# Why do other member names get bolded? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 15, 2003, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-other-member-names-get-bolded/195400 "2003-08-15T15:44:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2003, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-other-member-names-get-bolded/195400/21 "2003-08-16T21:54:01Z")
It’s a matter of courtesy, **Philster**. Ett-kit. 😉 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-other-member-names-get-bolded/195400/22 "2003-08-18T20:57:16Z")
It’s just the convention on this board. I kind of dig it – it’s considerate. As far as the bold on first mention that **USCDiver** brings up, I assume it’s a holdover from the old society pages from which these “Sportsbeat,” “Celeb-beat” and “Metrobeat”-type columns evolved. It’s the standard style for society pages/gossip columns. Sorry, **Ringo** , but I don’t like the idea of dropping the bolding on the second mention. Posts on the SDMB aren’t a society page; the bolding here is out of etiquette and respect. –Cliffy ---
**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:** [August 19, 2003, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-other-member-names-get-bolded/195400/23 "2003-08-19T00:58:44Z")
What **astro** said. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-other-member-names-get-bolded/195400/24 "2003-08-19T02:27:06Z")
I agree wholeheartedly, **Mangetout**. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-other-member-names-get-bolded/195400/25 "2003-08-19T06:21:48Z")
I agree with _ **Ringo** _, **MANGETOUT** , and, what the hell, _Bruce\_ **Daddy** _ … even though he hasn’t posted in this thread. Just be thankful the \ tag doesn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![skyzoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e480ec/32.png) [@skyzoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skyzoo)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-other-member-names-get-bolded/195400/26 "2003-08-19T08:20:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cervaise \* > \*\*I agree with _ **Ringo** _, **MANGETOUT** , and, what the hell, _Bruce\_ **Daddy** _ … even though he hasn’t posted in this thread. > > Just be thankful the \ tag doesn’t work. \*\* Well, me too. And I also agree with **sooner**! And I heard that **the \ tag** has been putting in applications! :eek: (see ya, **Later**!) —have missed you all! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-other-member-names-get-bolded/195400/27 "2003-08-19T11:43:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cervaise \* > \*\*I agree with _ **Ringo** _, **MANGETOUT** , and, what the hell, _Bruce\_ **Daddy** _ … even though he hasn’t posted in this thread. > > Just be thankful the \ tag doesn’t work. \*\* You know, even _I_ don’t do this anymore… ---
**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:** [August 19, 2003, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-other-member-names-get-bolded/195400/28 "2003-08-19T12:36:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zoe \* > \*\*They can do that more easily by doing a “vanity search” on their names. But bolding a name calls attention to the fact that someone is speaking to you when you are reading a thread. \*\* It doesn’t help vanity searches, actually, because when you do one the system highlights the search term for you in red. (Although, come to think of it, I wonder if it’s bold AND red…) ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2003, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-other-member-names-get-bolded/195400/29 "2003-08-19T16:49:53Z")
Just red, not bold. (Try it yourself. Just add &highlight=### to the URL, replacing ### with what you want highlighted.) ---
**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:** [August 19, 2003, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-other-member-names-get-bolded/195400/30 "2003-08-19T16:54:21Z")
Well, red alone is sufficient, since the rest of the text is black. ---
**Author:** ![kabbes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e99b99/32.png) [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2003, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-other-member-names-get-bolded/195400/31 "2003-08-21T09:55:00Z")
A little quirk noone has yet mentioned: our usernames are, in fact, in bold! Look at the info boxes on the left hand side. “member” – not bold. “Registered: Aug 2000” – not bold. But the username is in bold. Therefore bolding the username isn’t just convention, it’s actually technically correct! pan ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2003, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-other-member-names-get-bolded/195400/32 "2003-08-21T13:47:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Cervaise \* > \*\*I agree with _ **Ringo** _, **MANGETOUT** , and, what the hell, _Bruce\_ **Daddy** _ … even though he hasn’t posted in this thread. > > Just be thankful the \ tag doesn’t work. \*\* I disagree. And damn it, I started this game _elsewhere_. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2003, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-other-member-names-get-bolded/195400/33 "2003-08-21T14:15:15Z")
You guys realize you’re giving **TubaDiva** flashbacks of the old AOL days and A Certain Unnamed Poster, don’t you? 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![lel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8797f3/32.png) [@lel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lel)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2003, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-other-member-names-get-bolded/195400/34 "2003-08-22T02:06:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jonathan Chance \* > **For the record I did not find this by vanity search!** For the record, I didn’t do it this time! 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-other-member-names-get-bolded/195400.md?page=1)