Why the incessant changing of pseudonym and avatar?

Okay, Face-dancers*, let's hear it.

(*Frank Herbert's Dune series)

In the case of John Russell his latest is :

a rankout of someone else's miss-spelling and also to prove how "white" he is ...

Haven't changed the moniker since '03, but the avatar gets changed when I have good golf games - which I obviously haven't had for awhile

I've never changed by pseudonym. It's my real name, only in a language other than English. I've changed by avatar twice.

Now that you've brought this up Buzz, I just might change both my avatar and pseudonym. Just because.

You have changed your avatar frequently , usually as a response to mockery ...

The name is a play on words but it is a little more complicated than you believe.

OK , so enlighten us .

The name is a play on words but it is a little more complicated than you believe.

I wondered if it had something to do with "loose change" as part of the play on words? Or that the Supreme Court or another person or entity was playing "Fast and Loose?"

Real Name? Not a wise idea, imo. As for being ourselves? We probably are most of the time. I say "most," because this isn't a natural environment - in real life we aren't incessantly blathering [at least, I'm not], relentlessly acting righteous, prone to arguing everything and anything just to have something to say -- that's the nature of a news site - not necessarily 'our' nature. So "ourselves" will have a truthful opinion, most likely, but we're here to talk, whether we are a natural jabberwocky or not!

Btw, that's a great Headstone!

In the past I have many times requested elaboration of a point you made . But you pretty much don't respond to such requests . This time is no different . So here's what I choose to take away from this : Your name change is nothing but a petty rankout of someone's spelling error . As to this :

it is a little more complicated than you believe.

It's just your usual bullshit ...

Petey, I didn't want the comments on my article to become a pissing match. PLEASE!!!

What does the headstone say? I tried enlarging it but it got too fuzzy to read.

Oh, I got the joke. MikeL. ?

Could it have multiple meanings like "loser", "being loose (promiscuous)" or just be making fun of the many people on NT who spell the word "lose" incorrectly?

Hey, I liked the one with the Bull's helmet John. From a regional perspective, it could have been better with a charging lion on it, but their colors don't show up nearly as well as the Bulls helmet. As far as the Cubs go, everyone is a Cubs fan, if only out of sympathy. We all keep hoping that they'll manage to pull it out somehow. My father in law was born in southern Wisconsin the year after they won their last series, was a Cubs fan all his life, and never got to see them win another. As my son (also a Cubs fan) has said, "Those guys have been down longer than the Titanic."

My screen name has stayed the same all along. It's a misquotation of Ronald Reagan. He actually said to Mr. Carter in 1980, "There You Go Again". I changed it to There They Go Again in memory of all the times he found himself surrounded by idiot reporters. My avatar is of my grandchildren and only changes as they grow up. Since the one being held by the oldest one is now walking around and climbing on things, I should probably change it. I will, too, once I can get all four of them to sit still long enough to take another picture.

Asking questions of the deep dark hole that is John Russell is a waste of energy . The dominance game he plays is that questions are never answered . But you'll soon see that for yourself ...

I change my avatar because I want to. It's no big deal.

Doesn't matter how innocent an article is, it always becomes political.

(But I guess I asked for it!)

I did think of a 'loser' connection, too, as an inside joke, maybe. But when J. said "more complicated..." I thought his meaning might be to suggest both words - a person [I hope it isn't me - I'm a "waste of time to talk to!!!"] and something that has a 'loose' meaning.

If we guess the right answer, do we get a prize?

I've always been me...I updated my photo when I started NT but it was still me. And so is my name.

When the site started, I was very strict about either using your real name or real pic... but because the system makes it so easy to do... I just threw my arms up in the air and gave up.

Actually there's more to this than meets the eye..

The short answer to the question of why people on NT change their screenname is-- "because they can"!

I have been on many, many Internet discussion sites before this one. And, interestingly, on almost all of them , once you sign up, you cannot change your screen name. (Although you can change your avatar). On most you can never change your name, but a few let you change it if its done withing a short time after signing up (for example, only during your first two weeks).

But in my experience, Ning (the parent co. of NT) is very unusual. Not only can you change your screen name, but you can do it as often as you like.

Since I'd never seen a site that permitted change of name, it didn't even occur to me., until I saw someone do it here. If memory serves, the first person to discover that feature and change his name was someone who hasn't been around for here ages-- I don 't know if any of you remember him-- a guy by the name of Mike L. (Haven't seen anyone with that name on NT for..ages! )

Hypocrite.

Not really hypocrisy Fish, just naivete.

Buzz, the Chinese secret police (who are at least as good at what they do as the Gestapo or the Japanese Kempetai were), know exactly who you are. You can bet that they have already checked you out and have found that, despite a few political posts, you are not really a serious revolutionary type. Had they found that you were, you would have been gone already; either deported or put into a place where you wouldn't be getting onto a computer. You could just as easily use your real name and they still wouldn't care, because they don't consider you to be dangerous.

Sorry, but there are more good reasons for me not to use my real name than I have revealed, which you are not aware of nor will you be, nor do I intend to change my stance. The avatar is a genuine photo of me and my wife.

But in any event, I do not appreciate being called a hypocrite, nor in the circumstances of which you are not aware do I consider myself to be naive. Self-preservation is more important to me than kow-towing to your insults.

Surely there are reasons for your changes, perhaps one of which is to alleviate boredom, another perhaps to confuse everyone, and even because of a change of mood or direction. So those of you who are always changing both your avatar and your pseudonym in order to shed yourself from your previous identity, what is the reason?

Buzz, my guess on why people make changes is partly as Krish says - because they can, and as APax says - they just feel like it - probably is a boredom/getting tired of it thing. Sometimes it seems to be 'silly' and other times it could be making a statement of some kind, esoterically.

I've always been Wheel. It was my nickname in jr. high school. Only my oldest friends call me that anymore but I still answer to Wheel as quickly as to Mr. Barrow.

When I was around 4 years old we kids in Kindergarten used to run around the schoolyard with our arms straight out while making buzzing sounds to play-act as WW2 fighter planes. When my mother saw me doing that she called me 'Buzzy'. The name stuck with our extended family and friends. I really hated the name in public school and was called only by my real name, but when I got to high school it was considered a really cool name (think of the school leader who raced James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause and drove over the cliff) so I even had it embroidered on my school jacket. As I got older it was shortened to "Buzz" and there are many people who know me only by that name, so it has always been my nickname.

YOU read my article. It asks why people make changes - it didn't say you should not use a pseudonym. I gave the reasons why I used a pseudonym so why should I apply my article to myself?

When a word has been your nickname for more that 3/4 of your life, when all your oldest friends know you by that word, when you answer to it as quickly or more quickly than you do to your given name, when you think of yourself by that name, is it really a 'nick' name any more?

You make a good point Wheel, but it's not on my birth certificate, my university degrees, driver's licence or passport, so what else can you call it?

A name.

Yes, that's true 1st. A nickname is still a name, but it is more accurate to call it a nickname

I have always had the same screen name, but I do on occasion change my avatar according to the Holiday or just out of boredom.

I have always used the same name as it is mine. I change my avatar to reflect my Native American heritage and occasionally to reflect my favorite sports teams but for the most part I use the same picture of myself that I always have.

My brother's "name" is Greg. When he was 1, an uncle started calling him "George" and the name stuck. He's now 59 and has been using George as his name since age 1 - even signs his checks as such. No, no legal name change.

My son is the III and has been called Trey since birth. No name change, but all his "official" documents, including SS and Tax records have him listed as Trey.

So, yes, nicknames are/can be names

I have had my name since '65 in Vietnam...I carried a silver bullet as a lucky charm (and it worked) and the name stuck.My wife for the most part always called me LR unless I pissed her off then the would say a very long and drawnout but well pronounced {{{{R-O-B-E-R-T}}}! But just so you folks know I never change my name but on occasion when the moon is full on every third month my alter ego does get the best of me and I change into the Masked Cat...

No insult intended here Buzz. I'm sure you have your reasons. They may or may not be valid, but you know your situation better than I do.

I have no respect for people who do not use their full name and a real photograph of themselves.

I agree. If they have nothing to hide, why not use their real name and real photo? (And if they were totally trustworthy with nothing to hide, they would post their Social Security number and cash machine password as well )

OMG....an Elvis sighting on NewsTalkers,...if that doesn't put NT on the map nothing will....

I'm really glad you brought up this topic Buzz. I've complained to Perrie numerous times about allowing members to change avatars and usernames at will. That ability is usually only used by our member clowns and wiseguys to create confusion, cause havoc and annoy our more serious members.

I have proposed a 90 day time frame between the times either an avatar or username can be changed, without the ability to change both at the same time. That way we will always know what member we are communicating with, and the jokers will have one less tool to play games with.

They just hooked up the internet to the small town in northern Ontario where Elvis is hiding.

Mr. Eastwood ,

What I'm frowning on is the personal freedom to have some idea about who I'm communicating with, and has nothing to do with any "authoritative fix".

Ya know Clint, we use to have another guy that could be surprised and not surprised about the same thing in one sentence. But his blue shirt became a subject of intense criticism and he left, ....... hasn't been heard from since.

'sno loss though, like you, he didn't know what he was talking about either.

We've been down this road B4 . I told you many months ago how you can easily ID who you're talking to . If you want to raise a stink over a non-issue though , carry on .

Is it just NOT possible to have a discussion of pros and cons about the topic WITHOUT taking shots at each other? I guess that when we can't or are too meek to air our aggressiveness in real life NT gives us an outlet to show off our machismo and "superiority" without fear of physical retribution.

Since mine was the last comment B4 yours I assume you were talking about me . If so your interpretation is way off .

Identity crisis?

Its simple to the point of being boring . R U sure you don't want to explore the problem yourself first ?

Is it just NOT possible to have a discussion of pros and cons about the topic WITHOUT taking shots at each other?

Still waiting for an opinion of my suggestion;

I have proposed a 90 day time framebetween the times either an avatar or username can be changed, without the ability to change both at the same time. That way we will always know what member we are communicating with, and the jokers will have one less tool to play games with.

I guess that when we can't or are too meek to air our aggressiveness in real life NT gives us an outlet to show off our machismo and "superiority" without fear of physical retribution.

I hope that comment isn't directed at me.I use my real name and photo and never make a comment to or about someone that I wouldn't make to their face.

We've been down this road B4 . I told you many months ago how you can easily ID who you're talking to . If you want to raise a stink over a non-issue though , carry on .

You didn't me that months ago, at least I don't recall the discussion. But, it is an issue, especially lately.

Peoplehavebeen changing their un's and avatars 2 and 3time in the same thread, just for the sake of creating confusion, and clowning around.

Yes, you can break away from a discussion and go tho their homepage to figure out who someone is, but it's a distraction, time consuming, and should not be necessary. You don't notice it Petey, because it's your buddies that do it all the time.

My brother has 2 sons. The youngest was named Chance Abel. His older brother started calling him 'Clint' from the day he was brought home from the hospital. When my brother and his wife tried to correct him and tell him that his brother's name was Chance he quickly replied: "No daddy, Clint is his CODE name."

Like everyone on the show G I Joes has a Code name? He's in his mid 20's now, guess what we have called him all his life?

Is Clint his nick name, or his code name, or his TRUE name?

Remember in Dune how Paul Atriedes acquired his tribal or secret name, Usul? Who's to say some of us don't get our Real names put on us by life?

I actually wonder what Krishna would have to say about this.

at least I don't recall the discussion.

I'm not surprised to read that from you ...

Do I detect some paranoia here? My comment was not aimed at any one person, but to all the persons who choose to take shots at each other (and at me) rather than having anything constructive to contribute.

Jerry, I don't think rules for this are necessary if everyone grows up and acts their age, maintaining the self-control expected from a mature person. As I may have pointed out, and I'm not sure if I did it sufficiently, I don't see anything wrong with switching avatars to make a point or satisfy a mood, but I join you in being tired of having to figure out who is posting if they refuse to be consistent with their pseudonym. I don't think it's necessary to make a point with your pseudonym (and there are some members I won't mention who try to do that) so I just wish they would make their point with an article or a comment instead.

He sounds like a great guy, 'wish I could've met him...

I'm not quite sure who you mean.

Paul Atriedes' real and original name was still Paul Atriedes, even though he was given the name of Usul by Stilgar, but he also became known as Moa'dib.

I was amused to see that your nephew was named "Chance". It made me think of Chance the gardener (then mistakenly called Chauncy Gardner) in Being There.

This is not directed at you Buzz, but the general idea of the whole article. I personally do not have any any problem with people changing their names, avatars or even spelling loser incorrectly. Guess I'm just too easy to satisfy. Maybe in a few years I'll be a little older, grumpier. Is that correct, or should it be more grumpy? LOL. I always value constructive criticism.

I've found I'm just smart enough to know how stupid I am. Believe me, it's a real benefit to have that knowledge.

Personally I think this is a lot about nothing, but obviously is a bother to some. We have a choice here. No one is forcing anyone to participate or even acknowledge someone who has changed his/her name or avatar. In other words, no one is holding a gun to our heads and saying we have to even communicate with each other.

I'm too lazy to change mine, besides I like it. It looks like a flower, but is really six guitar picks in a circle. A good friend suggested it to me on the vine several years ago. I used it there and have never changed it.

Actually I've always liked the combination of your 6-pick avatar and pseudonym. As a former guitar-picker myself I was intrigued by the serrated pick and you may recall I asked you about it.

As for making a comparative out of adjectives that end in "y", you're quite correct in most cases to change the "y" to an "i" and add "er". Use "more" before 2-syllable adjectives that don't end in "y" and adjectives that are 3 or more syllables. I tell my students who are confused about using either "more" or "much" to just use "a lot of" instead since it applies most of the time.

I woke up from a good sleep to post this and before anyone gets their panties all twisted up I checked the COH and we can talk openly about past members who are no longer members here as long as we tell no lies...that being said I have checked the members roster and found that there no longer is a member called John Russell as of the typing of my comment. Also this comment is to show some people how changing their names can and sometimes does come back to bite them in their ass.

Well the story goes about a week ago I commented on one of John Russells article. I first asked him if in fact it was alright to call him Bob. I went into great detail in explaining to John why I wanted to call him Bob. I said "...It is alright with you if I call you John isn't it. after all your name is John and I as well as everyone else knows it is John. I would really like to call you Bob. I like Bob a lot better than the name John simply because Bob is easier to say than John. I've always liked starting and sometimes ending my sentences with Bob. "Bob, what do you think about the weather?" or "See I told you you were right , Bob" see John, how much better Bob sounds in a sentence than John does.

Now John, if you were to allow me to start calling you Bob instead of John you could very well be saving my life John. What is that you say John, how is this possible,...well now John, I'm glad you asked me that, you see normally I type with just one finger, John thats called hen pecking but I'm sure you already knew that didn't you John. Now when I hen peck John I spell each word so if I were to typ Bob, John I would hold down the shift key with one finger and with the other finger I would press the B key then I would type the o key then I would press the b key again. thats how you hen peck the name Bob. Now to hen peck the name John which is your name John I would have to hold the shift key down and press the J key then I would press the o key followed by the h key and lastly the n key. John, do you see the differecnce? Bob has three letters in the name where your name John has four letters. there is an extra motion with my hands that keep me from typing faster because your name John has four letters in it instead of three letters like Bob.

Now John the main reason I hen peck is there are a lot of people out there, mostly on NewsVine who can not read as fast as I can type so John our of consideration of their disability I hen peck. No, John I am not implying that you too can not read as fast as I can type. Normally I use two hands and type faster like I am doing now John. the down side of that John is that I type faster than I can spell so I just say the words I am typing. Do you see what I am saying John? There is a lot of effort that has to be put forth when saying the words out loud while typing them. Take the name Bob, John. When I say Bob out loud my lips move up and down with little effort. But John, when I say John out loud while typing John not only do my lips move up and down but my jaw has somew movement in it as well as a little tongue action going on.now John as I move my tongue John, my mouth creates salyva and the faster I type the faster I talk and the more spit is created creating a better chance of choking on my own spit. So John I'm sure you can see where you could possibly be saving my life by letting me call you Bob.

So Bob, I mean John would it be alright if I were to call you Bob, John?..." And Johns reply was "Uh, I don't expect to read many of your posts on my threads if this last one is an example, so I don't really care what you call me."...So you see John said after all it was OK to call him Bob. Now you can't believe just how heart broken I was to find that John had left us. Turns out John was not happy being John or Bob. He now wants to be the only Looser on NT. And thats a fact cuz I checked the members list and I could only find one Looser on the list. I guess he can say he is the only Looser in every conversation if he want to after all it would be a true and factual statement.

But just for the record,...if the real Looser ever changes his name to John I will of course call him Bob,...not because I can and not out of meaness, but rather because he said I could....

see how changing your name can bite you in the ass.......

soap operas cant even think this crap up....

Sorry Buzz for such a long post but my mother always said."son never look a gift horse in the mouth"

BTW I do know how to spell loser....lol

HILARIOUS!!!!!

Doon't woorry, I woon't loook in yoour moouth, because I might loose soomething.

I first asked him if in fact it was alright to call him Bob. I went into great detail in explaining to John why I wanted to call him Bob. I said "...It is alright with you if I call you John isn't it. after all your name is John and I as well as everyone else knows it is John. I would really like to call you Bob.

Well, you can call me anything you want-- but just don't call me late for dinner!

LR, You make a very valid point for the second time. I didn't quite understand what that was all about the first time I read it. Probably because I hadn't been really paying attention to the thread or the general atmosphere simmering just below the surface.

I understand it now and see how it is a valid point to have the ability as an equal member of NT to call someone whatever you want since their name may change and you have to figure out who they are today.

It could make it easier to just make up a name which you found easy to remember and liked, but at the same time wasn't meant to be intimidating or derogatory in any way to that person, but easy to remember and constant long enough to develop a mental image as to who you are talking to no matter who they were yesterday or are today.

Yes I can see your point. It should be our right to make up names for each person we communicate with on here since it may help us to remember who they actually are.

I can go for that.

So I guess what is good for the goose is good for the gander. Right?

Thank you very much Buzz. I knew so much I've forgotten.

Dear late for dinner, or is that anything you want?

Maybe Jerry is right, at least your avatar is consistent for two comments.

Robert G., really??? You with a red blob on top of that blue shirt? Show YOUR face, then you can preach at others.

LOL! So his child would be 'lil G.

...avataristic racisim, thats a good one....

Introducing 'lil G.

That is cute! Good job.

(snort) !!