When you've outgrown it

[javafiend]

Had this thought today and figured I'd poll the most insightful people I could find, but they weren't available so I came here ;).

What do you do when you've "outgrown" your online handle? Hypothetically, suppose I quit drinking coffee and no longer associate with the moniker "javafiend." I use that handle on nearly every forum I visit. Are forum admins in the habit of changing user names or do folks deal with the name or create new accounts (I hear that's frowned on)?

BTW, I really hope I put this in the right section of the forum.

[Superkoop]

Ima never outgrow my screen name. ;)

[Dr Small]

I almost forget my real name at times...

[Superkoop]

I almost forget my real name at times...

I have signed Superkoop on things before, I usually catch it, but sometimes I don't. =)

[LaRoza]

Had this thought today and figured I'd poll the most insightful people I could find, but they weren't available so I came here ;).

What do you do when you've "outgrown" your online handle? Hypothetically, suppose I quit drinking coffee and no longer associate with the moniker "javafiend." I use that handle on nearly every forum I visit. Are forum admins in the habit of changing user names or do folks deal with the name or create new accounts (I hear that's frowned on)?

BTW, I really hope I put this in the right section of the forum.

The forum admins won't change user names except in rare circumstances.

Creating new accounts isn't good, if you really want to, you can ask an admin if you can.

[atomkarinca]

I almost forget my real name at times...

+1. Most of my friends call me atomkarinca so I don't think I will ever outgrow it.

[javafiend]

I hope this wasn't taken as a request for a name change. I don't see myself quitting coffee anytime soon. However, replies are always good for future reference for others or myself.

[LaRoza]

I hope this wasn't taken as a request for a name change. I don't see myself quitting coffee anytime soon. However, replies are always good for future reference for others or myself.

The forum FAQ addresses name changing.

There are a few instances where it was allowed, but that isn't standard practice.

[amazingtaters]

you can ususally change your username. I used to watch Strongbad all the time (still do on occation) and had the handle coachz07. Unded up dropping in favour of tatersalad, which I liked because it was random, and became something I could identify with without connecting it to some aspect of my life. Then it got shortened to taters, and is at the stage now where I use amazingtaters equally with plain old tatersalad.

[cogadh]

This is kind of embarassing, but I've been using this same name since the old days when it was my AOL login (over a decade ago) and I still use it everywhere. If you go to a forum, website or even online multiplayer game and see a cogadh or cogadh_x there, its probably me (sometime it isn't, rarely). Since the word has no meaning to most people (unless you speak Gaelic), I have never seen the need to change it and probably never will.

[DrMega]

I hate my username. It's an old nickname from well over 10 years ago that I liked at the time. I don't really think about it enough for it to bother me though.

[Barrucadu]

Outgrow my username? Impossible. I've been using this one for about 7 years now and still love it.

[Foster Grant]

I wear sunglasses all the time outdoors — one of those things you learn quick when you grow up and still live under the Florida sun. (You have one set of eyes. Protect 'em. Don't screw 'em up.) So I won't outgrow this handle.

(I don't wear Foster Grant sunglasses, but it makes a good first-name/last-name combo.)

[Anduu]

Been Anduu since the beginning of my internet days.Never going to change it.

I am however getting quite annoyed at how many more anduus there are around these days.Up until a few months ago if you googled anduu it was either me or Anduu,Zambia...it was kind of cool being a one off...Oh well :p