please use first name, a space, and last name

Emile Spore wrote:
Far too paranoid to use my real name. It's not rational, if "they" wanted to get me, there is probably little I could do and not using my name on the internet wouldn't help much. But I have a long many years ahead of me and it can't hurt to use caution.

Though, this is almost exactly my name and if you said it instead of wrote it, I would know exactly that you were talking to me.

asmileisthenewak47 no more!

Darn, I was thinking that Spore was the coolest last name ever.

Ok Paul ,changed to my name ,and now  how do i post a pics at the bottom of my posts?..Thanks

Hans,

I see just a first name - is that what you were shooting for?

You can attach pics by clicking on the "additional options" when you are typing your stuff in for a message.

Okay Paul,  gave up my anonymity.  Hope in some small way this makes for a better site.

Only found this thread the other day.  Should be a banner somewhere for the newbies.


Al

oddly seeing the forum dominated by "real" names worked, because that seemed to be the norm here I decided to follow form
this forum is probably the first time in my time online that my name became googleable

OK, but now I have to make sure not to ask really stupid questions because I'll google my name and see it and feel self conscious.

Haha! Travis, now you will have to think before hitting send.  It keeps all of us honest.

I actually like it more this way than the pseudonyms used on other forums.  Losing the anonymity makes everyone real, and the interactions more enjoyable.


Al

Not only do I sometimes ask stupid questions, but I give stupid answers.  I guess I just got used to being stupid! 

Seeing a lot of pseudonyms, so I thought I would bump this thead.

Good point, even though, as I posted in another topic, I like the fantasy image.  So here it is.  And yes, that really is my legal last name. 
Just want to say I really value this forum.

I'm planning on changing my legal name to include my screen name as middle names when I get married... does that count?

Bump.

It really is much nicer answering a post with a name attached.  And it does add a certain erudition to the site.

Paul, can you make this thread a sticky?
'Outing' myself online feels a bit dodgy, but they're hardly gonna come and get me for discussing chooks and comfrey!

I can make it sticky, but I don't like the sticky stuff. 

This thread gets bumped regularly - so I think it is actually better than sticky as is.

The new software will require a first name and a last name.  And that is the display name. 

I need to figure out how to convert the current accounts to the new accounts. 

I'm tempted to set it up so that everybody with only one name gets that set as their first name, and they get a default lastname like "fixme".

CodeRanch started off small, and I encouraged the use of real names just like I do here.  At some point we switched to requiring the use of real names (or names that looked real) and about 2% of the users became crazy pissed and left.  The site then started to grow crazy fast.  CodeRanch now gets 2.1 million visits per month.  And we still get people that say they would rather leave than use their real name - so they leave. 

It appears to me and many of the people that stuck with CodeRanch that this policy has made for a stronger, healthier, more vibrant community. 

And as I spend day deleting spam and trying to resolve conflicts here at permies.com ... problems that are almost non-existant on the 20 times larger CodeRanch, I think it is getting close to the time to make this policy shift here too. 

It is amazing how this one, simple policy dramatically improves quality of communication.

Paul, We use this same approach on our cancer support group forum.  It has worked well for over 3 years.  Might be a little easier when discussing diseases to use real names, but we've never had anyone complain.

When your name is on your post, it is like putting your signature on your work for everyone to see.  I believe too that it does make for better and more thoughtful communication.

The transition to the new forum software is underway!

And, everybody who does not have a first name, a space, and a last name, will have their current name as their first name and their last name will be "X"

So a user named "foamy" will appear in the new forum software as "foamy X"

i rather think this is a dumb idea and that coming from a guy who uses his real name (though jumbled up a bit).

i'll probably just keep the x as a last name like malcolm.

What is the new forum software?  SMF seems nice - if this site's copy is a bit dated.

I changed my display name here, but I prefer to always use my middle name if/when I use my first name, so I hope that this will be allowed on the new forum.

The new software is a heavily modified copy of JForum - the same thing that my other site, JavaRanch, uses.

Here is the naming policy out at JavaRanch:  http://www.javaranch.com/name.jsp

The problem with having  a first and last name is a problem indeed, especially on the internet. With the last name, and general location, a determined searcher could find my exact location, and probably all of my info and in some cases my SS#! Scary.

I use my first and last name on dozens of sites, along with my general location and I have never had this problem.

We will slowly transition to real names being required on permies.com

We're getting big enough.

For those that are not comfortable with using their actual real name, it is okay to use a name that sounds like a real name. 

In 2000, JavaRanch started to transition to real names.  In feb of 2002 we switched over to a hard rule.  About 0.5% of the people left in protest - and then the site quickly grew to be the biggest, by far, of its type.  And, I think, the quality of the conversation went up too.

I expect that there will be people here that will leave in protest.  I'm okay with that. 

And there will be people that will scream and kick and protest and make it into a huge deal.  Depending on how they go about it, I might just ban a few of those to make the transition easier for everybody else.  I think it is fair for somebody to say "I'll comply, but I just want to go on record as saying I don't like it." but for those that will have a month long hysterical hissy fit where the message is that they will never change - well, I think if I ban them in the first couple of days, then I just saved the rest of us several weeks of hysteria.

With the JavaRanch transition, my impression was that 50% really liked it, 49% didn't care, 0.5% complied, but didn't like it, and 0.5% left.

For now, I would just like to ask those that have not made the change yet, to help me a little by making the change now.

This is my online user name for everything, for my crafting, for my photohosting site, for most forums I participate in (unless it is too long, then I shorten it to craftymonkey), email, my business, everything. In essence, it is who I am. And it's easier to pronounce than my "real" name too. I hardly ever hand that out, only family and old friends use it. Even in real life I will often go by my last name, it's Joy in case y'all really need something else to call me.

Joy,

Now that you've shared that, I feel ten times closer to you.

If you share your name on the forums, I will find a way to make sure that "craftylittlemonkey" appears under your name.  And/Or, perhaps, in your signature. 

<3    <3

I'd be happy to go by Tee Joy on this forum but that would make it hard for people who know me as craftylittlemonkey to find and identify me here... I do cross post a lot from other accounts where I go by that moniker. Whatever you think Paul. (T is the first initial in my mis-pronounceable name )

If you tinker with your profile stuff:  https://permies.com/bb/index.php?action=profile

You can see "name".  Perhaps set that to "T Joy"?

I already tinkered with your account a little just now to add craftylittlemonkey under your name.

Tee Joy, you can set the displayed name under your profile. Look for the "Account Related Settings" in the left hand sidebar.

You should be able to put something like  "Tee Joy aka craftylittlemonkey"

or leave it like Paul has done.  The aka stuff may cause a concern with the new software

I'm trying to do this but I might have forgotten my password and now can't see how to get it back. Do I need to sign out and try to sign back in then ask for it to be sent to me? Gah, I am such a techno-idiot. Is there a forum on here to ask for tech help for issues like this?

With respect, I have had very real problems with hackers, I prefer for the safety of my family and friends not to do such a thing.

I have watched a hacker most literally text someone with a message, "I told you not to post anymore." With that her computer across the room shut off, then her router shut off, then the cable modem shut off, then her cell phone shut off.

2 days later the hacker called the womans school and pretended to be her ex-husband calling to have the kids ready 2 hours before school ends for him to pick up, luckily the person never did.

I understand what you wish to foster, but I am protecting myself anonymity.

Pakanohida wrote:
With respect, I have had very real problems with hackers, I prefer for the safety of my family and friends not to do such a thing.

How do you feel about using a pseudonym that sounds like a real name?

Perhaps "Jane Pakanohida"?

Don Miller wrote:
Tee Joy, you can set the displayed name under your profile. Look for the "Account Related Settings" in the left hand sidebar.

You should be able to put something like  "Tee Joy aka craftylittlemonkey"

or leave it like Paul has done.  The aka stuff may cause a concern with the new software

I would much prefer "T Joy" or "T. Joy" over "Tee Joy".  And I would prefer that the name not say "aka ______".  Although the thing I changed could be changed from "craftylittlemonkey" to "aka craftylittlemonkey" - that would be peachy.

craftylittlemonkey wrote:
I'm trying to do this but I might have forgotten my password and now can't see how to get it back. Do I need to sign out and try to sign back in then ask for it to be sent to me? Gah, I am such a techno-idiot. Is there a forum on here to ask for tech help for issues like this?

You are in the forum to ask about that. 

There should be a button somewhere for when you forget your password.  So that is really easy to fix.

paul wheaton wrote:
How do you feel about using a pseudonym that sounds like a real name?

Perhaps "Jane Pakanohida"?

Funny pun there Paul, finally I am seeing your humorous side.    I'll use the pseodonym from my blog as my first name. 

Well, I have used the name Tee Jay online as well when asked specifically for my real name and not wanting to give it but T Joy is fine.
I've a friend who had an online stalker that consitantly found her (found her actual physical location in more than one city in more than one country) online for years. I do feel a certain amount of hestitation in using my actual name online, it's not something I ever do. I don't think it's a very smart thing to do, most online security advice says not too. Anyhow, I appreciate having an alternative here so thanks .

i will probably switch to a fake name.  my name has been passed down to me.  hence the "t" initial.

I just found this thread, and changed my User Name.  Sort of funny though, as I am now more anonymous than I was before.  A lot of people knew my handle, but not my name.
I do agree though that people generally behave better and act more mature when they don't have a mask to hide behind.  This site has a good membership, but I have seen sites where people get down-right vicious with each other...that probably would not be the case if they actually put their names on their posts/replies.

paul wheaton wrote:
I think that if somebody came to this site and saw that it was dominated by "firsname lastname" it would seem like a group of professionals that mean business.   We're interested in science, engineering and economics.  We are about getting things done.

I changed my name.
I think its a great idea. 

If "they" find me on permies.com, they are not as scary as all the other people looking for me.  Are they?