User Name Question

[+Jake340]

HI. I have found 70 finds. When I started geocaching I just used my generic username of Jake340. Jake is my real name and I was wondering what people thought about that. Is it not reccommended to use your real name? and if so.....how might I change my user name.....any ideas of a new name? Please let me know if you think I should change my name as I love geocaching and lovvvve it and plan to continue.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

From the GS Knowledge Books: Geocaching ~ Username Change.

 

I think you are FAR better off with choosing your own username than to have somebody else choose.

[+Viridios]

... Jake is my real name and I was wondering what people thought about that.

 

As you may be able to tell, I use my real name on here (Greg Kelley), and my friend, who is new to caching, uses his real name as a user name as well. I have not had any issues with it. Perhaps others have had issues? I have not heard of any. I have thought about changing it, but solely for creativity sake.

[+USMCGecko]

I dont see anything wrong with what you have. You aren't giving away any information. Unless "340" is a real last name. I say stick with what you have.

[+LightHouseSeekers]

HI. I have found 70 finds. When I started geocaching I just used my generic username of Jake340. Jake is my real name and I was wondering what people thought about that. Is it not reccommended to use your real name? and if so.....how might I change my user name.....any ideas of a new name? Please let me know if you think I should change my name as I love geocaching and lovvvve it and plan to continue.

I wouldn't recommend using Jake Smith-Jones, but there is nothing wrong with Jake340.

Many use something similiar a variation of their own name,

others use something which says something about them.

[+KevinWinkler]

I use my full real name because I have nothing to hide and don't care if anyone knows who I am. I am very active on several fishing forums and it's kind of the normal in that world. I've googled Kevin Winkler once or twice, and there are 100's of us out there. I'm really not scared that some hacker is going to find out any of my bank acct. numbers based on a user name on a forum. I never use my computer to place creadit card trasactions or pay bills of any sort, so even if they do try, good luck getting anything of value off of this machine I don't put others down because they use some cool nic-name/handle, to each their own. Besides, I never have a problem remembering what my user name and passwords are. I have several passwords I like to use, and I change them around all the time.

 

Someone once asked me if I was looking for trouble. When I asked them why, they started to explain that there are a lot of anti's in the world. People who don't like outdoorsmen/women. Groups like PETA looking for guys just like me who hunt & fish. All I say to the world is this ... Here I am, this is who I am, and this is what I do. If you don't like it ... Come on over to my turf and we'll talk about it for a while. I'm a Noob to geocaching, and I've been reading non-stop about some of the problems we face. Just look at the blogging topic I feel for you all that have to deal with those nut jobs. I feel some-what safe out here in the middle of Minnesota, but if for some reason some anti wants to come face me out here, I'm more then ready and will be happy to show them just where the big old bear S#!T'$ in the woods.

 

I like to see peoples names when getting to know them. It's much easier for me to remember John Smith than it is to remember cacherstasher420 or something like that.

[+CanDMan47]

Jake is my real name and I was wondering what people thought about that....Please let me know if you think I should change my name as I love geocaching and lovvvve it and plan to continue.

 

Jake is a decent name. I have never given it much thought, though. I don't think if I have any more children that I would name one Jake. As far as changing your name, I don't think the you should, the legal process is to burdensome to become Joe, or Jack, or Mack, or Billy, just so your real name doesn't match your caching name of Jake340. But if you decide to legally change your name, I'd go with something fun. A character on Friends once changed her name to Princess Bananahammock. OK, you don't have to go that far. How about Luke Skywalker. But then people would ask, "Why is Luke's user name Jake340, that doesn't make sense." I hope you see where I'm going with this, as my funny bone is fading.

 

***This is an early morning/sleepy attempt a being funny***

***This is not an attempt at being mean, or nasty***

[+brenda&&rew]

I use my real name (well first name and last initial). When setting up my account when I joined I decided to do that so that people who had not met me in the geocaching world may know who I am if they have met me outside of geocaching. (I hope that makes sense.) It actually happened the other day when someone I knew from a volunteer group I used to chair emailed me and said "Hey! I know you! You're Brenda." It was kind of neat. They are new to caching and loved knowing that someone else they know is also playing too.

I have had no negative issues with my real name being used at all.

[+dorqie]

This is the username that I have used since I was a wee teenager of about 13, it has evolved a bit from dorqie_chick, to just dorqie. I use this username on nearly every web account that I create.

When I started caching, I didn't realise that in geocaching land it's common to refer to yourself as your username, even when signing physical logs, had I known that, I would have chosen something closer to my actual name, but c'est la vie.

I'm not one to dewll, and I've come to accept and love my new geocaching persona.

[Otter3]

How bout FlatField and the real Mccoy!

[+lamoracke]

some folks have used their first and last names and then realized much later they were uncomfortable with it...some folks have put their birthday or zip code at the end of their UN, only to change it later. I think your name is just fine, change it only if you want to. No big deal either way.

[Mr.Yuck]

... Jake is my real name and I was wondering what people thought about that.

 

As you may be able to tell, I use my real name on here (Greg Kelley), and my friend, who is new to caching, uses his real name as a user name as well. I have not had any issues with it. Perhaps others have had issues? I have not heard of any. I have thought about changing it, but solely for creativity sake.

 

lol, as the hip kids say. This post is over two years old, and apparently Greg Kelley changed his mind by now. Note the quoted poster is "Viridios".

 

Some people do become uncomfortable with it, and desire to change it. It hasn't come up too often, but this is definitely not the first thread about username change specifically because of having second thoughts about using a real name.

[+Davequal]

<<<<< First name first 4 of last name not changing it ever...

[ad5smith]

... Jake is my real name and I was wondering what people thought about that.

 

As you may be able to tell, I use my real name on here (Greg Kelley), and my friend, who is new to caching, uses his real name as a user name as well. I have not had any issues with it. Perhaps others have had issues? I have not heard of any. I have thought about changing it, but solely for creativity sake.

 

lol, as the hip kids say. This post is over two years old, and apparently Greg Kelley changed his mind by now. Note the quoted poster is "Viridios".

 

Some people do become uncomfortable with it, and desire to change it. It hasn't come up too often, but this is definitely not the first thread about username change specifically because of having second thoughts about using a real name.

I saw that, I was a bit confused there for a minute

[Pup Patrol]

How bout FlatField and the real Mccoy!

 

 

Whatever your reply means, congrats on finding a two-year-old thread to post to for your first time.

 

 

B.

[ll JK ll]

My usual handle for online services (Xbox LIVE, Instagram) is StrictlyDigital.

 

When I signed up for geocaching that name didn't seem to click very well with the subject at hand. So, I started out with my initials and birth year (JK_81) and then shortened it to just my initials. I prefer an anonymous name but I'm okay with using my real initials. I don't see anything wrong with using your real name, Jake.

 

Even though I like my usual handle I see the wisdom in my choice every time I find a micro. When the scrap of paper is an inch wide or less, there's a world of difference between "JK" and "StrictlyDigital"

[+jellis]

I use my real name (well first name and last initial). When setting up my account when I joined I decided to do that so that people who had not met me in the geocaching world may know who I am if they have met me outside of geocaching. (I hope that makes sense.) It actually happened the other day when someone I knew from a volunteer group I used to chair emailed me and said "Hey! I know you! You're Brenda." It was kind of neat. They are new to caching and loved knowing that someone else they know is also playing too.

I have had no negative issues with my real name being used at all.

I use the opposite. And I've used way before GC.

[+Roman!]

Growing up I've had so many nicknames using my real name is a rarity, the "!" is there because without it it's taken, I'd drop ! If I could.

[+jellis]

I did a search and didn't find a Roman. Am I missing it.

[+Roman!]

I did a search and didn't find a Roman. Am I missing it.

 

I think I'm on page 23,657.

[+OZ2CPU]

you username or alias must be written in all logbooks of all caches you find,

so by keeping it short, you use less paper space = good.

by selecting a username like your own real name, you dont hide behind an alias

friends will find it easier to find you and to say hi at events, and peopel on the forums may also find it easier..

if your realname is very common it is offcourse allready taken, then add area name, contry or numbers.

I use my radio amateur call sign, simply it is SHORT, easy to remember, and all people I know, know what call sign is me :-)

and it is NEWER taken, since it is world wide unique.

 

jake123 is not as good as

jake_usa, since 123 dont mean anything to anyone, but usa, at least tell where you are from,

jake_fl, could mean FL for Florida,

smart to use the 2 letter codes for the states or contry if that apply to your location.

 

another trick is to use first 4 letters of first name, and first 4 letters of last name,

this way it is very rare taken, and you end up with a 8 letter username, nice and short.