posted
When I first got here, I didn't really think too hard about picking a user name. I just figured something mildly amusing connecting myself to OSC's work would be good. My favorite OSC series is the Alvin Maker series, and Verily Cooper is possibly my favorite character from the series. (My character in Animal Crossing I had already named Verily.) So, I just took his name and tacked "the Younger" on it to call to mind the likes of Pitt the Younger and Pliny the Younger. To sort of give the impression that I was a "descendant" of the original Verily.
But over the months, it gradually dawned on me that OSC-related names are not that common here. No, mine's not the only one. There are names referencing Calvin, Ender, a few others. But most Hatrackers have names that have nothing to do with OSC, or at least, nothing that I know of. Hobbes. Dagonee. ClaudiaTherese. quidscribis. Telperion the Silver. Papa Moose . . . well, "Papa Moose" wasn't an OSC reference at the time.
So I'm starting to think I look like too much of a fanboy using an OSC character for my name. Like there's nothing in my life outside OSC that interests me. Like my identity itself comes from his works. And that's not just untrue, but also kind of creepy when I really stop to consider it.
I'm thinking of abandoning this account and coming up with a new name. But before I make a final decision, I was kind of curious what everyone else's thoughts are. Any input I receive may or may not affect the outcome, but if anyone bothers to give me any, I'd appreciate it.
Posts: 1814 | Registered: Jul 2004
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quote: Once upon a time there was a man named Verily the Younger. He rode eighteen unicycles at once during a one-of-a-kind act in a circus. He lived happily until the tiger ate him. The end.
Now you're in a work of fiction .
Posts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
Forgive me, I'm going to get autobiographical before I answer.
Let me see, it all began back when *wavey flashback effect* I was 15 and my nickname at the time (vile, I had very high self-esteem) was being highly overused and I had some other problems with the nickname that have since cleared due to the statute of limitations. I had to choose a new one, and it had to be unique. It also had to be something which I could vary easily without really changing so I wouldn't run into the problem of it "being taken" whenever I tried to get a new account somewhere. I was also an internet junky so it effectively would serve as my identity. I think of my real name as a kind of Clark Kent aspect now.
Even my girlfriend calls me "sig." That disturbs me sometimes.
So my decision to adopt this nick was as such: 1. I fancied myself a hacker at the time, so it had to relate to computers, and specifically UNIX. 2. I had anger and self-esteem issues, recognized them, and wanted to be somewhat obvious about them. On the internet no one can see your face or hear your tone. I suppose I could change my nickname now because I feel much less Shiva and a bit more Vishnu these days. 3. So thus, my nickname would be "Signal Nine," which is the process signal in UNIX that is sent to tell a process to immediately self-terminate. 4. IRC only allowed for 9-character nicks, thus it must be shortened. I adopted "signine." On some other online services other people actually have that nick for some reason so I'm forced to use sig9, sig3x3, sig009, sig0x09, sig3^2, you get the idea. 5. I was also informed later on that Sig-Sauer makes a fine 9mm. Death on two counts I suppose. 6. I've used this nick for so long more of my friends know me as sig than know me as Ryan.
On the other hand, you picked a name to sign up for a forum site built for the fans of an author you adore, and chose a name from said author's works.
So yeah, it's totally cool, quite clever, and not at all too fanboyish. You put thought into it and now it identifies you. Plus it wasn't omghotgurl17f or something like that.
Posts: 68 | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
I'm just glad to know somebody liked Verily Cooper enough to remember him when not actually reading the book.
What's fanboyish about it? For all we know, it's ironic or even satirical in intent.
Besides, what's wrong with being a fanboy? Or a fangirl, for that matter? Or is it just being a fan of MY work <he said, suddenly becoming paranoid as he realizes that he missed his medication during the long flight from New Zealand because there wasn't actually a new "day" for nearly two days ...)
Posts: 2005 | Registered: Jul 1999
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Anyways, Verily, you have disgraced Mother Russia with your freakishly fanboyish handle. Now you must face the knout.
Posts: 1735 | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
Ooh, those are nasty. But if you do what Nurse Ratched tells you, they'll only tickle your stomach.
Posts: 3546 | Registered: Jul 2002
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posted
I ended up dropping my old name for the same reasons. I'll miss that lower user number, however pointless it may be.
Posts: 7 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
What about using a nick that references one author's series on another author's Web site? (plans to stay far, far away from the shed) Posts: 2034 | Registered: Apr 2004
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posted
Any man who is obsessed with a particular geekitude. And possibly lives in his parents' garage. And names his pimples.
Posts: 1735 | Registered: Oct 2004
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quote:Besides, even if you change your SN, you know we'll still all call you Verily.
True. I know "Sara" and "CT" are pretty much interchangeable now.
quote:I would like to confess that I thought you were female, though.
Hm. Guess I need to find a way to make my posts more macho. Maybe I'll start ending them all by saying, "Then I slapped her rump and drank another beer!"
quote:Besides, what's wrong with being a fanboy? Or a fangirl, for that matter? Or is it just being a fan of MY work
Not inherently of your work, but on your own message board on your website, taking a name from your books when very few other people are, I wondered if anyone ever saw my name and thought, "Geez, is he that obsessed? We know you like OSC because you're here, now come up with your own name!"
quote:Anyways, Verily, you have disgraced Mother Russia with your freakishly fanboyish handle.
Mother Russia? I'm afraid I don't immediately grasp the connection.
quote:I ended up dropping my old name for the same reasons. I'll miss that lower user number, however pointless it may be.
So I'm definitely not the only one that's thought of this. Forgive me if I should already know this, but what was your old name?
---
Then I slapped her rump and drank another beer!
Posts: 1814 | Registered: Jul 2004
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posted
I never posted too often, but I used the name Heffaji. And don't ask me how to pronounce it, because I've never been sure.
Posts: 7 | Registered: Sep 2004
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posted
I don't think it's too fanboish. Naming yourself EnderWiggin5 because EnderWiggin, EnderWiggin2, EnderWiggin3, and EnderWiggin4 were taken would be too fanboish.
But I'm opposed to name changes in general from my experiences in Dark Age of Camelot. Keeping track of all my friend's alts became challenging after a while. But then again you presumeably wouldn't be jumping back and forth between identities.
Posts: 61 | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
Is there something wrong with being fangirly? I don't think so, but then, I do try to keep it under wraps a little bit. This came from a comment made by my professor after I came back from my first OSC signing. "Do you have some news? You're practically glowing." Um, well, no, but I did have an awfully good day.Posts: 1163 | Registered: Jan 2005
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posted
You know, I never thought about it too much, but the first few days I was here, I did think "the Younger" might be a reference to the Book of Mormon. I was quickly straightened out on that. Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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I don't think it's too fanboyish at all, Verily (though I did think you were a girl for some reason). I wouldn't get a new one (for that reason). I really don't think anybody judges you negatively based on that.
I frequently name computers, cars, etc after fictional characters that mean something to me. I have Orson Scott Card as a security question on some web sites I must not, now, name. There's nothing lame about it; it's just a reflection on what you like.
Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
And I thought "the Younger" was a reference to Steven Brust's books.
Anyway, no, there are plenty of fanboy/fangirl names here, and the bottom line is how you feel about it. There isn't anything inherently wrong or foolish about making a screenname a reference to something you like.
(Says the guy whose screenname is a reference to something he likes.)
posted
Okay, that's two people who thought I was a girl. I didn't mind much at first, but now I'm starting to worry. Posts: 1814 | Registered: Jul 2004
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posted
I don't think there is anything wrong with your user name. As other people mentioned, you did put a spin on it. My nick was actually inspired by a character in Goodkind's first book. He had a character who had been human, but had been turned into a wolf by a wizard prior to the start of the series. He was a somewhat minor character, but he was interesting. I also liked the character of Perrin from Jordan's series. So I decided I would take on the name Lupus (which is wolf in latin...I was in latin class at the time). Prior to Harry Potter almost no one knew what my name meant...but I guess there are plenty of strange names that don't make much sense.
Posts: 1901 | Registered: May 2004
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posted
He's the character, that due to a freak accident, became immortal. Bored with his life, and lacking a purpose to sustain him, and with an utter destain for the universe, decided to insult the universe, one person at a time.
Posts: 796 | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
Ok, apparently I was just imagining it, then. Is he from one of the later books? (I only reread the first one.)
Posts: 1090 | Registered: Oct 2003
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