I don't know if anyone else feels this way

[senseandsensibility]

but I don't like it when longtime DUers change their usernames. One of the things I like about DU is recognizing oldtimers like me (I've been here since 2004), even if they are members I don't have a lot of interaction with. It gives this site a sense of community and history. I don't know if I will recognize their new names. I will miss their old personas. Just my opinion. Maybe no one else feels that way.

[hlthe2b]

1. I ABSOLUTELY feel the same.

I can understand some wanting to and they have every right to do so... I just sort of wish most wouldn't.

But, I would add, I wish those who do would extend the time that their old and new name appears beyond 30 days by putting it in their sigline for, say a year?

[senseandsensibility]

2. Absolutely. It's obviously their decision,

but I wish most of them would reconsider. It seems like in years past, people would do it if they were being harassed or had some extenuating circumstances.

[Make7]

3. If they have journal entries prior to the name change, their old name is displayed.

Edit to add example:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/~Bo%20Zarts

Scroll down and you can see the old username on previous journal posts.

[hlthe2b]

5. Good to know...

[soldierant]

41. I would think it would depend on the nature of the change.

DemoTex to BoZarts - without reading his post on why, yes, that ould be very forgettable. But down a ways, one finds PatrickforO changed to PatrickforB - and How would you not recognize that?

Someone else had a name that was two words run together and changed it to the same two words with a space between. I doubt anyone will forget that.

If I changed mine, it would be to something I use almost everywhere else but which is very different from what I use here. I was tempted - but I think I won't.

[Laelth]

4. I have never changed mine in 16 years.

That said, I assume that those who do change their names do so for good reasons.



-Laelth

[JoeOtterbein]

40. +1 and...

...happy to see you seem safe!

[Laelth]

50. Yes, thank you.

Still no running water due to internal leaks, but safe and warm.

-Laelth

[IbogaProject]

6. it's a once every 4 or more years one time thing

It's a once every 4 or more years one time thing specifically for election themed usernames and for folks who have long since moved from their username location.

I learned awhile ago to avoid using a geographic mention in my usernames, as I had one that was based on my city, and I felt if I moved it wouldn't be cool to keep using it. Funny thing is I used a different form of my name in it so a few online friends were taken aback when I mentioned that I wasn't "Bob" in real life, I've always been called some form of Rob* or variations on my last name, which is a first name as well. I chose to use Bob to be aware that folks would have a different impression from brief online interactions than from real life.

Hopefully they keep the old username in the profile area, even if they drop the footer thing that mentions it for the name changers.

[senseandsensibility]

8. Yeah, keeping it in the profile area is a good idea.

Welcome to DU!

[MustLoveBeagles]

20. Welcome to DU

[ChazII]

56. Keeping their old user names in the profile

is wonderful ideal It is a good compromise to when the 30 days are up.

[cachukis]

7. Change is hard.

Wouldn't we like for some of our foes to change? Staying with change keeps you young.

[NewHendoLib]

19. and often, change is good!

[cachukis]

38. Better for those ready.

[lastlib]

9. I asked the admins if it would be possible to create a post...

...that would list old user names alongside the new user names, so we could have some kind of handy reference to folks who have made a change. Haven't seen a reply.

[Generic Brad]

10. Rabble-rousers will still rouse rabble

Friends will still be friends. Ultimately, it will still remain the same DU in tone and flavor.

[madaboutharry]

11. I understand both sets of feelings.

I’ve been here since February 2003, 18 years! I like seeing old timers’ names too.

But I can understand someone feeling that they’ve outgrown a name or feeling a name doesn’t mean anything to them any longer.

[senseandsensibility]

15. There you go making sense

and sounding reasonable. Is that allowed on DU?

[MuseRider]

12. Same here.

I will never remember some people, even people I have interacted with will throw me for a while.

[momta]

26. Just so you know Muse...

I'm now "momta" (used to be "kag&quot ; "kag" are my actual initials, but when the orange menace stole those letters for his new campaign slogan, I couldn't help but want to distance myself.

"Momta" is what my son used to call me when he was middle school and went through his Lojban (artificial language) phase. I always kind of liked it.

There are people here on DU with whom I do not want to lose touch, and whose posts I look for. You are one of them.

[MuseRider]

36. So good to know

who you were, your name story is precious and I will be able to remember that! I would like something like that too and use it as well. Thank you for bringing that up to me directly because I always loved your posts. I would have hated to lose your voice on the pages. Here is to another long bunch of years posting. I am thinking I might be able to make it 20 more years? That may be wishful thinking, I doubt these old fingers will manage that long! Anyway, here is to another decade at least . Thanks for letting me know this.

[Karadeniz]

13. Some of them made sense, but I no longer recognize some names...and a few are pretty odd!

[bdamomma]

14. I think

that idea another DU'er posted is a good idea, about putting their old name in their sig line.

[Mr.Bill]

16. I feel that way to some extent.

But on a forum this large, as well as other forums I'm on, I honestly don't have enough room in this 67 year old memory bank to remember too many people anyway. I tend to focus on the topic more often than the person, although I have cultivated what I see as a few casual friendships here, mostly through PMs. That's more like an one-on-one conversation and triggers the memory a little better than a large discussion group.

[NewHendoLib]

17. I've got mine in my sig line, so it will be there after the 30 days ends

[Demonaut]

18. my former name was "Vetwife"

anyone remember?

[soldierant]

42. There is a "Vetwife"

on Daily Kos. Would that be you by any chance?

[Demonaut]

43. no, it was a poster her many years ago that got tomb stoned, she went off the deep end

[soldierant]

61. OK, thanks.

[Ferrets are Cool]

21. K and R

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

22. One DUer made a post announcing his name change.

I found that really helpful, as I've known him under the old name for a number of years, but will be able to remember that the two are the same person.

Perhaps more name changers could do the same.

I've actually been here in more than one incarnation since late 2001, and I have memories of long-gone members. Sigh.

[smirkymonkey]

23. I'm keeping mine.

I'm just too lazy to change it at this point.

[cayugafalls]

25. Your moniker is epic...in my opinion.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

33. classic!

[smirkymonkey]

46. Heh heh!

Thanks, cayuga! Great pic!

[cayugafalls]

47. I'm currently converting it to an avatar...it just might replace my Biden Harris one.

Much love my friend...

[cayugafalls]

48. Eh....avatar came out kind of meh...

But if you want a sig pic...

[AllaN01Bear]

24. i changed my username in 2016 after the infamous hack.

we all had to change usernames and passwords . this is the current form of my username and i think it suits me fine .

[Skittles]

27. didn't bother me until.......Demotex

[BobTheSubgenius]

28. I certainly take your point, and agree to a point....but I'm ambivalent.

I have to say that, while it's obviously up to the individual, it's not my choice. I wanted to keep whatever tiny bit of recognition I might have and leave people who are even a bit familiar with me with at least a little bit of a chance to understand somewhat better what I'm saying.

[Gore1FL]

29. I'd feel bad about changing mine.

It's been the same since 2001.

[Celerity]

34. and it is factual on balance from what I have read

[Solly Mack]

30. It's a bit of a bummer to me too but then I get the old brain working to learn the new names.

That's my silver lining anyway. Recognize/Connect the new names without need of the reminder at the bottom.

[c-rational]

31. Agreed. I find myself saying it is best to accept the changes thrown our way rather than getting

upset.

[Solly Mack]

44. I understand the feeling of missing old faces, so to speak. But then the new is fun because

the name change usually reflects a change in their life or another aspect of them as a person. Or the name they wished they had picked earlier.

You learn something new about the old faces you enjoy seeing so much. Sort of a getting to know them better.

That's a plus to me.

[c-rational]

57. Your comment simply brought a smile to my face..."You learn something new about the old faces

you enjoy seeing so much." A wonderful way to view things. Enjoy your Saturday Solly Mack.

[orleans]

32. i don't like it either

i never remember the name changes--or who was who
i just know i don't see the familiar name here anymore

-orleans (who was orleans from the get-go)

[PatrickforB]

35. Well, Sense and Sensibility is timeless. My old user name was PatrickforO, which

stood for Patrick for Obama because the whole Obama thing was amazing. I posted often on Huffington Post from 2008 on, and that was my user name there, too. Then Huffpo got these horrible 'bots that would stop your post from showing up in the thread for a long time, thus taking all the fun out of it. Then they quit allowing comments all together.

In the meantime, I found Democratic Underground, and joined in April 2014. Since my user id had been PatrickforO, I just left it that way.

And then Trump won in '16 over Clinton, which was a nightmare, and we have had the four years of hellish darkness culminating in a pandemic that has killed half a million of us.

Now that Biden is president, I am gratified to see he has done a stunning job so far. If Congress can find the courage to get rid of the filibuster, Biden may very well turn into a downright transformational president. He has wildly exceed expectations so far, that is for sure. I like the guy more every day.

So, when the time came, I switched to PatrickforB - still similar, but not quite so dated. Sure, Obama is timeless, but Biden seems to be the president for the time, if you take my meaning.

So there you have it. Not too different, hopefully not too much for sense and sensibility

[Duppers]

37. Yes, same here.

👍

[JoeOtterbein]

39. I was thinking about changing my name to...

...Joe Otterbein.

Then, I thought to myself; why?

[dflprincess]

45. I was thinking of changing mine

The older I get the "cuter" it seems. Actually, it was probably always a little too cute, but I let my teenage niece help me pick a name at the time. I decided, it's been DFLprincess for nearly 20 years, that's how people know me, so I decided to leave it.
(And the niece is nearly 35 now)

[flotsam]

49. I'd like to pose a question...

I came here after the 2004 debacle and posted under the name "catnhatnh" for 12 years but got burned down in the Bernie Wars...so I learned my lesson and licked my wounds and reinvented myself as flotsam. I was considering trying to revert to the name I started with here or something close-what would you do?

[LearnedHand]

62. I like "flotsam," if it helps

I always chuckle when I see your username. I remember your old username but only when you mentioned it.

[Paladin]

51. I don't see the point of changing names. Needless confusion. (nt)

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

52. Some user names can become less impactful over time, ...

... such as user names like I_Hate_GWB or Trump_Sux or Fck_Nixon or Im_Voting_Obama.

Names time to formerly-current events are good candidates for change.

Some, like "senseandsensibility", are timeless classics.

[Hortensis]

54. Exactly. Or sometimes over time they are no longer reflective

of the real person, maybe even kinda cringingly so. This amnesty is an alternative to leaving DU or creating a second membership to get rid of them. And of course to continued suffering.

[senseandsensibility]

58. Thanks.

I admit it seems a little "highbrow" to me occasionally. I chose it because I really need to be reminded of the both the sense and the sensibility of life on a daily basis. And this applies to politics, too.

[panader0]

53. To me it's like when you go back to your supermarket one day and find that

everything has been moved to a new aisle. You wander around a bit, but eventually figure
out where everything is. If I didn't keep my username the same, I might forget who I am.
P.S.--always park your car in the same area when you go to the market so you don't have to
walk around looking for it when you come out.

[senseandsensibility]

59. Hey, did you follow me and the hubby to the market

and steal our idea?

[panader0]

60. I don't want to be one of those old men wandering the parking lot,

pushing a shopping cart, looking for my vehicle. It's very embarrassing.

[Hortensis]

55. Maybe choose to see it as DU's rejection of totalitarian power. :)

This is a balancing act between maintaining the real utility of registered names and forcing members to keep names they don't like for years. And I like them for it. It's us.

[brooklynite]

63. If I changed my name, I suspect you'd figure out how who I was..

[Stuart G]

64. I can't change my name...I am, who I am, who I am....

[nolabear]

65. Who are you again?