I don't mean to copy hlf here, but the real names only thing yesterday got me thinking as well. I am now contemplating changing my name in chat, but I really don't know--so many different ideas appeal to me, and I've heard a bunch of different arguments for and against various names. I'm going to list some of the names I'm thinking about along with the pros and cons for each, and I ask that anyone who has any thoughts on the matter (suggestions, additional pros and cons, etc.) post them here. I'm not really looking for a vote or anything--I wouldn't make a decision like this based solely on popular opinion. (Well, I might, but only if I liked that opinion anyway.)

Monkeyman - An obvious one. This has been a nickname of mine in real life for about six years now, and I even answer to it. However, it isn't my real name, and removing the mask is what I'm looking for here.

Don - This one is out, because Ticia's Don has it, and I wouldn't ask for it back. He was here first. :-)

Don13 - Thirteen was my uniform number in basketball, and if I were going to append a number to my name, this would be it. Wes says that numbers are for AOL names, though. What do others think?

Donald - My actual name. It works for me, although as Faux_Pas has mentioned, it doesn't really suit me--I'm a Don, not a Donald.

DonJ, DonJackson, Don_J, Don_Jackson - I don't like having more than one capital letter or an underscore in my nick. No offense to anyone that does--it's just a personal quirk that I wouldn't want for myself. These are just here because people have suggested them.

DonMonkey, Don_Monkey - These have the same problem as those above, but have the bonus of familiarity for people who barely know me around here or who know me mainly from the Forum.

Jackson - Wes suggested this one. It IS a name I answer to in real life--one friend and former co-worker calls me this almost exclusively.

Of all these, I think I like "Donald" and "Jackson" the best because they are both names that people would call me in real life. Nobody would ever say "Hey, Donthirteen!" or "How's it goin', DonunderscoreJackson?" Monkeyman, of course, is also a name that people would call me in real life, but it isn't a name I would introduce myself with.

Well, that's about it. I look forward to hearing your response, even if they are "Why are you cluttering up the Forum with this junk?"

Don Monkey