How can I fix my misspelled user name?

October 7, 2002 3:45 PM

I am an idiot and misspelled my user name. I ignored it first and now it is really bothering me. I need to add another L in the middle, it should be Woollcott'sKindredGal. Any idea how I can fix this without being a pain in the ass to Matt?
posted by Woolcott'sKindredGal to bugs at 3:45 PM (67 comments total)

You could, I guess, get another account and just not use this one.

Or you could accept the constant stream of saucy japes you're bound to get due to your incredibly embarassing misspelling (who's Woollcott?). :)

Or you could bother Matt to change it, and he might, considering you've only made 13 comments, and the name change is only very minor, and the effect on the community wouldn't be staggering by any stretch of the imagination.

OR you could invent a time machine and travel back to right before you signed up, and nip the problem in the bud. Clearly you didn't decide on that course of action, though, or we wouldn't be here. What's the matter, too lazy to invent time travel?

Fifth option: hax0r Matt's server. I'm not sure how to go about doing this, but I suspect it has something to do with batch files.
posted by Hildago at 3:54 PM on October 7, 2002

Who's Woolcott?
*snicker*
posted by Galvatron at 4:01 PM on October 7, 2002

While you're at it, Matt, can you fix Hidalgo's name?
posted by Kafkaesque at 4:01 PM on October 7, 2002

And can have spaces (time is tight)? I didn't know you could have spaces.
posted by timeistight at 4:05 PM on October 7, 2002

After all, it's my birthday.
posted by timeistight at 4:06 PM on October 7, 2002

Ah, time travel... Hidalgo you are a genius and saucy too!
posted by Woolcott'sKindredGal at 4:07 PM on October 7, 2002

[Googles]

Oh sure, that Woollcott.. I thought she meant.. his.. dentist... I... Yoink! [steals Galvatron's hat, runs]

timeistight, I think if you added spaces, it would make it seem more like you're saying Time magazine was "tight", yo. Word.
posted by Hildago at 4:08 PM on October 7, 2002

Is it your birthday? Mine was 2 days ago, happy birthday to you!
posted by Woolcott'sKindredGal at 4:09 PM on October 7, 2002

Any chance of a space between feeling and listless?
posted by feelinglistless at 4:34 PM on October 7, 2002

If everybody adds spaces to their names it'll just make the site load slower.

posted by Wood at 4:36 PM on October 7, 2002

Happy belated birthday Wool(l)cott'sKindredGal! That's my son's birthday, too.
posted by timeistight at 4:46 PM on October 7, 2002

In fact, I think a four character limit may be in order.
posted by Wood at 4:50 PM on October 7, 2002

quo nsar
posted by quonsar at 4:50 PM on October 7, 2002

If everybody adds spaces to their names it'll just make the site load slower.

That's easy for Wood to say! If you'd turned out Wod, perhaps you'd show a bit more solidarity. ;)
posted by MiguelCardoso at 4:51 PM on October 7, 2002

posted by Woolcott'sKindredGal to bugs at 3:45 PM PST

Not being able to change your user name isn't a bug, it's a feature!
posted by signal at 4:52 PM on October 7, 2002

I think a four character limit may be in order.

I'm in, baby! w00t w00t!
posted by arco at 4:55 PM on October 7, 2002

username changes -- already discussed on MetaTalk
I seem to remember Matt gave his opinion, too
if you guys are interested, google it -- it's there
posted by matteo at 4:58 PM on October 7, 2002

Me too!
posted by time at 5:00 PM PST on October 7

Not me.
posted by timeistight at 5:00 PM on October 7, 2002

But matteo, he didn't say anything about birthdays.
posted by timeistight at 5:01 PM on October 7, 2002

I call Namefilter.
posted by eddydamascene at 5:03 PM on October 7, 2002

*smirk*
posted by andrew cooke at 5:03 PM on October 7, 2002

While you're at it, Matt, can you fix Hidalgo's name?

I'm still laughing at this!

~Secretly pities all those poor spaceless people~
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 5:04 PM on October 7, 2002

I think a four character limit may be in order.

Why so long?
posted by dg at 5:05 PM on October 7, 2002

timeistight, you must be out of practice - that won't fool anyone ;-)
posted by dg at 5:07 PM on October 7, 2002

matteo, i googled, but matt never replied to that and i don't think it was resolved, based on what i read there...

thanks for the birthday greeting timeistight!
posted by Woolcott'sKindredGal at 5:09 PM on October 7, 2002

In fact, I think a four character limit may be in order.

Hear, hear!
posted by moss at 5:13 PM on October 7, 2002

While you're at it, Matt, can you fix Hidalgo's name?
I'm still laughing at this!

It made me cry a little bit, to tell the truth. Capraesque just don't understand what it's like to have your name mispelled all the time.

If everybody adds spaces to their names it'll just make the site load slower.

I think "t r a c y" is using more than her share of spaces. If we took a mere 3 of her unnecessary spaces, we could make timeistight and feelinglistless happy, and she could still be called "t racy", or possibly "trac y", depending on her own preference. What do you think, tr acy?

Alternatively, to conserve bandwidth, what do you all think about maybe starting a timeshare on the use of spaces? Like, maybe one week it could be "thesecretlifeofgravy" and someone else could have her spaces? And we could maybe recycle spaces from users who don't post very much.
posted by Hildago at 5:22 PM on October 7, 2002

... pities all those poor spaceless people

That's not fair, everyone should have their own personal space.

Seriously, Woolcott'sKindredGal, you may have cruelled your chances by making this public. If you had e-mailed mathowie and asked, you may have been lucky. Now, if you get to change your name, the floodgates will be well and truly open because everyone will be watching your name to see if it changes. Your only hope may be to catch the sign-ups open and cast your old, dead username adrift, starting a new life with a fresh, correct name (with spaces, if you swing that way).
posted by dg at 5:27 PM on October 7, 2002

dg, you are probably right. i think i will keep my misspelled username as a sweet memory of this thread. and as a reminder to do a personal spell check so things don't come back to haunt me!
posted by Woolcott'sKindredGal at 5:30 PM on October 7, 2002

I want el woodwiles.
posted by elwoodwiles at 5:44 PM on October 7, 2002

In fact, I think a four character limit may be in order.

I guess I was never one to push things to the limit.
posted by CJB at 6:06 PM on October 7, 2002

about maybe starting a timeshare on the use of spaces? Like, maybe one week it could be "thesecretlifeofgravy"

Why? Just so you can be Hi L Dago? Or possibly, Hilda Go?
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 6:13 PM on October 7, 2002

Yes, but are you really "Woollcott'sKindredGal"? You see, we believe in truth in advertising here at MeFi. It's already bad enough that "witty" isn't always, and sometimes "wackybrit" is neither. And we're only sure "Miguel Cardoso" is "Miguel Cardoso" about 80% of the time. The rest of the time he's that guy at the deli down the street, the one that serves those big corned-beef-on-ryes. (And, sure, we'd like to believe "batboy" is "batboy," but sometimes we suspect he's just "batboy," or maybe even "batboy."

(Just kidding, folks!)
posted by Shane at 6:18 PM on October 7, 2002

I am an idiot and misspelled my user name...

Every MetaTalk post should begin like this.
posted by MUD at 6:23 PM on October 7, 2002

(His name is mud...)
posted by Shane at 6:25 PM on October 7, 2002

Hildago - you have a name to be proud of. The reason people get your name wrong (as Hidalgo) is because they think of you as a nobleman. The Portuguese equivalent would be Fidalgo, meaning aristocrat.

It's a contraction of "filho de algo" (literally "son of something", meaning "son of someone"). I expect the Spanish equivalent would be "hijo de algo", rendering Hidalgo. So I guess you're doomed to be the aristo with the funnily switched consonants for as long as you live. ;)
posted by MiguelCardoso at 6:35 PM on October 7, 2002

Btw, the one unwritten MetaFilter law I heartily disagree with, which Kafkaesque wittily punctured and Hidalgo sportingly reacted to, is the one that says you're not supposed to make jokes about your fellow members' handles. Why not? Isn't it natural? Isn't lightly making fun of a mere monicker far healthier than the usual "ad hominem" arguments?
posted by MiguelCardoso at 6:40 PM on October 7, 2002

I suspect the rules around here are along the lines of "Calvinball".

(google "Calvin and Hobbes" if you miss the reference. It's late and I'm lazy.)
posted by konolia at 6:47 PM on October 7, 2002

I miss Calvin and Hobbes...*sob*

I mispelled my name too, it was supposed to be assbury. (I'm surprised nobody's ever spelled it this way, actually)
posted by ashbury at 6:55 PM on October 7, 2002

I'm just very thankful we've moved past that whole irrelevant "14K" thing, and can now more appropriately gauge a user's worth by the length of their username.
posted by yhbc at 7:05 PM on October 7, 2002

Don't forget, it's not the length, it's what you do with it that counts ;-)
posted by dg at 7:16 PM on October 7, 2002

I misspelled my user number.
posted by iceberg273 at 7:17 PM on October 7, 2002

...the one unwritten MetaFilter law I heartily disagree with... is the one that says you're not supposed to make jokes about your fellow members' handles.

Oops. Somebody should write these damn unwritten laws out, then I'd know about them.
posted by Shane at 7:21 PM on October 7, 2002

Yeah, you look more like an iceberg263 to me.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 7:21 PM on October 7, 2002

she could still be called "t racy", or possibly "trac y", depending on her own preference. What do you think, tr acy?

n o pro b lem !
posted by tracy! at 7:33 PM on October 7, 2002

*after recovering from tracy!'s post*

I'm fascinated by abbreviations too. Iceberg 273, for instance, is Icy to many. Fold_and_mutilate has become foldy to those who appreciate him. Mathowie is almost always Matt nowadays, even though it's a presumption (since almost no one has the pleasure of knowing him). Me, I'm happily referred to as Migs and Miggsy nowadays. It's cool but it must be confusing to the new members, though.

I was reminded of this old thread of mine, about nicknames and the correct way of referring to our fellow posters.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 8:00 PM on October 7, 2002

quo nsar

Qua oar
posted by MrBaliHai at 8:05 PM on October 7, 2002

Wiping monitor off even as I type this - best MeTa thread in ages! Thanks for the laughs, all! :D
posted by Lynsey at 8:27 PM on October 7, 2002

Great link, MiguelCardoso. Personally, I hate abbreviations or modifications of names.

People should be addressed in the manner they were introduced unless invited to do otherwise. Particularly on-line, where people have chosen the name they wish to be addressed by, as opposed to the awful name their parents gave them.
posted by dg at 8:32 PM on October 7, 2002

Well, I introduced myself as a lazy misspeller. I claim to admire someone and apparently can't be bothered to spell their name correctly.

If we believe in truth in advertising here, it seems more honest of me to stick with the damaged goods nickname I introduced myself with.

So I am...
posted by Woolcott'sKindredGal at 8:39 PM on October 7, 2002

Fold_and_mutilate has become foldy to those who appreciate him

Is that how it works? I thought it was people trying to denigrate him. I always get confused with that--some people get upset and think you're making fun, others seem to enjoy it.

And no matter how many times I try, I just can't wrap my mind around hildago. It's hidalgo, dammit!
posted by The God Complex at 9:02 PM on October 7, 2002

it seems more honest of me to stick with the damaged goods nickname I introduced myself with

hmmm... you could keep a link to this thread in your user profile. persnickety folk who want to correct your mistake would be taken care of, and the rest would be able to admire what an amusing thread you inspired.
posted by tracy! at 9:08 PM on October 7, 2002

it seems more honest of me to stick with the damaged goods nickname I introduced myself with

That's the spirit, KindredGal! If it was good enough for the great wit Alexander Woolcott, it's good enough for you. Here's a wonderful eulogy he gave by way of compensation. ;)
posted by MiguelCardoso at 9:18 PM on October 7, 2002

Can I be Aunt Jemima now?
posted by Mrs_Butterworth at 9:24 PM on October 7, 2002

Could I get my username changed too, Mr. Haugey? Everybody keeps pronouncing it wrong, so I'd like a phonetic spelling:

"MANGROVE"

Thank-you.
posted by cheaily at 9:25 PM on October 7, 2002

Help! I'm being oppressed by this underscore! Please change it! Thank you.

And where's that pony?!?

Woolcott (for that is probably how you will wind up abbreviated), you have my sympathy. For years, I misspelled 'Slithy' as 'Slithey' in my email address, and was very embarrassed when I bumbled into alt.usage.english one day and was bluntly apprised of my error.


posted by Slithy_Tove at 9:40 PM on October 7, 2002

Thanks everybody, I feel a little better now.


posted by Woolcott'sKindredGal at 10:53 PM on October 7, 2002

email me, and if I'm not crazy busy (which I am for the next few days), I can make the changes. It takes several minutes and some effort to do it, so I often put it off

Bear in mind that identity here is important, and I won't have a problem with very minor changes, but wholesale changes to new names on mature accounts with lots of posts are probably not allowed.
posted by mathowie at 11:03 PM on October 7, 2002

woollcott, I remember you emailing me a while back, sorry I never got back to you.
posted by mathowie at 11:04 PM on October 7, 2002

I need a grammar check.
posted by gottabefunky at 6:57 AM on October 8, 2002

... so I can't call you "wooly"?
posted by whatnot at 6:59 AM on October 8, 2002

Sorry for coming in at the tail end of this when the thread seems to conclude very nicely on it's own, but...

And no matter how many times I try, I just can't wrap my mind around hildago. It's hidalgo, dammit!

It hadn't occurred to me until I read the above that I too have been misreading that name all this time. Although, I've been reading it as hildalgo... I think. Phoooey, I don't know. I just know that I've been reading it incorrectly.

Why is that?

posted by Witty at 7:18 AM on October 8, 2002

Thanks Matt, you actually did get back to me way back when, it was a weird login problem that you fixed for me.

whatnot, you can call me wooly if it makes you happy.

Hildago, I swear I will never misspell your name again.

Boy, have I learned my lesson, now watch my typos get ever worse...

Witty, I think that it's like when you look at a word too long that it doesn't look right anymore, and the more you look at it the goofier it looks. Sort of like the sentence I just wrote.
posted by Woolcott'sKindredGal at 9:46 AM on October 8, 2002

Oops. Somebody should write these damn unwritten laws out, then I'd know about them.

Yes, you ought to be ashaned...
posted by rushmc at 3:18 PM on October 8, 2002

It hadn't occurred to me until I read the above that I too have been misreading that name all this time. Although, I've been reading it as hildalgo... I think. Phoooey, I don't know. I just know that I've been reading it incorrectly.

Why is that?

Heh heh. Because great minds think alike, presumably.

posted by Hildago at 4:41 PM on October 8, 2002

*sigh* it's so true. I still have troubles with it the point that I consistently refer to you in my head as "Big H."
posted by The God Complex at 4:58 PM on October 8, 2002

TO the point. Blast!
posted by The God Complex at 4:59 PM on October 8, 2002