your-doper-name-would-you/275312.md?page=5)