First Name Terms

[Dr Frankenollie]

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[Maerj]

Try calling them by their first names and see what happens, Frank.

[Goliath]

I don't know... I don't often call people by their real/first name on the forums. I first started doing it after I had been here a few years and I felt I had been here long enough that it was not inappropriate. I usually don't adress people by their first name when they have not given their name to me themselves or when they've not made it public themselves (like Albert). I know names of some members because others have used them publicly (like Disney Duster's), but I don't feel I can use them.

I prefer being adressed by my first name. It's more personal than adressing someone by nickname. But I would think it's a bit strange when it's done by people who have only been on the forum for a very short time.

[Dr Frankenollie]

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[Goliath]

Goliath, if you don't mind me asking, what's your real name?

I don't mind at all. My name is Mark.

[Mason_Ireton]

I agree with you Goliath, figured I'd wait until the member made their name public or if it's used in their username

I figured your name would be Charlie, Julius or Mak (which turned out to be tru)

[Goliath]

[...] I figured your name would be Charlie, Julius or Ma[r]k (which turned out to be tru)

Why did you think it was Charlie or Julius? Not exactly common Dutch names.

[Mason_Ireton]

that's the fun part of tryin to figure out the real names of the member's username. hehe it was just a guess.

[Scarred4life]

Yes, Goliath said it all. But even though I know some members names I still tend use their usernames, just because they might be more comfortable with that, and it makes it easier for discussion (new members reading my posts and not knowing who Mark or Albert are) I'm completely comfortable with people knowing my name and using it, but it would seem a bit strange to me if a three day old member started calling me by name.

By the way, my name is Alexa.

[Elladorine]

I think it's a comfort level thing; if someone uses their real name in their signature or mentions it someplace like right here in this thread, it's probably cool to use. I mostly tend to stick with user names myself in order to avoid confusion, especially for newer members or even lurkers. And as for myself, I only reveal my real name through private messages and the like, but that's just a personal preference of mine.

[milojthatch]

I've learned to guard my name online more carefully. That said, I also find it really impersonal and rather I be called, for better or for worse, by my real name. My real name by the way being Jason.

[Goliath]

[...] By the way, my name is Alexa.

And like I've said before, that's a beautiful name, which should be used more.

[Super Aurora]

My real name is Chris but I prefer people to call me by my last name: Arcella.

[Escapay]

In my first few years on the forum, I often signed the end of my posts as Escapay, and it wasn't until about 2006 or so that I started using Scaps (a nickname given to me by The Little Merman). For a few months, I even used "Zulu, King of the Dwarf People", and sometimes during the holidays I was Scapsta Claus. But around 2008 or so, I started signing the end of my posts as just "Albert", eventually getting too lazy to capitalize the "A" and just making it "albert". It was already public knowledge by then anyway, as my UD reviews (2006-2007, 2010) had "By Albert Gutierrez", although I did strongly consider just using "By Escapay" when I first started.

For the most part, I generally refer to people on the forums by their usernames unless I've become close-enough with them to do one of the following, sometimes needing their consent/approval beforehand:

1. Use their real name or an abbreviation of it (e.g. Aaron, Ames, Bill, Brenders, Ceej, Jules, Justin, Kelvin, etc.)
2. Use an abbreviation/variation of their username (netty, plinks, Soups, Sunny Wing, T-SoD, Wire Hanger, Wondy, etc.)
3. Use a completely random name (e.g. Cubby, Howard, Wilbur)
4. Use a nickname that combines real name and username (Mike Duster, Mike Villain)

Sometimes, the nicknames didn't catch on (e.g. "jolly" for pap64, "Bobo the Man" for Avaitor), and some members I've known long enough, but never got around or never really talked about getting a nickname. Case in point: although I've known Goliath and UmbrellaFish long enough, and know their real names, I've gotten so used to just calling them by their username that it's rather weird for me to think about referring them by any other name.

On some occasions, though, I use a nickname/abbreviated name for people just out of sheer laziness. There used to be a member called "drfsupercenter" and I sure as hell wasn't going to type that out all the time, so I just shortened it to "drf". And even though it's not too hard to type out "Big Disney Fan", it's so much faster to just say "BDF". And we can't forget about "Sprince". I generally just used that nickname because it bothered me so much that there was never a space in the proper username of "Ariel'sprince".

I think the only exception to the shorten-a-name-because-I'm-lazy rule was UD member Lars Vermundsberget, whose real name was his username, although he hasn't posted in years. I always loved typing out that last name.

albert/Scaps/Zulu

[Avaitor]

Hey, I love Bobo, but only us, Amy, and I think Mark get that.

When it comes to the board, I more or less go by usernames or nicknames, with some exceptions. Obviously I think of Julian by his real name, and I've talked to Mark and Amy enough to call them by their given names instead of Goliath or blackcauldronfan. But for some of the people whose names I know, I end up still going by their usernames or shortened versions of them, like Scaps, Aurora, or Scarred, and I talk to them, too.

It's just natural for me. It's like that on other boards I go to, as well. I know a lot of people by their real names, but I rarely end up calling them by it, unless it's a part of their usernames or if they really prefer if I do and I'm close enough to them to.

[Khonnor]

I'm awful at remembering who's who, so I'll just stick with user names...haha...;)_

[Mayhem]

Generally over the years, countless boards and even more countless folks I've met online, then if I start using your real name instead of your handle, then I consider you a good friend

[Dr Frankenollie]

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[KubrickFan]

I feel a bit weirded out that I've come here for several years, and I honestly don't know anyone's first name, until I visited this thread.

So hi, my name is Brian, and I'm a Disney fanatic .

[CampbellzSoup]

I like Scapes but I don't use people's real names on the forum unless I feel comfortable enough.