From: Everitt Mickey (evmick@pnv.net)
Date: Wed Aug 16 2000 - 16:07:22 MDT
You know?.....I've never thought of it like that.
My name is unusual too....it's intermediat...not overtly "first or
last"...that is it could be two last names...or back-assward
first/last....it's caused me no end of trouble....(Everitt Mickey). In
fact once during high school I beleive there was a paperwork mix up and
during roll call in home room the teacher called out "Everitt"....(and I
answered "here") and a bit later called out "Mickey" ........(and I answered
"here")....this went on for some time....she was rather annoyed upon
discovering the truth.
I've always considere it a disadvantage though. I appreciate the new
outlook.
EvMick
Sioux Falls, SD
-----Original Message-----
From: Emlyn O'Regan <emlyn@one.net.au>
To: extropians@extropy.org <extropians@extropy.org>
Date: Wednesday, August 16, 2000 1:49 PM
Subject: Re: Reintroduction
>I changed my surname when I got married, to my wife's name (quick primer
for
>newer arrivals; I'm a man).
>
>Changing your name is a good experience. The funniest thing you note is
>people reacting to you differently. I changed my surname from Evans to
>O'Regan, and suddenly people (who hadn't known me before) were pointing out
>all the Irish characteristics I possessed.
>
>However, I would never change my name to something easier to spell, or
>pronounce, or to anything more common. One of the best assets you can have
>these days, in the massively crammed namespace of the net, is a weird name.
>
>I've noticed it with my first name since I was a knee high to a
grasshopper.
>People remember me when I'm in a list of names; it means I get slightly
more
>personal treatment for no good reason. Job interviews are a particular case
>in point; I introduce myself as Emlyn, and people say "ah yes, I remember
>your application", because they notice the name. Another thing I like is
>that people immediately assume I am going to be a bit eccentric, which is
>lucky.
>
>If someone has to ask you to spell your name, or makes the gaff of
mistaking
>you for the opposite gender, you've got it made. They will not forget you.
>
>I've got a good friend, with a weird name; I've known him since our parents
>lived in a group house together when I was 1 and he was just newly popped.
I
>lost him in the last year; we both move around a lot and don't talk that
>often, different cities, so none of the contact details I had for him were
>correct. I couldn't even find him in a phone book, because he's always in
>group houses; never has the phone in his name.
>
>I jumped onto ICQ the other day and looked him up. Only one person existed
>in the world with that name; it was him. He told me he had lost my details
>too; we might never have found each other again if not for that name.
>
>My wife & I chose the name Lachlan for our new son (three months old now).
I
>didn't realise it was such a popular name! Luckily, I found the spelling
>Lochlainn (which we have used instead), it's irish, matches the surname,
and
>will cause him hell with spelling it out to people forever. But, it'll
stand
>out. As soon as someone thinks "how do I pronounce this", they've thought
>about you, and will remember you.
>
>A good test of appropriate name weirdness: If you can find a name you've
>chosen on any off-the-shelf "personalised" merchandise (you know, mugs,
>badges, those dumb plaques for your bedroom door), then the name is no
good;
>try again.
>
>I can't say much about the outrunning of embarrassing posts; I'm still busy
>posting them. I wouldn't worry; people understand you change, and it
>demonstrates that you learn. Fewer people do learn than one might think;
>it's a good thing to be able to prove!
>
>Much of life is about standing out from a crowd. Any edge you can get is a
>bonus. This is not a good time to be called "John".
>
>Emlyn
>(apologies in advance to the "John"s)
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Eliezer S. Yudkowsky" <sentience@pobox.com>
>To: <extropians@extropy.org>
>Sent: Wednesday, August 16, 2000 12:54 PM
>Subject: Re: Reintroduction
>
>
>I've been thinking of switching recently - either to my middle name, or
>to something completely new, like "Ben Abard". (Short, easy to spell,
>and close to the beginning of the alphabet.)
>
>Partially this is because my current name is so hard to pronounce. But
>the other reason is a harsh necessity for all children of the digital
>age...
>
>...outrunning the posts you made when you were fourteen.
>--
> sentience@pobox.com Eliezer S. Yudkowsky
> http://singinst.org/home.html
>
>
>
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