"My real name is"

Well Golly miss Molly.
I have a boy dog named sue, buts that's another story huh!

I almost always click on a members name hoping to see a pic and look at any websites or blogs.
Some names are Inventive haha Very Inventive. Love it!

GW is responsible for heycharlie. In a post I made regarding the name I signed up with she commented, why not heycharle.
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Wow, that hits home I thought!
Ever since I refused to be charles many years ago its been charlie & I''ve been hearing heycharlie for years.
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Thanks Kimberley for making me see whats in front of my face.

Now, ya can call me heycharlie, or jus charlie, or tunaface guy, I'll most likely hear and ask, what, huh, me? Yeah!
________________________

I vote for choice.........

Its important to me to know if a person is a male or female. Going thru the DG photo files tonight... there are so many people whom I had their gender confused. I have embarresed myself once too often. Right TXmel? LOL Actually I have no problem with anyone knowing my name ..especially the single men! LOL
Sylvia

I've been called so many names, I answer to almost anything, even if ur not hollering at me! Lor, Laurie, Laura, Koog, Kooger, Mary, Feucht in English and then Laurie, Laura and Kooger in Dutch too. LOL

Why not just sign your name. I always do.

I want the person I'm answering to know that I'm directing my response to them, so I copy their username (not easy) and paste it in my reply. Now you don't think I'd remember the following, do you.

"ncgardenaddic" (hope you don't mind me using your username as an example" :•)

Signed

Joan

I agree that signing your name to posts is a good signal to others that you'd like (or at least don't mind) being addressed by that name.

However, I frequently see long threads where someone is replying to a post made by another user - and there are several posts in between the two. It can get confusing to figure out who they're talking to, especially if you're just skimming it, or you skip to new and can't recall everyone who is participating in the thread.

I absolutely, unequivocally respect concerns about peer pressure being brought to bear, and we would all be responsible for remembering that it's strictly optional (and any incidents of pressure should be brought to an admin's attention.

But as far as this being confusing, I think this might actually clear up some confusion rather than make it worse - at least that's the thought behind the suggestion ;o)

I agree Terry. It can be very confusing following a thread.

My outline is as follows,

Person I'm addressing, I'm responding to your post..

Joan

Joan I really TRY to do that, too. It can get VERY confusing. In fact, I have gone to doing that in Chat too since many conversations go on at the same time.

I think that when we first sign up...we aren't aware what a nice group we have landed in...so we are reticient in using our home town...and our name...after a while a lot of us go to "preferences" and show our location...and I always sign my name...most people know I am JO...I really would like to know the gender though...and like sedrick/Sylvia...especially any single (OLD) men! LOL JO

I hear ya Jo! ...and I forgot to mention OLD! LOL
Sylvia

Hi Jo, I wasn't aware that some people don't give out their location to start off with. But, I guess it's a good idea until you get a sense of where you're at. I have seen your postings lots of times, but don't remember seeing your name with them. Oh well, probably just me not noticing.

Older single men !!??? There's older, single men here. Where? Where?

Joan :•)

As for me I don't care if you know my real name or the HUGE town I live in (Pop: 78 .... sy-loot) come on by I'll put you to work.

Signed
Some guy here from a town far away.

What we need on here is a Singles Forum!!! I want mine to have a motor home...so he can keep up with me! LOL Jo

Haha I don't know if this is a good place for a singles forum, since after last week's poll it looked like no one wants to share their gardens! I sure would enjoy reading threads about 'SF looking for pollinator, must still have all his leaves and enjoy diggin holes'

Rachel

I like the idea of it being an option. If you like it, do it. If you hate it, then don't.

Rachel, getting a little racey there! LOL!
That's why who cares if you give your name out, it's all one big happy family.
Bernie

LOL Rachel!! Jo

Hey, I was just using garden terms to say 'single gal looking for a man who has all his hair and will do hard labor out in the yard for me', get your mind out of the gutter buddy! LOL Bernie, you are so funny, you have me snorting LOLOL

Rachel

Rachel, I thought you were married. Musta missed something.

No Darius, you're right, I'm married. I was just joking about a singles forum and post titles. Here we are at dinner for my birthday last week, the boys are my nephews who come to stay with us 2 or 3 weeks a year from WV.

I think it's a great idea! I was not clever enough to have a neat DG name, so just went with my own. I probably annoy some people, but I do have a habit of assigning affectionate nick-names to the DG names. (re:Sugar, Woofy, Hap, etc.) Since we are not consistent in using "real" or DG names, it would be great to have a reference.
Pati

I'm your Woofy, tho Pati :)

Hugs,
J

This message was edited Aug 22, 2005 11:01 AM

Lol;
Above couple of posts.

I agree with Happy Face:
"I like the idea of it being an option. If you like it, do it. If you hate it, then don't."

I like the idea as long as it remains optional.

As for me, my user name is ViolaAnn. My name is Ann and I play the viola. ;-) I generally sign my posts.

Ann

fixed a typo Aug 25

This message was edited Aug 25, 2005 9:56 AM

I like the anonymity of a user name.If I want someone to know and/or use my given name I can tell them. Posting it as a part of the "public" information to an International membership of thousands is not cool. I think the option of submitting as much or as little personal information as you wish is appropriate. So many of the user names are not gender specific and that, at least to my way of thinking, is a step towards greater equality. Is that a bit of tongue-in-cheek ?

Good points all around, balvenie.

Yes balvenie, user names do give anonymity, and you do have a point about the gender thing.

But surely you're not giving much info away by giving your first name only, and as for the gender, does it really make that much difference on a gardening forum?

I had to copy your name into this post because no way am I going to remember it, or look back and forth to get each letter right.

Joan

I am for it. I usually sign my name to my posts anyway.

You are right Joan. A first name is bland and unrevealing. (Balvenie is a Single Malt Scotch, but I'm a Robert)

This message was edited Aug 23, 2005 6:21 PM

Hey Robert;
You got good taste!

Several of you have asked why the need for the gender thing..... I don't know why - I dont have a good answer, but I like to know if I am talking to a male or female. in reading this post, several people have revealed their gender, and they were all opposite to what I had them pegged as.
I like to know, no ulterior motive, it's just nice to know.

I agree about some of the usernames, there is no way i can remember some of them. , and in replying to threads, i do often have to scroll up and see the name again.

my username and name are the same.

DITTO PEBBLE!!! I wish I could change my user name....its really the name of my cat. lol
Sylvia

I like both suggestions. both F/M and real name as an option. even if you post your name since this is a Global site you may not know if its a male or female anyway. If a put what i have been called since I was a toddler Nettan you would not know. F or M????? but my name is Janett, then it is easy. My nick here is Tayson80 its my dogs name and his former weight in kg. I now regret taking his name since I (Today ) became a subscriber and got access to ALL forums and really saw what a greate place I have found. So Im for both

I would have thought Sedrick was male...

Dave will change your names ONCE...if you ask him nicely! He is a great guy. Jo

Janett/sedwick80...

A hearty WELCOME TO DG!!

Shoe.

as you can see I am Shirleyt, new to paid membership...I agree with I am who I am.....I sign post usually with MM... I do so in my personal life...It stands for Maw Maw because that is what I am everybodys MM..... we are MM and PP to a lot of teenagers...... I love this site.... I learn a lot......MM

This message was edited Aug 26, 2005 11:13 AM

I really like the idea of having our first names and genders as an option. I think it would clear up a lot of confusion. (I've even had to go up and double check names a few times on this thread!) Also, it's embarassing when you refer to someone as "he" and find out she's a "she," not to mention that it's just nice to know for some reason, like pebble said. Sometimes when I've imagined someone as one gender for so long and find out I was wrong, that's confusing too! I think anything that's optional can't hurt.

--Dana

I think gender does matter even on a gardening forum, as Balvenie indicated above anonimity usually brings more equality. I've known other forums where men take on female names to 'fit in' if it's a largely female membership or to prevent being ignored by females or attacked by other males. It works in reverse too, some women choose to present themselves in a male way to be taken more seriously and not looked down upon by males or other females. Either way, if you are in a group largely of one gender but you are the other gender, it pretty much pays to say you're in the majority just so you can join in more. I really don't advocate lying though so I'd much prefer not to know either way, I'm here to garden in a virtual space with like minded people regardless of gender.

So what else will people want to know when they get used to names and genders ;) Height, weight, age? I AM kidding here.

LOL, Baa! Good post. : )

now that is when I would advocate lying LOL

If mention I'm a 79 year old, skinny giraffe called Shyda with an Oxbridge Phd in Philosophy and currently employed as Head of Accounts for a large corporation, no one is going to need to know more ... right? *G* (apart from how one gardens with hooves, those little horns on my noodle make great digging tools ........... ;)