"I like my nickname."

[Wyzcrak]

Very interesting personal concession from a well-known (not in WoW) WoW player, after his career-long and systems-mutual nickname was changed due to game rules.

Originally Posted by Blizzard Made Me Change My Name

I like my nickname. I wish I had it on every system I used. ... It's always the first name I try when a system asks me to create an account. I feel strangely possessive about it. I doubt I'm alone in being attached to a pseudonym. And I feel kind of stupid admitting it. ... I wonder about others..., on any online forum. I wonder about our attachment to virtual names.

I pretty much only use two names: firstnamelastname for all things professional and Wyzcrak for damn near everything else. So, I (do sometimes but) don't often experience the frustration I often witness in others: a preferred name being unavailable as a nickname.

Nevertheless, I can really relate to the anguish (for lack of a less powerful word) that this guy feels in having his identity stripped. On the NS server, I don't allow players to shroud their identity (or even attempt to) with a name change. That policy is rooted in my belief that, in social interactions, especially in a medium where changing your identity is so easy, others associating your reputation with your actions is largely (not entirely) what drives the good, the bad, and the ugly to "roll as they roll." So, as a community builder, I let people roll as they gonna roll, but they's gonna own it.

The guy acknowledges that this is a video game he's lamenting over, but identity is identity. Anyway, I thought it was an interesting read.

[Trooper]

i just read that....i find it amusing and troubling. its funny that a blizzard bans them. and troubling that blizzard. And ive only seen one person with trooper..its was on a TG server and he wanted me to change my name...NOPE!

[Pickle]

I've ner had a name issue other than on ISP's when I am trying for a new account. Hence "OCPickle" in my email. My state's personal plate is taken too though. I would be unhappy if I was told to change my name.

[Steel_Penguin]

Even more troubling is that i found out yesterday that someone has my name and is blogging about some miniatures game with it. But on the other hand i found a steel cocktail shaker shaped like a penguin. Two in fact. I even put them in my sig . Even while playing CS i have seen a rush of people with Penguin in their names and it does feel a little weird to me. I would be pretty pissed of if i had to change my name though.

[ImJustMito]

My nickname, Mito, is an old family name that I obtained from someone mis-pronouncing my irl name. I've had it as "A" name for me irl for almost 20 years now, and it has been my online name ever since I first "signed on". I had thought it was very original, and was surprised when it was taken in certain places etc, until I found out that "Mito" is the word "Myth" in spanish... imagine my frustration!

Anyways, I have always found it troublesome when it was taken in certain places, most commonly for names in forums, online communities, systems like battle.net etc where I have never been able to JUST use the name Mito (even the forums here wouldn't let me use it since it requires a minimum of 6 characters in a username).

Thankfully I have now discovered a solution by giving myself and online "Last name" and am now using that (Mito Tranin) wherever I cannot simply use "Mito".

BUT, I too, feel that guys pain...

[Sabooya]

It is kind of strange how people find a game name and then never want to change it. I have had my name for 7 years and through out, It is sort of becomes part of you. I have been trying to get a new one, but every time i do, I feel stupid, or like something is redundant, so i just go back to, Sabooya.

[Xink]

since you where 8 years old?

[SmokingTarpan]

I've had a few nicknames over the years for my online identity, but I stuck with two for the most part. "Empty Soul" was what I used when I played MechWarrior 4 online, and "Black Dog" for pretty much everything else except online RPG's (I prefer to try to fit into the game world there by having an actual name). Unfortunately, Black Dog was taken when I tried to get on BF2, so here I sit as Tarpan. I was pretty sad, since I'm very attached to Black Dog.

I understand the guy, though. An online name isn't too much different from your real name, when it comes down to it. I certainly wouldn't want someone to tell me that I had to change my real name.

As a side note, Blizzard wields the WhimStick(tm) when it comes down to name changing. I've seen blatantly racist and other foul names last for months, but hear about quite innocent names being forced to change.

[Sabooya]

Originally Posted by Xink

since you where 8 years old?

yup :P sad aint it... But i like it!

[Xink]

i cant imagine needing an online alias when your 8 years old....

[Sabooya]

i used it on the playstations and n64 for games and such. It later became my aim name and then my bf1942 name then, steam, and so on.

[verbose]

Originally Posted by SmokingTarpan

As a side note, Blizzard wields the WhimStick(tm) when it comes down to name changing. I've seen blatantly racist and other foul names last for months, but hear about quite innocent names being forced to change.

The ratio of characters (several per account!) to GMs has to be staggering. I doubt they dedicate someone to iterating over the name list looking for violations. More likely, only names that are reported as being in violation or names that GMs witness by chance are evaluated.

Name policies are not a new concept, and CmdrTaco should have familiarized himself with the policy before creating his toon. Since he admits having a friend quit Everquest over a GM name-change, he was well aware of the existance of enforced name policies. He was either ignorant of Blizzard's policy, or willingly violating it. Either way, he was in the wrong.

The bits about being attached to a nickname are mildly interesting. The rest of the post is CmdrTaco whining, venting, using poor analogies, and attacking blizzard and its employees. It's also irresponsible of him to use Slashdot as his personal soapbox; just because he can doesn't mean it's appropriate.

[CingularDuality]

Just to chime in, I'm somewhat possessive of my avatar... Occasionally, new people choose my avatar from the list when they sign up for the forums, not knowing anything about it (or me).

And I use two online names, one for gaming and one for everything else online.

[SmokingTarpan]

Originally Posted by verbose

The ratio of characters (several per account!) to GMs has to be staggering. I doubt they dedicate someone to iterating over the name list looking for violations. More likely, only names that are reported as being in violation or names that GMs witness by chance are evaluated.

Nah, I doubt there is a GM whose sole job is to run between the servers and scan everyone's names. However, I have reported some very bad names in my time, and weeks later, see those people running around with the same name. It's that observation that leads me to the belief that GM's use the WhimStick on naming policies.

[Keres]

Ever write down your gaming name in the Name lines on worksheets for school?
I have