soulcast is intrinsically anonymous. this means that in theory, the only identifying information anybody here possesses about you is what you say about yourself. i’ve previously blogged about the fact that it’s dangerous to reveal much about yourself, given that soulcast is metatagged in such a way as to get the maximum possible attention from search engine bots.
this means that to become a soulcaster, you have to come up with a user name or handle. so how did you go about this process? some, like my friend hunter boyce chandler, use an actual, honest to goodness name. others chose names that suggest something about themselves and how they wish to be perceived, such as the cleverly named anais sin and theorista, both of whom are now regrettably MIA.
i’ve been asked a few times how i came up with mine, and i figure that it’s only fair that i answer my own question before asking that you do the same. i’ve given abbreviated versions of this story elsewhere but i’ve never had the occasion to sit down and think through how i came up with it. previous versions of this tale, therefore, are necessarily different and consequently, less than 100% accurate.
i’m a player of roleplaying games, or RPGs. about a decade ago, i played in one game in which my character possessed a unique plane. being a proud, boastful and not particularly intelligent sort, the character, who was modeled after porthos from the three musketeers, dubbed his plane the golden mirage, thereby simultaneously being distinctive as well as perhaps telling more about himself than he might like. several years after that game, i played in a RPG that was based upon star wars where my character was a smuggler. a somewhat cocky but cool customer, his ship was dubbed the silver mirage.
some of you have come to notice that i tend to prefer using lower case (sorry, alienated). i once spoke on the phone with someone from a discussion forum i frequent who observed to me that i also speak in lower case.
about two years ago, i joined another discussion forum and for various reasons, i wanted to obscure my identity. remembering the plane, starship and that observation, i hit upon what would become the name by which i am now known here as well.
so how did you come up with your user name here? is it something specific to soulcast or is it a name you use elsewhere online? what’s the history to it? comment and tell the story.
ed
silverwhisper posted on Aug 11, 2006
| views: 3180
Comments
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iciabruxelles said on Aug 11, 2006....
Well, actually in my case, I explain already in those green thing in my profile. Iciabruxelles = Ici à Bruxelles --> French word to say "Here in Brussels" --> because I live in Brussels. And the explanation of the profile, that shows when you point at my name is: J'habite à Bruxelles, c'est pourquoi le nom est ici à Bruxelles. Pas marrant, hein? Which means: I live in Brussels, that's why the name is "Here in Brussels". Not funny, huh? ;p Not too creative..just the first thing that pop in my mind :D -
iciabruxelles said on Aug 11, 2006....
Elsewhere I use my real name as a user name. Never had online friends who I did not know before in my real life, and never had a blog or any circumstances that I should expose myself to strangers. I join soulcast because my sister ask me read her blog that she created in soulcast. Confused how to find her blog, I tumbled into registered myself as a member, which in fact doesn't help to find her blog anyway:D. Anyway a long search to find her blog (that I finally found!!;p) made me read other interesting posts and made me almost addicted to visit soulcast again...again...again...arrgh...it's become worst than my coffee addiction... -
Heartwalker said on Aug 11, 2006....
Well, mine is obvious, but I will clarify it anyway. I walk the way of my heart, so I am Heartwalker, One who walks the way of His Heart. I have seen your name on mindsay too, Are you the same person ? -
Alyss said on Aug 11, 2006....
Mine is one I chose solely for Soulcast though it does have a story behind it. -
tifa said on Aug 11, 2006....
I am what is commonly called, a chick gamer. Tifa is from Tifa Lockheart from Final Fantansy 7. Although I've never played the game, I have spent ridiculous amounts of hours watching my brothers play the FF games (I played FF3 on SNES and Chrystal Chronicles on GC). I think Tifa is a good representation of me, which is why I picked her name. This is not the first time I use this name. I used her name for my first hotmail account, well, actually Tifa Lionheart, a mix of two characters. I found it matched me perfectly for I have passion for alot of the things I do. I stumbled upon soulcast as I was trying to find a counter for my ||{1}||. When I read was soulcast was all about, I decided to join seeing NOBODY ever comments on my other blog. I feel like people actually read my soulcast blog, although I still update my other blog regularly with fun facts, events and links. -
EvilTwin said on Aug 11, 2006....
I am my own evil twin. -
ALIENated said on Aug 11, 2006....
al·ien·at·ed (adjective): cut off, feeling isolated or excluded, especially from society at large. Feeling unfriendly or estranged, unwelcome or isolated. -
the_infernal_optimist said on Aug 11, 2006....
I was pointing out the bright side to something that had happened, among a bunch of friends, and someone said "you and your infernal optimism" and it sort of stuck. :-D -
bhalah said on Aug 11, 2006....
i follow the steps of the empty boxes I have to full up most whithaut thinking, an ufter im completily agree whit was is coming first, so nothing progamed...ih -
CreativeWoman said on Aug 11, 2006....
I am a creative woman. I enjoy writing and craft type things. I do use a derivitive of the handle elsewhere. I found Soul Cast through a "get paid to blog" ad. I love the community here. I find writing under the handle to be quite freeing. I write under my real name elsewhere. -
LoriaAmnekia said on Aug 11, 2006....
My user name is also me pen name. I write original poetry and fanfiction. The name came about when I was in junior high. I was trying to write an original story (I never did finish it!). Loria was the main character. She was everything I wanted to be: Strong, Independent, Intelligent, Charismatic, Funny, Charming, etc. She had her faults, but all her positive qualities more than made up for it. I still wish I had the self-esteem and personality of my own made up person. SO, when I started posting my poetry and fanfiction online, I decided to use it as a pen name. -
Expendable said on Aug 11, 2006....
Mine gets me a bunch of well-meaning lectures from complete strangers. Most I'm sure think I'm some troubled suicidal idiot looking for attention. Ever hear "You have to break a few eggs to make an omlet?" A very pithy and worn cliche favored by movie villians and by pragmatic politicians to separate themselves from some unpleasant choice. Of course, it would be better if it was certain eggs that got broken instead. Very [i]pragmatic[/i], if you had to make that choice. -
quidnunc said on Aug 11, 2006....
i used to write about various issues affecting my country and my university when i was in college... my regular column had the title: [u]the quidnunc's forum[/u]... hence, my username. -
FaithfulDisciple said on Aug 11, 2006....
The name Faithful Disciple is meant to refer to a person who lives in and believes in the power of true faith. Faith in God, in family, in friends and in yourself. For faith is a very strong virtue. Jesus says, if you have faith like a grain of a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain, move from here to there. And it shall move. And nothing shall be impossible to you. Faith can bring about positive healing, faith can lead to personal salvation wherever that may be, faith in God can fortify hope that in life all that is better will prevail. True faith reveals truth and purpose. When one knows the truth, one is enlightened and his purpose in life becomes clear, it is made meaningful. The person without faith is one who walks the earth not knowing his true purpose, he is pitiful. He is lost in his way, confused and has no direction. Strong faith strengthens the will and resolve to do better. The ability to accomplish sssomething from nothing and the resolve that everything is possible. This is who I am a Faithful Disciple. I can only share my faith in the hope that it inspires others so that they too may come to have it. For it is something I can't give, you must have it. For Jesus said: "I have come into this world not to condemn it but to bring forth life and that you may have it abundantly." It is up to you to deny or confirm your faith in the one true living God. -
Jatinangor said on Aug 11, 2006....
jatinangor means..nothing..hehe it is just a place that i live right now. It's a rural area around Bandung, west Java, Indonesia. Btw, iciabruxelles is my sister. Hi sis! xp -
iciabruxelles said on Aug 11, 2006....
Sssshhhh...go study jatinangor!! i believe you still have exams this week. don't play with internet too much! grrrrr...[angry sister face] -
ohtidak said on Aug 11, 2006....
ohtidak means "oh no!", words in malay (malaysia) -
realmenluvporn said on Aug 11, 2006....
Actually mine is just about honesty. Any man who says he's not turned on by porn is just lying or trying to prove something to someone. So for a man to unabashedly admit he loves porn is to be honest about who he is. Real men are honest about who they are and what's important to them. Ergo, Real Men Love Porn. ;-D -
stilldocked said on Aug 11, 2006....
About ten years ago, I was coming up with my first "anonymous" personal web site. I needed a name. "What would I call myself?" At that point, I had just broken up with a woman who I thought was "the one". Consequently, I was listening to a lot of Morrissey. On the album [i]Your Arsenal[/i], he has a song [b]Seasick, Yet Still Docked[/b] that was resonating with me at the time. Since I had used StillDocked on ||{1}||, it just seemed natural adopt it as a monikor for all of my online behaviors. -
FunctionalForm said on Aug 11, 2006....
I made mine up when I signed up for Soulcast. It's a reference to my obsession with form, and my desire to be a more functional person. (I'm struggling with an eating disorder, and though I realize my form will change, I want to be as functional as possible in any form.) If form follows function, then I need to be mentally, emotionally and spiritually healthy before I can hope to sustain physical health. -
JadeLondon said on Aug 11, 2006....
Well, I have this name at a writing community--but I never go there anymore b/c my stuff never seems to get any hits. My name? Jade because my eyes are an unusual shade of green--which some have likened to jade, or in the case of this one girlfriend, "the color of peeled grapes". Also, I feel somewhat cynical and jaded at times. Why London? I have always been fascinated with British history, especially the Regency period. I have a huge weakness for Regency romance books. I like the idea of being popular for possessing wit. Also, I have ancestors on my father's mother's side that sailed to America on the "True Love of London" in the 1600's. So, it just seemed natural to choose that as the surname of my username. Because it seems so much like, well, me--especially now--I think if I ever do actually get published, I will use it as my pen name. Why not? -
Expendable said on Aug 11, 2006....
In an old family bible my grandmother had, I found out my great-great-grandmother's maiden name was Frankenstein. I've always thought it'll make a great pen name some day. -
Zayda said on Aug 11, 2006....
I mentioned to Jade in another thread that it was strange calling someone esle Jade, simply because a user name that I use on almost ever forum I am on has Jade in it and tha has been my nickname since college because of the unusual green color of my eyes (only they are much darker than "peeled grapes"). Anyway, when I came to Soulcast, I wanted a username that I have not been all that associated with so I picked Zayda, which is a derivative spelling of Zada. Zada means "fortunate, prosperous" in Arabic. I picked the name because I liked the meaning of it and was feeling very fortunate about certain things in my life at the time I created the name. And well, I liked the could of it as well. :) -
Ajinia said on Aug 11, 2006....
I play on EQ2 and one of my characters is named Ajinia. Why? I am no good at picking out those types of names, so I just hit the random button until I found a name that I liked the sound of. So, if you're ever on The Bazaar server of EQ2 and notice Ajinia, say hi! :) -
Amalia said on Aug 11, 2006....
"Amelie" is a French art movie, which I like a lot. I fell in love with this character 'Amelie', because she wouldn't let common sense 'cloud' her judgment. "Amalia" is just an Eastern-European version of "Amelie". Not that 'Amelie' represents me somehow; I'd rather tend to believe it was an impulsive rather than a thoughtful choice. I was actually tempted to use my real name. Eventually I didn't. Speaking of real names, it is said that there is a strong association between people's names and their personalities. I can see these associations with people I know, including myself. What about these nicknames? What do you think, silverwhisper? Do they 'speak' about our personalities too? I have to confess that I'm not on my ease with 'online communities', because I like to interact with people face-to-face, to see their eyes, and to feel an emotional involvement. So far I mostly read other bloggers (finding a few quite good!), than writing myself. Initially I registered to soulcast, just to experience a new way of 'expressing' myself, and I gave myself a lot of freedom about when and what to approach. But going from 0 to 5 readers, now I feel I shouldn't be any longer so lazy... We'll see. Before I forget, thank you for this question, silverwhisper. -
NatalieB said on Aug 11, 2006....
My name was based upon the courageous and scandalous Natalie Clifford Barney. God bless her. -
cfamommy said on Aug 11, 2006....
Mine's pretty simple, and it's a name I've used elsewhere; CFA is the name "native" Newfoundlanders give to people who live here but who weren't born here- it stands for "Come From Away" Mommy... that's pretty obvious. Mommying has consumed my life for the last year- longer, really, if you count being pregnant. I do. Therefore... cfamommy -
fuschia said on Aug 11, 2006....
Fuschia is a nick given me in real life (my boyfriend and many of my friends call me by it) because, like the color fuschia, I'm bold, vibrant, and hard to ignore. -
Bordy said on Aug 11, 2006....
Bordy has stuck with me for the last six years, since my first year of college when a kid couldnt pronounce my last name (hooray beer), which, funny enough, could not sound any less like Bordy if you tried. I liked it, which is nice because it stuck anyway. And I've used it since. Not entirely as good as some others, but I'm proud. -
hypermach said on Aug 11, 2006....
Hypermach obviously means serveral multiples of the speed of sound. I have been using this handle for four years or so in various forums etc. Specifically, it is a reference to the fact that I like science fiction (a lot). Google scramjet. -
meggs said on Aug 11, 2006....
I've always love the cartoon character Gingermeggs...the little rascal! -
hotaka said on Aug 11, 2006....
Named after the third highest mountain in Japan. I have tried twice to climb it with my girlfriend and both times we were heavily rained out. I had planned to go by myself this from today and should already have been on my way up but my girlfriend got a few days off right in the middle of my summer vacation, so instead we are heading north in about 1 hour and will do a coastal drive in northern Japan. I will climb that mountain, however. That one and several others I have yet to climb over here. -
SOLDIERCIPSWIFE said on Aug 11, 2006....
I decided to join soulcast when my husband went away for his month long training before deploying to Iraq..coming up here in 8 weeks:( His nickname is CIP...short for our last name..so Soldier Cips Wife...not really creative but it's who I am. -
LayaMaria said on Aug 12, 2006....
Laya, meaning "free", is the character in the fantasy novel I'm working on. She's been with me for nearly four years now and has undergone many incarnations during that period. While I was casting about for an identity to use online, I decided I'd use her name because she stands for so many things. So I became Laya. I use "Laya" elsewhere... *sheepish grin* anyone who reads my blog will know that *an even more sheepish grin* My alternate name on that other plane of existence is "Maria" because of the character in Jose Rizal's book "Noli Me Tangere", "Maria Clara". That's because Maria Clara is supposed to be the epitome of the ideal Filipina (a little too vapid for today's tastes however, *lol*), i.e., sweet, softspoken, prim and proper, well-bred and all that...coz the novel was written towards the end of the 1800's. Anyway, the people in my chatroom dubbed me "the last Maria Clara" because I am something of a conservative. For Soulcast, I just combined the two names to make LayaMaria. Probably that's what I'd name my first daughter too, should I ever have one. *lol* -
LayaMaria said on Aug 12, 2006....
I play video games and RPG's too, BTW. But I often adapt my character name to the game, to its settings and to my character type. For example, when I play Emperor:Rise of the Middle Kingdom, I often use the name "U Mang". Chinese? It's just a play on the Ilonggo word "umang", literally "hermit crab", connoting "foolish" (we think someone who leaves his house (shell) behind and tries to take over somebody else's is really foolish!). In MU Online as well as in ROSE Online, my characters are named after the characters in Encantadia, "Danaya", "Alena" and "Amihan", even when they are so obviously male (what can I do if there's only one female character type and I want to play the other types as well!). But my main character, the only female one, is "froznheart". *oops, deep dark secret revealed, haha* I am nicer in Ragnarok Online. My characters all begin with the letter "Y"... a wizard named "ynang reynah"(queen mother); a merchant named "yce heart"; a thief called "ympaktita" (little she-monster)... My RAN Online character is, simply, "Laya". BTW, silver, nice poll ^_^ -
youmylifesong said on Aug 12, 2006....
I am a pastor. This is my first real blog. Thought I will use it to record my daily journal of my pastoral as well as personal journey in life, and some questions or thoughts, my views of life, God etc. That's why I call my blog: youmylifesong It is connected to real living - my world - real world -
hotaka said on Aug 12, 2006....
Hey, realmenluvporn. I admit to enjoying viewing the body of a well-formed female but pornography is not so interesting. Why watch other people having sex when it's so much more fun to be involved myself? Besides, I am much to occupied with researching information about mountains, music groups I like, or future technology that I need to know about for writing an SF story. I don't have time for porn. And now that SoulCast is taking up so much of my free time I have even less time to do those other things. You can have my share of pornography. I won't have time for it. -
purple said on Aug 12, 2006....
I have literally hundreds of user names. I've decided I must be a labeler by nature. Or a frustrated novelist. Recently I saw an ad for a random name generator for writers that just couldn't think of things to name their characters. All I could think of is that naming the characters is one of the most fun parts of writing; why would anyone want to opt out of it? Anyway, as I've said before in my intro post, I know that whenever I sign up for a user name anywhere, there is a form to fill out. So I just throw in an obvious name and fill out the rest of the form, figuring the name will be taken but I'll get the rest of the form out of the way so I can focus on coming up with a better name. I know 'colors' are always taken. So I threw in the color Purple. Well, to my surprise it wasn't taken. I couldn't resist snapping it up. While we are on the subject, I've also noticed that men are more likely to use their real names as screen names, whereas women almost never do. As I've pointed out to men in chatrooms, men don't typically end up with stalkers and have more freedom to use their real names. Also, gone are the days when your work life was seperate from your internet activity. Now even potential employers google up applicants names before hiring (or before firing). Do you really want your boss to know you write erotic and swing on the weekends? Probably not. -
'smereldazfriend said on Aug 12, 2006....
mine is a reference to my entertainment heroine that only those who really were knew her character would possibly get. -
perfectingmypast said on Aug 12, 2006....
Simply because I want to perfect my past:) -
paidinblood said on Aug 12, 2006....
paidinblood... I used this name for religious reasons (of all possible) because I believe my soul has already been paid for in blood. (I am a Christian) Oh yeah, I also like to play RPG's and such and usually use a username derived from my real name. So I didn't use it here. -
Root said on Aug 13, 2006....
Great thread. I wondered too, because I wanted this blogging to be different than other spaces, and that required an alternative handle. Rabindroth Tagore said of trees, "Roots are the branches down in the Earth. Branches are roots in the air." ("Stray Birds") I see the branches - I stare so often at the sky - and in winter, the silhouette of leafless spikes at dusk, thrills me beyond measure. But the Root. The roots hide. They require some digging. More than turnips and carrots, potatoes and parsnips, ginger and turmeric, I am thinking more of the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge. Where do those roots lie? What ground nourishes such archetypal images? By what route do we access their gifts to the Planet? How deeply are they woven in with the fabric of life, like aspens interlocked in the forest, talking to each other in a language mostly unheard by human senses? If I sit, quietly, under one of those trees, long enough, steadily enough, feeling my own root chakra grounding into the lifeforce, will Buddhi come and blossom in my eyes? And, less esoterically, it's also a play on radical, getting to "the root" of a problem. -
Vavna said on Aug 13, 2006....
Vavna means 'thought' in Bengali. My soul mate gave me that nick name. I'm on the other hand am not a Bengali, or belong to any other ethnic group in the Indian sub continent. I'm just a foreigner in a foreign land. Vavna best describes me, who I really am so it's been my pen name for blogging. (I have blog posts in blogger.com too. But they're just poems nothing else.) I'll be moving them to soulcast soon. I also write with a different name Shelly Delos -- mainly Op-Ed and political writings. I don't use my real name 'cos I don't want my dad to get fired to castrated by his government/colleagues because of my own passions. He just retired now (Praise the Lord! I just learned about this today!) so I've been thinking of using my own name often from now on. -
Dazlak said on Aug 14, 2006....
The name of one of my favorite charachters in a RPG. -
GrapeKoolaid said on Aug 15, 2006....
What's to say about Grape Kool-aid? It's a drink, and it's delicious. Not my favortie, however. Orange Kool-aid is the best. Besides, put the cursor over my name and I'll tell you I'm pretty into Gator Dew at this moment. So why stick with Grape? Well, it turns out Grape Kool-aid was what I was drinking when I was first introduced to online gaming(CS in 2002). I chose that as my user name and it stuck ever since. I've become pretty used to people addressing me as Grape over the years. Conveniently, when I was doing really well online, I would put a space in between the letters to reflect it(I won't tell you where the space goes, but I think it's pretty obvious). I happen to think it fits me alright,too. I have been considered, at one point or another, by different people, to be cool, sweet, and goes well with vodka. -
silverwhisper said on Aug 15, 2006....
welcome back, grape. :> ed -
GrapeKoolaid said on Aug 15, 2006....
Thanks, SW. It's good to be back. So good, in fact, I've used up all of my daily allotted posts in a few hours. Then I spent the rest of the day reading some of the posts I've missed. Really interesting topic here, SW. It's fascinating to see how we represent ourselves in an anonymous setting. It's kind of like a masked ball, or a costume party. The images(or words in the case of Soulcast) we choose to represent ourselves with shows more about ourselves than we sometimes think, no? Also, while reading this thread, I became curious of something. You sign off on all your posts as "ed" on the bottom(I noticed the lack of capitalization there, too, though I didn't put it together until I read this post), and yet everyone refers to you as Silver, or SW. Does it bother you at all that people address you as SW? Would it bother you if someone started to address you as ed? -
silverwhisper said on Aug 15, 2006....
it's force of habit: i've spent 8 years on a discussion forum for RPGs and my ID there is ed. i've always signed my posts, mainly b/c i feel that if i state an opinion on something, i should have the conviction to put my name to it as a deliberate, conscious act. i honestly don't care which name you use to refer to me, cuz really, it's all the same guy. :> ed -
whynotme? said on Aug 15, 2006....
what the hell this blog is all about....damn with the soulcast.. -
silverwhisper said on Aug 15, 2006....
what's it about? it's about user names. i don't think i understand your confusion. ed -
pinkblush said on Aug 15, 2006....
pinkblush, I only use it here. I love pink and my cheeks are rosy, so they assume that I always put blush on my cheeks but I dont sooo.. pink - my favorite color + blush - my cheek's color = pinkblush. That's it guys. -
LittleMouth said on Aug 18, 2006....
Mine is the title of an early song from one of my favorite bands. Yep, I copped it. -
anonymous said on Aug 24, 2006....
Mind travel is what I do all the time. I use my mind to travel across dimensions, back and forward in time, length and width through space.
I am commentng anonymously, but can you guess who I am?
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Bordy said on Aug 24, 2006....
is it IPJ?
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silverwhisper said on Aug 24, 2006....
now this is odd: i blocked anonymous commenting the other day.
that said: i'm thinking bordy's probably right.
ed
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Bordy said on Aug 24, 2006....
Well, we all know that Inter-planet janet is a galaxy girl, and her solar system is in a future world.. she travels like a rocket through the galaxy and theres never been a planet Janet hasn't seen, no theres never been a planet janet hasn't seen.
Stupid School House Rock Songs.
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Ajinia said on Aug 24, 2006....
my guess is ALIENated
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Ajinia said on Aug 24, 2006....
Oh and I think that when you block anonymous commenters, it actually blocks the user that is commenting anonymously, not all anonymous comments. Not sure though.
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mindtravel said on Aug 25, 2006....
Dear friends, I am mindtravel. My sincere apologies for the dust raising here. Graces for this newbie, please.
Live long and prosper.
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Bordy said on Aug 25, 2006....
Damn! Overlooked the easy answer! ;)
Welcome MT!
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silverwhisper said on Aug 25, 2006....
welcome, mindtravel! :>
ed
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StrangeOne said on Aug 30, 2006....
I am StrangeOne because I am a strange one indeed. I'm only StrangeOne here, though.
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silverwhisper said on Aug 31, 2006....
welcome, strangeone. :>
ed
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okelay said on Sep 05, 2006....
i always use the same one, or if it's not available, a variation.
it's translation of a nickname a friend gave me in school.
her, another friend and me invented a language. we translated our names into it. since my nickname was short, it turned out pretty cool.
a few years later im starting to use the internet and they asked me for a username. it was the first thing i thought of-
i love it cause i made it up. it's 100%mine. it's not from a character i like or something like that. it's part of who i am
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silverwhisper said on Sep 06, 2006....
welcome, okelay. that's probably the single most unique story i've encountered behind a user name.
ed
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okelay said on Sep 06, 2006....
thanks. that's only the short version.
i enjoyed reading the different stories so far.
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InterplanetJanet said on Sep 07, 2006....
Why on earth would you think that was me? Mind travel? Not my styles dudes; I prefer airplane travel.
I have always liked the name "Janet" and try to use it online when possible. School House Rocks had a strong influence on me, so IPJ was the natural choice. This was the moniker under which I met my wife; it will always be special to me. LOL, when we first met we had a hard time calling each other by our real names; fortunately she didn't scream "Oh Janet!" in bed, that may have been a bit weird.
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silverwhisper said on Sep 07, 2006....
what can i say, it seemed plausible.
er...are you guys rocky horror fans? :D
ed
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InterplanetJanet said on Sep 07, 2006....
Nope, not really. I'm sure "Dammit Janet" is a common sentiment in my house, but I think I fixated on Janet from Three's Company (do not ask me why; I have no rational explanation).
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silverwhisper said on Sep 07, 2006....
cuz joyce dewitt was hot? :>
ed
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Ajinia said on Sep 07, 2006....
OMG silver, you have got to be kidding me! LOL Joyce DeWitt hot? I always thought she was the plain jane of the show - next to Larry & Feeney that is. :)
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InterplanetJanet said on Sep 07, 2006....
I really don't think that was it. I like blondes.
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silverwhisper said on Sep 07, 2006....
ajinia: OMG, yeah!
IPJ: well, it was worth a shot. :>
ed
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WhyChromosome said on Sep 09, 2006....
Hi SW, I'm coming onto this late (as usual). It's the time difference. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it;)
Okay, to answer the question... I wrote about my reasons in my very first post, but here's a factor I didn't mention. We are told that much of what we are is based upon our DNA. True. It is. But I also think that we should try and reach outside of our gender-based restraints. I've spent a lot of time trying to develop my feminine side. Not to make me feminine but to improve and balance the masculine. So 'WhyChromosome' is actually a tongue-in-cheek question, meaning that I do not take my 'masculine' perspective as the be-all and end-all. It's about respect, to put it another way.
I contribute elsewhere, yes. To one of these question and answer sites that I'll simply call YA. There, I have a different name, and metatagging (whatever that is -- I truly don't know) or not I'll reveal that name here. It doesn't break the rules of either YA or S'Cast because it's still anonymous. There, I am Lenky, a name I chose in memory of a lovely, brilliant young woman I knew but who is now gone. I changed one letter of her name to create mine, and because of its unusualness (is that a word? is now...) I think it is difficult for people to determine if I am a he or a she.
And that suits me just fine.
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silverwhisper said on Sep 09, 2006....
that's really, really cool, whyc. :>
ed
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silverwhisper said on Sep 11, 2006....
whyc, this is the post you were interested in, i think.
ed
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forbiddendreams said on Sep 13, 2006....
I picked my username because 1) it's the theme of my soulcast blog and 2) it's not similar to my existing usernames.
I know I can't remain totally anonymous; I'm going to slip up eventually. But I'm hoping I can remain anonymous long enough.
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tbs230 said on Nov 10, 2006....
I didn't pick this username, actually my school gave it to me as my email (funny what uses I found for it)...since it is the closest I could get to my real self, tbs is just basically my initials and 230 is just some random number, I kept it and use it for various things...two other common usernames that I own are Chickenfries86, inside joke from high school and my birth year and Blythelyre, my cousin was named Blythe and one vivid memory I have is of her being fascinated by lyres...my last Christmas gift to her was a toy lyre, she used to call it Blythelyre (she was only 4)...I use this screenname in remembrance...
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silverwhisper said on Nov 10, 2006....
forbiddendreams: that seems a reasonable handle.
tbs: hey, welcome! :> i'm sorry to hear about your cousin.
ed
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purrrkitten said on Nov 23, 2006....
A few reasons... One, I'd like to think there could be Sex before the Kitten part. Two, DH always teases me about how I look so cute when I get excited - you know when a kittie comes bouncing to the door with their little straight tail and spikey little hairdos. Three, I like the nickname and sometimes I do feel a little like purrrrrrring.
Er. I do use it elsewhere too. Um. Maybe I should have picked something else...
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silverwhisper said on Nov 24, 2006....
i really like your handle, purrkitten. i'm surprised you found this blog entry, to be honest.
ed
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purrrkitten said on Nov 24, 2006....
Why is that? I was trying to read more on your blog (I don't really have time most days so when I get the opportunity I try to read as much as I can on one or two people's) and on the side it had your most popular. I'm rather whimsical when it comes to what attracts me to read something and this one did. I've been enjoying our messages back and forth lately. I think you're a really cool guy! :-) -
shadow_song said on Jan 04, 2007....
I chose mine because I am that quiet shadow of a song that slips into the back of your mind and wends it's way softly through your consicousness.
Let's just hope I am not the annoying tune stuck in your head kind of song. ;}
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silverwhisper said on Jan 04, 2007....
purrkitten: i never saw this comment. sorry about that! you seem pretty spiffy yourself. :>
shadow song: interesting handle.
ed -
shadow_song said on Jan 04, 2007....
Thanks, Silverwhisper; I thought it was an appropriate and fitting handle for me. -
silverwhisper said on Jan 04, 2007....
i imagine the extent to which that's true will become apparent in the fullness of time. :>
ed -
Tappa said on Jan 06, 2007....
Since I picked the name Tappa for S'cast, I've found it turns up in google with all sorts of connections - engine tapping, tap dancing.... I picked it 'cos when it comes to computer keyboards I'm just a "tapper" (as opposed to a competent touch-typist, ya know?).
Other monikers i've used elsewhere have been purloined by others. Example: Years ago I signed up for a yahoo email account. Forgot all about it. Recently went to sign up for a yahoo email account so I could join one of its user groups and found "I'm sorry that account name has already been taken"
"Say what?" I says. Dug out an old notebook which had the original email account name I'd forgotten about, and its password. Tried to get in and got bounced out again!When I signed up here, I wanted to use something completely different (so I wouldn't get myself muddled between who I am wherever I am)!
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silverwhisper said on Jan 06, 2007....
welcome (back?) tappa!
hang on, you had all that stuff in an old notebook? dang!
ed -
Lioness said on Jan 09, 2007....
hi ed! =) hope I ain't too late.
I was able to think of this user name when I was in my second course. Then, we were hooked with dedications over the fm radio, and the group where I belong at that time had a fetish on "code names". So being a leo (zodiac), I thought it was appropriate that I called myself a female lion or a "lioness". =)
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silverwhisper said on Jan 10, 2007....
welcome to a really old blog, lioness! :>
i've always wondered about your user name, actually. :>
ed -
Lioness said on Jan 10, 2007....
Thanks a lot ed, when I saw this blog and read it, geez, what a discovery!! This is a relevant post. =) -
silverwhisper said on Jan 11, 2007....
how in the world did you find this thing?
ed -
mysterious said on Jan 20, 2007....
i thought i've commented on this already but i guess not lol
there's something about the word mysterious that i just like
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Lioness said on Jan 21, 2007....
Hi again... =) well, I was wandering one idle day, and thought of reading previous posts written by you. hehe -
silverwhisper said on Jan 21, 2007....
mysterious: well, that's certainly understandable. :>
lioness: jeez, you must've gone looking for a while!
ed -
missunderstood1162 said on Mar 04, 2007....
Well somehow I stumbled onto this one and it's old but a good one. I was mad the day I found soul cast because once again I'd been misunderstood by someone. I just hate that. It seems like this happens a lot and I haven't figured it out yet. I would never say or do anything to offend anyone but I'm a straight shooter. Sigh. So I just chose it. I do use my real name on other blogs/sites/ etc.
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silverwhisper said on Mar 05, 2007....
i think we all encounter being misunderstood, sadly. however, i'm glad you don't use your real name here--that could be problematic, as happened to hunter.
ed -
missunderstood1162 said on Mar 05, 2007....
I don't know what happened to hunter...
do I want to know what happened to hunter? lol
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silverwhisper said on Mar 06, 2007....
he was stalked and menaced by a bunch of idiots who ultimately were reported to the authorities.
ed -
gentlepie said on May 31, 2007....
"gentlepie" is actually two names of two characters from Clive Barker's Imajica put together : that of John Furie Zacharias, universally known as Gentle, and Pie-oh-pah, a whore and an assasin from the second dimension (or in the book, "dominion") of the Imajica, in which our Earth is the fifth. they are lovers, Gentle and Pie; and the book, much as it is science fiction, is one of the greatest love stories i have ever read. *swoon*
i use gentlepie exclusively here, at soulcast.
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silverwhisper said on May 31, 2007....
i've always wondered how you ever came up with that username. thank you, gentlepie. i haven't read any barker but i understand imajica is considered among his strongest works.
ed -
flytimes said on Jun 01, 2007....
HI ed, I thought my blog/post had to have been done before and alas it was you who had.....Thanks for welcoming me back, its only been a few days but it feels like agess... gentle pie i havent banned you from my blog:) but im glad i poped in here as im soo nosey and have to know why you all picked your names...And now i know:0 -
silverwhisper said on Jun 01, 2007....
a lot of the folks who commented here sadly are no longer active, but there's a little bit of overlap. :>
ed -
TheNakedProfessor said on Jun 09, 2007....
I started chatting in chat rooms for awhile back in the late 90s, and tried a variety of names. In an odd mood, thinking how nice it would be if our people could grow up with a primary education of raw truth, the bare essentials of modern survival and stripped-down philosophhical wisdom that crossed all borders, The Naked Professor was born. The name evoked strong reactions whenever it appeared, and seemed to tap into something primal. It now seems almost like an actual title that I've earned. There are a few others who have since used that or a similar name, you'll find them if you google. To get directly to me, google with all the letters of my name together, no spaces. -
Zayda said on Jun 09, 2007....
TNP: I'm glad you shared the story of your user name. I've always wondered about that. :) -
silverwhisper said on Jun 10, 2007....
i too have always wondered that. thank you, TNP.
ed -
wakingharmony said on Aug 15, 2007....
Ok Silver Her goes Oh Great Idea I see why you are so popular.. havent read why for your name thought I post mine so you could see beings it only took me forever to get to you "everyone else....I'm hurring as fast as my clumsy figers will take me & my memory (Can't Forget the Memory)
My name is long story...I know lol I try to shorten It. I have Fibromyalgia, I got computer and was new at everything, found support group and my name was what I felt "confusedintexas".... we had chat room in the support groups, we'd have fun time...we'd go Cyber traveling lol to beaches ect of course we all were pain free and beautiful...I was one that when ever someone made a statement I would sing the next line of a song that went with it....couldn't help myself...love oldies. i had a sing along night, became involved and they decided I wasnt confused anymore So we decided Harmony (in 2000) I applied for name was taken and had another offer I chose it but it came up wakingharmony......the ironic part of it is I had (have) narcolpsy and at times would fall asleep with my nose on the zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz key
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wakingharmony said on Aug 15, 2007....
Hey silverwhisper ...........ok Comment I read how you got your name and I think I shold get a silverbutton heehee....I am not up on puter lingo and I was thinking ok...........wheres the whisper???? and all of a sudden Lights wereflasing outta my eyeballs!! my eyelids going "ding ding ding" when they Closed...Don't know my Eyes might have been rolling around like I hit a Jackpot on a slot machine!!! Upper case is yelling......lower case must be whispering....right???? or are you gonna tell me I missed the boat all the way around...? ? ? -
silverwhisper said on Aug 15, 2007....
wh: fibromyalgia? damn, i don't know much about it, but what i do know, that sucks!
the whisper part is in the third from last paragraph but a friend observed that i speak in lowercase, so your second comment gets towards the idea. :>
ed -
wakingharmony said on Aug 15, 2007....
Hey I am Alive and love life Pain is more tolerable I think I am very Blessed And everything happens for a reason. I wouldn't give up anything that has happen to me it has made me who I am and a better Person -
starchini said on Oct 06, 2007....
Starchini is an anagram for my real first name...not really a secret if uve read my blog : P ... i thought it was sneaky and creative at the time...not really anymore. I think its neat though because it sounds like a real word, but it isnt.. bwahahahaha... HI SILVER!!! -
silverwhisper said on Oct 09, 2007....
WH: sorry, i realize i never replied to you--gah! but i'm glad that you have found a reason for things. so many never do... :>
starchini: hey there! yeah, i remember reading that blog entry you mention, but i like your username for the same reason you do. :>
ed -
Tink11464 said on Oct 26, 2007....
Hi silverwhisper - I use the same sign on for everything (that way I don't forget).When I was small my parents called me Tink (short for Tinkerbell). I was a small blonde thing... And I'm thinking Peter Pan must have been a hit when I was small - around 1964, 65...So when it came time to choose an email years ago I was not too creative - couldn't think of anything so I choose the Tink and added my birthday - hence - Tink11464. -
silverwhisper said on Oct 26, 2007....
that's really cool, tink!
ed -
soulreaver said on Nov 26, 2007....
I see... -
Veleda said on Dec 10, 2007....
My name....is something i wished i was and hope one day to be....veleda, if i'm not mistaken is in reference to a germanic prophetess, she became so famous that the word in latin was defined as a wise woman....it was later used by a group of japanese ladies....the truth is i think it is just a beautiful sound...and this is the first time I'v used it... -
silverwhisper said on Dec 10, 2007....
soulreaver: you do?
veleda: welcome to my blog and thank you for visiting! i'm very curious how you ever found this, given its age!
ed -
Veleda said on Dec 12, 2007....
It is called being trapped at home during holidays with writers block, you find strange things...
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bluegum said on Jan 26, 2008....
i wish i had found this earlier i would have been more cautious ....with some things....my user name links me a little ......i enjoy sc. -
silverwhisper said on Jan 26, 2008....
veleda: sorry i missed your comment until now! ah, that i can understand well!
bluegum: hey, welcome to my blog! :> i know what you mean re: cautious, but ah, well... :>
ed -
ElijahElmore said on Nov 04, 2008....
i thought to be true to myself ,so used my real name as a handle -
javadewd said on Apr 30, 2009....
My user name is based on the last leg of my business plan, which is to sell my business and turn around and open a coffee house in some college town somewhere. I love coffee. If I could replace all the blood in my body with it, I probably would... I also had an online coffee store about a decade ago with my old man... It just follows me around.
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silverwhisper said on Jun 23, 2009....
elijah: welcome to my blog and thanks for visiting!
javadewd: i gotta say, i think you've got a pretty nifty username. :>
ed -
feelthesydneylove said on Jul 07, 2009....
Hello there. Beg pardon as seeing that I'm a newbie here to the SC community. (: I joined only a few days ago, so I'm just taking the time to browse some blogs around and subscribe as I enjoy reading! So as to answer your blog question: my user name. I have a normal handle elsewhere online but I decided that too many people in my real life know it too well. I wanted a special place to put my writings elsewhere - other than my notebook or composition book - and still be able to get feedback without having to worry about hurting my family and friends in real life. I am an easily emotional person, so my writings thrive off my feelings. I also am a very loving person and I think the world needs more of the love. (: One day I came across my friend's away status on the messenger which said: "Feeling the love?" I really liked that. As for Sydney - I love to travel and see new places. I have a passion of learning about different kinds of people, cultures, languages, countries, histories... you get the idea. Sydney, Australia! I did not want to use my first real name so I decided on Sydney because it's one of the names I like. Unusual names stand out to me (: Biding all of you SoulCasters well. - Sydney -
silverwhisper said on Jul 08, 2009....
hey there, sydney, thanks for visiting! that's a neat answer to the question.
i'm trying to figure out how in the world you found this old blog entry!
anyway, welcome to SC!
ed -
feelthesydneylove said on Jul 08, 2009....
Hello Ed, Oh yeah (: It's called a bored mind in the middle of the night and a laptop armed with internet ... Anything is possible xD Thank you! - Sydney -
silverwhisper said on Jul 09, 2009....
you're quite welcome, sydney! -
batteryarticle said on Jul 16, 2009....
Maybe you are right, now I think so. -
silverwhisper said on Jul 17, 2009....
what does that even mean?
Comment on "on the nature of user names"
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