Origin Story

What name do you use on the Internet?

I use shut.up.and.run.2011 or variations of that wherever I can. For example, my IG is shutupandrun11. Of course, on professional sites I use my real name. On Twitter, I use @elizwise2point0 because my email name is too long.

Do you keep the same name everywhere?

For sites I don't necessarily want to be searchable by my online persona, I tend to switch to another variation such as run2live.

Where did it come from?

In January 2011, my marriage was breaking up. It was BAD. I found myself spiraling downward very quickly, so despite the relative cold in DC at that time, I decided to get back into running. It was cheaper than therapy and truly helped me put everything in perspective. At the same time, my old email address had my married name in it. I wanted to remove all connections to him at the same time (like ripping off a band-aid, I thought at the time), so I created a new email address for myself -- one to remind me every time I wanted to complain, every time my brain wouldn't leave me alone about all the issues it seemed to have with my life at that point, that I could whine or I could shut up and go for a run. I added the date to remind myself when I woke up to my own life again.

What does it mean to you?

It is a daily reminder of my own strength and evolution. It also still works to get me out of my head.

Why did you choose it?

I wanted something a little easier to type, honestly. But really, gmail has no normal email patterns left. So, lots of dots were a requirement.

Do you ever think of changing it?

When I'm applying for jobs or looking at freelance clients, I think about changing it. I did create a more professional Outlook address for those exact situations. But when I'm applying for jobs or networking, I tend to share the shut.up one -- if the person on the receiving end can't handle my persona, he definitely won't be able to handle me. So, it's better to find that out at the beginning.

Why do you / don’t you use your real name?

The gmail struggle is real. Also, as a woman I don't think it's safe to put my real name out there for every internet interaction. 

What was your first internet screen name?

Um... oh wow. Does my college one count? It was just ewise, can you imagine? I feel like a dinosaur.

What is your favorite name you’ve seen in your travels across the net?

Tumblr is full of AMAZING screen names. bigstupidbaby, deck-the-halls-with-jensen-ackles, eloquentvibes -- Tumblr names speak volumes about the users. So brilliant! There are tons of plays on Harry Potter alone that make me giggle every time I see them.

Whose origin story would you like to hear next?

Hmm... very selfishly, I want to hear my friend David tell the story behind @Mulatto_Mass :-)

Now that people have heard your story, where can they go to find out more about you?

What name do you use on the Internet?

Ploafmaster

Do you keep the same name everywhere?

Generally…I was just plain ploaf on Instagram when I rejoined until I found out how easy it was to change my username.

Where did it come from?

I actually get asked this question quite a bit, so I wrote a detailed blog post about it in 2012: http://danielcwarshaw.com/blog/wherefore-art-thou-ploafmaster

It’s long and complicated and several layers of nerdy, but here’s a shorter version: “ploaf” is a made up word taken from a team name on a multiplayer computer game in the 90s. My friends and I in high school adopted the term for any part of speech or definition. Ploafmaster combines that with “Bassmaster”, as in Bassmaster General from The Descendants’ “The All-O-Gistics”.

What does it mean to you?

Most of the time now I don’t even think about it, but “ploaf” reminds me so much of the little bit that I actually liked from high school. So I kept using the word longer than my friends, and came to be identified by it among my new friends in college. Plenty of folks still call me “Ploaf” in real life, let alone on the internet, so I just consider it a nickname. Ploafmaster? Well I’m the definitive ploaf, so of course I’m the ploafmaster :-)

Why did you choose it?

My answers to the preceding two questions probably cover this.

Do you ever think of changing it?

Never.

Why do you / don’t you use your real name?

It’s a combination of things. When I started really using the internet back in 95 or 96, that’s just what you did. Pick a cool word or name or whatever. So whenever I sign up for a new service ever since then, I’m far more likely to go with “ploafmaster” than “danielcwarshaw”. Though I do have “warshaw” on eBay. The other main reason is the whole nickname thing. It’s just as much me as Daniel.

What was your first internet screen name?

Not 100% sure here, but if you count webmail addresses, it would be “chewynuget” from the earliest Hotmail days. That’s a misspelling of “chewy nougat” - the filling in a Snickers bar. I was a lazy teenager, what can I say?

If that doesn’t count, then something equally sophomoric: Deepstar. That was the name of a made-up wizard I used to draw in art class when I was reading The Lord of the Rings trilogy for the second time.

What is your favorite name you’ve seen in your travels across the net?

My favorite is probably still Merlin Mann’s “hotdogsladies” on Twitter. I know he’s fairly well known, but I read A Confederacy of Dunces in high school and adored that book, so the reference in that handle was perfect.

Whose origin story would you like to hear next?

I’m not sure? Probably dentedmeat (on Twitter, 5by5, etc.).

Now that people have heard your story, where can they go to find out more about you?

What name do you use on the Internet?

'wellbredgrapefruit'

Do you keep the same name everywhere?

I try. It's a bit long in some cases so I have to shorten it (I'm 'wellbredgfruit' in those cases), and in some spots I still go by my old handle, 'duwanis.'

Where did it come from?

I've used the name "Well-Bred Grapefruit" as a blog title ever since the days of Livejournal. Yes, I had a Livejournal. And yes, I regret that. It's a play on one of my favorite Douglas Adams (of Hitchhiker's Guide fame) quotes:

“Life... is like a grapefruit. Well, it's sort of orangey-yellow and dimpled on the outside, wet and squidgy in the middle. It's got pips inside, too. Oh, and some people have half a one for breakfast.”

What does it mean to you?

Honestly it's just kind of silly, in a good way. It's a claim at being high-class while being thoroughly absurd at the same time. I really hate the way that the age of "social media" has made people feel like they have to make themselves a brand and self-promote, so this is kind of my little way of subverting that trend.

Why did you choose it?

Like I mentioned earlier, I had gone by "duwanis" for a while, but that had been getting old. There were two big problems with it:

People assumed there was some cool back story for it. Really it was an almost-random name I had made for a Diablo II character back in high school, and it was unique enough that I could rely on it being a good username.

People kept pronouncing it out loud as "dew-anus," which is just all kinds of ugly-sounding :)

So I was in the market for a new name, and that old blog name of mine kind of stuck out to me. I decided to jump over to it, got a consulting designer to put together a logo for me, and here we are.

Do you ever think of changing it?

Not now. I might eventually, but I'm pretty attached to it at the moment.

Why do you / don’t you use your real name?

I think I just grew up in that age of the internet where you had a "handle." Prodigy, AOL, ICQ, IRC - nobody used their real name in those days, and that just kind of became my assumption about online personae. If I had grown up in the age of Facebook and Twitter, where real names are the normal order of things, I'd probably feel differently. But I'm a product of my environment.

What was your first internet screen name?

GodOfConfusion42. It was an inside D&D joke. I'm one of those nerds.

What is your favorite name you’ve seen in your travels across the net?

There's a buddy of mine who used to go by 'gumbercules.' I love that guy. But he started using his real name, and the world became a little less magical.

Whose origin story would you like to hear next?

Hrm. I dunno, so many people just use their real names these days. I guess I'd tag one of my coworkers at Treehouse, @hatefulcrawdad.

Now that people have heard your story, where can they go to find out more about you?

What name do you use on the Internet?

laserlemon

You may also recognize me as:

or:

Do you keep the same name everywhere?

Yes, as demonstrated by my Keybase profile.

Where did it come from?

"Laser Lemon" is a Crayola crayon color.

What does it mean to you?

Nothing at first. Now it's very much a part of my identity. I'm considering this costume for Halloween this year.

Why did you choose it?

The date was November 13, 2008 and I was trying to come up with a good GitHub handle. I picked a crayon color because they've always had clever names. It was a tight race between "Laser Lemon," "Outrageous Orange," and "Electric Lime." Lime was out because I like alliteration too much and even though orange is my favorite color, "Laser Lemon" is shorter and has better symmetry. I collapsed it into one word because I couldn't commit to an underscore or a hyphen.

Do you ever think of changing it?

No. I like the consistency. I hardly ever change my lemon avatar either so it's always recognizeable.

Why do you / don't you use your real name?

I was tired of people messing up my last name (spelled "Richert," pronounced "Rickert").

What was your first internet screen name?

I was "stevericher1" on AIM. Technically, I still am. My dad's work email address was [email protected] and I always thought the "1" was kinda cool and a little bit l33t.

What is your favorite name you've seen in your travels across the net?

I just don't think you can beat tenderlove but I consider myself more of a connoisseur of gem names.

Whose origin story would you like to hear next?

I'd love to hear the story behind "tenderlove." Also:

mercilessrobot

qrush

travisci

Now that people have heard your story, where can they go to find out more about you?

You can keep up with the internetty things I do at GitHub and Twitter. Or you can email me at [email protected].

What name do you use on the Internet?

MesaSean

Do you keep the same name everywhere?

Yes except my YouTube channel URL is MesaSeany

Where did it come from?

My old band mates always called me MesaSeany because I loved Mesa Boogie amplifiers for my guitars. Name stuck but sounded silly so I removed the Y.

What does it mean to you?

There is an idea of a Mesa Sean; some kind of abstraction. But there is no real me: only an entity, something illusory. And though I can hide my cold gaze, and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable... I..... simply..... am......not...... there.

Why did you choose it?

Was simple and not brand specific.

Do you ever think of changing it?

Nope!

Why do you / don’t you use your real name?

My real name is not simple and catchy.

What was your first internet screen name?

I totally forget. :P

What is your favorite name you’ve seen in your travels across the net?

HairyBalls37 He is a regular in my stream. I die laughing every time I see it.

Whose origin story would you like to hear next?

MyNameIsByf

Now that people have heard your story, where can they go to find out more about you?

Twitter @Mesasean

Youtube

What name do you use on the Internet?

Possibly, Nothing, Impossibly, Praestigiare

Do you keep the same name everywhere?

I have quite a few handles online. If I was a more organized person I might have them split up in a logical way, like keeping a separation between personal and professional postings, but in practice I tend to use whichever feels right at the time and is available on the site I am registering for.

Where did it come from?

I think my oldest was "possibly" which started out as my email username, back in the days when you got email through your ISP. I moved a lot, which meant a new ISP and a new email address. As a kind of a joke on that, I started using the username "possibly" so that I would be "possibly [reachable] at isp.com". And because I was using it for email, it made sense to use it for other sites when I signed up. This was fine in the early days, when dictionary words were easier to get on most sites, but quickly became an issue on more popular sites as I was not able to get the name.

"Nothing" came pretty soon after. It seemed cool when I was a teenager and full of nihilism. It also made for good username based jokes like "I agree with Nothing."

"Impossibly" is just a joke on "Possibly," which I used when I couldn't get the former.

"Praestigiare" was my attempt at a good username that I'd actually be able to get on most sites I wanted to register for. It means a conjurer or magician.

What does it mean to you?

They have come to mean different things to me, based mostly on the sites where I most commonly use them and the kinds of social interactions I have there.

Do you ever think of changing it?

Not really. Sometimes I think of just using my own name everywhere. I do have tomburke.com and could standardize on that. But I also like the ties back to the internet of old.

Why do you / don’t you use your real name?

I do, in some places. But I kind of like being able to choose the identity I am using.

What was your first internet screen name?

Ahh, already answered this one - Possibly. Though now that I think of it, I did have an ancient Yahoo account with the username "kimboman". Maybe that was first?

What is your favorite name you’ve seen in your travels across the net?

"Yelling at Nothing" on Metafilter always gave me a laugh.

Now that people have heard your story, where can they go to find out more about you?

What name do you use on the Internet?

I use joesteel almost everywhere.

Do you keep the same name everywhere?

There are a few accounts from a long time ago that use other names, but they're for obsolete services.

Where did it come from?

In 2005, when I started work at Sony Pictures Imageworks, a coordinator (they manage artists) started calling me "JOE STEEL". He would say it really loudly, just like that. Soon, the other production people were calling me that.

What does it mean to you?

It doesn't have any special meaning to me.

Why did you choose it?

I adopted the nickname as a username for services because my full name is just so clumsy to use, particularly for Twitter where you want to have as short a name as possible.

Do you ever think of changing it?

Not really.

Why do you / don’t you use your real name?

Rosensteel is too long, and most people don't know how to spell it correctly. When they look at it, at a glance, they often mispronounce it. I get "Rosenthal" and "Rosenstel" (short e) all the time in real life. The last name is pretty simple, rose+n+steel. Using the components of a name is for a username is pretty common, but "rose" isn't really the best name for me. "Steel" is pretty ludicrous - like a comic book name, or the star of ... Other kinds of videos. It seemed silly enough to work.

What was your first internet screen name?

I can't remember exactly, but it had "rose" in it. Not a great idea.

What is your favorite name you’ve seen in your travels across the net?

Dr. Drang. It makes him seem like a super villain. Although, a super villain that plotted against a city using stress fractures in infrastructure seems less exciting than most other super villains.

Whose origin story would you like to hear next?

I think you've hit everyone I know of that has a unique name.

Now that people have heard your story, where can they go to find out more about you?

What name do you use on the Internet?

cptnrandy

Do you keep the same name everywhere?

Pretty much, other than when I use my full name.

Where did it come from?

I’m not entirely sure I can figure it out myself. I’ve been on the internet since 1985 when I got my first post-college job. It was at Bell Labs and I instantly fell in love with the net, although it was mostly used at that time to discuss Star Trek and had absolutely no cat pics.

For some reason at that time when I set up my first email address, outside of my work addresses I picked out “cptnrandy.” I initially thought it was because of my Star Trek fascination and I do have a certificate declaring me a Star Fleet Captain, signed by Gene Roddenberry (or at least he signed the original and I got my name printed on a nice copy).

But I am also reminded of a childhood toy that always played a big part in my imaginative play. It was an “action figure” the size of the original GI Joes and called “Captain Action.” Captain Action’s special ability was that he could dress up as superheroes. I only had the Batman costume, but that was still pretty cool.

But if I dig further into my psyche I find that there’s yet another captain down there, and he’s probably the root of this madness: the kindly and gentle Captain Kangaroo.

So, no, I have no idea why I picked that name. But I am allowed pudding on Wednesdays if I behave myself.

What does it mean to you?

It is an ironic/non-ironic wink at authority, which I both have a problem with and aspire to.

Why did you choose it?

See above

Do you ever think of changing it?

Far too late for that, mate.

Why do you / don’t you use your real name?

I do use my real name and make no effort to disguise the fact.

What was your first internet screen name?

That’s the one.

What is your favorite name you’ve seen in your travels across the net?

greatdismal, but only because that’s William Gibson’s handle.

Whose origin story would you like to hear next?

Mine, if someone could explain it to me better.

Now that people have heard your story, where can they go to find out more about you?

What name do you use on the Internet?

"waxpancake" since around 1995.

Do you keep the same name everywhere?

Everywhere it makes sense. In places where my real name makes more sense, I’ll sometimes use “andy” or “andybaio.” But for the most part, on social networks and the like, I use “waxpancake”.

Where did it come from?

It dates back to the mid-1990s, I’d been using “Fink Ployd,” and then “Flyp Doink,” on dialup BBSes, but the namespace on the web was much more competitive. I decided to pick something I knew nobody else would choose, and have stuck with it ever since.

What does it mean to you?

It’s a fictional band name I made up inspired by vinyl records: wax pancakes, get it?

Why did you choose it?

Really, I was just looking for a name that was completely unique when I first got online and wouldn’t conflict with everyone else.

Do you ever think of changing it?

All the time. I’ve seen many of my friends drop their handles in lieu of their real names on Twitter, and I’ve reserved @andybaio, but can’t bite the bullet. Old habits die hard.

Why do you / don’t you use your real name?

I use my real name, along with my “waxpancake” screen name, virtually everywhere. I’ve grown pretty comfortable with people knowing my real name—I’m effectively a public figure, and had to abandon any hope of privacy in the mid-2000s. The exception are weird little Internet communities where using your real name is culturally dorky, or a potential liability.

What was your first internet screen name?

I used “Fink Ployd” when calling BBSes for years, and when I first got onto FidoNet and then Usenet, I started using “Flyp Doink,” making the mature leap from a spoonerism of “Pink Floyd” to one of its anagrams. But when I got to the web, the namespace was so crowded with the rest of the known universe that I decided to pick something that nobody else ever would. I’m still, as far as I know, the only “waxpancake” online.

What is your favorite name you’ve seen in your travels across the net?

Probably my friend, Dave Rutledge. On Twitter, and everywhere else he can register it, he’s a single underscore character: @_. His wife Barbara is two underscores, @__, and they had the foresight to register @___ for their child.

Whose origin story would you like to hear next?

How about Maggie Vail aka magicbeans? I know it’s her DJ name, and she uses “magicbeans” everywhere, but I’ve never heard the story behind it.

Now that people have heard your story, where can they go to find out more about you?

What name do you use on the Internet?

Scruffy Badger

Do you keep the same name everywhere?

Yes, although when I am feeling even more familiar (or lazy) I call myself 'the Badger'

Where did it come from?

The "Badger" part of my name was a term or endearment given to me by my ex-husband & was funnily enough how he used to refer to me around the children too, as well as to me personally. "What's Badger up to this weekend" - that kind of thing. Although we were not together at this point, it was always meant kindly & originated from the early appearance of those pesky white hairs amongst my very dark brown hair. All it took was a few stray whites to adorn my barnett in my mid twenties, & the name was born. Well half of it. The addition of "Scruffy" would have been my design - I was conjuring up some kind of bizarre email address & not wanting to take myself too seriously thought the two words were perfect partners.

What does it mean to you?

It makes me feel happy & almost* unique, but also quite enigmatic as well - no one can really have any expectations about me, even whether I am male or female. *There is at least one other scruffy badger and he is probably right mortified that this crazy sewing blogger competes for his webspace.

Why did you choose it?

I was going to start a blog to chart my creative pursuits - and so naming my blog after Scruffy Badger symbolised how my creativity was flourishing - what did I use "Scruffy Badger Time" for?

Do you ever think of changing it?

No. Although as I said, there is another scruffy badger who got onto Twitter and Instagram first, so I have an Italian slant to my Twitter/ IG names - @scruffybadgerti

Why do you / don’t you use your real name?

I am probably like a lot of people who want to keep their professional and private lives separate. My work colleagues do not know me as Scruffy Badger (although a few close colleagues know about it & it always causes hilarious ructions when it gets mentioned. I think they get confused with 'Beaver')

What was your first internet screen name?

I have had Ruby Hedghog as another screen name in days gone by. It seems I have a fondness for woodland creatures!

What is your favorite name you’ve seen in your travels across the net?

Well I have a narrow view as I am mainly interacting with sewing types (& am continually amazed at how many variations there are using the word "Sew" in a name)

However I think that the name "Male Pattern Boldness" is a genius name for a sewing blog - written by a bloke.

Whose origin story would you like to hear next?

Bimble and Pimble - because- why? I just know it'll be funny

Now that people have heard your story, where can they go to find out more about you?

What name do you use on the Internet?

jxpx777 Although I’ve started collecting jxpx1138’s as well thanks to @hotdogsladies. These either redirect (like jxpx1138.com) or are squatted for posterity.

Do you keep the same name everywhere?

Generally for personal stuff, yes. It’s pretty much always available. Squatters will be flogged with a wet noodle.

Where did it come from?

The punk band MxPx, which is an initialism of its own. In my high school and college years they were a really popular band with my crowd. I still listen to their stuff a lot. I tacked on 777 because jxpx was taken and I was pretty involved in the Christian scene back then. When I created it, it was kind of like a reaction to a lot of the 666’s that I saw around the web.

What does it mean to you?

These days, it’s pretty much an initialism and a reminder of that time in my life. I’ve changed quite a bit and think about spirituality and such quite different from then. If I were retconning, I’d say it had something to do with luck and slot machines probably.

Why did you choose it?

Because “jxpx” was already taken and changing my name so my initials were different didn’t really seem like an option.

Do you ever think of changing it?

Sometimes, but I never come up with anything really great and I’ve had this for so long that I stick with it. For better or worse, people recognize me this way.

Why do you / don’t you use your real name?

jxpx777 is shorter. :) I do attach my real name to my username and put it on my website, so it’s not hard to find. Internet anonymity is mostly a fool’s errand unless you’re Dr. Drang.

What was your first internet screen name?

My first email account on my first dial up internet service was [email protected] Camelot was the local dial-up ISP in my home town. The first one that might have had any sort of notoriety was Berko, my username on 43Folders.com’s forums back in the day. Merlin promoted a couple of my posts from the forums to the main feed, which was pretty much the greatest thing ever. “Berko” came from a friend I met on the Internet, on the Five Iron Frenzy vBulletin board. (This was back in the early 2000’s when this was pretty rare. Shout out, Tiffy!) She said I sounded like Berko from Empire Records the first time she ever heard my voice on the phone.

What is your favorite name you’ve seen in your travels across the net?

I don’t know that I have a favorite, but some people have really clever ones, especially on Twitter and Tumblr. I like a good pun or portmanteau name for sure. I also like @chockenberry because CHOCK it has taken on a life of its own even though it’s just a simple first-initial-plus-last-name thing.

Whose origin story would you like to hear next?

Twitter’s @laserlemon, @ploafmaster, @r00k or @wellbredgfruit

Now that people have heard your story, where can they go to find out more about you?

What name do you use on the Internet?

Historically, I've been "inkedmn," but you've asked me this during what Jules Winnfield would call a transitional period. For services that I use heavily—Twitter and Instagram, most notably—I've changed it to "mrbrettkelly."

Do you keep the same name everywhere?

Most services still know me as inkedmn as I've been too lazy or disinterested in making the change.

Where did it come from?

I think it was in 1999; one of my roommates asked me if I wanted an email address. I said "sure" without giving it much thought and fell asleep. I woke up and found a note where he'd scrawled "[email protected]" along with the password he'd chosen for me. I used that handle for 15 years, which is a little crazy.

What does it mean to you?

Well, I have a lot of tattoos, so "inkedm[a]n" was a somewhat obvious choice for my buddy who set up the account.

True story: I actually have a tattoo of "inkedmn" converted to hexadecimal around my left forearm.

Why did you choose it?

I didn't really; it might be more accurate to say it chose me.

Do you ever think of changing it?

Yep! As much as I appreciate the rich history of the inkedmn moniker, I figured that it was time to switch to something a little more professional (since I make my living producing stuff online).

Why do you / don’t you use your real name?

I do, now. Not doing so initially wasn't driven by a privacy concern or anything.

What was your first internet screen name?

inkedmn :)

What is your favorite name you’ve seen in your travels across the net?

I'm a huge fan of my brother's handle: ta2yerface (he's a tattoo artist).

Whose origin story would you like to hear next?

Funny thing: nothing sprang to mind when I read this question, so I started skimming my Twitter timeline for inspiration and realized that easily 90% of the people I follow use their real name (or some variation/derivative) as their username. So, I think I'm going to have to punt on this one.

Now that people have heard your story, where can they go to find out more about you?

What name do you use on the Internet?

Macdrifter

Do you keep the same name everywhere?

No.

Where did it come from?

My youth and inexperience. Also, the lack of good and available domain names.

What does it mean to you?

It reminds me of the days of Diggnation, TRS and The Mac Round Table podcast. I really enjoyed those days when Apple was still trying to make a comeback and there was a community of enthusiasts and underdogs.

Why did you choose it?

It described how I enjoyed the Internet. I liked bouncing around and trying out new sites. I liked a lot of different things but had a genuine affinity for the Mac. I frequented the various discussion boards and application support sites but also like Macworld and IRC. I get bored easily.

Do you ever think of changing it?

Yes. Regularly. I like the "drifter" part but "Mac" is pretty specific. But in a world of "google" and "Yahoo!" who can criticize a name? I like the name for the LLC behind Macdrifter, "Vagabond Industries." I like contradictions a lot.

Why do you / don’t you use your real name?

I use my real name everyday when I go to work and talk to my friends and family. It's also listed on my Web site if someone cares to put in some minor effort to look. On the other hand, there are some really disturbed people on the Internet and I'd prefer not to provide more information than necessary unless I consider someone a friend.

What was your first internet screen name?

I'm not sure. Something on AOL or CompuServe in the nineties. Probably something cheeky and mildly offensive with numbers in it.

What is your favorite name you’ve seen in your travels across the net?

I kind of like "hotdogsladies" as obscure but also fun to say. I've used "dogbuns" on occasion and received a chuckle.

Whose origin story would you like to hear next?

If we're talking about origin stories for pseudonyms, then I guess @veritrope or @jxpx777. If it's just a general origin story then maybe TJ Luoma.

Now that people have heard your story, where can they go to find out more about you?

What name do you use on the Internet?

bsag or BSAG (I capitalise it somewhat inconsistently).

Do you keep the same name everywhere?

Almost everywhere that isn't to do with my professional life.

Where did it come from?

Back in 2002, I started writing a blog which I called but she's a girl.... I wanted to use a pseudonym, and as a consequence of the world-class lack of creativity for which I am justly famous, I decided to create the acronym 'bsag' to use as a pseudonym and call it a day. Somehow it has stuck for 12 years.

What does it mean to you?

After 12 years, it means a surprising amount to me. Since I use it almost everywhere on the Internet, I have come to think of it as my real nickname. I have only recently (and somewhat grudgingly) started to use my real name on the 'net in connection with work, so I'm in the slightly odd position of being much more 'real' online as bsag than as my real name. I should say that I'm pretty much the same person online as offline - it's not an alternate personality.

Why did you choose it?

As I said, it was an acronym of my blog name, but I chose the name of the blog to try to encapsulate the experience having very geeky, technical interests as a woman. As I explain on my About page, if you are a woman interested in geeky and/or technical things, you a) feel like some kind of alien species because you don't see yourself reflected in the media and, b) you often get a baffled response from people (particularly men) when you reveal your knowledge. At the time when I started my blog, I came up with the phrase 'but she's a girl...' to capture what I could imagine people thinking in the privacy of their own heads when I revealed my interests to them. After a while I started to think that maybe I was being unfair (or unduly paranoid!), and maybe I was over interpreting 'The Look' I got given. Then a reader sent me a link to an anecdote by danah boyd: when she told a recruiter from Disney that she was a developer and was interested in a coding internship, he said (out loud) "but you're a girl". By the way, I chose the word 'girl' very deliberately because it is particularly belittling when used to describe an adult woman.

Do you ever think of changing it?

No, it IS me now. However, had I known that I would still be using it today, I hope I would have put a bit more thought into it. For example, people often ask me how to pronounce it. In my head, I pronounce it 'bee-sag', which isn't exactly flattering or attractive-sounding, though increasingly accurate as I get older!

Why do you / don’t you use your real name?

I've written a bit about this here. I'm a very private person (in real life and on the Internet), and I wanted a bit of space where I could just write, without feeling inhibited by the idea that people I know in real life might be looking over my shoulder, as it were. I also love the idea that online as bsag, all I am is words.

What was your first internet screen name?

bsag is my first and last, as far as I can remember!

What is your favorite name you’ve seen in your travels across the net?

I'm fond of fellow Doctors Drang and Bunsen. Since my recent obsession with sewing, I love Scruffy Badger, though she is very well turned out. And not a badger.

Whose origin story would you like to hear next?

I'd love to hear Scruffy Badger's if she'd be up for it.

Now that people have heard your story, where can they go to find out more about you?

What name do you use on the Internet?

On the interblag my handle is Dr. Bunsen.

Do you keep the same name everywhere?

Yes, for the most part, I use the same name everywhere. I like to use a single name because it's easier for people to find me across the Internet. Dr. Bunsen is also relatively simple to spell and easy to remember.

Where did it come from?

The name Dr. Bunsen comes from my fondness of mad scientist extraordinaire Dr. Bunsen Honeydew from the Muppets.

What does it mean to you?

To me, the name Dr. Bunsen represents an enthusiasm for science and a quest for enlightenment.

Why did you choose it?

Dr. Bunsen embodied the type of scientist I wanted to become when I was younger. I wanted to explore crazy ideas and invent things like germ enlargers and banana sharpeners just like Dr. Bunsen. I use the name now as a reminder to the type of science I strive to produce in my own work.

Do you ever think of changing it?

No. I've never thought of a compelling reason to change names.

Why do you / don’t you use your real name?

My real name is too common for a user name; it's usually already taken when I sign up for a new email account or web service.

What was your first internet screen name?

I think my first screen name was something like sbrown84 on AOL Instant Messenger.

What is your favorite name you’ve seen in your travels across the net?

Favorite name? That's hard—@ChewingPencils is pretty darn good.

Whose origin story would you like to hear next?

Two origin stories I'd like to hear are @bsag and @modernscientist

What name do you use on the Internet? I use my real name.

In terms of screen names/handles/etc. I’ve had quite a few over the years. The ones that stuck around for the longest have been angryjungman and macolyte. These days I’m trying to consolidate everything under some variation of my first name spelled backwards, most often in the form of wtf_ynot since plain ynot seems to be taken most places.

Do you keep the same name everywhere? I wish. The fact that I have so many different user names across so many different services kind of drives me nuts. I only recently discovered how easy it is to change your Twitter handle, so that helps a little bit.

Where did it come from? angryjungman came to me while I was in college in the late 90s. It was an angsty time and Billy Joel’s Angry Young Man was my theme song. I was also a psych major and Carl Jung was one of my favorite theorists at the time. One day I was putzing around on my computer in my dorm room and the two collided in a flash of brilliance.

macolyte just popped into my head randomly one day around the time I was really getting into the Mac, around 2005.

ynot also has its origins in college. My roommate and I had this obsession with spelling things backwards. We used to hook up a microphone to our computers (running Windows 95) and record ourselves saying random things. Then we’d play them back reversed just to see what it sounded like. Needless to say, studying wasn’t a huge priority for us.

What does it mean to you? This one’s going to sound a little cheesy. In retrospect, all of my names have represented stages in my ongoing search for an online identity. They’ve changed as I felt I’ve outgrown them.

The one I’m using the most now, wtf_ynot, reflects the laid back “eh, what the f, why not” attitude I’m trying to cultivate in myself. It’s also a little bit of me finally embracing my real name (more on that below). And when you spell it the right way around it’s tony_ftw.

Why did you choose it? I have this overwhelming need to show off how clever I am. Plus, you know, that whole online identity thing I mentioned in the last question.

Do you ever think of changing it? I think I’m pretty settled on it now. It only took 25 years….

Why do you / don't you use your real name? I didn’t use my real name online for a long time. I spent years coming up with and using pseudonyms. Partially because I mildly hate my real name. It is impossible both to spell and pronounce. But mostly because when I was first getting online using your real name wasn’t really something you did. Maybe we were all afraid of being stalked. Now that everybody is using their real names on Facebook and such it doesn’t seem like such a huge deal.

What was your first internet screen name? Legolas992 on AOL. Wikipedia tells me this would have been around 1991/1992 so I was 11 or 12 years old. I remember being horribly disappointed that I wasn’t the first person to want Legolas as their screen name. That may explain why I’ve always tried to be so clever with my handles since. I hated having that 992 tacked on there.

What is your favorite name you've seen in your travels across the net? I’m sure there are several, but I’m failing to think of any at the moment.

Whose origin story would you like to hear next? Yours Carl. Where the hell is yours?

What name do you use on the Internet? @ismh

Do you keep the same name everywhere? When possible. Because it’s short, I’m not always able to use it, and sometimes other people have beaten me to it.

Where did it come from? It’s my initials with an i in front because I used to be what some people would call an Apple fanboy. SMH is also Internet speak for “shaking my head” which I find funny.

What does it mean to you? I mean, it’s a riff on my name. Past that, I went with it because it was short.

Why did you choose it? It’s short and catchy.

Do you ever think of changing it? I do worry sometimes that the International Society of Men’s Health, which owns ismh.org will one day come knocking, but I have a backup Twitter handle already reserved if that comes up.

Why do you / don’t you use your real name? Since I make my online living in writing and podcasting, it’s important to use my real name, in my opinion. My day job has never had a problem with it, so it’s not a big deal if “real life” people see it.

What was your first internet screen name? Yeah, that’s too embarrassing to share.

What is your favorite name you’ve seen in your travels across the net? Hmmm. Dr. Drang’s is pretty good.