Somewhat random question

[sholio]

I'm seriously thinking about changing my journal name. I'm Sholio everywhere but here: on ff.net, on AO3, and most recently on my fanfic website since I bought the domain name "sholiofic" a couple of years ago.

I originally started using "friendshipper" back in 2005 on a lark, really. Sholio had been my pseudonym in anime/manga fandom, and since I'd been out of fandom for a couple of years and didn't really consider myself a part of my old fandoms anymore, I wanted something fresh for LJ. I thought "friendshipper" sounded cute, and appropriate for the sort of thing that I normally write.

But I'm not really happy with it anymore. It's too overtly fannish, for one thing. I feel a little weird using this journal to comment outside my usual circle of friends, especially if I'm commenting on non-fannish posts. And it's too 'shippy for my tastes anymore -- or too blatantly unshippy, really. I feel like I'm wearing my status as a genficcer on my sleeve in a more ostentatious way than I'm comfortable with.

And I like the idea of being consistent in my fandom persona across all of the sites I frequent.

But I've been "friendshipper" on LJ for 6 years now, and that's where most of my online social interaction has taken place. Would it throw people off too terribly if all of a sudden I change my name?

Poll #8336

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 41

View Respondents

Would you find it difficult to adjust if I changed my journal name?

View Answers

Probably not; I already know you as Sholio elsewhere anyway
20 (48.8%)

It would be a little disconcerting at first, but I'd get used to it
15 (36.6%)

I think of you as "friendshipper" and I think it would be hard for me to adjust to a new name
0 (0.0%)

Having changed my journal name myself, I say go for it! I did it and don't regret it.
2 (4.9%)

Having changed my journal name myself, I didn't find the adjustment and difficulty worth it.
0 (0.0%)

I have no opinion about it. It's your journal, after all.
2 (4.9%)

... other?
2 (4.9%)

LJ version of this poll

(Obviously I'm not going to base my decision solely on the results of a poll. But since I don't think of myself as sholio OR "Sholio", but rather as my RL name, it doesn't actually matter to me all that much what my LJ/DW name is -- and so the poll results do matter to some extent, because I'm balancing my general dissatisfaction with "friendshipper" versus the amount of disruption it would cause me socially to change it.)

Comments

[nonniemous]

As someone who's made that kind of change, it's not really that problematic. Most everyone who I truly cared to remain in touch with had no issues with the new name, and everyone adjusted to it rather quickly.

I say go for it.

[sholio]

Makes sense to me! And I didn't have any trouble remembering who you were under your new name. We're adaptable creatures.

[thingswithwings]

Probably not; I don't know you as Sholio elsewhere, and doubt that I'd find it disconcerting at all.

[sholio]

*grins* Yeah, I ... guess I didn't make an option for that, did I? OOPS.

Thank you! :D

[anotherslashfan]

I've only come to know you as friendshipper here on DW, but I think it's very understandable you want to change your name (back) to sholio. Go for it, if you want. (Though I do appreciate the humour of the nick "friendshipper", unsurprisingly, I guess.)

[sholio]

Thank you! :) I think right now I'm leaning towards doing it, but I'll give myself a little time to think about it.

[meridian_rose]

It makes sense to have the same 'online identity' everywhere you feel comfortable doing so. Other friends at LJ have changed their names and after a couple of weeks I get used to it - especially since they're still using the same icons and I'm quite visual by nature :D

[sholio]

Thanks! Yeah, icons and all would stay the same (and someone on LJ suggested putting my old username on my default icon for a while, which is a good idea).

[torachan]

I did choose the "probably not" option, but it bugged me that it also said "I know you as Sholio elsewhere", when I don't. ^_^;; (Though I was aware that you used that name.)

Sometimes I find people's name changed confusing, because I can't remember who they used to be, especially if several people on my flist all change their names at the same time, which has happened before. But since you would be changing to another name that I already knew was associated with you, I don't think there will be that confusion here.

[sholio]

haha, yeah, t'wings pointed that out too. Oops; I hadn't even realized when I posted it that I'd left out a rather important option. It's too bad you can't edit a poll after posting it, because I always seem to bork them in some minor way. Anyway, thanks! :)

[auburn]

I kind of see it as being the equivalent of shedding a diminutive nickname or whatever. It's you. You get to decide what you want people to call you. But I'm pretty laissez-faire about this kind of thing.

[sholio]

I think that's a good way to look at it! Thanks. :)

[starwatcher]

.
As others have said, your 'online recognition symbol' is totally up to you.

I'm bad at connecting names, so changes confuse me. But that's my problem, and I'll facepalm enough to straighten things out eventually. My biggest worry is always 'losing' the fic-source recognition -- but I already have you in two folders in my SGA folder: "Friendshipper is Sholio" has the fics, and "Sholio - see Friendshipper" is empty, to remind me where to go.

That said, I like 'Friendshipper' as a name; it says so much. OTOH, 'Sholio' is unique, and has a nice sound in my mental ear. So I'm no help at all. <g>
.

[sholio]

Thanks! :) Oh, and that's interesting about the folders to keep it sorted. I am nowhere near that organized. *g*

I think I liked Friendshipper better a few years ago, when it was more of a casual pseud and less the name that I use for my everyday interactions with people. It's not a bad pseudonym; I just think I'd like to be more consistent overall. But thank you for the support. :) Someone suggested putting "friendshipper" on my default icon after I first make the switch, and I think that's a great idea.

[zillah975]

Probably not - I think of you as "friendshipper", and "Sholio" always confuses me for a moment until I make the connection, but that's only because I mostly interact with you here. Once I adjust I'll start thinking of you as your new username, and to me, the most important thing is for you to have a username you like. People will adjust. :)

*hugs bunches*

[sholio]

Thank you! :D *hugs back*

[tessercat]

As mentioned above, I largely go by icons - so as long as those don't ALL change, I'm fine. :)

Also, I appreciate the heads-up that you might do this. The thing that throws me the worst is when Semagic tells me "you were deleted by [name]" and "you were added by [name I don't recognize]" -- I get all paranoid that a friend has just up and deleted their journal with no warning.

[sholio]

I had no idea it would give that message if someone changed their username - yeah, that would be awfully disconcerting. :/

But thanks! And yeah, the icons will stay the same. :)