How did you choose your forum name?

[billthomas]

Nothing creative here, it's the same name I've had for 50 years.

[Pooka]

'Pooka' is a variation on 'Puck.' My first exposure to that sort of character was through Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' and the idea of a mischevious, merry wanderer enchanted me totally. I love mythologies, even the crude, cruel parts.

On a slightly deeper level, a friend, in talking to me a few weeks ago, claimed that most people go about their lives half-asleep and with their eyes closed. I suggested that they might be awakened if we expose them to the unusual or the fantastic and remind them how joyous and strange 'waking' life can be-- I was thinking of the harmless, happy stunts of Improv Everywhere and the like. Using the name on a forum reminds me that there are people all around me that I can still help to rouse.

[Brien]

It's my name.

[Adam Sargant]

Originally Posted by Brien

It's my name.

Mine too

Well, not Brien, obviously

[Trina]

Mine is my first name. Creative huh? LOL. I usually use the name WickedGhedi (ghetto Jedi, a combination of my Star Wars fanatic husband and my ghetto upbringing), but since I joined here before the forums opened to the public my real name was available so I took it!

[Michael Chui]

This is my real name, as far as legality goes. The truth of this name is somewhat questionable, but I'm willing to attach this name to my identity now.

[Dilman]

This is my username for EVERYTHING that needs one.

First name: Dylan
Nick name: Dil

Last name: Manning

Dilman.

[heflin1]

long story....

which starts with a comic book once written by a friend -
Spandex Tights, which chronicles the adventures of
Flex Woman (nee Lycra Woman before the C&D letter form DuPont),
Spandex Girl, and their resident genius gopher named Heflin VanHelsing.

I identified with Heflin
and so when I needed an online handle - heflin was my choice.
Unfortunately, someone had already registered heflin,
so I just added a 1 to it and voila - heflin1

[carpeliam]

my name is liam- if you know the latin, it roughly translates into "seize the liam".

[Patricia]

I chose to use my real name in these forums - Patricia - because I'm one of the moderators. I guess I thought it was more important to be transparent than creative in this specific situation. I took me a while to decide if I wanted to use my first and last name or only my first name - obviously, I chose the latter.

However, I usually use the handle VanillaMist or VanillaTouch. VanillaMist is also the name of one of my blogs (while Sinestesia, Portuguese for Synesthesia, is the name of my other blog). I can't really describe the meaning behind this, but it has to do with synesthetic perceptions. I'm a synesthete, I smell and taste words, among other "weird cool" stuff. lol VanillaMist and VanillaTouch are basically perceptions and they are very unique because synesthesia is a very personal experience, I'm probably the only person in the world to have these particular perceptions. So, it sounded interesting, at the time I picked these handles, to use these perceptions that make me unique in a way, after all, that's what handles are for, right?

Anyway, that's my story... even though I'm not using these handles in this forum.

[valpal215]

Valpal is a variation of my real name, an old nickname given to me by my mom!

[exquisitive]

Trying to be a little clever I guess. I debated a couple of dumb ones (apologies in advance if these are already taken :P) like "Seekr" and "neophyte acolyte" I'm still in some exploratory phases, so I thought inquisitive. To mix it up I tried exquisitive because of the word exquisite, thinking that had a nice ring to it. Imagine my surprise when I found out that it's actually a word, albeit anachronistic.

Later.

[Cassie]

Cassie is the name I always use because it has a personal meaning for me. If Cassie is taken, I'll go with Desdemonae or Ashaera. I tend to recycle the same 'alias', go figure.

[bodhiavttas]

So many names in this forum are very aesthetically pleasing. I particularly like Akashic Librarian (just great! especially with the explanation), Guinevere, Yosarian, Vorhidin...

I just registered and I used to be called Bodhisattva by a desk-mate in high school, I just reversed the 'being' part. I researched it just now after many years and I guess it would apply to me because I aspire to become enlightened. I'm very much of a work in progress though!

[Reyv]

Someone should really make a how-to for choosing handles. The first time I wanted to register, I actually cancelled it about 15 minutes in, because I got tired of the whole handle-choosing process.

When starting new computer games, especially MMORPGs, I'm prone to spend eons just going through all the names I can possibly think of, and deciding, one-by-one, that they're not perfectly suited to the context.

Reyv is a name I came up with maybe a week ago as I was creating my first character in Dark Age of Camelot. Having been at it for maybe 20 minutes, I got fed up, and decided to just pick something already. Ironic thing is I'm not much of a gamer anymore, so I don't really know why I cared so much.

I eventually decided to just reuse that handle here as well. I'd still be at it otherwise. Chronic indecision I guess. Something I need to work on.


@Lotus: Jamie is a really pretty name. For some reason, it really resonated with me when I read it.

[Guinevere]

Originally Posted by bodhiavttas

So many names in this forum are very aesthetically pleasing. I particularly like Akashic Librarian (just great! especially with the explanation), Guinevere, Yosarian, Vorhidin...

Nice of you to say so

I was wondering if "avttas" meant something I didn't know about. Good thing you explained it.

[Michael Chui]

Originally Posted by Reyv

Someone should really make a how-to for choosing handles. The first time I wanted to register, I actually cancelled it about 15 minutes in, because I got tired of the whole handle-choosing process.

I like to toy with behiindthename.com when coming up with names for RP games.

[Kristoffer]

Good stories, a funny thread this!

As I read your witnesses I imagine how you would look telling them, in something like comic book, super hero style. Or maybe more like a pixar movie. "Hi, I am Buzz Lightyear! And I am Mr Potatohead!"

Me? Oh, real name here. The good thing with the original Swedish spelling is that it is often available!

[LillyoftheValley]

Originally Posted by Calculusaurus

My name? Dunno. Dinosaurs + math just seemed like a good idea.

My friends and I call each other our nicknames + -saurus, or + -okemonn It's been funny for two years now...

Skinnyninja? Your name makes me smile each time I come across it!
Surely is light-hearted!

Lilly of the Valley is my real name. Not in English, though...

[placebo]

My name maybe don't even exists on this forum. It is just a placebo effect. Maybe

[Nemo]

I chose my name after the famous captain of the submarine "Nautilus", invented by Jules Verne (and not by Disney...), because I enjoy building virtual underwater scenarios.

[ditto]

Mine was just the first thing that I thought of that I liked.

[kthdsn]

Years ago when I first connected to the internet I used AOL, and I didn't have a credit card so my grandad lent me his. He had registered with them on the same card, so the sign up form wouldn't let me sign up again with that card. I guess it was to stop stupid people from opening 2 accounts by accident?

Anyway, I called them and they created an account for me, so I didn't get to choose the username. They gave me kthdsn6, my name is Kate Hudson, they took out the vowels, dunno what's with the 6 though.

I liked the kthdsn part and dropped the 6. I use it for everything, even my domain name. Would have been a bit cooler if I'd come up with it myself though