Is there a list of name changes?

One other message board I belong to has a User Name History feature that allows you to keep track of name changes. Is there a resource to figure out who used to be whom on this board? I ask because it’s happened to me several times where a user disappears and it only dawns on me years later that the person had a different name when I started. Like I seem to recall Una Persson being somebody else in a different board life, but for the life of me, I can’t remember who. Or Anaamika. I know she had a different name, but what was it?

I’m sure there’s probably dozens of other name changes I’m completely unaware of, and it’s screwing with my board life continuity.

I don’t think this board has that functionality. But you can search the username and look through old threads hoping someone quoted the person. (The posts will be under their current username but anyone talking to them at the time would use their old username, obviously.)

For example, in this thread from 2004 that Anaamika posted in, someone quotes her post as Elenia28. Therefore Anaamika used to be Elenia28.

Yeah, I’ve noticed that, but there are some folks who have changed names way that don’t seem to come up in searches, and there’s probably a slew of folks I am completely unaware of having changed their name.

It’s not that important–I just know it’s happened to me several times where it dawned on me years after the fact that two different handles were the same person.

It’s always bugged me that I can’t remember Duck Duck Goose’s original handle, actually.

Duck Duck Goose was somebody else?!

IIRC, “notthemama”?

I seem to remember that some users have name changes for a reason, like cyberstalking. I think it would defeat the purpose of changing the name.

There is occasionally voluntary lists made up in an MPSIMS thread. Here’s one from early last year: What was your original username here??

I think there was a more recent one but unfortunately it it was unsearchably titled, IIRC. Something like “Used to be _____, now I’m _____”

I suppose. But if you search old threads under the new name and it reveals the old name, that kind of defeats that purpose, doesn’t it.

Anyhow, the volunteer thread is exactly the sort of thing that helps me. So that’s what happened to all those old posters who I thought disappeared.

Like Quicksilver - hasn’t posted since December. I miss his insight.

Wow, I even posted in this thread, and missed this. I used to be Anthracite.

That’s it!!! I knew you were somebody with a very visible/memorable name.

I used to be xabc_Keitaro but as I only posted 13 times or so with that username, I dont think anybody is confused :smiley:

That particular vB function is not available to us at this time, sorry.

I was thinking that Una used to be the “Coal Goddess”. I must be thiking of another board.

You might be thinking of my holding the record for the most different SDMB Member titles. One of them, which lasted for about a day, was that.

(FWIW, they were:
Member
Guest
Charter Member
Straight Dope Staff Science Advisory Board (for about 1 day)
SDSAB
BANNED (mistake)
On Sabbatical (for about a month)
Coal Goddess (changed by TubaDiva for 1 day) )

Since you mentioned that, I have quick question about Member and Charter Member that does not really warrant a whole thread. I’ve seen at least one Member who joined in 1999, but Charter Members who joined in 2001 or 2002. I thought Charter Members would be original members??

They probably let their subscription lapse, then renewed it later on. This has also happened on accident to several people.

I see. Thanks.

Also, Charter Membership dates to when this board became a paid-membership board, in 2004. The Charter would be for all the members who were among the first group to pay for their subscription, not for the founding members.