# I would like to change my SDMB handle. What do I need to do? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 14, 2011, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-change-my-sdmb-handle-what-do-i-need-to-do/592653 "2011-08-14T04:23:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-change-my-sdmb-handle-what-do-i-need-to-do/592653/1 "2011-08-14T04:23:24Z")
Been here for ages but time for a change, I know it’s been done before so want to go through all the proper protocols. PM me if necessary. Thanks! 🙂 ---
**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:** [August 14, 2011, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-change-my-sdmb-handle-what-do-i-need-to-do/592653/2 "2011-08-14T04:28:03Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > Been here for ages but time for a change, I know it’s been done before so want to go through all the proper protocols. PM me if necessary. Thanks! > > 🙂 E-mail **TubaDiva.** Provide three alternative names, since sometimes your preferred name may already be registered. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-change-my-sdmb-handle-what-do-i-need-to-do/592653/3 "2011-08-14T04:37:34Z")
Much obliged. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-change-my-sdmb-handle-what-do-i-need-to-do/592653/4 "2011-08-14T12:33:38Z")
And be sure the email is from the email address in your registration. That’s one of them things for your own protection. Any admin can change the name for you. It will also change all past posts, so it’s not a way of hiding if you’ve done something embarrassing. And, of course, it wrinkles the fabric of time, since someone else posting a comment about a “brilliant post from **Archive Guy** ” will make no sense. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-change-my-sdmb-handle-what-do-i-need-to-do/592653/5 "2011-08-14T13:02:58Z")
Man, this is gonna mess with my head – you’re one of the first people I recognized by name. Won’t somebody think of the moderators? ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2011, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-change-my-sdmb-handle-what-do-i-need-to-do/592653/6 "2011-08-14T19:39:24Z")
**TubaDiva** is partial to single malt scotch, FYI. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2011, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-change-my-sdmb-handle-what-do-i-need-to-do/592653/7 "2011-08-27T15:26:23Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > **TubaDiva** is partial to single malt scotch, FYI. Ah-ha! That must be why I still haven’t heard back from her (over a week and counting…) ☹ ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-change-my-sdmb-handle-what-do-i-need-to-do/592653/8 "2011-08-28T04:39:37Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Man, this is gonna mess with my head – you’re one of the first people I recognized by name. > > Won’t somebody think of the moderators? Changed! Thanks to everyone, I’ll create a new sig to reflect my former self. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-change-my-sdmb-handle-what-do-i-need-to-do/592653/9 "2011-08-28T05:04:41Z")
> [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](#): > > And be sure the email is from the email address in your registration. That’s one of them things for your own protection. > > Any admin can change the name for you. It will also change all past posts, so it’s not a way of hiding if you’ve done something embarrassing. And, of course, it wrinkles the fabric of time, since someone else posting a comment about a “brilliant post from **Archive Guy** ” will make no sense. 🙂 Strangely, even if his posts are renamed under his new name, his quotes (as in post number 2 of this thread) are still credited to his old name. Had never noticed this before, thought everything got repainted in the new colours. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-change-my-sdmb-handle-what-do-i-need-to-do/592653/10 "2011-08-28T10:04:48Z")
> [@Capitaine\_Zombie](#): > > Strangely, even if his posts are renamed under his new name, his quotes (as in post number 2 of this thread) are still credited to his old name. Had never noticed this before, thought everything got repainted in the new colours. Doing a search and replace on every post would either take a really long time or grind even a better server than ours to a halt. This is why I’ve thought that if I ever wanted to change my name due to shame that I would stop contributing for a while, to possibly give me a longer time to redeem myself before someone notices. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2011, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-change-my-sdmb-handle-what-do-i-need-to-do/592653/11 "2011-08-28T13:19:32Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Man, this is gonna mess with my head – you’re one of the first people I recognized by name. > > Won’t somebody think of the moderators? > [@MovieMogul](#): > > Changed! Thanks to everyone, I’ll create a new sig to reflect my former self. 🙂 **whimper** ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2011, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-to-change-my-sdmb-handle-what-do-i-need-to-do/592653/12 "2011-08-29T03:21:59Z")
It would be kind of convenient if there were a thread that recorded everyone’s name changes. Like mine. Formerly **pedescribe** , changing it to streamline my many many user names into my actual name.