# Why do people think my login name in Karl? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 13, 2004, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-my-login-name-in-karl/279633 "2004-12-13T18:13:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-my-login-name-in-karl/279633/41 "2004-12-13T22:48:14Z")
> [@LordVor](#): > > I’m thinking that you should probably just start thinking about what your next username is going to be. > > -lv Nice. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-my-login-name-in-karl/279633/42 "2004-12-13T23:05:17Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > What I want to know is, who’s [Karl Vensen?](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22karl+vensen%22) You know this would be a Googlewhack if it weren’t for that proper name thingy. ---
**Author:** ![Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9dc877/32.png) [@Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightwatch_Trailer)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-my-login-name-in-karl/279633/43 "2004-12-13T23:37:20Z")
> [@trandallt](#): > > You know this would be a Googlewhack if it weren’t for that proper name thingy. Nope, can’t use quotes for a Googlewhack. Googling “kel varnsen” yields more results than does “kal varnsen.” Which is correct? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-my-login-name-in-karl/279633/44 "2004-12-13T23:45:02Z")
Forgive my ignorance but what is a “googlewhack?” ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-my-login-name-in-karl/279633/45 "2004-12-13T23:51:00Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > Forgive my ignorance but what is a “googlewhack?” A googlewack is when you can come up with two and only two true words that yield only one google result. I don’t think that proper names actually count. Googlewack is a web site that records these feats. I got mine with “madril” and “piggyback”. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-my-login-name-in-karl/279633/46 "2004-12-13T23:53:44Z")
Sorry, googlewhack is he correct spelling. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2004, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-my-login-name-in-karl/279633/47 "2004-12-13T23:56:31Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > A googlewack is when you can come up with two and only two true words that yield only one google result. I don’t think that proper names actually count. Googlewack is a web site that records these feats. I got mine with “madril” and “piggyback”. Interesting. Thank you. I’d like to try something but I just know that a moment of idle experimentation will turn into a fevered obsession. I assume that in order to officially register them they need to be real words and not just nonsense sequences? Do they have to be English? ---
**Author:** ![Greathouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greathouse/32/2992_2.png) [@Greathouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greathouse)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-my-login-name-in-karl/279633/48 "2004-12-14T00:08:01Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > A googlewack is when you can come up with two and only two true words that yield only one google result. I don’t think that proper names actually count. Googlewack is a web site that records these feats. I got mine with “madril” and “piggyback”. So, does this mean I got one on my 3rd [try?](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&q=obtrusive+ganef) ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-my-login-name-in-karl/279633/49 "2004-12-14T00:17:40Z")
> [@Greathouse](#): > > So, does this mean I got one on my 3rd [try?](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&q=obtrusive+ganef) Yep. You better register it before I post those words on my web site and kill your googlewhack. ---
**Author:** ![Greathouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greathouse/32/2992_2.png) [@Greathouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greathouse)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-my-login-name-in-karl/279633/50 "2004-12-14T00:20:20Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Yep. You better register it before I post those words on my web site and kill your googlewhack. Ehh…go ahead. I just wanted to see how long it would take me to do it. I’m not really interested in registering anything. It _was_ kind of fun though. So, thanks for the idea on how to kill my bored down time at work. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-my-login-name-in-karl/279633/51 "2004-12-14T01:15:13Z")
I, too, have thought of lots of things to call him, especially after that thread about yelling at babies, but suppose we take a shot at answering his question. I think it’s his handle. **Kel Varnsen**. Two strange names put together. I’d say that many people subconsciously mix some of those letters around into something more familiar to them. Karl is a lot more common to most English or German speakers than either Kel or Varnsen. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-my-login-name-in-karl/279633/52 "2004-12-14T01:34:31Z")
I have a solution for you, **Kyle** : Whenever you see **Karl** on the screen, just cover it with whiteout. Problem sol-ved. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-my-login-name-in-karl/279633/53 "2004-12-14T01:38:21Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I have a solution for you, **Kyle** : Whenever you see **Karl** on the screen, just cover it with whiteout. Problem sol-ved. You’ve given me an idea: **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** **Karl** There, if he can’t _see_ the screen, he can’t post. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-my-login-name-in-karl/279633/54 "2004-12-14T01:39:41Z")
Gee, that looked like a lot more **Karl** s in the text box that it turned out to actually be… ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-my-login-name-in-karl/279633/55 "2004-12-14T01:45:17Z")
> [@Greathouse](#): > > So, does this mean I got one on my 3rd [try?](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&q=obtrusive+ganef) Actually, another rule from the [googlewhack page](http://www.googlewhack.com/rules.htm) is: > [@](#): > > 1. Google shows you an excerpt of the page you whacked. Look at that text. If it’s merely a list of words (such as a bibliography, concordance, encyclopedia, glossary, thesaurus, or dictionary), No Whack For You! Looks like that’s what your hit is. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-my-login-name-in-karl/279633/56 "2004-12-14T01:46:10Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > Gee, that looked like a lot more **Karl** s in the text box that it turned out to actually be… Nice try. But we should be so lucky. ---
**Author:** ![Abbie\_Carmichael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@Abbie\_Carmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abbie_Carmichael)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-my-login-name-in-karl/279633/57 "2004-12-14T01:57:41Z")
blah blah blah **Karl** blah blah blah blah yada yada **Karl** yada yada blah **Karl** blah blah blah blah **Karl** ---
**Author:** ![Milkman\_Dan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Milkman\_Dan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milkman_Dan)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-my-login-name-in-karl/279633/58 "2004-12-14T02:02:28Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I have a solution for you, **Kyle** : Whenever you see **Karl** on the screen, just cover it with whiteout. Problem sol-ved. Or if you like, the ‘add to ignore list’ button… it might be a bit less hard on your computer screen than whiteout. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2004, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-my-login-name-in-karl/279633/59 "2004-12-14T02:15:40Z")
I can’t see anything in this thread beyond a blatant “look at me some more” stab at attention. It’s not amusing, **Kel**. Knock it off. This board is not here to validate you. Either play nicely or leave. TVeblen Pit mod [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-my-login-name-in-karl/279633.md?page=2)