# What are unacceptable usernames? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [October 23, 2002, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-unacceptable-usernames/133561 "2002-10-23T18:38:56Z")\ **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 23, 2002, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-unacceptable-usernames/133561/1 "2002-10-23T18:38:56Z")
Now, I know this is something that’s taken pretty much on a case-by-case basis, but I was curious if there were guidelines other than common sense that you nice authoritative people use. For example, I would assume using usernames like CecilAdams (no space) or other take-offs of that name would be forbidden, as would any name that’s very similar to an existing username. What about Hitler? Is that not okay? (Something tells me this came up before, but I can’t recall.) I guess what I was just wondering is what names would you immediately reject? I know, it’s a case-by-case basis, but maybe you have something in mind. And come to think of it, am I the only one who’s noticed there’s an [aceospades](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?s=&action=getinfo&userid=5891) and a [Ace0Spades](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?s=&action=getinfo&userid=15377)? Not thinking of changing my name to anything bizarre (or to anything, come to think of it), and not trying to get anyone in trouble, but I was just curious. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2002, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-unacceptable-usernames/133561/2 "2002-10-23T22:45:19Z")
Hitler - would depend on the poster, but we would probably reject it. Names containing insults will probably be rejected. You’re not the only that has noticed that there is an aceospades or an Ace0Spades. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-unacceptable-usernames/133561/4 "2002-10-24T02:01:58Z")
At least those names are less confusing than **Ino** and **lno** - I could never tell those two apart! ---
**Author:** ![Aceospades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Aceospades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aceospades)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-unacceptable-usernames/133561/5 "2002-10-24T02:53:04Z")
i noticed it to. i was here first, but i hardly ever run into him (or her). i think we run in different groups. If it was up to me i would change my user name to Ace, but someone took that and never came back:( the likeness in our names is one of the reasons that i have not capitalised the a in my name, although, i’m reconsidering it. ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-unacceptable-usernames/133561/6 "2002-10-24T08:09:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by **mnemosyne** \* > At least those names are less confusing than **Ino** and **lno** - I could never tell those two apart! [Stewart Scott]I wadn’t gonna say nothin’, but that just ain’t right.[/Stewart Scott] ---
**Author:** ![femtosecond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@femtosecond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/femtosecond)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-unacceptable-usernames/133561/7 "2002-10-24T09:34:04Z")
I can’t believe this account is still open. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?action=getinfo&username=adolf%20hitler](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?action=getinfo&username=adolf%20hitler) ---
**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 24, 2002, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-unacceptable-usernames/133561/8 "2002-10-24T12:11:29Z")
What if the name was “AdolfHitler’sEatingMyBrain”? ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-unacceptable-usernames/133561/9 "2002-10-24T13:58:31Z")
ace: Maybe you could be aceofclubs?😃 ---
**Author:** ![femtosecond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@femtosecond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/femtosecond)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2002, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-unacceptable-usernames/133561/10 "2002-10-24T15:09:37Z")
Reading **Adolf Hitler** Member is definitely above my threshold on this message board. On the other hand, I wouldn’t be really ashamed of being on the same board where **AdolfHitler’sEatingMyBrain** is a “Member”, depending on the posts that come out of the remaining brain. If it seemed that poor Adolf is going to die of starvation though, and nobody else objects, then I would start wondering if I’m still around the right people. ---
**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 24, 2002, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-unacceptable-usernames/133561/11 "2002-10-24T15:11:08Z")
Or even better: **I Ate Hitler’s Brain** ---
**Author:** ![airdisc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19adc/32.png) [@airdisc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/airdisc)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2002, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-unacceptable-usernames/133561/12 "2002-10-25T23:21:40Z")
I thought the difference between “aceospades” and “Ace0Spades” was that the former uses a “o” (lower-case letter 0), whereas the latter uses a “0” (zero). And a better name would be “My Dog Ate Hitler’s Brain”. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2002, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-unacceptable-usernames/133561/13 "2002-10-26T01:20:59Z")
I saw one several days ago who had just joined and I couldn’t believe it. I don’t know if they’re still here or not, but the name was AllJewsTOthegaschambers. ---
**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 26, 2002, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-unacceptable-usernames/133561/14 "2002-10-26T07:16:43Z")
Well, yeah, airdisc. One has a zero, and one has an “oh.” Still, the names are disturbingly similar… but it’s gotta be very tough to patrol that sort of thing. The fact is, there are a lot of people on here, and names will be similar from time to time, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2002, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-unacceptable-usernames/133561/15 "2002-10-26T09:22:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by femtosecond \* > **Adolf Hitler** > Member Ooh, just opened a whole new realm I hadn’t thought of. **Got A Giant** Member **Jookantuchmy** Member **Mod’sGotATiny** Member ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2002, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-unacceptable-usernames/133561/16 "2002-10-26T10:26:21Z")
**Unacceptable Username** Member ---
**Author:** ![White\_Lightning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@White\_Lightning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/White_Lightning)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2002, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-unacceptable-usernames/133561/17 "2002-10-26T11:26:29Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by_\* femtosecond \*\*\* > I can’t believe this account is still open. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?action=getinfo&username=adolf%20hitler](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?action=getinfo&username=adolf%20hitler) It might not be. Sometimes when the mods ban somebody, they don’t add the custom label “BANNED” because it would attract attention, which defeats the purpose of banning trolls/socks. ---
**Author:** ![femtosecond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@femtosecond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/femtosecond)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2002, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-unacceptable-usernames/133561/18 "2002-10-26T12:57:58Z")
Replace “open” with “apparently usable” then. I thought of that, and for most other stinky-socks I would agree it’s better this way, but this particular one attracted my attention _because_ of the member status. It feels uncomfortable. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2002, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-unacceptable-usernames/133561/19 "2002-10-26T12:58:32Z")
The answer to the OP is, no, there are not a fixed set of rules, it’s mostly common sense. If we had fixed rules, people would try to find ways to circumvent them, and we don’t want to waste time with that kinda crap. Some of the common sense: - If two names are coincidentally similar, we probably let them slide. It frankly takes up too much time to patrol. - However, if one name is clearly made to impersonate another, we’d kill it. - There’s a “good taste” rule in there somewhere, although I’d set the bar a lot higher than many of the other Mods and Admins. - And there’s a length issue, too. ---
**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 26, 2002, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-unacceptable-usernames/133561/20 "2002-10-26T14:12:52Z")
**femtosecond** , an uncomfortable sock? Whoda thunk it? **C K Dexter** , is there a set rule about length? There are some remarkably long names here. ---
**Author:** ![femtosecond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@femtosecond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/femtosecond)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2002, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-unacceptable-usernames/133561/21 "2002-10-26T18:29:56Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Wikkit_ > **Mod’sGotATiny** > Member together with > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by C K Dexter Haven_ > **- And there’s a length issue, too.** hehe 🙂 Apart from the software’s maximum set to 25 characters, if your name is too long you’re just more likely to be asked to have it changed when it screws up other people’s page formatting. So it’s nice to avoid that in the first place, preferably by choosing a length that doesn’t stand out. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-unacceptable-usernames/133561.md?page=2)