We get one name change. Is it time for me to use it?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Hi there. I’m Roland Orzabal. You may know me as “that guy who likes Tears For Fears”. Or perhaps you know me as “that guy who really, really likes Tears For Fears”. If I’m especially lucky or you’re especially picky about which threads you read, you may know me as “that oddball introverted liberal guy who posts large quantities of pseudo-philosophical rambling…and also likes Tears For Fears.”

I think you all understand what I’m getting at. In this thread, Aesiron noted that 11% of my posts here mention Tears For Fears in one way or another. He also notes that this does not take into account those posts in which I mention the band without giving the name (I don’t specifically recall ever having done so, but it is certainly possible). In the interests of fairness, the following must be considered as well:

  • I only have 517 posts to my name, making that 11% equal to 57 posts.
  • Of those 57, twenty of them come from three threads, all started by me and all dedicated specifically to Tears For Fears.
  • Not an insignificant number of those posts are me making an offhand joke about TFF with regard to my username, in the middle of a non-TFF-related post.
  • About an equal number of posts are in response to those who’ve made a TFF-related joke at me with regard to my username in the middle of a non-TFF-related thread (not that I don’t appreciate 'em, guys; I’m just saying).

But even considering those factors, that’s a large percentage of posts about what is, after all, just a musical group. From what I can tell, upon encountering a post of mine, people may think “eh, he’s just gonna talk about Tears For Fears, nothing worth reading,” and give the whole thing a pass. There are other aspects to my personality besides being a TFF fan. Being a Cowboy Bebop fan, for example. :smiley: But, all kidding aside, I don’t define my life by my choice of pop culture. Tears For Fears is far from the most important component of who I am, and I’d like for more people to see it that way.

This, of course, brings up the question of why I chose the username in the first place. Well, first of all, it’s the name I’ve been using for services and email addresses for a couple years, so it was somewhat automatic. Second, pretending to be completely obsessed with TFF is something of an inside joke I have with myself; I generally think it’s funny when people online geniunely seem to believe that TFF is all I think about. Here, though, not so much. Had I thought about the ramifications of choosing such an obvious “fanboy” nickname to use in a community centered around intelligent discussion of all manner of practical and abstract topics, I might have picked a different name from the beginning. Basically, the problems I’m having because of the username are my own fault for indulging myself in A) choosing the name to begin with, and B) indulging myself by mentioning TFF wherever it seemed vaguely relevant.

As for reasons to keep this username…I can’t honestly come up with many. Number one, I’ve gotten used to folks here calling me Roland; number two, I do actually like TFF quite a bit and would like to get more people to check them out, and number three, I don’t want to annoy the mods by requesting a name change if the problems I’ve mentioned here aren’t really that big of a deal.

So, I leave it to you to advise me. Is it, as seems to be the case, all but impossible to read any post I write without thinking “Tears For Fears”, even if I don’t mention the group at all? Or am I overstating things, and all that’s needed is a little self-temperance of how frequently I do mention them? I’m quite willing to believe either; the former, for all the reasons given above, and the latter, because it’s highly possible that people just don’t notice and, frankly, don’t particularly care. What do you think? Give it to me!

2

Roland, you’re a highly recognised brand/marque - something a lot of posters would give their right arm for - so I’d think twice about changing name. I think you could successfully rebrand yourself over quite a short time, in fact, but that would be at the expense of mentioning TFF.

At the same time, TFF could in the future become a kind of code-word (code-subject) that serves to identify people who knew you in your old life, further increasing the mystique and the brand.

Introvert’s heaven, no?

3

I strongly dislike any username that is the real-life name of someone else. It’s not like you ever implied that you actually were Roland Orzabal, but it’s still somehow not right. (This applies to Wesley Clark as well.) It just leaves a real bad taste in my mouth.

So, I definitely think you should change it.

But not necessarily change it completely. I’m used to you as Roland. What about changing it to some variation, like just “Roland” or “Roland O” or something.

And no, I don’t find it “all but impossible to read any post [you] write without thinking ‘Tears For Fears.’” I would say that it does seem to be the dominant aspect of your on-board persona, so if you want to change that, I would certainly agree that you should mention them less often. It doesn’t bug me or anything, though.

4

Keep the name, talk less about the band.

5

If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t recognize your name. I was never a fan of the group.

I think ultrafilter has the right idea.

6

How many Rolands are on this board anyway?

7

You’ll note that I mention my own posting habits in the same post as the one outlining yours so for me to mock you for your own posting habits would be disingenuous at best but, to be honest, yes, I do automatically think Tears for Fears every time I see your name. I also sometimes think pompadour too, though.

What does that mean? That there are other aspects of your postings that I’ve noticed and have stuck with me. Not that a past hairstyle is the best thing to be remembered for but, still, it’s better than nothing and it shows that someone that reads your posts will pick up on minutiae in addition to more general posting habits.

In the end, it’s your decision but I don’t think it’s that big a deal and I wouldn’t let it bother me.

8

Roland, you don’t seem like you’re really ready to change your name here. I suggest you wait until you’re sure you want to, since you won’t be able to go back to your old name if you change your mind.

(And, for the record, I used to think of you as “There’s that kid who is way into TFF.” Now I think of you as “Hey, there’s a post from Roland. I want to read that!”)

9

I agree with Green Bean that usernames shouldn’t be the names of actual live people. My vote is to change it for that reason.

10

Oh, I know you weren’t trying to criticize, and certainly no offense was intended or taken. “It’s not a big deal” was what I originally figured anyway, but I thought I’d ask, just to test the water. Thanks to all for your responses, and I’d still like to know what others think.

So I’m not “the Tears For Fears guy”, I’m “the Tears For Fears guy who used to have stupid hair”? Greeeat. :smiley:

11

This would be my reading of you. More rambling, please. It is good. I just like it when someone besides myself rambles.

Have you any ideas for the possible change? Having the same username everywhere is doubtless convenient and so many people do that. I made a conscious personal decision not to do that here myself. I don’t really know why; it was a whim, but there is meaning in the name. Would it be a little embarrassing to change and have no one notice? Not that you’re doing it for that reason–I just wonder.

But just think of all the people who are famous for their hair.

12

Yeah, like Don King!

I kid, I kid…

13

When I first saw the name I didn’t make the connection. I knew of “Tears for Fears”, I just never knew their names. Even after finding out who Roland Orzabal is I still don’t make the connection to you unless you actually mention TFF in your post. I knew someone many years ago whose last name was Olazabal and I can’t see your user name without thinking of them, so TFF isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. (Although this other person was an accomplished musician).

Anyway, you’ve been here since February and have made over 500 posts and people know who you are. I’ve been here since March 2003, have about 700 posts and I doubt anyone remembers me as Tiramisu or as Wile E. Enjoy your fame (or infamy) and keep your name …
unless of course it really bugs you. :stuck_out_tongue:

14

You could change your name to Curt Smith. :smiley:

15

Well, if I were to change it, I’d probably go with another inside joke, this one between myself and my best friend: Beefman the Omnipotent. I first assumed this guise when Ben (Cactus Man the Omnipotent) and I decided to write the compilation of humorous essays entitled Complaining About Everything (and Nothing): Volume I. There have been three editions of that. The first, which was actually funny, was about 50 pages long when we quit writing it about five years back. Somewhere in our various travels and computer-related issues, it got lost to the sands of time. We’ve since tried to resurrect its spirit in Volumes II and III, but failed each time; we both seem to have grown too cynical and serious-minded to capture the same lighthearted, sincere tone with which we delightfully ridiculed everything (and nothing) in the past, or at least not on a regular basis.

Beefman and Cactus Man are the Omnipotent Beings of the Book. While they would have you believe otherwise, all that basically means is that, since they are writing the book, they can do whatever they want in it. It allows them such wonderful priveleges as randomly switching between referring to themselves in the first or third person, much as I am doing now, and the ability to make irrelevant asides under the heading “NOTE:” whenever they bloody well feel like it, which is often. But hey, I’m rambling. (Harimad-Sol, this one’s for you!)

NOTE: “Beefman the Omnipotent” is also the name I use to sign up for anything that I believe will send me junk mail. I’m still waiting for some company with an automated system that doesn’t check these things to send me mail under that name. When it arrives (and it will, someday), I’ll frame it and hang it in my living room. This was inspired by a friend’s extremely successful attempt to receive junk mail under the name “Edward Density”.

See, I made a NOTE. Obviously, Beefman the Omnipotent (in whatever guise he may take) is an Omnipotent Being of the Post as well. Bow, fools!

16

I have a reaction similar to Green Bean’s re: using the names of living individuals, though in my case it is really only a very mild distaste. Obviously I have no problem with using the names of dead people, especially historical figures :D.

But I do like the name Roland in general and if it isn’t already taken, I’d say just stick with that. I mentally associate it with the Chansons de Roland and Roncevalles and there are certainly worse associations you can make than that ;).

The Beefman choice does little for me personally, but really go with whatever you think you’ll like. You’re the one who has to live with it.

  • Tamerlane
17

Aw, but we love you anyway. :slight_smile:

Beefman the Omnipotent is kinda like Chicken of Bristol. Sounds impressive, but as a username? Just too ongepotchket. I hope you do find your story someday.

Rolandgunslinger: I was actually thinking of you when I posted my suggestion that he change his name to just Roland, and I felt kinda bad for suggesting it. But I couldn’t think of any good way to address the issue, so I just didn’t address it. My apologies.

18

Ask, and Beefman the Omnipotent delivers!

It is really difficult to type from a bowing position, I’ll have you know.