# Signing posts with RL first names **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 24, 2003, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signing-posts-with-rl-first-names/215023 "2003-11-24T16:08:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shrinking\_Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Shrinking\_Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shrinking_Violet)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signing-posts-with-rl-first-names/215023/1 "2003-11-24T16:08:41Z")
I wasn’t sure which forum this should go in (ATMB, GQ, IHMO, MPSIMS) but as it’s a poll of sorts I plumped for here - mods please move if appropriate. I’ve been reading the SDMB for several months, and posting for a few, and I’ve only just realised … there don’t seem to be too many of us here who sign off our posts with our _real_ first names. On every other board I’ve been a member of, it has been pretty much the norm to do so. So why is this? Is it considered somehow “naff” here to sign a post V V V Julie 😕 ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signing-posts-with-rl-first-names/215023/2 "2003-11-24T16:16:53Z")
Because few people on this board know my given name. If it’s a subject requiring a personal touch, though, like death of a loved one or something else of great personal impotance to them, I always post my first name. Just seems proper. ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signing-posts-with-rl-first-names/215023/3 "2003-11-24T20:44:54Z")
Some of us **do** sign their posts (or at least some of them) Dan Abarbanel ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signing-posts-with-rl-first-names/215023/4 "2003-11-24T21:00:19Z")
Do initials count? ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signing-posts-with-rl-first-names/215023/5 "2003-11-24T21:27:06Z")
You know, the other day I was playing an online game and a friend of mine referred to me by my first name in the game. For some reason that really bothered me. Yancy ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signing-posts-with-rl-first-names/215023/6 "2003-11-24T22:03:41Z")
I have no idea. -Uterus T. McFingerwhistle ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signing-posts-with-rl-first-names/215023/7 "2003-11-24T22:04:45Z")
I read the stuff these people here post about. I like to keep all you psychos at arm’s length. ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2003, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signing-posts-with-rl-first-names/215023/8 "2003-11-24T22:20:37Z")
If I wanted to use my real name on the board, I would use it as a username. ---
**Author:** ![threeorange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@threeorange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threeorange)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signing-posts-with-rl-first-names/215023/9 "2003-11-25T00:10:54Z")
Because my real name is threeorange.🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Paranoid\_Randroid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paranoid_randroid/32/18_2.png) [@Paranoid\_Randroid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paranoid_Randroid)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signing-posts-with-rl-first-names/215023/10 "2003-11-25T00:32:32Z")
Eh. Most people don’t even sign posts. If I did, I’d use my real first name, which I have no problem sharing: Jay, short for James. ---
**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:** [November 25, 2003, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signing-posts-with-rl-first-names/215023/11 "2003-11-25T00:37:58Z")
I don’t think I ever signed a post. I don’t keep my name a secret - it’s Michelle. Make of that what you will. ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signing-posts-with-rl-first-names/215023/12 "2003-11-25T00:44:23Z")
I was was never informed what my real name was so I just use random book/movie characters. Ben Dover ---
**Author:** ![Cyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@Cyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyn)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signing-posts-with-rl-first-names/215023/13 "2003-11-25T00:46:16Z")
The user names are half the fun of this board! Cyn ---
**Author:** ![Rabid\_Squirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Rabid\_Squirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rabid_Squirrel)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signing-posts-with-rl-first-names/215023/14 "2003-11-25T00:51:53Z")
Heck, up until last week, my SD email was [firstname]\_[lastname]@hotmail.com. Fixed that though. I’m not keen to have my RL name flapping around in the breeze like that. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signing-posts-with-rl-first-names/215023/15 "2003-11-25T01:43:01Z")
Isn’t is funny that a member with the usernam of **Shrinking Violet** is hapy about the use of real names? I mean, it somehow doesn’t fit.🙂 As for me, I use the same username everywhere or possibly with a number at the end, and I have got so used to it, it feels like a real sort of name. I use my real name in chat with people that I have got to know on message boards, (or know in the real world anyway) but as another poster mentioned, it makes me uncomfortable if people use my real name in a chatroom, when we don’t really know what sort of people the new members present might turn out to be. Yes, it is perhaps _bit_ silly, but that’s jsut how I feel. Anyway, if you name was **Anne** wouldn’t you prefer any other one? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signing-posts-with-rl-first-names/215023/16 "2003-11-25T01:43:03Z")
I know **Horseflesh** ’s real name! Just his first name, though. I also know mine–it’s Lindsay, which I know I’ve used on the boards before. ---
**Author:** ![av8rmike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@av8rmike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/av8rmike)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signing-posts-with-rl-first-names/215023/17 "2003-11-25T02:05:33Z")
My first name is actually ::insert unpronouncable symbol here:: ---
**Author:** ![StanDup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@StanDup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StanDup)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signing-posts-with-rl-first-names/215023/18 "2003-11-25T02:36:06Z")
My first name? -Signing off, Yours Truly, Topaz ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signing-posts-with-rl-first-names/215023/19 "2003-11-25T02:41:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by av8rmike \* > \*\*My first name is actually ::insert unpronouncable symbol here:: \*\* Hey guys! Did anyone else know that we had The-Artist-Formerly-Known-As-Prince-And-Is-Currently-Known-Once-Again-As-Prince on our little message board? Where is that celebrity thread…? ---
**Author:** ![Call\_me\_Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Call\_me\_Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Call_me_Frank)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2003, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signing-posts-with-rl-first-names/215023/20 "2003-11-25T02:46:05Z")
I just don’t sign my name because I think it kind of spoils the mystery, don’t you? I mean, I like to leave an impression like: “Who _was_ that masked man and what is he doing with my lunch/daughter!?” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/signing-posts-with-rl-first-names/215023.md?page=2)