Significant (and insignificant) points made are recapped here:
Des wrote:A sugggestion, Mr Ant - we're a friendly bunch and it always helps to use your real name.
jackdaw version wrote:Boring.
jackdaw version wrote: [ . . . ]
Maybe it is his real name. Who's to say?
[ . . . ] I think the insistence on real names is bollocks and have for a long, long time. IllegalCombatAnt is a rather cool name, although initially raised a little "is this a spammer?" hackle.
[ . . .]
Hugh Weldon wrote:I agree with Des on that one actually. I never used an alias when I joined here, I never even thought of it, rather childish I would have said if someone suggested I should. I do think a real name adds authority and credibility. Of course there may be professional or other good reasons for withholding, I understand that. But it's interesting to note the majority of regulars feel no need to hide behind pseudonyms and soubriquets.
jackdaw version wrote:For those who forget, pseudonyms and stage names are common in the creative fields and had a particular heyday in the punk era. It is also common in the online world to use pseudonymous screen names. I've used various pseudonyms since punk times and feel absolutely no need to conform to this idea that one must have one "real" name and always use it. If that's the rule you want to follow for yourself, fine — but, honestly, bar a few professionals who have a public body of work to be judged by, I have no "real" idea who people are here. They are only apparent names, some might be the name they were born with and that appears in the phone book and is used by the government to identify them for tax purposes while others are just first names, nicknames, names with an initial, and so on. Beyond that, what does it mean that you're called Hugh Weldon or, say, Rob Hall? I don't know that that's your real name. It just looks like a normal name. Maybe you're really Fred Jones. Would it make any difference? I find it hard to see how the answer can be other than 'No!"
Des wrote:I think Ian A encourages fRoots forum members to use real names and it always seems friendlier to do so in my very 'umble opinion.
When I saw Dominic and Chris Potts at Womad at the weekend I was glad I didn't have to say 'how's it going, Cosmic Militant Thunderthighs' to either of them.
IllegalCombatAnt wrote:Oh dear, I never meant to ruffle any feathers ;)
I always use a pseudonym on internet forums, as jv says, this is the internet... are there any real names on t'internet? How would we know?
I never use a hotmail account to sign up though, always a kosher one. If anyone doubts my motives feel free to PM me. But remember this is the internet.
[ . . . ]
Ant.
[ . . . ]
jackdaw version wrote:Des wrote:I think Ian A encourages fRoots forum members to use real names and it always seems friendlier to do so in my very 'umble opinion.
When I saw Dominic and Chris Potts at Womad at the weekend I was glad I didn't have to say 'how's it going, Cosmic Militant Thunderthighs' to either of them.
It's one thing when Ian A. asks it right up front from the beginning in his own forum — but that rule was never enunciated by the guv'nor here.
I have no idea how the correlation between screen names and what one uses in real life goes. Lots of people use different nicknames, or even real names, under different situations or with different crowds.
And, Des, I gotta say there's a lot more to being friendly than using a real name. Something you might remember next time you feel whatever it is that causes you to post so many obnoxious bits of nonsense.
The ultimate irony is that I'm pretty sure it was from Des that I got the idea of changing names and locations!
And so, to get to the point I really wish to make:
Upon further misty-eyed reminiscence with me, myself and I, it is 100% guaranteed, absolute real fact, not just "pretty sure", that I got the idea from Des of using different names and locations on this forum. For whatever reason he saw fit at the time, he was the original executor of the concept, changing his name almost daily. I remember him as Bozo Bingtrousers, Nurse! The Curtains!, and something like Phoaarr!!!! as well as others that were less noteworthy. And, I might ask myself, why do I clutter my brain up with these?
So, now we get the sanctimonious smugness of the reformed sinner preaching loudly and attempting to impose on others rules, unexpressed rules at that, that he himself saw fit to ignore, even trample over, when it suited him.
One might ask whether there is more integrity in using one name and being an inconsistent character or in using a variety of pseudonyms to express the differing aspects of one's personality — and, don't fool yourselves, no one is consistent in their character all the time. One might also ask if I should ever have thought of Des as a role model, but I fear I would come out looking very bad if that became public knowledge.