# Should I change my username (a poll) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 8, 2007, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-a-poll/429255 "2007-12-08T04:28:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [December 12, 2007, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-a-poll/429255/21 "2007-12-12T01:37:41Z")
I think you should change it to **Kªt** , or possibly **Kαt** ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-a-poll/429255/22 "2007-12-12T05:15:28Z")
No, don’t! I’ll never remember the drunken whore with the heart of gold otherwise… ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-a-poll/429255/23 "2007-12-12T05:25:18Z")
When I get used to a name, it seems a shame that it would get changed. I can understand why people do it to obscure their real-life name, but for a perfectly acceptable (and publicly anonymous) name like **Kat** , I can’t see that there’s any need. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-a-poll/429255/24 "2007-12-12T06:07:36Z")
I wish you wouldn’t, but if you do, please stay curled up in a sunny spot. That’s how I remember you from the glorious “a” thread. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-a-poll/429255/25 "2007-12-12T06:30:58Z")
Another vote for **Kat**. I tend to associate the name with women who are attractive, colorful, interesting and perhaps a tad bohemian. Pretty cool, in other words. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-a-poll/429255/26 "2007-12-12T06:43:30Z")
I like your current name, but I gotta tell ya: It feels _really nice_ to finally be able to do vanity searches after years and years of going without. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-a-poll/429255/27 "2007-12-12T15:44:25Z")
Keep it. ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-a-poll/429255/28 "2007-12-12T15:50:12Z")
Another vote for no change! You’re a 99’er, which I realize isn’t really a big deal, but in my mind you’re one of the “old Dopers” and if you changed your user name to something else, I probably wouldn’t remember, “oh, that’s **Kat**. Who’s been here since the earth cooled.” ( 😉 → As have I and many others.) I can see changing after 8 weeks, but changing after 8 years seems more drastic, somehow. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2007, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-a-poll/429255/29 "2007-12-12T16:08:34Z")
I have wanted to change mine for a very long time. But the thing is, Nobody would know the new me. I think the only improvement you could make to kat is make it searchable. Like maybe -Kat- ---
**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:** [December 12, 2007, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-a-poll/429255/30 "2007-12-12T16:22:33Z")
[QUOTE=NurseCarmen] I have wanted to change mine for a very long time. But the thing is, Nobody would know the new me. I think the only improvement you could make to kat is make it searchable. Like maybe -Kat- [/QUOTE] I think you need to be careful of special characters. The search engine ignores some. Like **?** I just tested, it does not appear that -Kat- is searchable. I tried it with and without quotes. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-a-poll/429255/31 "2007-12-13T01:16:34Z")
Sorry, **twickster** , looks like you’ve been outvoted. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-a-poll/429255/32 "2007-12-13T01:25:28Z")
☹ ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2007, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-a-poll/429255/33 "2007-12-13T05:46:02Z")
[QUOTE=rowrrbazzle] I see one good reason for changing your name: it’s too short for you to search on. [/QUOTE] Right. That _will_ be annoying someday. ☹ Kat1? Katt? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-a-poll/429255.md?page=1)