As an advocate of KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid), I avoid what I consider needless complication. Whether I'm here, or Facebook, or some other forum, I'm me. I could be Dusty Runabout here, and Mohammed Garcia on Facebook, and Agonistes Flimsydribble someplace else. But why? Some folks who use various names are easily recognizable from their writing style and other clues in their posts. I know that Whistling Sausage and Sylvia Whine and Thugbert Woozle are the same person. Why bother?

EGO

I agree with you Steve. By the way, the HCCA has a 1&2 cylinder tour called the KISS tour and it is very simple and fun.

However I find it convenient that I can tell where I know someone from by what they call me. If it is "Richey" it's an older relative. If it's "Itchy" it's an old biker friend. "Bob" means they mistake me for my older Brother. If it is "Dick" it is someone making an assumption.
I also can tell something from being referred to as Henry's son or Oliver's Dad.

Not that it matters.

Rich, I dont care what they call me! Just dont call me late for supper!

I do use a pseudonym from time to time.

If I'm in the neighboring town at lunch time I often stop in at the Arby's. In that eatery, the cashier takes your name when the order is placed. Then, when your lunch is up, a nice young lady brings your tray out and calls your name. When you acknowledge your name, she places the tray on your table. Very nice.

The problem is that the nice young ladies are Hispanics. And apparently "Dick" has some other meaning in Spanish. So the young ladies whisper my name, hoping that nobody hears them say the word. Sure enough, I don't hear them.

So I took to telling the cashier that my name is "Ricardo". Now the young ladies sing out my name loud and clear.

The owner of the establishment is an Hispanic guy of 70 or so. He understands exactly. Whenever he's behind the counter he gives a big smile and announces to his crew, "Ricky Ricardo is here !"

Dick (Ricardo)

I just wish everyone would ADD their Location to their Name... Whatever name they choose.

One of my first internet usernames was Model A Hal on the AACA forum. So, why would I want to be a Model A guy on the Model T forum? Or on the cast bullet forum? Or on the skirmishing forum? Some forums specifically say to NOT use your real name. Others, like this one, you get talked about if you DON'T use your real name (AND post your location....).

I rest my case. (Gene posted while I was still typing).

Dallas, or more importantly for Ice Cream or Pie!!!

On some forums I am known as "Traindavid" but that's because at the time they wouldn't let you use your real name--by now most folks know it's me anyways!

Witness Protection Program......need I say more?

Sort of wondering what ever happened to Hugh Gass ??

I've been called lots of things.

Might be because of an old photo in the Post Office?

Just added my area.

Change your name? How silly!

I am far too proud of my family name to do such a thing!

Jerry, I did not know you could do what you just did?

Jerry is like the rest of us and he can't spell it either!! With a grin from Wheeler,Bud.

Good one Bud!

Well,

You could call me by my loving name the ex-wife had for me:

@sshole

There were colorful adjectives added but I have left them out

FJ

Twenty or so years ago, it was recommended to use pseudonyms for personal security reasons (mostly paranoia). Now, so much can be found about anyone that the minor risk of using a real name is considered inconsequential.
Years ago, my wife and my son insisted I use pseudonyms on all sites. So I did. I still use it on the HCCA site, simply because I don't post there often, and never got around to changing it. Every time I do post, I think that I do need to change it. I used a pseudonym on another history oriented site for awhile, but it seems to have crashed and burned. So maybe that was a good thing after all.
Here, I changed to my real name along time ago. This is my life. This is my home away from home. Why would I not want to be known by my real name? I can't even remember what pen name I used?

Because, in this day and age, in my opinion, not everyone needs to know about you and your personal life.

Honest to God if you cant figure out I'm referring to the capital of New York in my name, then you deserve not to know. But again, my opinion.

There are several other reasons why people do it, they get in trouble and don't want others to know who they are on other forums etc. Or they like trolling forums and creating trouble under assumed names. Other like catchy names, and sometimes they stick like a nickname.

To each their own, but to me, I am just happy if people use the same name ( real or otherwise) across all the forums.

I agree with Steve. The only time that I use a fake name is when the site won't allow me to use my own. If you run across "Corvetteranarian," that's me.

What is Facebook?

A picture album.

I use a different name on another forum since I was afraid IF they knew me, they wouldn't let me in. True.
You folks know how I can babble on... Am not serious enough... Don't realize I'm not an expert, which I realize...

You are correct tho Steve. It sure can be easy to recognize writers just by their style.

I am darned sure there are others who do not want to be ridiculed about their style of writing/commenting. In good faith.
So they change their name and hope not to be pointed out again.
I am once again posting back and forth with one such person elsewhere. Feels good. Pretty cool person.

How about Ben Dover from Dover NH?
He lived on Outhouse Road and was married to Lotta Tears.
She was a big woman until after she lost weight she became a Tear Drop.


This is true,
I knew a girl whose last was Butter.
She was small so we called her peanut - Peanut Butter.
She married a guy whose last name was Sandwich so she became Peanut Butter Sandwich.
When she gained weight we called her Chunky Peanut Butter Sandwich.
She is no longer a friend.
I wonder why!


Also true,
We have good friends whose last name is Bacon.
I need to stop now.

I'm enjoying reading this thread and Steve makes a good point
I've been a DICK all of my life and in my younger days when my uncle Dick was still with us I was little Dick. However whenever I make a reservation or have to give a name for a take out pickup I use my formal name Richard for the same reasons Dick Fischer has stated. When I was much younger my name did not have the same connotation and I've often wondered when and how my name adopted the connotation that was formerly know at Peter. (LOL)

It' s good thing your parents weren't Chinese. You may have grown up with the name Hung Fat Dong.

One thing about going by "Dick" . . . you know for sure who your friends are.

I am in the Eagle group. I was Richard through high school and into college because my dad was also Richard and was called Dick. When I went into the Air Force after college, I became Dick. It always amazed me after I married and we moved here that Anja could seamlessly switch to the name she referred to me as depending on whom she was speaking to.

As far as online names... In the CompuServe days (pre-internet), I was a sysop on the Masonry Forum. We had a rule that pseudonyms were not allowed and everyone had to use his real name. Then we had a French Mason whose job and livelihood could have been in jeopardy if it had become known that he was a Mason. We made an exception for him, but he had to come up with a believable name that didn't look like a "handle." I don't remember what it was, but it worked for everyone.

Oh my, I can't use all the names been given to me over the years.
Being I had emergency surgery during the 8th grade in school to correct a painful "torsion" I was given a silly name. Some had been studying greek mythology and folks started calling me Scrotus.There was a tv show or movie that came out that had a character named SPAZ . I can't remember if that 1 was before or after Scrotus.
Well moving along to grown and working, Vern became my nickname.Something about a Earnst T movie?
Then the movie Forest gump came out, it was changed to Forest. So far as I know there have been no recent changes to my nicknames.

My first cb handle was Dr.Electron back in 1984 and then I changed it to Hot Rod Lincoln and what little I am on the cb I would still use that handle if I spoke spanish!
Like Freighter Jim, I shared his nick name thru most of my life depending on who was calling and their mood.
But I am tdump on several forums other than here.
. Some may know me as Uglyblue66 to.

Mack C,
Sounds like you have had a tough time much of your life. If it helps any, let me tell you that the man in my family I most admired, and tend to be like , was my grandfather. His first name was Mack. I am pleased that you use Mack here.

Mack, depending on your age, that show could have been 'Saved by the Bell'

I know, more useless trivia.

My real name of course is Vernon and Vieux Carre is a real neighborhood where I lived in New Orleans. It is a French phrase meaning "Old Square" or downtown, however, most people now refer to it as The French Quarter, where Bourbon Street is located. I have no other accounts here at MTFCA.

I have had so many different nick names bestowed on me growing up and even in early adulthood that I find it natural to use separate screen names for the occasion. Online security is also an issue, especially here where all my thoughts are recorded publicly for the world to read. The one thing I try to hide is my true age because date of birth is used as a security credential.
Vern

As far as posting locations along with names......Guess I don't get out much, but for all I knew, Vieux Carre was a Mediterranean island and Huntington Beach could be in FL. I remember when I was in the Army, you ask someone where they were from and they would give you a city name assuming you knew the state. Hey, takes all kinds I reckon. I'm not one to get hung up about this pseudo-mandatory rule of listing your location. I don't live in a city, and the one I live closest to, no one would recognize. The next biggest one, only a few would recognize, and only because they like our onions. So I narrow it down to one quadrant of the state. That ought to be good enough for most. Suppose I could just say "Savannah" and let people guess the state. Might be TN for all anyone would know. But then again, while I'm sitting in Savannah as I write this, I don't live here.

Hal makes a good point. I never realized there is also a Dearborn in Missouri. I made the necessary correction.

I once knew a guy (RIP) who's given name was Harry Richard Smith. He went by Dick Smith and claimed he had no middle name. I understand why. The only reason I know his full name was I saw it in the family bible one time.

When I give a name for restaurant seating I tell 'em Gus because if I say Bob about four guys will stand up when that name is called. Oddly enough, a couple of airheads have asked me how to spell Gus.

Scott, I just checked your profile. First time I realized palmettos grew in Wyoming.

It is unfortunate that in todays tech savey society, we have to resort to not providing all the information that can be obtained by the web.

At our Boy Scout Troop, we could not include last names in photos of the boys in stories or photos that were published on Facebook, newsletters, church bulletins, etc. For fear that someone would be able to track a youth down.

Our military vehicle club no longer publishes which vehicles a club members owns as someone had a break in at their garage and the police suggested that anyone could find out who owned nice stuff and do bad things.

But the OP's point was all the names are made up anyway, then I cannot see a reason to change.

We did have a member of another forum that got pissed off with the way he was treated and "left" only to come back under another ID that was tongue in cheek. His new ID was Ben Dover.

It didn't take long to know who he really was. A zebra cannot change it's stripes.

I use my name because I could never remember a bunch of different nicknames. If Corey Walker is taken then I might add 78 (when I was born) or 903 (area code) to the end so I can remember. i use the same password for everything too.

There numerous signs that point to Long Dong Ave in Shanghai.
I don't qualify to travel on it!

Vern - I thought you were telling us that you are an old square person!

Tom, I like.

I go a step further in a restaurant. My real name is Harold. So was my Dad's. Neither of us EVER went by "Harold". My Mom never called me "Harold", even when I was in deep trouble. Well, I reckon it's my accent or something because seems like half the time I go to a restaurant and they ask my name and I say "Hal", they put me down as "Harold". Either that or they just take it off my card which says "Harold". The other half the time, they just misspell it. "Hall" "Howell" "Hale". Then the person calling names doesn't call MY name and I don't realize they are calling out MY order. I'm sure some marketing genius told them that they should do that as it is more "Personable". How personable is it to mispronounce someone's name? If we are together and they ask, my wife (Knowing the name thing pisses me off) will give them hers. If I'm alone, I tell them my name is "Number 27".

I am paranoid! do not have a facebook/twitter/snapchat/bigbrotheriswatching account and I like it like that. vev vev vev = www = 666.It dosen't matter what you call yourself the computer has it's own name and it is called a mac address and that is how "They" will find you! Now let me go and curl up in this corner.

Hal, when I get asked for my name at, for example, a fast food restaurant, I tell them it's "Sir." If they look puzzled, I tell them that all they have to do is say, "Sir, your order is ready," and I will pick it up.

If "they" are beaming thoughts into your (or your cat's) heads, you have to take action!

Fred, I resemble that Old Square remark, at least when I get a little older ;-) I will say this: I posted photos of a 1930 Model A and the old man next to it was my very first memory.

G.R., I stay away from those places too. A decade ago, someone posted a video of me on their page and shortly after my X located me, stating that was how she found me. She left me 30 years ago but we made amends so i guess it turned out OK.

Considering how badly life has treated me, and how broke I am? Anyone wants to steal my identity can have it!
(Only slightly tongue in cheek!)

In my working days as a UPS delivery driver there was a great very popular and busy sandwich deli on my route so rather than spend half my lunch break standing in line since I knew the owner and all the employees I would step inside the door and just give one of them the thumbs up and being a creature of habit they all knew my order and would yell it out so that I did not have to wait in the line and I would be able to make a few deliveries and come back to pick up my order. They decided to name the sandwich after me and when I stuck my head in the door and was recognized one of them would yell out " we need a Dick sandwich" Lots of giggles and strange facial expressions from those in line.
We eventually changed the name to a road kill sandwich for obvious reasons.

I met a fellow from Oklahoma about ten years ago who was Osage (member of the Osage Nation Congress now). He told me that when they would go to a restaurant with other Indian friends and had to wait, they'd give their name to the hostess as Warr. When she called the "Warr party," the Indians would stand up and go to their table.