Comments on: capitalizing usernames.

capitalizing usernames.

mr_crash_davis — Tue, 15 Jan 2002 20:53:49 -0800

A minor etiquette question, really, regarding punctuation and capitalization. Join me inside, won't you?

By: mr_crash_davis

mr_crash_davis — Tue, 15 Jan 2002 20:59:44 -0800

Many people here (myself included) do not have a capital letter as the first character of their username.

When addressing such a person, it makes me uncomfortable to begin a sentence by capitalizing the name, and yet it also makes me uncomfortable to not capitalize the beginning of the sentence.

Example:

mr_crash_davis is a raving lunatic.

Mr_crash_davis is a raving lunatic.

Is there anything near a consensus of opinion on which is more "proper"?

And another thing, in addressing folks with punctuation marks in their names (Wulfgar! comes to mind), should I use the punctuation? And how about shortening names for brevity (i.e., "mr_crash")?

Like I said, minor, but it really bothers me sometimes when I have to choose, and I don't want to offend anyone by brutalizing the alias that the person put a lot of thought into. Opinions?

By: riffola

riffola — Tue, 15 Jan 2002 21:08:26 -0800

I capitalize it if it's a name like Zeldman, Matt, Miguel, etc, but if it's a nickname, I prefer to use lowercase. Sure it looks odd, but it's just a stylistic issue. As for punctuations in the names, I believe the one that throws everyone off is geoff.

I've honestly no clue what should be the proper style. I guess if someone would do a rough style guide for the rest of us, it would be great.

By: skallas

skallas — Tue, 15 Jan 2002 21:16:54 -0800

If its long and odd like your name I just cut+paste. Just let the machine think for you. Its bliiiiissssss.

By: moz

moz — Tue, 15 Jan 2002 21:30:07 -0800

my rule is to avoid capitalization if possible. for any purpose. i violate that rule often on my website, but only because i try to seem professional...

By: thatwhichfalls

thatwhichfalls — Tue, 15 Jan 2002 21:30:27 -0800

As an Englishman I would obviously refer to you as Mr mr_crash_davis.

Nicknames should not distort the need for manners ...

By: stavrosthewonderchicken

stavrosthewonderchicken — Tue, 15 Jan 2002 21:58:06 -0800

I always liked the fact that English publications like The Economist, for example, would always refer to even the most egregiously stupid and evil politicians as Mr. Reagan, Mr. Bush, Mr. Clinton and so on. Very cultured.

Sorry. fold_and_mutilate is rubbing off on me.

Sorry. Mr. fold_and_mutilate.

What was the question again?

By: riffola

riffola — Tue, 15 Jan 2002 22:01:16 -0800

Mr. stavrosthewonderchicken, one of the questions stated above should apply to you. Would it be okay to refer to you as just stavros?

By: riffola

riffola — Tue, 15 Jan 2002 22:01:46 -0800

er Mr. stavros of course

By: kirkaracha

kirkaracha — Tue, 15 Jan 2002 22:57:50 -0800

I feel you should refer to people the way they ask you to, so I use the nicknames exactly as they appear, respecting punctuation, spelling, and capitalization choices I may not have made.

Its bliiiiissssss.

It's raining again.

By: rebeccablood

rebeccablood — Tue, 15 Jan 2002 23:05:44 -0800

please just call me rcb.

By: owillis

owillis — Tue, 15 Jan 2002 23:19:08 -0800

who's down with rcb?
who's down with rcb?
every last homie!

(i went to high school in the 90s, so sue me)

By: stavrosthewonderchicken

stavrosthewonderchicken — Wed, 16 Jan 2002 00:05:56 -0800

Would it be okay to refer to you as just stavros?

I find it a bit weird, as I've known guys named Stavros IRL, and my name's actually Chris. But thanks to my flash of goofiness when I registered here, everyone pretty much calls me Stavros or Stav or StWC or 'you bastard' and I'm happy with whatever, and any capitalization that suits your fancy...the full, lengthy monicker is fine too.

There are people I went to university with who still think 15 years later that my real name is 'Bosco', but that's a whole other story...

By: rory

rory — Wed, 16 Jan 2002 02:08:43 -0800

Of course, Oxford Dictionary style is to omit the final full-stop from abbreviated titles that are missing their middle letters (e.g. Mr, Dr, St) but to include it in those that omit their last letters (e.g. Rev., Prof.).

While we're being nitpicky.

By: Kat Allison

Kat Allison — Wed, 16 Jan 2002 04:37:47 -0800

I have several on-line friends in other fora whose screen names are all lower case, and my rule of thumb is to follow their preference except when their name begins a sentence, figuring that any noun beginning a sentence gets capped. (I used to work as a copy editor, and old habits die hard.) No one's seemed bothered by this approach, but if anyone did, I would of course follow his or her preference; I think names, especially chosen ones, have significance and deserve respect.

(I note, irrelevantly, that everyone preceding me in this discussion uses all-lower-case names. I guess it'd make sense that those personally affected by the question would be most interested. And us old copy editors, of course .)

By: rory

rory — Wed, 16 Jan 2002 06:51:47 -0800

In the early days of MeFi it seemed that everyone had all-lower-case nicks, hence mine. Now we get all sorts, even with spaces in them, which goes against every venerable file- and variable-naming tradition... underscores_are_perfectly_okay_though.

This whole online identity business is fraught with potential faux pas, innit?

By: danOstuporStar

danOstuporStar — Wed, 16 Jan 2002 07:11:52 -0800

it's just a stylistic issue

indeed, Dr Riffola has the point. as long as it's clear who is being referred to, it shouldn't matter IMO. anybody who gets huffy over their name being capitalized (or not) or even not being called Mr Suchensuch needs to chill out.

By: werty

werty — Wed, 16 Jan 2002 07:57:45 -0800

The Economist would actually refer to stavrosthewonderchicken as Mr stavrosthewonderchicken, as they don't use periods after the title. The paper might even figure out a first and last name and turn him, after first reference, into Mr Wonderchicken (he is correct about their use of titles, though; see also: Mr bin Laden).

More importantly, The Economist--and the New York Times, and other highly literate journals--would capitalize the first letter of a name. Even if one thinks it's edgy and cool to use lowercase, grammar dictates capitalizing proper nouns. K.D. Lang is usually Ms. Lang in the Times.

Personally, I like to be proper about it, even if the Internet makes us all a little more creative and a lot lazier.

By: dong_resin

dong_resin — Wed, 16 Jan 2002 08:20:20 -0800

I'm indifferent to the various capitalizations, underscore inclusions or removals when people type my name, I just wish people would stop calling me doug resin.
The dopey joke isn't that hard to grok is it? I admit that dong resin is not that great a pun, but then there are no good puns.

By: dong_resin

dong_resin — Wed, 16 Jan 2002 09:45:56 -0800

Holy shit does that read back whiny. No more typing before coffee.

By: JanetLand

JanetLand — Wed, 16 Jan 2002 09:49:41 -0800

Our local newspaper sometimes has to mention a particular city official who doesn't use capitals in her name. To avoid getting hostile letters, of which they already get plenty on even smaller points of order, the paper: 1) doesn't start sentences with her name, and 2) very often puts after her name, parenthetically or comma'd off, "who does not spell her name with capital letters."

By: Sapphireblue

Sapphireblue — Wed, 16 Jan 2002 10:00:03 -0800

It's funny, I usually don't much care what people do with my MeFi username, but for the love of god don't put a space between my Sapphire and my blue... damnit. That's an annoyance up there with people who alphabetize my name under the second part of my hyphenated last name.

I guess the above stands as a vote for "when in doubt, spell/capitalize a person's name the same way they do."

By: theora55

theora55 — Wed, 16 Jan 2002 10:28:36 -0800

Online, it's not always obvious what gender the poster is. I know, I know, offline, too, sometimes. So, Mr. Thewonderchicken is probably accurate, but lots of names aren't so easy. I'm too lazy to always check profiles and it still isn't necessarily going to help.

Capitalizing uses more keystrokes. I'm against it.

By: dong_resin

dong_resin — Wed, 16 Jan 2002 10:32:52 -0800

Not the point, but Max Headroom inspired names fill me with glee.
Best. Show. Ever.

By: adampsyche

adampsyche — Wed, 16 Jan 2002 11:24:46 -0800

Just call me P(syche) Diddy.

By: MUD

MUD — Wed, 16 Jan 2002 15:47:40 -0800

I know that my username is a bit of poor one in this respect. While it is short, the full capitilisation means that it either looks like my name is being shouted or that I am, in fact, a Multi User Dungeon. While the latter has a smattering of truth (the voices, the voices), it just boils down to the fact that I've been using this screen name for all things computer-related for quite a while now.

By: Mack Twain

Mack Twain — Wed, 16 Jan 2002 16:32:31 -0800

Reminds me of the guy named R.O. Smith, who when he applied for a Social Security card was told to put (only) behind the R and the O...Yes, his new card did end up identifying him as Ronly Bonly Smith. Carry on...

By: goneill

goneill — Thu, 17 Jan 2002 06:09:13 -0800

Do you know what I really love doing: shortening BitterOldPunk to BOP. BOP had you thought of that before you chose your name?

By: rory

rory — Thu, 17 Jan 2002 07:15:03 -0800

Dammit, Mack Twain, you've just shattered one of my most cherished illusions. Ronly Bonly is an urban legend? Say it ain't so!

That's the last time I believe my mother-in-law's tales of her student admin days.