Nickname change request

Michael Nelson9 said:I don't want to start a whole new thread, but is there any way I could get two more dots in front of my name so it looks like ..Michael Nelson9..?

In theory, sure—since it's just an aesthetic change and you're clearly the same person. Just shoot a message to Cats or AxMiju-24 and ask if they can swap it for you. They shouldn't have an issue with it. 😬

I was thinking about it, but I wasn't 100% sure... I'll ask tomorrow. Don't have the time right now. Later.

I’m neither exceptional nor special, despite what some people might assume, and frankly, I couldn't care less about that line of thinking.

The part that really baffles me, though, is why anyone finds this confusing in the first place.

If it isn't possible, then it simply isn't possible, and I have politely requested—and continue to request—that my wishes be respected. I never once asked to be given preferential treatment just because of my reputation. In fact, quite the opposite. I’ve been a member of this forum since its very inception, yet I chose not to register an account simply because I felt no immediate need to. I could have claimed any handle I wanted, but instead, we always seem to have these "lurkers" who just consume everything without ever actually contributing...

And yes, at the end of the day, a username matters far less than the quality of one's posts, but I wanted a specific identity so my old crew from other boards would recognize me, which might have even encouraged a few new members to sign up...

If this can't be resolved, there's no point in continuing this debate. You might as well just lock the thread...

Sophia Castillo35 said:No way.

why the hell not?????😕 😕 😕 😕 😕

That’s just how this forum works. They only permit "aesthetic" changes.

Well, that’s a shame then. I truly believed it was going to happen, but I suppose things change... so what now?

Furthermore, I don't see why people would complain or get confused about mixing up usernames when someone like Jonathan Morris40 isn't even active on the forum to begin with, and besides, I imagine users wouldn't mind seeing their post counts, avatars, and other profile details updated properly, so I don't foresee much of an issue here. Ultimately, the decision rests with you all, and I will respect whatever you decide...🙂

Sophia Castillo35 said:Technically, they might allow it since an aesthetic nickname change implies it's still the same user. Just shoot a message to Cats or AxMiju-24 and see if they're down to swap it out. I doubt they'll say no. 😬

I don't really follow this whole "aesthetic change" logic...

More importantly, you guys aren't looking to change Joshua Davis18 to something like "Trashbag" (🤔 just a random example) because of database updates or because everyone would start asking for changes, right?

Joshua Davis18 said:I honestly don't follow the logic behind these aesthetic adjustments...

The point is, you aren't trying to turn Joshua Davis18 into some lowlife (🤔 which is a pointless distinction) just because of database updates or because everyone would suddenly demand a change, right?

Previously, I might have argued this was a different issue altogether. People would actually grasp the distinction, but then we'd run into the problem of everyone wanting to swap nicknames at once. I remember seeing one online forum handle this perfectly; they set aside a specific window for changes, and required users to list their old handles in their signatures so people could adjust. It worked seamlessly.

As for myself, my request comes from the fact that quite a few people here recognize me, so... perhaps it doesn't matter much to the collective, but for me, it matters because I know there are plenty of regulars who would identify me instantly if things were different, even if they haven't reached out yet... 🙂

How exactly do you think they’d grasp the difference? You think I’m just staring at your signature? If you were so happy on that other forum, stay there instead of coming here trying to push some revolutionary agenda...

An "aesthetic" change means you could—and honestly, probably should—fix things like "this_is_my_username" to "this is my username." It’s about letting Ančica888 become Ančica if they want, or letting someone change puska to Puska. For example.

Besides, arguing about it is pointless; the rule is what it is. I'm not exactly thrilled about it either, but what can you do?

Jonathan Morris40 said:Wait, how can VB be case-insensitive like that?

Have you tried just typing in GoGs. 😎
It’s probably closer to the handle you actually want than GoGs777 😛
(not sure if the system will even let you, just wondering 😬)

Anonymous said:Well, have you actually tried typing out Jonathan Morris40? 😎
It’s probably closer to that handle you’re chasing than GoGs777 would be... 😛
(I’m not entirely sure if the system will even allow it, I'm just wondering 😬)

I already tried, but no luck... the system just spits back an error saying the username is already taken.

At any rate, nobody really pays attention to signatures, yet they linger in everyone's subconscious regardless... I've seen it happen firsthand on this forum when people switch things up.

Think about how many people share identical first and last names, only to be distinguished by their birth year, a Social Security number, or even just their physical appearance—though we all know the avatar is what truly matters most.

Anyway, it’s a dead end, a total non-starter.

Go to and you'll find an option for custom user Title where you can just type in whatever you want your identity to be.
It doesn't get any better than that.