# Should I change my username? Whaddya think? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 15, 2002, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-whaddya-think/132310 "2002-10-15T13:06:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-whaddya-think/132310/1 "2002-10-15T13:06:30Z")
I was talking one night with one of my favorite intelligent, creative, charming, attractive Dopers about this general subject. I don’t have any plans to make a change of any kind, but I thought it might be useful and interesting to see what other people thought. Most people have a creative nickname, whether it’s a fictional character, a physical description, an allusion to one’s occupation, and so forth. There are some excellent names here. Mine’s fairly bland - I mean, straightforward. Yeah, that’s what I meant! 😃 Now, personally, if someone who’s been here a while changes his or her name, I’m against it, for **purely** selfish reasons. I’m lazy and don’t want to have to learn a new name. Of course, after the person changes, I get over myself and learn their new name. I may whine, but it all works out in the end… In contrast, if someone’s been around only a short while and wants to change, I hardly notice. 🙂 So I guess what I’m asking is: 1. Do you think this name is fine as it is, or do you think a change might be in order? Bear in mind that I’m not leaning one way or another, and I wouldn’t make a change for the sake of making a change. 2. If a change actually occurred, would it bother you? (Would you even notice? Don’t answer that, me hearty …) Anyway, this thread’s mainly for fun. Whatchoo tink? ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-whaddya-think/132310/2 "2002-10-15T13:30:02Z")
just keep the dan in it, and everyone will recognize you. danthewoman?😉 ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-whaddya-think/132310/3 "2002-10-15T13:31:24Z")
😉 Hm, tempting. I bet I’d get more chicks then. Ow!! Ow! Stop! Ok, ok, uncle! Just kidding! ---
**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:** [October 15, 2002, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-whaddya-think/132310/4 "2002-10-15T14:14:10Z")
**dantheperson**? ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-whaddya-think/132310/5 "2002-10-15T14:18:22Z")
manthedan? ---
**Author:** ![Second\_Guest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@Second\_Guest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Second_Guest)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-whaddya-think/132310/6 "2002-10-15T14:38:51Z")
DamntheMa’am? (OK, I know that makes _no_ sense…) ---
**Author:** ![manwithaplan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@manwithaplan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manwithaplan)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-whaddya-think/132310/7 "2002-10-15T15:30:56Z")
Funny this should come up. My username is along the same lines as **Dan’s** and I’m not altogether happy with it. I gave it very little thought when I registered and now I think it sounds as if I’m trying to be, for the want of a better word, ‘cool’. I couldn’t be arsed changing it at this stage though. Sorry for the implied criticism of your username, **Dan**. No offence meant. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-whaddya-think/132310/8 "2002-10-15T15:42:18Z")
Nah, none taken, though yours is fine as far as I can see… I think when I registered I panicked and didn’t even think about an actual name. I also didn’t think I’d be here more than a post. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-whaddya-think/132310/9 "2002-10-15T15:56:41Z")
Change scares me. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-whaddya-think/132310/10 "2002-10-15T16:07:05Z")
I’m confused easily, so unless you change it to **poster formerly known as dantheman** , I’ll wind up in some sort of tizzy. Or not. It’s not like I pay any attention to you. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bumbazine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbazine/32/362_2.png) [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-whaddya-think/132310/11 "2002-10-15T17:27:40Z")
Ah Dan, we hardly knew ye… For five dollars and a box of chocolates I will vote whatever way you like. Make that a **big** box of chocolates, as I’ll undoubtably have to share with **FCM**. Seriously, do whatever you feel comfortable with. I have no memory for names anyway. I just figured out last week that **Gazelle from Hell** used to be **canthearya**. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-whaddya-think/132310/12 "2002-10-15T17:42:37Z")
Well hell, any chocolate I get will go to **TubaBodoni**. Or is it **LynnDiva**? And FCM! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-whaddya-think/132310/13 "2002-10-15T17:47:51Z")
Where did “dantheman” come from? Is it your RL nickname? I didn’t put much thought into mine because it was a nobrainer. My nickname in RL is Jayrot so it only fits to be my “cyber-nickname”. Personally, I’m not interested in creating some kind of alter-cyber-persona. I just wanna be me. I think you should too. (want to be me, that is) j/k How would you like someone to address you? ---
**Author:** ![skittles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@skittles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skittles)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-whaddya-think/132310/14 "2002-10-15T17:49:09Z")
I vote for staying the same as you are now. You are one of the names that I actually remember. So please don’t throw me back into hardly remembering anyone’s name…please don’t! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-whaddya-think/132310/15 "2002-10-15T18:05:59Z")
Aw pshaw, I don’t think I’ll change nuttin, **skittles**. If I did, chances are I’d forget me as quickly as you forgot me, or at least had trouble remembering who I was. Which can be tough if you don’t have cookies enabled and you’re trying to log in. I guess I was wondering if the name is recognizable enough that it’s memorable, not that it’s memorable because it’s creative or whatnot. And **jayrot** , I wish I could remember that far back. I think the situation was like this: There I was, on [bored.com](http://bored.com), and I saw a link for this place. Poof! I jetted over, read the latest article, then wasted time zooming through archives. Weird fellow, this. Then hark and harald! I saw the link for “message board.” Now, any site can have a message board, and 99% of the time it’s populated by people who are totally obsessed with whatever subject the main site is covering. So if it’s a Ford Trucks site, you’ll see a zillion posts by Ford ubergeeks. W And so I figgered it wouldn’t pay to come in and browse. But I did anyway, figuring I didn’t need to be paid. And I read some of the forums, especially those dealing directly with the columns. But then I wanted to post!! DOH! Have to register. _thinkthinkthinkthink you gotta give them a name_ Aha! I figured. All I wanna do is say this about that, so let me just put in a name I recognize (rather than having to really think of one), which’ll make it easier for me to notice when someone responds, but I’ll tweak it just a tad\* so it’s not completely and totally, you know, me. You guessed it; first thing that came to mind was my own name. Which is good, in a way, cause it made it easier to remember - don’t think I was cookified then. And now you know. [sub]\*in cyberspace, a “tad” is about half a million miles[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Earthworm\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f07891/32.png) [@Earthworm\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthworm_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-whaddya-think/132310/16 "2002-10-15T18:07:19Z")
I, for one, think it’s time for a change. You need a new name, something that really reflects who you are - your sensitive inner self, yet subtly suggests what you aspire to. Something like **Two Chimps Wrestling** Yeah, that’d fit nicely 😃 😉 😃 This post is typed in jest. No insult intended ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-whaddya-think/132310/17 "2002-10-15T18:10:58Z")
I could be **Rally Monkey** , 'cause they’re all the rage, now… ---
**Author:** ![skittles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@skittles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skittles)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-whaddya-think/132310/18 "2002-10-15T18:14:32Z")
Whew - And here I thought I was going to have to go to counseling or something to deal with the change. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-whaddya-think/132310/19 "2002-10-15T23:13:22Z")
How about **Dan’s Query**? ---
**Author:** ![c\_carol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@c\_carol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c_carol)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-whaddya-think/132310/20 "2002-10-16T00:14:00Z")
I think “dantheman” is a fine name. However, I’m probably not the person to be advising you on interesting usernames, since mine is even less original than yours. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username-whaddya-think/132310.md?page=2)