Here on LG, I just want everyone to know that I honestly feel very uncomfortable when anyone calls me by my real name. Here on LG, I only feel comfortable being referred to by my username only. I just want to point this out to everybody here. If anyone calls me by “WorldWideHIDCollectorUSA”, that would be appreciated.

Thank you for your understanding.

I'll respect your right.

Mind if I call you WWHIDCUSA?

That would be wonderful!! I appreciate your comments on my posts!!

Lol same, I don't know anybody's names so it's just confusing to hear. A few people know my name but it's just weird. Usernames are more clear

Each of us have their own preference.

I also don't interested that member would mention my real name but only my username.

As for now, I feel the same way. I'm still fairly new(I am a member tho not a newbie) and things may change later.

I'm fine with calling members by their username, or sometimes short forms (example: LightsAreBright27 --> LAB27)

When replying to another member a few comments before, I usually mention (@) their username as that’s much easier and it autocompletes the username when typing it. And I don’t @ it if it isn’t necessary. No need for typing out names. I do know some people’s names and some know mine but I prefer using usernames when commenting as it’s easier, and use names through PMs.

I personally have no issue with people using my name, but my username is perfectly fine, up to you and the situation. I've got my name just below my picture, so it's no secret, also hopefully avoids confusion.

Personally, I think hiding behind a username is stupid, but I will respect your guys' wishes.

I sent this message in PM to @WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA , and I feel like it's pertinent to this thread as well:

"Thanks for letting me know. I guess I just find it somewhat odd- I literally go my first name as my user on this site.
And you're not a username on a site- there's a person behind the name.
Same as BT25 being Eric, Fluorescent lover 40 being Gerard, Econolite03 being Matthew......
I just find it odd you want to be called by a screen name, which essentially dehumanizes and reduces you to an online figure.

If you want me not to call you by your name, I will respect it. But you have to understand, your name is your name- and people will want to converse with you on a first-name basis.

Humanizing yourself is the first step to establishing peer-to-peer respect among members of a tight-knit forum and community."

All the best,
Maxim"

Valid points on both sides. Personally, I have no issue calling people whatever they want to be called. I just go by username unless explicitly said otherwise by the user. I do think that sometimes usernames like, with all due respect, @WorldwideHIDCollectorUSA are quite long and can be annoying to type out in full, but the @ autocompletes it and they can often be shortened to something like WWHID or as rjluna suggested that are still clearly the user being referred or replied to.

Myself, I deliberately keep my online portfolio to a minimum, with as little personal information as humanly possible.
One of the main reasons is because I work in street light maintenance, and I save fittings when they are removed. There are higher ups in the office that do not approve of this, and if they somehow found my posts and could trace it back to me IRL, I could be in some real trouble. Now, the likelihood of that happening is almost zero, but I'd prefer not to risk it. And that shouldn't mean I can't be involved with the online lighting community at all.
But also, I do like having a disconnect between the screen and reality. Most people I know IRL don't know my online name, even though most know I collect old lights. Most people online don't know my real name. The small number of people who know both are almost exclusively collectors I've met IRL.

My username comes from when I registered with LG, I used a burner email because I didn't know ow much junk mail I was going to get (turned out to be zero). That burner account was called AgentTest_87. put a lighting twist on that and that gave me AgentHalogen_87. The 87 is a completely random number, it means nothing; as do the initials AH. I don't have a problem with people knowing my real name if we have a report in PMs, but I always ask that my real name stays off the public site. I go by AgentHalogen_87 / AgentHalogen / AH-87 / AH87

I'm happy to call people by their username if they prefer it but personally I much prefer to use real names like my own, Andy.

Everyone who knows me calls me by my real name. I'm a real person who lots of people know. Many of us collectors started off with usernames but as we all got to know each other at the meets and did trades etc., we just ended up using our names instead.

@Maxim sums this up perfectly when he states "Humanizing yourself is the first step to establishing peer-to-peer respect among members of a tight-knit forum and community".

I too much prefer to be called by username.

When replying to others I'll either quote part of their post or type @ & their username. (for long usernames I cut & paste rather than typeing it all out .lol.)