# Should I change my username? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 22, 2012, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username/641794 "2012-11-22T02:45:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username/641794/1 "2012-11-22T02:45:49Z")
When I first signed up here the National Hockey League labour dispute of 2004/2005 had just ended, and after a year of no hockey it was back on schedule again. The first thing that popped into my mind was my excitement to watch the Toronto Maple Leafs play some hockey once again, and thus my username was picked hastily without much thought. Now, my excitement has been dampened by the Leafs shitty performances since the last lockout, and as most of you know, the NHL has been locked out again for the beginning of this hockey season too. I really don’t want to continue to be associated with a mediocre hockey team in a problematic league, but I probably have some member awareness here, and starting again with a new moniker might confuse people, or I might otherwise get ignored as a newbie. What would you do? What should I do? Oh, and given my recent life situation (impending divorce), I guess I am thinking of re-branding myself. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username/641794/2 "2012-11-22T02:47:03Z")
I’m a Habs fan. You know my opinion. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username/641794/3 "2012-11-22T02:52:07Z")
I guess that should be _damn_ the torpedoes, but I can’t edit the poll. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username/641794/4 "2012-11-22T02:57:32Z")
Please don’t change your username. That goes for EVERYONE. Don’t make it hard on the rest of us! ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username/641794/5 "2012-11-22T03:02:10Z")
Other: You have a perfectly good user name. Hell, I like it better than mine. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username/641794/6 "2012-11-22T03:05:20Z")
Done. I am going to call you **Chewbacca** from now on. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username/641794/7 "2012-11-22T03:08:10Z")
I like your user name. I think you should keep it. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username/641794/8 "2012-11-22T03:09:03Z")
Do you like autumn? ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username/641794/9 "2012-11-22T03:13:07Z")
if you say it really fast it sounds like Le-Fan So I say keep it and tell people it doesn’t mean Maple Leaf Fan anymore, or maybe it means a fan of leaves, or certain kinds of leaves, wink wink ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username/641794/10 "2012-11-22T03:14:34Z")
I think of you as something along the lines of “Leffen”… The hockey team never dawned on me. Don’t change it. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username/641794/11 "2012-11-22T03:43:15Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > I think of you as something along the lines of “Leffen”… The hockey team never dawned on me. Don’t change it. Yep, never saw it as Leaf Fan either. For some reason I always ‘hear’ it as vaguely Celtic. Which makes no sense, really, but there it is. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username/641794/12 "2012-11-22T03:49:16Z")
Until reading the OP I had no idea your name had anything to do with hockey. Never crossed my mind. Never read it as Leaf Fan, either. I always figured it was some character name from one of those mythological book series that seem so popular around here, so I wouldn’t worry about giving people the wrong impression. We’re obviously all clueless anyhow! ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username/641794/13 "2012-11-22T03:58:10Z")
I’ve never even heard of the Leafs or the Acorns or whoever you’re talking about. Don’t change it. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username/641794/14 "2012-11-22T04:08:44Z")
If you choose to rename yourself, you have to choose a “band name” from here on the SDMB. [Here’s](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=516199) [some](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=540511) [reading](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=523117) [material](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=378086) [for](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=313466) [you](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=267282). ---
**Author:** ![thenonepercent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@thenonepercent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thenonepercent)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username/641794/15 "2012-11-22T04:19:06Z")
Change your username to “FairWeatherFan” ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username/641794/16 "2012-11-22T04:55:05Z")
> [@Taomist](#): > > Yep, never saw it as Leaf Fan either. For some reason I always ‘hear’ it as vaguely Celtic. Ha, yes, I’ve always thought the same. Never occurred to me it had anything to do with sports. ---
**Author:** ![Postariti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Postariti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Postariti)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username/641794/17 "2012-11-22T05:05:43Z")
I suggest changing it to NotALeafFanWellOkIDontHateThemActuallyTheMoreIThinkAboutItTheMoreIThinkIAmStillSortOfAFanBut… Or what everyone else said. Leaffan just looks like an interesting word to me, I didn’t realize why you chose it. ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username/641794/18 "2012-11-22T05:12:53Z")
I say, double down on the same theme. **Phil\_Kessel\_Fan\_4\_Life\_Screw\_All\_U\_Haterz** has a nice ring to it ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username/641794/19 "2012-11-22T05:53:03Z")
**Phil\_Kessel\_Fan\_4\_Life\_Screw\_All\_U\_Haterz\_\_Or\_Just\_Call\_Me\_Chewbacca\_Either\_One\_Works** ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2012, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username/641794/20 "2012-11-22T05:58:02Z")
I’m not a sports fan, so I didn’t know your name had anything to do with hockey. I like it, but if you’re sick of it then go for it. Just realize you can’t change it back. You might have to keep reminding people that you’re the artist formerly known as Leaffan. Seems like a lot of bother to me,\* unless \*you want to recreate your identity all over again. Some people like a fresh start. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-change-my-username/641794.md?page=2)