So how did you get your nickname used here?

[NecrosIhsan]

"Necros Ihsan" are the first two names in my nickname, "Necros Ihsan Nodtveidt". I chose that nickname so the initials would be "NIN", to fool certain people into thinking I was a Trent Reznor fan (which I'm not, but the idea worked).

[na_th_an]

It was the very first thing that popped in my head. There's really no significance to it.

Same here.

In fact it happened when I was signing up in Hotmail for an email account, back in 1999. I never thought about a nickname, so I skimmed over my table and found the "1. Outside" LP by David Bowie. The first thing I could read was "The Diary of Nathan Adler" so I picked up nathan, but as nathan was already assigned, and I don't like stupid numbers, I used the funny underscores.

[Josiah Tobin]

My name.

[na_th_an]

I often wonder why most people invent strange names instead of using their real first or last name or both, like Antoni Gual, simple and straight to the point. What's the purpose of using a disguised name or nickname?*****

I guess it's simply for keeping annonymous. Not like you're gonna do nasties or something like that, but more for the sake of it. I'd rather keep my real life and my internet life separated.

Also, it's a way to choose a more unique name. My real name is pretty common, and my surnames have "ñ" and accented vowels, so they are unusable for internet.

[relsoft]

Random Scrabble pieces. Interestingly enough, barok is the name of a caveman character in the Phillipines i think...

Yep. I wonder how you got your name though. :*)

Rel = my Initial

[anarky]

Unfortunately, I HATE even saying my name...

>anarky

[KiZ]

I feel that using my real name is way too formal for some reason. I guess its also something about the internet that allows you to reinvent yourself, and I take great delight in that. (I dont modify my personality though, I stay true to myself.)

However I certainly see why some people would prefer their real name to use. Its just a matter of preference.

[relsoft]

Unfortunately, I HATE even saying my name...

>anarky

Then why not change your name to "Mike"?
:rotfl:

[anarky]

That's my real nickname. My online one is anarky, obviously...

>MIKE

[LooseCaboose]

I often wonder why most people invent strange names instead of using their real first or last name or both, like Antoni Gual, simple and straight to the point. What's the purpose of using a disguised name or nickname?

I don't go by my real name in real life all the time either. About four years ago, my boss (now my flatmate) nicknamed me Obiwan. The shortend name Obi just stuck and now many of my friends, my girlfriend and all my workmates call me that. Some people that I have known for a while don't even know my real name ;-).

The name LooseCaboose comes from playing a LAN game of (I think) Duke3D. The default player name was LooseGoose and I thought it was funny, I later changed it to LooseCaboose to be a little more original (turns out it isn't ;-)).