# How do I change my SDMB username? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 24, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-my-sdmb-username/629287 "2012-07-24T21:41:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b19c9b/32.png) [@A\_Sniveling\_Mess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Sniveling_Mess)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-my-sdmb-username/629287/1 "2012-07-24T21:41:43Z")
I’ve decided that JRyan35 is a bit too obvious,so I was hoping I could change my username to something more creative.How do I go about that?Or can I do that at all?Any help with the matter would be greatly appreciated.Thanks for reading. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2012, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-my-sdmb-username/629287/2 "2012-07-24T21:43:43Z")
Send an email to an administrator - me, **TubaDiva** , **C K Dexter Haven** , or **Gfactor**. ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2acd7d/32.png) [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Tilt_Boogie)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-my-sdmb-username/629287/3 "2012-07-26T00:03:12Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Send an email to an administrator - me, **TubaDiva** , **C K Dexter Haven** , or **Gfactor**. Why not just enable the vBulletin feature which allows members to change their own name and status (i.e. Guest)? What’s the current ‘wisdom’ on why this not allowed? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-my-sdmb-username/629287/4 "2012-07-26T02:04:28Z")
We prefer the sense of community that results from people maintaining stable identities, so we don’t want people changing usernames willy-nilly. Your status is a given – you’re either a non-paying participant (guest), a paying participant (member or charter member), or member of the staff (moderator or administrator). If you are a paid member, you may also pay an additional fee to get a custom status line in addition to that. **twickster** , for the SDMB ---
**Author:** ![D-bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@D-bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D-bear)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-my-sdmb-username/629287/5 "2012-07-26T04:11:19Z")
What are you thinking of changing to JRyan? 7 of 9? ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-my-sdmb-username/629287/6 "2012-07-26T05:37:21Z")
> [@JRyan35](#): > > How do I go about that?Or can I do that at all?Any help with the matter would be greatly appreciated.Thanks for reading. Well, first of all you are supposed to post this in MPSIMS. That way we can all give you examples of what \*we \*think your new username should be. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-my-sdmb-username/629287/7 "2012-07-26T06:07:11Z")
And definitely DON’T pick a name like another user. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-my-sdmb-username/629287/8 "2012-07-26T06:52:47Z")
I see what you did there… ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2012, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-my-sdmb-username/629287/9 "2012-07-26T09:24:11Z")
> [@PlainJain](#): > > Well, first of all you are supposed to post this in MPSIMS. That way we can all give you examples of what \*we \*think your new username should be. > 😃 And then you cheerfully ignore us all and go with your own suggestion! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2acd7d/32.png) [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Tilt_Boogie)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-my-sdmb-username/629287/10 "2012-07-27T17:08:51Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > We prefer the sense of community that results from people maintaining stable identities, so we don’t want people changing usernames willy-nilly. > > Your status is a given – you’re either a non-paying participant (guest), a paying participant (member or charter member), or member of the staff (moderator or administrator). If you are a paid member, you may also pay an additional fee to get a custom status line in addition to that. > > **twickster** , for the SDMB So, ‘pay-to-play’ features? :eek: Good luck with that. It’s the first vBulletin board I’ve seen that implements such a bizarre policy. What next? Pay-to-edit/use smilies? Stunning. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-my-sdmb-username/629287/11 "2012-07-27T18:49:31Z")
> [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](#): > > Why not just enable the vBulletin feature which allows members to change their own name and status (i.e. Guest)? > > What’s the current ‘wisdom’ on why this not allowed? When we decide to give up the fight and let the Board become overrun by trolls and socks, that’s just what we plan to do. Just haven’t hit that point yet. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-my-sdmb-username/629287/12 "2012-07-27T19:21:17Z")
> [@Farmer\_Jane](#): > > And definitely DON’T pick a name like another user. Where is this master list of names where one could check? I doubt there is one. Just using the search feature: There are at least 13 of the **farmer “x”** besides you.\* Do you want to have your name so close to theirs? Also there are also 7 other **Marley"x".**. Including **marley2003** , **Marley25** , **marley42** , **marley62**.\* There are also 8 other \*\*Drunk"x" \*\*out there and several other \*\*“x” smurfs \*\*as well. \*\*Greedy Smurf \*\*is currently still posting and the mod(s) saw no problem with my name when I changed it back when. People need to put on their grown-up undies and pay attention to the username. People still get confused over **Agent Foxtrot** and **Argent Towers**. They basically see an “Ag” or “Arg” and just assume it is one or the other instead of taking the half second to read the full name. \*I do not recognize those names so many probably don’t post anymore or at least vary rarely or post in threads I don’t read. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-my-sdmb-username/629287/13 "2012-07-27T19:43:37Z")
> [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](#): > > So, ‘pay-to-play’ features? :eek: > > Good luck with that. It’s the first vBulletin board I’ve seen that implements such a bizarre policy. Actually, it’s worked quite well for quite a bit longer than I bet you’ve been. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-my-sdmb-username/629287/14 "2012-07-27T19:46:18Z")
> [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](#): > > So, ‘pay-to-play’ features? :eek: > > Good luck with that. It’s the first vBulletin board I’ve seen that implements such a bizarre policy. It’s been working for a number of years now. ---
**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:** [July 27, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-my-sdmb-username/629287/15 "2012-07-27T19:48:04Z")
> [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](#): > > So, ‘pay-to-play’ features? :eek: > > Good luck with that. It’s the first vBulletin board I’ve seen that implements such a bizarre policy. > > What next? Pay-to-edit/use smilies? > > Stunning. We’re just lucky you showed up to help us see the many, many errors of our ways. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2012, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-change-my-sdmb-username/629287/16 "2012-07-27T20:03:45Z")
Hey, I’ve been paying to use smiles here for months. Now I see that this may not be true??? Damn. Suckered again.