Handle This
I let my Xbox Live account lapse while I’ve been dealing with other assorted obligations. Sooner or later, though, it sounds like good people like Tony and Dan may be joining me for the friendly ritual of online murder. This raises a vexing question for me: do I renew my lapsed account (with name/Gamertag coinop25) or do start a new account with a more interesting name? Seeing as how it costs $10 to change your name, I’m seeing this as an either/or situation. However, I am having a hard time coming up with a new name which would meet the following requirements:
- It has to be something that I would not be embarrassed to post on my professional web site or share with fellow academics. (Terms like “Mecha,” “Robo,” and “Dino” are questionable at best.)
- As a corollary of the above point, the name must sound neither ridiculously aggressive nor likely to bog down group chat with internet morons calling out homophobic slurs. (Terms like “Murder” and “Unicorn” are equally unfeasible. The name “Cinnamanslaughter” would violate both parts of this rule.)
- It must be pronounceable out loud by strangers communicating with me through a microphone. (Numbers are discouraged. References to Mister Mxyzptlk are right out.)
- It is highly preferred (though not required) that it be a name I could use as a screen name elsewhere on the internet to replace some existing screen names, such as on AIM and Flickr. (This complicates the “numbers are discouraged” item.)
Bonus points if I could work my first name in there, I think, but that’s not a requirement. I am open to your creative suggestions, should you have any.
7 Comments so far
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Dunno if this fits #1, but perhaps ninjason.
By Richard Neal on 04.13.07 2:25 pm
or maybe Jasine? Like cosine but with Jason? Probably taken. It’d be totally rhombus, though.
By Emily on 04.13.07 2:48 pm
If this is going to be published, I’d suggest simply picking the name of a famous (preferably dead) academic related to your field. It’ll fly right over the XBL gamers’ heads.
By Tom on 04.13.07 3:03 pm
All awesome names, some less eyebrow-raising in academic contexts than others.
By Jacob on 04.13.07 4:46 pm
I just remembered that I have the IM name “infinite semiosis”. You’re welcome to it if you’d like, although it might be hard to pronounce over a microphone.
By Emily on 04.14.07 8:03 am
The best I have is ‘pentalune’ or some similar variation of ‘penta-’ and ‘month’. This because July, August, September, October, and November spell JASON.
By Justin on 04.16.07 12:08 pm
Thanks for all your comments. Some thoughts in response:
I would have to be careful about capitalization so that it’s clearly NinJason and not NinjaSon. Tricky in games like Gears of War, where all screen names are converted to caps. May also veer into rule #1 territory, but then again, do I really want to work with academics who are prejudiced against ninjas?
Jasine sounds like a feminized version of my name, but it would indeed be algebraic.
I thought about using dead communication and culture scholars’ names, but I am having a hard time coming up with one that is not super common. (Hall? Williams? Using a name like Lazarsfeld would get around this but also identify me with a tradition I don’t really subscribe to.) I was seriously considering the Geertz reference “BalineseCockfight” because it would be like going undercover, but it’s one character too many (17).
JasonSaucy and anything about bears/bares violate rule #2, and AtariTeenagePregnancy made me laugh too hard. Also, it’s too long.
If we’re going to mine old screen names here, I should just choose one of my own (generally created in a fit of I-want-to-see-who’s-online-but-not-be-seen, before the “invisible” option in new AIM clients). These include various references to Autobots, the Monkey King of Chinese legend, secret agents, and other things that probably violate rule #1. Hmm.
Suggestions formulated offline include:
PlasticUnicycle (referring to my father’s old band, Trench Mouth and the Plastic Unicycle—one of the greatest band names of all time)
Justified Type (nerdy typography reference)
TripleWordScore (super nerdy Scrabble reference)
MasticationJason (I chew my tongue when I play games…)
Jason Says Hello (because “Jason Says Hi” could be construed as a drug reference)
Action Potato (because people love potatoes … and action)
Geek Studies (but do I really want to name myself after my own blog?)
Still thinking. Good thing I don’t have time to play video games online right now!
By Jason on 04.16.07 12:51 pm
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