Similar usernames confuse some readers

June 6, 2003 10:09 AM

On a recent MeTa thread, Vidiot got mixed up over crunchburger and crunchland. Earlier, someone else had done the same with specialk420 and dejah420. Obviously it's imperative that Matt immediately ban similar-sounding user names. [More inside...]
posted by soyjoy to MetaFilter-related at 10:09 AM (71 comments total)

Naw, seriously, I just find it an amusing phenomenon. Since I don't have a written-out list of MeFites like http://www.metafilter.com/user.mefi/14271">jonson's, I keep a vague idea in my head of who these people are behind the usernames, based on what I remember them posting before, and I sometimes get 'em mixed up. Was that TreeHugger or tr33hggr? five fresh fish or FiveFrozenFish? banished or bannedThrice? I even mix up those that aren't all that similar, like
rushmc, jonmc and davidmsc. So my question is, does this happen to anyone else? And, more importantly, if you're one of these pairs (or others, of course), can you give me some hint about the main difference between you and the other user? Thank you.
posted by soyjoy at 10:09 AM on June 6, 2003

It's a good think sign-ups aren't open. I've got an overwhelming urge to register "hoyhoy".
posted by timeistight at 10:19 AM on June 6, 2003

I'm gonna sign up my girlfriend as soytoy.
posted by mookieproof at 10:19 AM on June 6, 2003

poijoy
posted by danOstuporStar at 10:22 AM on June 6, 2003

I get myself mixed up with vbfg all the time.

Obviously, a more pressing issue would be the Immediate Banning of Unpronouncable Acroynms ("IBUA").
posted by yhbc at 10:35 AM on June 6, 2003

Everytime I chat to salmonberry on IRC, it must be irritating for everyone else in the channel who are unable to abbreviate to 'salm'.
posted by salmacis at 10:44 AM on June 6, 2003

I was here first.
posted by crunchland at 10:45 AM on June 6, 2003

In case I failed to make this clear above, the "banning" thing was just a joke. I just thought a couple other people might enjoy this topic, plus it could have educational value... right?

In all fairness, I did try to find others similar to "soyjoy," but only came up with very infrequent and/or defunct contributors soyabeanodoom, soynuts, mrjoy and MissyJoy.
posted by soyjoy at 10:47 AM on June 6, 2003

I inevitably get weirded out when I see a post by Xkot. Not his fault, but it just makes me feel like I have my own Bizarro.
posted by Skot at 11:26 AM on June 6, 2003

Let's see: Robot Johnny, johnny vagabond, johnnyv, johnny_cake, johnnyboy,
johnnyvienna, johnny7, johnny6667, JohnnyJohnny, lil_johnny, johnny2001, johnnyshite, johnny novak, johnnyutah, and johnnyace.

Anybody interested in forming a guild or something?
posted by Johnny Assay at 11:37 AM on June 6, 2003

The arg! family:
bargle
argybarg
argybarple
posted by Shane at 11:39 AM on June 6, 2003

Miguel, since when did you start posting as "soyjoy"?
posted by dhoyt at 11:41 AM on June 6, 2003

Hey user 7879: who's your daddy? C'mon, say it.
posted by Shadowkeeper at 11:44 AM on June 6, 2003

shane
shaneflyer

Arg!
posted by Shane at 11:45 AM on June 6, 2003

On the off chance that soyjoy seriously wanted some real discussion on this topic, I'll admit that back in my early days, I would often get kafkaesque, kokogiak and kirkaracha mixed up. Now, of course, I know the difference.

I still get stavrosthewonderocelot mixed up with that other guy with the similar name, though.
posted by yhbc at 11:51 AM on June 6, 2003

If you people paid attention this wouldn't be a problem.
posted by konolia at 11:53 AM on June 6, 2003

can you give me some hint about the main difference between you and the other user?

quonczar is a jerk.
posted by quonsar at 11:54 AM on June 6, 2003

Not quite the same, but the number of times people call me 'Space Cowboy' or 'Space Ghost' is quite amusing.

Most of the time they just call me 'dipshit' though.
posted by Space Coyote at 11:55 AM on June 6, 2003

Cobra Libre and I are going to have to sort things out. And I think there's a Destro hanging around here somewhere...
posted by COBRA! at 11:56 AM on June 6, 2003

Does anyone ever give in to the urge to make fun of usernames? It can be waaay fun. Um, theoretically.
posted by Shane at 11:58 AM on June 6, 2003

yeah, I get mistaken all the time for mathowie
posted by matteo at 12:14 PM on June 6, 2003

you can use that to get free beers!
posted by dabitch at 12:23 PM on June 6, 2003

free beers?

I get stuff from my Amazon wishlist all the time! We have cameras! Indeed!!

(nevermind the occasional "administrator, please hope me" annoying e-mail I get -- it's worth it)
posted by matteo at 12:31 PM on June 6, 2003

All those Johnnys are confusing, but other than that it's not too difficult to keep track. (Especially now that the Carlos/Miguel thing has been cleared up.) Gender-confusion was much more prevalent for me - for the longest time I was convinced soyjoy and languagehat were both women. Which, btw, is a compliment.
posted by widdershins at 12:32 PM on June 6, 2003

I demand a blood test.
posted by timeistight at 12:50 PM on June 6, 2003

Never nor will I have this problem with my name, pretty much ruined them: thom cat or spike but my face has tails.
posted by thomcatspike at 12:59 PM on June 6, 2003

widdershins, I accept the compliment. In case you didn't see it, there was a thread about just that topic, although not everybody was completely forthcoming. (coyboy? - hey, I wasn't the only one!)
posted by soyjoy at 1:04 PM on June 6, 2003

(Especially now that the Carlos/Miguel thing has been cleared up.)

I would not say cleared up, just dropped.
posted by thirteen at 1:10 PM on June 6, 2003

Ooh, soyjoy, can't believe I missed such a juicy thread! Very impressed w/the girlie count. thirteen, don't have time to search for the links, but I do believe the Carlos/Miguel thing has been explained, exonerated, exhumed and ex...whatever else you can think of. I was convinced, anyway.
posted by widdershins at 1:25 PM on June 6, 2003

Widdershins: Unfortunately, we in the Legion of Johnnys aren't as confusing as we could be - fully half of our membership has never posted. But those of us who are active participants do try to keep you on your toes.
posted by Johnny Assay at 1:40 PM on June 6, 2003

I believed there was a Carlos before the last blow up. Nothing was, or can easily be proven if it is actually him posting here. Over time I have even more questions about the queer posting habits of the Portuguese.

Since it does not bother Matt, I am less inclined to pick now.
posted by thirteen at 1:43 PM on June 6, 2003

Well, I sometimes get tired of answering all quonsar's fanmail because so many people get us confused.

Myself, I have been known to confuse schlongs and dongs. Hilarity ensues.
posted by madamjujujive at 2:05 PM on June 6, 2003

they all look alike to her.
posted by quonsar at 3:06 PM on June 6, 2003

It's Hildago, not Hidalgo.
posted by Hildago at 3:28 PM on June 6, 2003

How about ?! and interrobang? I'm always getting them mixed up.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 3:58 PM on June 6, 2003

Well, are miguel and carlos the same or not? I missed the memo.
posted by konolia at 4:05 PM on June 6, 2003

They are, in fact, the same, or my username isn't kortex.
posted by cortex at 4:13 PM on June 6, 2003

thomcatspike and tomcosgrave
posted by dgaicun at 4:53 PM on June 6, 2003

I too accept the compliment, widdershins.

*belches loudly in case anybody's still confused*
posted by languagehat at 4:54 PM on June 6, 2003

They are, in fact, the same, or my username isn't kortex

For one brief shining moment I thought you said "kotex."
posted by konolia at 7:23 PM on June 6, 2003

Well, there is a stavrogin, and a Pollomacho, and there's a superchicken, too, which might be confusing...

But if I see that wonderocelot, I'm gonna have to lay down the law!
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 7:26 PM on June 6, 2003

you can use that to get free beers!

The skipper on the second sailboat I crewed on in Mexico a few years back looked very much like Chuck Norris. We used to get free beers all the damn time. It was excellent.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 7:30 PM on June 6, 2003

can you give me some hint about the main difference between you and the other user?

eddymanidiforbice is from Sweden.
posted by eddydamascene at 7:46 PM on June 6, 2003

The skipper on the second sailboat I crewed on in Mexico a few years back looked very much like Chuck Norris. We used to get free beers all the damn time. It was excellent.

Had you no shame, sir? Had you no shame?

I could maybe see Chuck Connors, maybe, or even Chuck Barris--but Chuck Norris? Eeyew...
posted by y2karl at 9:59 PM on June 6, 2003

When it comes to free beer, shame is a concept best left in the parking lot.

This life-strategy has served me well.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 10:09 PM on June 6, 2003

Outstanding! Had I been aware there was a user with such a similar name, I no way would have picked the one I did.

Matt - change my nick to CountChocula! Do it now!
posted by crunchburger at 10:21 PM on June 6, 2003

crunchburger- I realized this would be a hot-button issue for you, because you've expressed this idea before. I also wish I had given more thought to my username before getting stuck for all eternity with this one, but there you have it.

Or maybe you don't. Not to derail my own thread, but is there any precedent for changing usernames? It's not a pressing issue for me, but if you did pursue this, it could probably be done pretty easily technically, if the gold stars are any indication. But the larger issue is that there would now be two users - one in "antiquity" called crunchburger, one in the modern era called CountChocula - who were the same person. For those of us who like to keep track of who we're talking to, that would be a liability - unless the new name contained a reminder of the old, like CapnCrunch or CountCrunchula or UsetabeCrunch. Those might be a little unwieldy, though. I guess I don't have the right answer either, I'm just musin'.
posted by soyjoy at 9:30 AM on June 7, 2003

if your username is CountChocula you're guilty of viral marketing
posted by matteo at 10:42 AM on June 7, 2003

Let's just ban him and be done with it.
posted by crunchland at 12:38 PM on June 7, 2003

My name on some boards is Sexual_Chocula. Nobody finds it as funny as me, they just think I don't know how to spell Chocolate.
posted by Hildago at 1:11 PM on June 7, 2003

I just realized today that there's a cody AND a scody, although by all acounts scody appears to be more active.
posted by jonson at 2:35 PM on June 7, 2003

Anyone else have trouble keeping these guys straight: timeistight and timeistightisanidiot?
posted by TimeFactor at 4:00 PM on June 7, 2003

i've always wanted konolia to make me mad so i could call her "cornholio." :)
posted by Ignatius J. Reilly at 4:10 PM on June 7, 2003

mathowie and mathowietest2003.
posted by sailormouth at 5:55 PM on June 7, 2003

i've always wanted konolia to make me mad so i could call her "cornholio." :)

LOL! I didn't have the guts to admit I think "cornholio" everytime I see "konolia."
(See. It is fun.)
posted by Shane at 8:23 PM on June 7, 2003

Will someone please tell me the whole story behind the "timeistightisanidiot" nick? Who created it? And is the user page comment ("I hate dealing with immature people") really serious, or just an example of wildly un-self aware irony by a hugely immature person who got their nose out of joint by something the usually wonderful timeistight might have said? Also, Matt, why did you let that kind of crap stand? Your site shouldn't be a place to exercise private grudges, clearly.

On second thought, this has probably been discussed before, as much on here has.
posted by jonson at 11:01 PM on June 7, 2003

I am glad you are having so much fun with my grandmother's name.
posted by konolia at 3:27 AM on June 8, 2003

your grandmother was named cornholio?
posted by quonsar at 10:48 AM on June 8, 2003

I am glad you are having so much fun with my grandmother's name.

Could be worse. Imagine what springs to mind when I see langugagehat.
posted by Shane at 11:22 AM on June 8, 2003

(That should be language, of course, but: "langugage"! Whatta cool word!)
posted by Shane at 11:23 AM on June 8, 2003

Imagine what springs to mind when I see langugagehat.

Um... what? Asshat? This is the first I've heard of any off-color implications of my username (which I had vetted by the Legion of Decency before ever posting, I'll have you know).

Just imagine how many times I've typed "langugage." It is a pretty cool word, though.
posted by languagehat at 2:09 PM on June 8, 2003

I think of a talking hat when I see your name. If nothing else, it makes everything you say more memorable.

It's a wrinkley top hat, by the way. Like a chimney-sweep would wear in my imaginary cartoon version of Victorian London.
posted by Hildago at 2:54 PM on June 8, 2003

Um... what? Asshat?

Yeah, that's all. No biggy. Mefi's latest hot yesterday/cliche today meme. It is cliche today, isn't it? Should be.
posted by Shane at 3:07 PM on June 8, 2003

I used to get vito90 & Vidiot mixed until the latter scored a drink from me.
[BTW, 'Vidiot intercaps' is a Googlewhack ;-)]

I always think of biscuits (cookies) when I see languagehat...

And I always thought quonsar was funny as hell and helpful until I found out that it was quarsan that went to Tazmainia.
posted by i_cola at 6:36 PM on June 8, 2003

wow! I'm in a Googlewhack! kewl. You just made my crappy day, i_cola. (Which, I note, is quite different from "made my day crappy"...a far less-fun occurrence.)
posted by Vidiot at 11:41 PM on June 8, 2003

given this many monkeys, we should be able to rustle up at least a sonnet...
posted by monkey closet at 1:33 AM on June 9, 2003

mr. crash davis: My god man! Can't you see I'm ? on the left side and he's ? on the right!
posted by ?! at 5:59 AM on June 9, 2003

i agree with banning unpronounceable acronyms, but unpronounceable abbreviations need to be left alone.
posted by nthdegx at 9:31 AM on June 9, 2003

can you give me some hint about the main difference between you and the other user? Thank you.

He has a penis.
posted by dejah420 at 10:51 PM on June 9, 2003

Prove it
posted by nthdegx at 5:04 AM on June 10, 2003

rushmc, jonmc and mc hammer... and to make matters worse, I'm pretty sure they're all bankrupt in one way or another.
posted by crunchland at 5:21 PM on June 10, 2003