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Topic: Addressing users...  (Read 12734 times)

Addressing users...

Americans!..

O'k, some of us people have names, others - I don't know... :left:

What is the name?
Is it something somebody else gave us? somebody else call us with? Or is it something that fits our true personality (or maybe we're just pleased to think so)?

Why's the thread? To consult you, guys -- how the heck should we address each other in our replies?
I mean what? We here are a group of intergalactic survivors who escaped from a dying planet.
On that planet we had our profiles, many of us showed their names... And you know what? Myself personally am used to feeling that addressing people by their names (not "asf3er-1275"s) is polite and a good form and better that addressing them by the local service's ID abracadabras.
But you know what? Some of us (I suppose they are Americans, obsessed and deluded by their idea of "privacy") seem to not want me (or/and maybe others as well) to remember their names - which were public on their "About" pages on MyOpera. (Myself personally, considering this site our old community's continuation, am not quite getting used to some alleged idea of certain actual alienation from each other here yet.)
Myself personally am not feeling very comfortable with the idea to call some people using their "codenames", moreover not capitalising the initial letter. It'll feel like they would be animals of inanimated objects!??? So...
What's my idea? Let us agree that such people could be asked to choose a yet another name to call them in replies, huh?
I mean an alias.:) (For example, there's somebody here whom I've chosen to call according to the animal portrayed in his avatar:D) My name is the name, although I can't bet you could find me by that in official documents or something. I chose the name to appear more personalised - especially on the Web (though in the international, English-speaking part of the Internet there are more Joshes than, say, sergeys; but I'm also using the name offline, so it's my real name), but if you're experiencing difficulties calling me "Josh", you'll be allowed to call me a cactus (or "Cactus"), for I already have such an avatar on Facebook and feel comfortable with it.:)

So - if you don't mind --- what'll be your alias?:)

Re: Addressing users...

Reply #1
I'm not really sure what the problem with calling people by their nicks is? :)

Re: Addressing users...

Reply #2
Do you remember RJ's trials to call Michael by his 'nickname' on MyOpera?:)
It was maybe funny, maybe not, but the problem is that such 'codes' sometimes don't even resemble people's names. Perhaps chemical formulas? Parts of some URLs? I've no idea. Especially when a person doesn't want me to capitalise the initial letter. It's like not a person at all, you see. If it stays only one such person, I'll reluctantly be trying not to respond them at all in the situation.
But... :).

Re: Addressing users...

Reply #3
RJ is a special case. He looks for ways to make a mess of his mother tongue, so I wouldn't use him as an example for anything regarding spelling of usernames.

Right now, I have two usernames in use. One is the one you're familiar with here, the other is mjmcmillan.

Using real names?? Facebook seems to require it, Google has been trying to force people to use their real names (with rather debatable results if the You-Tube fiasco was any indication) and I think there's a couple of other sites trying it. Even then, I don't see how it guarantees the use of real names, only the forbidding of "handles" like asj938.  I don't have to give my real name and might not if I have reason to suspect something's amiss. I'll make up something on the fly.

Look, here on a forum you're not speaking like you would face to face anyway. So, how hard can it be to copy and paste a username if you want to refer to that person?
What would happen if a large asteroid slammed into the Earth?
According to several tests involving a watermelon and a large hammer, it would be really bad!

Re: Addressing users...

Reply #4
If you have problems calling them by their true nickname, and it can be a little challenging if you are rjhowie or the name is in Arabic, Chinese or some sort, here is a trick for you: Every user's post has its name in the upper left corner. Mark it, Ctrl+C, then Ctrl+V in the text box.

There is one question of decorum. I would refer to you as Josh and mjmsprt40 as mjmsprt40. Some might prefer to capitalise mjmsprt40, in other words Mjmsprt40, since it is a custom in English that names have an initial capital letter. Even though I wouldn't capitalise mjmsprt40, I would do so if the name is in the beginning of a sentence. Some might argue that we shouldn't as nicknames should be unchanged whereever they are in the sentence.

Re: Addressing users...

Reply #5

RJ is a special case. He looks for ways to make a mess of his mother tongue, so I wouldn't use him as an example for anything regarding spelling of usernames.

Or anything else, especially after he had too much Irn Bru :right:


Using real names?? Facebook seems to require it, Google has been trying to force people to use their real names (with rather debatable results if the You-Tube fiasco was any indication) and I think there's a couple of other sites trying it. Even then, I don't see how it guarantees the use of real names, only the forbidding of "handles" like asj938.  I don't have to give my real name and might not if I have reason to suspect something's amiss. I'll make up something on the fly.

I don't understand some peoples' obsessions with real names. For all practical purposes my name here is Macallan, or a variation thereof. It's not the name that appears on my passport but how in Cthulhu's name would that even be relevant? People here are free to choose pretty much any nickname they want, and as far as I'm concerned these should be treated as their names.
Also, nothing good ever comes from revealing personal information in public places on the internet. This is such a place.

Re: Addressing users...

Reply #6
Josh's attempt to be familiar reminded me of this old sketch.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTwxiKMWCkg[/video]

Re: Addressing users...

Reply #7
Using real names?? Facebook seems to require it...
I've handled it:) Though lost something minor... :left:

Look, here on a forum you're not speaking like you would face to face anyway. So, how hard can it be to copy and paste a username if you want to refer to that person?
At least I would like to have the initial letter capitalised.

Some might prefer to capitalise mjmsprt40, in other words Mjmsprt40, since it is a custom in English that names have an initial capital letter.
Exactly!

For all practical purposes my name here is Macallan...
That'll perfectly go!..

It's not the name that appears on my passport but how in Cthulhu's name would that even be relevant?
:yes:

People here are free to choose pretty much any nickname they want, and as far as I'm concerned these should be treated as their names.
Well, what if such "names" will occur weird that way?
(C3PO at least had its name entirely capitalised;)

Re: Addressing users...

Reply #8
In the grand scheme of things, when the final curtain falls and we've all taken our last bow-- will using a non-capitalized user-name really bother you that much?

Now that I think of it, I don't think I've capitalized my user-name since the days when I did use my real name on forums. That's been so long ago that now, you can't find me in a Google search using my real name.
What would happen if a large asteroid slammed into the Earth?
According to several tests involving a watermelon and a large hammer, it would be really bad!


Re: Addressing users...

Reply #10
I chose my user-name here, I chose to put such information or lack thereof as I saw fit in my profile. If I so choose, I suppose I could use my God-given name here, but I haven't done so.

What I have written, I have written. Next....
What would happen if a large asteroid slammed into the Earth?
According to several tests involving a watermelon and a large hammer, it would be really bad!


Re: Addressing users...

Reply #12

What i have written, i have written.
???
Is "i" your another alias or what?


Nope, not an alias. Just a failure to hit the shift key when I typed that letter. You caught it just before I fixed it in the edit.
What would happen if a large asteroid slammed into the Earth?
According to several tests involving a watermelon and a large hammer, it would be really bad!


Re: Addressing users...

Reply #14
Forums are usually informal places and nicknames abound.

The name that most call me in real life (all but 5 sets of neighbours and car salesmen) is actually a nickname and one that I gave myself at the age of 7 or 8 when me and 3 mates decided we would become a "Gang" and needed nicknames. The name "string" was in fact a nickname I had when at school and thin. While not appropriate for that reason any more, it fits well enough computer jargon neatly fitting what we do here. I don't use a capital S for string because of ease of typing, and frankly it's not important.

Nicknames, in my culture, are a way of demonstrating familiarity of one type or another or maybe as a way of avoiding looking up complicated names. I use, for example,  mjm   tt.  SF (no idea why I use capitals there -  Maybe something to do with shouting)   Mac. and others. Jimbro has had lots of names, so I use that or Jaybro or Jim Lad according to whim. I have other nicknames for use under my breath in times of stress.

In other words I use them haphazardly, and no-one seems to care.

Re: Addressing users...

Reply #15
Quote
'Weird' by what metric?
We're an English forum, right?
Then it won't look like a name if all the letters in it are of the lower case.
(Besides, myself personally would like names to appear at least sensible - if not pronounceable. See, when I talk to people, I'd like them to be imaginable of sorts - i.e. their primary identifiers (here - nicknames (or names when I know them)) would better make me form a however simplistic image of the interlocutor. Many people here have already become self-identifiable for me, the others haven't - for these latter I'd prefer using at least a textual identifier which bears a sort of "brain pictogram", or a minimal personification - when it's a "name-like name".)

Re: Addressing users...

Reply #16
String, in your case we can discern your nick from a string (or the string) simply because English allows it like 'no-brainer': only countable objects require determiners, so when we see the word "string" without any determiner - we conclude it's your nick. :idea: Simples!:P

Re: Addressing users...

Reply #17
Josh, I've got some bad news for you.

What you would prefer, and what all the other people who use user-names would prefer, are two different things. You can't enforce your preference on everybody else, so give up trying.

I used to use my real, first name-middle initial-last name on forums until I came across one that wouldn't accept that because, surprise surprise, somebody else was already using that. So, I started using mjmsprt40, and so far that has worked well enough, being unique enough that no one else is likely to be using it-- not that it can't happen, but it's not as likely. If you can't handle mjmsprt40 because the first letter isn't capitalized--- well, I'm thinking I can't help you much there. Live with it.
What would happen if a large asteroid slammed into the Earth?
According to several tests involving a watermelon and a large hammer, it would be really bad!

Re: Addressing users...

Reply #18
Nicknames and user names are different things.
As string said, nicknames implies a certain degree of familiarity to address by but user names don't.
At forums, people should be treated by their user names, as obvious.
A matter of attitude.


Re: Addressing users...

Reply #20
Bel, you may be right, but here we seem to treat both terms representing one and the same concept, AFAICGI.


Re: Addressing users...

Reply #22
So utterly pedantic, & an incomplete exercise in self-deprecating buffoonery, that it's not at all funny to the one who didn't seriously start it in the first place. Look out RJ rj here me comes! 

Addressing users

Reply #23
I have 2 friends that have been sitting in "users awaiting moderation" queue since thursday. How often is this handled?
Если дела идут плохо не ходи с ними.

Re: Addressing users...

Reply #24
There is no such thing I'm afraid, so that would be never. Assuming you mean activation, that should have been explained by the e-mail that was sent to their e-mail address. For more information, see the documentation.

If a member attempts to login before completing the activation process, an error will be displayed noting that their email address must be validated. A Need another activation email? link is also displayed in case the email has somehow been lost.