How Did You Pick Your Username?

[+Team Noltex]

One of the things we first noticed when we started geocaching were some of the great names people use to log. Arglebargle makes Mrs Team Noltex smile and one of my favorites names is CurmudgeonlyGal, who I got to meet and she isn't.

 

But I've often wondered, what's the story behind a lot of those names? Tell us all here, since I can't be the only one wondering.

 

To start it off, my son in 7th grade needed a fictitious company name for a school project. He wanted something "hi tech" sounding so he came up with a derivation of our last name that he thought sounded cool - "Noltex". When faced with the need of coming up with a geocaching name, I figured that if Noltex was hi tech and cool enough for a 7th grade project, it ought to work for geocaching. The Team part was added a few weeks later when the whole family got exited about caching.

 

What's your story?

[+TotemLake]

I like shortcuts to names and I'm typically not all that creative on inventing names so just used a geographic location near home.

[nolenator]

After an episode of Saturday Night Live with skit Richmeister that had an annoying guy working a copy room who called a guy Steve-inator, the folks at the bicycle shop I worked at all started calling me that and it stuck. Nolenator comes from using my last name. Peace, Nolenator

[+evergreenhiker!]

I had a hiking site which was evergreenhiker.net...it's now down for total overhaul/redesign. It was based on my hikes in Washington and Oregon. Since most of my hikes are in Washington, and it's known as the Evergreen State, I named my domain after that. Thus, my username on geocaching.com is evergreenhiker! decided to add an asterisk like Seth! does.

[+luckykatz]

My username came from my other great love (besides geocaching) and that is mountain climbing. When climbing Katsuk Peak in the North Cascades I led a roped section across a snow bridge, if the snow gives way I was in for a bad day. The snow held, got the peak. I always felt I was LUCKY on KATSUK; hence my name luckykatz.

[Ellylidan]

I was once a man, loved by many and the lover of many more, until I hunted the cache in the lair of the Fen Dweller. What happened to me is there in my profile for all you miserable sacks of fat to read, but I fear you are far too lazy. My name comes from one of the stronger spirits that inhabit me. You see, as flies gather around excrement, so do the spirits gather around the angry. A monster such as Fen has many of the evil apparitions about; they love to watch the blood and horror. No few of them are here with me now, not because I died but because I did not die. Did I not tell you I was legion? Ellylidan was merely the strongest and most hateful, there are many more though. For all the brave talk few of you stench bags have come to see me. Mr. Thomas stares blankly into the sky, waiting for you. Peg Powler wasted another pursuer of Mr. Thomas, the body not fit for consumption. I am angry with her for that.

 

And so it is that my name now for this plane is Ellylidan. I might like to be human again, but the power and strength I have now are somewhat addictive.

[+Wander Lost]

Well, my husband had chosen Misguided One and I wanted something to compliment that. When I think of hiking/walking I think of Wanderlust. Wander Lost just seemed to fit perfectly with Misguided One.

 

Soon after the kids became Lost One and Lil' Lost One as a continuation of the whole Misguided theme.

[+Pobre Rico]

My username is the one that my high school Spanish teacher, Señor Kinkel, gave me. He didn't like simple translations so he always made them more. My name is Richard. So, Ricardo was too obvious. Rich is short for Richard. Rich is Rico in Spanish. He added Pobre or "poor" just for the heck of it. So my class name was Poor Rich.

[+Semper Questio]

Pretty simple. I wear kilts and I like caching. There ya go. Sorry it isn't more interesting.

[+Renegade Knight]

Ronin was too short.

[+Laserman]

Back when I was working on my BS in in laser optical engineering technologies my then 3 year old niece had a nickname for everyone. Because of my studies I was simply that crazy 'laserman'. I decided that I liked the tag better than the two I was using for online stuff at the time Dor or Zandar, so I kept it.

[+chubby forest monkey]

I'm a trail runner, and sometimes when I come upon hikers from behind I don't like to startle them, so I usually call out to warn of my arrival, then I tell them they have just glimpsed the rare chubby forest monkey as I scamper by. I have even entered races under that name.

 

I have also gone by the name chubby gazelle- but I have to be running downhill for that appellation.

 

ps I also run in a kilt, well on me I guess you'd call it a skirt, not sure about the difference. What freedom we enjoy, unencumbered by inseams!!!!

[+pdxmarathonman]

I don't run in a kilt but I used to run a lot. I ran the Portland Marathon in '95 and '98. In '98 my entire life revolved around training for the marathon that year because I wanted to improve my prior best time by more than 30 minutes. I started using the pdxmarathonman moniker for on-line registrations then.

 

BTW: I met my goal. Plus, I qualified for, and ran the Boston Marathon in April '99. My twins were born 4 weeks after Boston, and I've been gaining weight ever since.

[+Gloom]

In my profile...

[+W7WT]

Been a Ham Radio operator since WWII and more people know me as W7WT than my real name. Easy to sign the log. Lot of ham operators use their call signs as their geocaching handle. Dick, W7WT

[+Bull Moose]

Mine is in honor of my hero:

[+leatherman]

It's quite common to choose a user name that represents your favorite vehicle, GPSr, or caching gear.

The moron bons, some how finds this ironic.

 

edit:spell

Edited May 28, 2004 by leatherman

[+GO West]

GO are the initials of my oldest daughter (caught in silhouette in the Avatar), and thus always signed in caps; “West” figures prominently in the name of a large national company that provides me the means to moonlight-cache on a full stomach.

 

Also, I like double meanings – allows a person to avoid stating solid opinions. West is directional (something useful in caching); I reside on the west sided of Western WA, etc.

 

I also like the Horace Greeley tie-in.

 

Great thread, by the way. Though it might be more fun to take a User name, and try to guess what it might mean.

 

-- Anyone want to take a shot at my friend, Orbiter Dicta?

[+Riddlers]

see where we got our name? It is for where we live.

[Nudecacher]

Nudecacher ?

 

Wear only a smile.

[Major Catastrophe]

I began using this name to describe myself in online games, because "Dead Guy" just seemed so depressing...

[+leatherman]

Nudecacher ?

 

Wear only a smile.

Just curious who's taking your picture at all the caches?

[+Riddlers]

I wondered that too and I also wondered about poison oak. Hope it doesn't bother you too much.

[Nudecacher]

Nudecacher  ?

 

Wear only a smile. 

Just curious who's taking your picture at all the caches?

Humm... . Varies, in the last batch my grown daughter was the photographer, various other people who were with me at other times took others, and a bunch I took myself with the timer and remote control on my camera. Creating Nudecacher has added a lot of fun to geocaching.

 

I'm the webmaster for the nudist club that we belong to and there are a lot of pictures from club events in the photo album there, so we are used to taking pictures. You can follow the link from my profile. We're going to be at the club this weekend, and I could arrange free passes for first time nudists if anyone is interested. Just ask at the office.

 

Nudecacher

[+The Jester]

The little voices told me too!

 

Actually, it started in '92 at the Seattle Bike Expo. I was looking for a pair of tights for rock climbing. The one pair I was going to get were sold when I returned, but they had a pair with one bright yellow/gold leg and one bright red leg. These were my school colors, and it was the year of my 20th reunion, so I went with those (and, yes, I wore them to the reunion picnic). A couple of years later, at Halloween time, I saw a jester costume in the same colors and I couldn't resist. Now I seem to collect jester hats as I see them, and they fit the color scheme - a buddy's mom made me a warm watch cap in the colors even. So it just fit when I signed up here. And that's no joke!

[MarcusArelius]

Thus, my username on geocaching.com is evergreenhiker! decided to add an asterisk like Seth! does.

Hey John , that's a bang not a splat (only geeks like me will get that).

Before I started caching I signed up for a throw away hotmail account with a Roman derivation of my real name. Of course I can't spell worth beans (Aurleius is the correct spelling).

 

When I signed up at on the Geocaching site I had no idea that I would be still using it after a few weeks. I considered changing it later but "Cacher in the Rye" was already taken.

[+k7-wave]

When I found my first cache in December 2002 I was so excited that it was really there that I started to sign the log but had given no thought as to what to call myself. I had to think of something quick. My ham radio callsign K7WV came to mind as something that wouldn/t be taken. But I wanted to be a little more creative. I have a mermaid on my QSL card with the caption "radio station K7-Wave" so I put that on the log. I remain k7-wave to this day.

 

[Sassquatch]

I figured that Sassquatch would fit for a six foot six 260 pound man foraging in the woods. Oh, and I know it's misspelled, the sass part is cause I can be a smart a** at times.

 

Oh! and I was drunk when I registered

[+Bull Moose]

Oh!  and I was drunk when I registered

Hey, who wasn't?

My brother and I have 4" and 40 pounds on you, we often call each other sasquatches when we roam the woods. Especially since Sasquatch sightings are often accompanied by a horrific smell.

Edited May 29, 2004 by Bull Moose

[+EraSeek]

I am the product of a little girl's imagination. She had an imaginary friend named "Rocketee" and HE had a friend named "EraSeek".

 

[+dekster]

kind of a homonym/pun on a real name (Dexter, not mine, heaven forbid, although I do tend to be kind of a techno-geek) and my initials....

[+EraSeek]

When I found my first cache in December 2002 I was so excited that it was really there that I started to sign the log but had given no thought as to what to call myself. I had to think of something quick. My ham radio callsign K7WV came to mind as something that wouldn/t be taken. But I wanted to be a little more creative. I have a mermaid on my QSL card with the caption "radio station K7-Wave" so I put that on the log. I remain k7-wave to this day.

 

Love the mermaid card K7-wave, you should make those your (what-do-you-call-it) personalized caching item that you drop in found caches.

[+k7-wave]

Love the mermaid card K7-wave, you should make those your (what-do-you-call-it) personalized caching item that you drop in found caches.

 

Thanks, Eraseek! Actually I HAVE placed a few in caches where I have hit milestones. I have to reserve the bulk of them for ham radio contacts. But I COULD do another printing for a dedicated geocaching signature item in the future.

[+evergreenhiker!]

Love the mermaid card K7-wave, you should make those your (what-do-you-call-it) personalized caching item that you drop in found caches.

 

Thanks, Eraseek! Actually I HAVE placed a few in caches where I have hit milestones. I have to reserve the bulk of them for ham radio contacts. But I COULD do another printing for a dedicated geocaching signature item in the future.

I collect sig items so that would be cool!

[+astheravenflies]

Nudecacher  ?

 

Wear only a smile. 

Just curious who's taking your picture at all the caches?

Humm... . Varies, in the last batch my grown daughter was the photographer, various other people who were with me at other times took others, and a bunch I took myself with the timer and remote control on my camera. Creating Nudecacher has added a lot of fun to geocaching.

 

I'm the webmaster for the nudist club that we belong to and there are a lot of pictures from club events in the photo album there, so we are used to taking pictures. You can follow the link from my profile. We're going to be at the club this weekend, and I could arrange free passes for first time nudists if anyone is interested. Just ask at the office.

 

Nudecacher

Now aren't you glad you asked leatherman? You've been invited!

[+hydnsek]

I was an avid orienteer before becoming a geocacher (now I'm both, but caching has most of my time lately). Several of my clubmates in California had personalized license plates related to orienteering, and when I became club president, I decided to get one, too. But all the obvious choices were taken, like navig8 and orientr and whatever else you can get in 7 letters/numbers. So I branched out and finally came up with hydnsek (get it? ...phonetic spelling of "hide and seek"), which was available.

 

When I started geocaching, I needed a username. Not being very creative the day I joined geocaching.com, I remembered my license plate and used it. And, actually, the monicker is more applicable to caching than orienteering, which really isn't hiding and seeking, per se.

 

Happily, when I moved to Washington last year, hydnsek was available for a personalized plate here as well.

[+blazerfan]

My name is pretty obvious... I have been a big Portland Trail Blazer fan for years (and unlike so many others could never stop being). I picked the name #1 Blazer Fan for when I use to post to the blazer news group. After a while the group was spammed a lot so I created my own online message board (pretty crude today, but as good as it got in '97) which is when I had to shorten the name to blazerfan (all lower case just like the original logo). It didn't take long for spammers to start posting to my website so I shut it down a few years back and use it now for geocaching and my other hobbies.

[+Right Wing Wacko]

Well, how did I get my name. Well, if you can't guess I really am a Right Wing Wacko

 

Several years ago I put my name on the Ballot to be a Precinct Committee Officer as a Republican. I of course won that election (201 to 2) . When I mentioned this fact in another chat room that I was active in at the time, I immediatly became known as the Right Wing Wacko because I ran as a Republican. (Lots of Lefties in that channel).

 

BTW, I won re-election two years later 198 to 4. I have not decided if I will run for a third term yet this fall. I still have a couple weeks to decide.

[+WeightMan]

My other main hobby is working as a track and field official. Many times my duties include weighing and measuring the implements for the throwing events, thus WeightMan. I have been lucky enough to qualify as an officials for the 2000 Olympic Trials and will be doing my thing in Sacramento again this year at the trials.

[+JavaDuck]

I created my nickname JavaDuck years ago when I first started being online. I got Java from the fact that I like to drink a good cup of coffee from time to time. I don't drink it everyday, just thought Java went with the Duck part well. The Duck part comes from being a graduate of the University of Oregon, the home of the Ducks! I'm still a big Duck fan, even though now I live in Husky and Cougar country.

[+Z_Statman]

I drive a 1982 280ZX Turbo and am a professional statistician, thus Z_Statman!

[+Team BlackZ]

Mines similar to Z_Statman. Team is for the family, and BlackZ is for my fast Black 1994 Z28. Another car guy/Geocacher I guess

[+CachinCin]

What a fun thread! I've had a great time reading these.

 

My geocaching name is a bit boring, I'm afraid. My friends have tended to shorten my name (Cindy) to "cin," so I've been called cin for a long time. When I first started using the Internet (gosh, more than a decade ago!), I often used Cin as my name. It's fast and easy to type, and back in the early 90s that was important. So, I put Cachin in front of Cin, and there you are.

 

cin

 

P.S. People often ask my husband about his geo-nickname: BlankJeff. Only one person has ever gotten the reference before he explained it.

[+Bull Moose]

BTW, I won re-election two years later 198 to 4. I have not decided if I will run for a third term yet this fall. I still have a couple weeks to decide.

At the rate the competition is gaining on you, you wouldn't lose until after your 40th term. Go for it.

[MarcusArelius]

Chris are you lurking? You must have an interesting story to go along with your handle.

[+briansnat]

Having a total lack of imagination, I just used my e-mail ID when I registered. Brian is my first name and Snat is the nickname used for nearly every member of my family. It's a shortened version of our last name, which is long and Polish.

 

Which reminds me. What does a Polish girl get on her wedding night that is long and hard? Her new last name.

[+Gloom]

Thus, my username on geocaching.com is evergreenhiker! decided to add an asterisk like Seth! does.

Hey John , that's a bang not a splat (only geeks like me will get that).

Crap, I got that... does that make me a geek?

[+runhills]

Runhills…. Well this user name goes back a few years, maybe more than I care to admit. In reality I took up running to stay in better shape for my weekend warrior battles with various mountain peaks. (amber fluids will easily get me talking about my mountaineering achievements but that is a bit off topic). As my running progressed I ran numerous marathons and participated in several road relays, usually representing a local running team. It was soon evident that I was better at running up and down hills than running the flats. When relay legs were planned, “runhills” was assigned the steepest sections of the course. This ability to do hills also carried over to cycling.

 

Today… well age and changing priorities has impacted my ability but not the desire. My pace is slower but I seldom have the aches and pains that others my age seem to experience. I suppose I could have called myself “waddlehills” but vanity does exist amongst geocachers.

 

So if a group would like some mountaineering experience and can afford a little extra time, keep runhills and in mind.

[+Wienerdog]

What a fun thread! I've had a great time reading these.

 

My geocaching name is a bit boring, I'm afraid. My friends have tended to shorten my name (Cindy) to "cin," so I've been called cin for a long time. When I first started using the Internet (gosh, more than a decade ago!), I often used Cin as my name. It's fast and easy to type, and back in the early 90s that was important. So, I put Cachin in front of Cin, and there you are.

 

cin

 

P.S. People often ask my husband about his geo-nickname: BlankJeff. Only one person has ever gotten the reference before he explained it.

Funny what you can make out of a persons geoname.

 

Cin (Cindy), you know how you can look at 6-PackRats two ways? I always thought you had a twist to yours. Cache-In-Sin!!! Oh dear!

[+Criminal]

Chris are you lurking? You must have an interesting story to go along with your handle.

Why yes, as a matter of fact I do.