MetaChat - I Came Out Last Night...

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04 December 2006

I Came Out Last Night... →[More:]Last night I put my pseudonym to rest and have begun blogging under my real name.

Hi, my name's Erik. Nice to meet you all.

post by: fenriq at: 10:30 | 37 comments

Hi

I'm Paul. I used to post in forums as Paul_H but switched to Doohickie. So I guess we're going in opposite directions.

posted by Doohickie 04 December | 10:36

Hi, Erik. My name is Fred.

posted by mike9322 04 December | 10:38

Hi Erik, my name is Mud.

posted by jonmc 04 December | 10:38

My name is Dan and my last initial is F. It's been unbearable, this burden of secrecy, lo these years.

(sorry fenriq, just had to tease a bit)

posted by danf 04 December | 10:43

Hi, Erik. Nothing too bad happened when I came out as Randall back in the day. I also now have a couple of family members who know that I'm IRFH (my wife, and a cousin who lurks around the filters). More will know soon, if I ever get my damn MefiComp CDs to send out to friends. I do find myself self-editing even more than I used to, but I'm inclined to think that's okay. If I can't say it in front of friends and family, it's probably just self-indulgent crap, anyway.

Welcome to the light.

posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson 04 December | 10:46

I would rather come out the other way 'round because I'd like people to call me Wolfdog in real life too, except maybe not students, except perhaps with a title that'd be OK.

posted by Wolfdog 04 December | 10:47

when I came out as Randall

Here comes Randall, he's
a Berserker....

posted by jonmc 04 December | 10:49

I'm staying a secret in the hopes that you all find my mysteriousness sexy.

And also, I don't think I've ever met an Erik/c that I didn't like.

posted by jrossi4r 04 December | 10:54

Hey Randall!

It's been ages, but thanks so the amazon gifting. You're a hell of a guy IRFH.

And, back to the topic at hand...Hello again Erik. Nice you see you shedding at least one of your handles!

rich.

posted by richat 04 December | 10:55

Erik, the old viking name of kings meaning, uhm, KING! (it is an old norse name innit? I'm not misremembering i hope.) Welcome to the light. I'm Dabitch. ;P

posted by dabitch 04 December | 10:59

Congratulations! It looks really nice on you.

posted by chewatadistance 04 December | 11:24

Dammit, Randall, you said it was our little secret.

I've always been sort of embarrassingly forthright about being Josh, I think.

Hi, Erik!

posted by cortex 04 December | 11:30

I think I should come right out now and say my birthname is actually Stevanous Algonquin Robespierre Lafontaine Meredith Hogswitch the Younger.

But you can all just call me Schmoopy.

posted by Lipstick Thespian 04 December | 11:39

Hey, Eric.

I'm Thomas. And believe me, it's better out here.

posted by grabbingsand 04 December | 11:42

My mom found my blog just last week. I don't think she'll have the wherewithal to google mrmoonpie, but I'm a bit worried about what she'll find if she does.

posted by mrmoonpie 04 December | 11:48

I've been out, but I'm with wolfdog - I actually feel more comfortable with my internet name (of course, I don't think of it as Taz, the cartoon character).

In Greece, though, they call me "Terehza" instead of plain old "Teresa", so it's cooler. Yes, cooler.

posted by taz 04 December | 11:58

pips is the actual nickname my father had for me... he had long and short versions... pips, pipsi, and pipsidipsula, in various combinations (you have to be smoking a cigar to use it in real life, though)

I'm also Lisa and Leona... long story.

(Schmoopy! : )

posted by Pips 04 December | 12:37

Hi, Erik!

I started out as RedFern but decided a few years ago that I'd just rather use my real name.

posted by deborah 04 December | 12:48

I've been known to smoke cigars, pipsidipsula my dear.

posted by dabitch 04 December | 12:52

Greetings Erik! Erik-with-a-K is one of my fave male handles and I agree, I've never met an 'Erik' that wasn't a standup kinda guy.

'Rob' on the other hand.... omg I am not supersitious but I swear to all things holy that every 'Rob' I've ever dealt with has been an absolute basket case. my sincerest apologies to any cool Robs out there reading this!

I'm Beth/Elizabeth/Eli. Most people know me as Beth. The bank and my mother call me Elizabeth. A really cool gay roommate of mine gave me the nickname 'Eli' ages ago and it's far cooler than the other derivatives. I really dislike my given name and don't think my usual nickname adds anything (it's nearly as bad a sorority girl type moniker as "Heather" I think)

sadly I'm too lazy to bother changing it.

fortunately my dad vetoed my mother's original choice of 'Lavinia'. If I was going to get stuck with a heinously unwieldy Edwardian handle as a kid, I at least dodged the worst of it.

posted by lonefrontranger 04 December | 13:04

I've been known to smoke cigars, pipsidipsula my dear.

I'm honored.

*offers dabitch a light*

posted by Pips 04 December | 14:08

Howdy everyone again.

Thanks for all the happy hello's and tales. Its kind of nice stepping out from the shadows and owning my words.

Wolfdog, I agree that being Mr. Wolfdog (or perhaps Master Wolfdog?) would be totally bitchin' (yes, pun intended).

Pipsidipsula would be a thoroughly kickass name.

I remember, back before I had kids, all of the funky names we came up with. I can't remember them all now but none even came close to Pipsidipsula.

But then, I love my boy's names, Graydon and Sullivan are unusual but not so far off the radar that people look at me funny. Unlike one of my wife's clients who truly named their youngest, Draco. I feel bad for the kid but he's a really cute kid so maybe he'll overcome the hurdle of the name.

posted by fenriq 04 December | 14:15

I was named "Jan". Not "Janet" or "Janice" but Jan. Although when I was a kid I thought my name was "Don't Jan".

posted by essexjan 04 December | 14:20

Although when I was a kid I thought my name was "Don't Jan".

Heh. Reminds me of Bill Cosby "Himself".

It was because of my father that from the ages of seven to fifteen, I thought that my name was Jesus Christ and my brother, Russell, thought that his name was Dammit. "Dammit, will you stop all that noise?" And, "Jesus Christ, sit down!" One day, I'm out playing in the rain, and my father yelled, "Dammit, will you get back in here!" I said, "But, Dad, I'm Jesus Christ!"

Man, that loses something in the translation. But still, if you know what I'm talking about, you laughed.

posted by mike9322 04 December | 14:28

A funny story: I was Yakko (from the Animaniacs) when I first started on chat back in the days of text-only internet. One of my online buds was a lady who posted under the name Zoey. The chat board we were on was a local one, and eventually there was a meetup. Somehow it didn't seem at all unusual that I was using a madeup name, but I was shocked, absolutely SHOCKED when I met Zoey in person and her name was something else (which I've long since forgotten)!

posted by Doohickie 04 December | 14:34

"FFFish" would be my middle name if the goobermint hadn't upped the change-of-name fee to an atrocious amount.

posted by Five Fresh Fish 04 December | 14:47

I think that the most sheerly, drivingly, tongue-lolling-out-like-a-Tex-Avery-character attractive girl I've ever seen was (and still is) named Lavinia. So that name is automatically hawt by association.

So is Ludmilla, incidentally.

posted by Wolfdog 04 December | 15:08

My real name is Kathleen. A gay friend in college gave me the nickname "Lena", but only a couple people call me that anymore. If you call me Kathy I will give you the glare of death and probably never speak to you again.

posted by matildaben 04 December | 15:14

Me? I'm Mike. I've been very out on my blog since it started. My usual on-line name is mmahaffie and I've just gotten used to that. Besides, there are too many Mikes blogging in my region already.

posted by mmahaffie 04 December | 16:21

Hi Erik! (I had a crush on a guy who spelled his name that way in junior high and high school. : ))

I'm Rachel, but if you're on the holiday card list you know that already. : )

posted by sisterhavana 04 December | 16:34

Hi, I'm David. Not Dave, Davo or any diminutive you like. My name is David and, if you use anything else, I'll pretend I didn't hear you. Well, a few people call me dg, but that's OK too.

posted by dg 04 December | 16:56

Well, hi Erik. I'm Brigitte. But pronounced Bridget. Unless you are my mother.

posted by gaspode 04 December | 17:03

Hi all! In real life I have way too many first names. But, I am out there. A quoted google search will tell you all but the size of my shoe. C'mon, that's personal.

posted by carmina 04 December | 18:08

Wow, how's your family reacting to the news that you're a blogger?

posted by theora55 04 December | 19:17

Theora55, my family's known since very early in the game. The sweatshirt didn't help keep the secret (oh yeah, I got the free Blogger sweatshirt when they were giving them away!).

posted by fenriq 04 December | 20:33

Hi, Erik, I'm Annie. Although I was named Anne Marie, and my mother used to write it all as one name, since she hated the nickname "Annie". In high school I morphed into Anne, but once I started working, it gravitated to Annie. And Annie is what fits, to me. I can always tell who is family and old friends, as they still call me Anne Marie. But Annie fits my personality. Though I can do without "the sun will come out tomorrow" and "orphan Annie" jokes.

posted by redvixen 05 December | 18:49

tongue-lolling-out-like-a-Tex-Avery-character attractive girl

Well said.

posted by Doohickie 07 December | 00:44

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