# If I change my User Name... **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 19, 2006, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-change-my-user-name/340723 "2006-01-19T21:49:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2006, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-change-my-user-name/340723/1 "2006-01-19T21:49:50Z")
Would someone else be able to use _ **Winston Smith** _? ---
**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:** [January 19, 2006, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-change-my-user-name/340723/2 "2006-01-19T22:53:18Z")
Well… probably. If you were concerned about it, you could tell us when you asked for a name change that you’d like “Winston Smith” reserved, and we’d be able to do that, I think. Or, if you asked for a name change and didn’t think of it and someone else later registered as “Winston Smith” and you thought there was danger of confusion, you could email the Moderators. We have asked new folks to change their name selection in such instances. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-change-my-user-name/340723/3 "2006-01-20T06:29:46Z")
Oh, there could only be one Winston Smith . . . it doesn’t matter what you call yourself. Don’t worry about it. TubaDiva Who did you say you were again? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-change-my-user-name/340723/4 "2006-01-20T08:03:38Z")
There was no poster named **Winston Smith**. We are not at war with Eurasia. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-change-my-user-name/340723/5 "2006-01-20T14:10:36Z")
**C K Dexter Haven** , **TubaDiva** , thanks! The new user name I’m thinking of was registered as a guest in 2003, but only has one post. I’m still thinking about it - there’s a definite _mystique_ to the _ **Winton Smith** _ user name I don’t know that I’d like to give up. **mhendo** , if I change user names, should I ask the Mods to purge all my old posts? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-change-my-user-name/340723/6 "2006-01-22T00:23:58Z")
Don’t change it! I always picture you posting furtively from your terminal in the Ministry of Truth while O’Brien isn’t looking. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-change-my-user-name/340723/7 "2006-01-22T00:41:25Z")
> [@Freddy the Pig](#): > > Don’t change it! I always picture you posting furtively from your terminal in the Ministry of Truth while O’Brien isn’t looking. :smack: I never made the connection to 1984 before. Darn I feel stupid. Winston if you change your name, [add 50’s Dad](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=335904) to your Sig, still one of my favorite Threads. My wife’s too. (she only Lurks and occasionly provides Info I don’t have that I then post) Your Fan, 😉 Jim ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-change-my-user-name/340723/8 "2006-01-22T01:46:27Z")
Are we allowed multiple changes? Because WS was **Rune** before. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-change-my-user-name/340723/9 "2006-01-22T02:20:56Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > We are not at war with Eurasia. Okay, this is the second time I’ve seen this. I missed out on the 1920s Style Death Ray, the Marianas Trench, and barely squeaked under the wire for 18 inch ice blue double ended dildos and penis ensues. What gives? And how do I keep missing them? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-change-my-user-name/340723/10 "2006-01-22T02:54:17Z")
> [@The Gaspode](#): > > Are we allowed multiple changes? > Because WS was **Rune** before. The Admins have said yes, but only with much begging and pleading or Bribes of pie. 😉 Jim ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-change-my-user-name/340723/11 "2006-01-22T02:55:12Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Okay, this is the second time I’ve seen this. I missed out on the 1920s Style Death Ray, the Marianas Trench, and barely squeaked under the wire for 18 inch ice blue double ended dildos and penis ensues. What gives? And how do I keep missing them? It’s just a reference to 1984, not SDMB related. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-change-my-user-name/340723/12 "2006-01-22T03:28:51Z")
> [@fluiddruid](#): > > It’s just a reference to 1984, not SDMB related. Whew. I thought I’d been locked out of the Cool Kid Room again. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-change-my-user-name/340723/13 "2006-01-22T05:57:04Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > I thought I’d been locked out of the Cool Kid Room again. Sure, while everyone else is reading 1984, you’re sitting out there at recess reading ‘ **Freddy the Pig** ’, or ‘ **Miss Pickerell goes to Mars** ’, and you _still_ think you’ll make it into the ‘Cool Kids Room’. I guess hope really does spring eternal. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-change-my-user-name/340723/14 "2006-01-23T15:18:07Z")
> [@The Gaspode](#): > > Are we allowed multiple changes? > Because WS was **Rune** before. Negative, good buddy. Rune was previously **winstonsmith** ; our paths crossed a couple of years ago, and he agreed that since I had registered first as **Winston Smith** , he would forfeit the user name. Easy. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-change-my-user-name/340723/15 "2006-01-23T15:25:06Z")
> [@Freddy the Pig](#): > > Don’t change it! I always picture you posting furtively from your terminal in the Ministry of Truth while O’Brien isn’t looking. Yeah, that’s not far from the truth! 😃 > [@What Exit?](#): > > :smack: I never made the connection to 1984 before. Darn I feel stupid. > > Winston if you change your name, [add 50’s Dad](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=335904) to your Sig, still one of my favorite Threads. My wife’s too. (she only Lurks and occasionly provides Info I don’t have that I then post) > Your Fan, 😉 > Jim Well, that’s the thing - I’d feel like I was leaving bastard children all over the SDMB! And thanks, by the way - I’m all a-twitter at having an actual _fan_ - you’ve made my day! - I think that’s just about the nicest thing you can say to another poster here. Jeez. Look at me - I’m _gushing_. ~Winston ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-change-my-user-name/340723/16 "2006-01-23T16:18:09Z")
And no, we will not purge all your old posts, however tempting that might be. 🙂 (I kid, I kid.) You do not abandon your old screen name, we simply change it on your registration and all your old posts will henceforth be tagged with your new name. Whatever new name you are considering, if someone else has posted with that name, you can’t use it. It’s taken already. TubaDiva ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-change-my-user-name/340723/17 "2006-01-23T21:19:32Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > And no, we will not purge all your old posts, however tempting that might be. 🙂 > > (I kid, I kid.) > > You do not abandon your old screen name, we simply change it on your registration and all your old posts will henceforth be tagged with your new name. > > Whatever new name you are considering, if someone else has posted with that name, you can’t use it. It’s taken already. > > TubaDiva Apparently someone once signed up with the username of “Lemur”. As far as I can tell that person has never posted. The jackbooted administrators wouldn’t let me take that username. I’ve added them to my list. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-change-my-user-name/340723/18 "2006-01-24T01:53:25Z")
Nobody has mentioned it yet, but you have to change it to **Toast Museum** - it’s in the rules - I checked them for you, so you don’t have to look. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-change-my-user-name/340723/19 "2006-01-24T13:27:07Z")
If there’s no posts and it’s obvious the name is not being used, has not been used, and is not going to be used, we delete it and let you have it. If you were refused it might have been because the registration was still in the trial period and they logically could have come back to the board. TubaDiva ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-change-my-user-name/340723/20 "2006-01-24T14:59:44Z")
Thanks everyone for the responses and etcetera. I thought it over some, weighed opinions, got some feedback, and I’m gonna stick with **Winston Smith** for now I guess. For the record, I was considering chaning my user name to _ **Lucifer** _. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-i-change-my-user-name/340723.md?page=2)