Can't we all get along
 

I agree that names help in the long run. Everyone has the right to concel there name from the public for some reasons though. I mean you can have a screen name and then in the signature you could put your name and team #. Using our real names can be ok but i believe in the idea of using fake names. Using our real names leaves us up to the outside world and the sicko's out there, since this website is accessable to anyone. So the debate whether to have names as screen names should not be an issue. The issue is how we can get F.I.R.S.T bigger and better.

Good points, Mr. Skierkiewicz.

It does look a lot more professional if you post with a real name - and plus, people can recognize you at competitions.

I recogize names like Joe Johnson, Andy Baker, Ken Leung, etc. because they are real names, not just screenames, and I can match a real face to a real name, and when they speak, it's a real person speaking - they have credibility that comes with identity.

Who would you trust - someone who tells you their name and who they work for, or someone that does not give any information about themselves or their background?

It is obvious to me who I would choose when asking for information or answers to a question on these message boards.

I choose to remain as team 000
 

Just thought of a quick solution regarding the misuse of Team 000 as someone see it as...

For the people who wishes to not associate themselves with any one team should be given the option to describe their affiliation with other organization they are working with.

A lot of people choose to stay around for FIRST even though they are no longer with their old team, I don't think those people should feel bad for putting team 000 as their team.

I myself worked for an organization call WRRF, and I work at the regionals with the FIRST staffs, and I feel very uneasy if I am to put 192 (my old team) as my team number, simply because I don't work with them anymore, and people might ask me questions about that team that I can't answer.

There are many status out there that could qualify as team 000... Such as people in the up coming Freelance FIRST some of the people are working to set up right now, and in other RRF's like SCRRF, robotics educators, or any of the organization in the FIRST-related-organization shown in that sub forum.

People entitled to those status should have the freedom to choose team 000, and put up another little description under their name saying what organization they work with. As FIRST grow bigger and bigger, there will be a whole lot of people who don't have a team anymore.

So, what I am really saying is, keep the team 000 status for people who deserve them. If you don't think some of the people deserve such status, or think they are faking it and hiding their information... then ignore them if you don't want to read their post.

Otherwise, member profiles have very little to do with the quality of people's post. So, don't be so fast to judge people without taking your time to read what they have to say, and see what kind of contributor to this forum they are.

Don't trust someone's info if you really believes they are trying to mess around to fool people... But not because they don't want to put up a simple number. Otherwise you are limiting yourself to lots of good people out there. The number is only skin deep.

I have team 000 in my member profile right now, and I hope that none of you will force me to change it to something else.


P.S. I hereby claim myself to be an unofficial team captain of team 000 ;P ;P ;P. Challenge me if you want that title, but only in the rumor mill ;). :D :D :D

j/k!

My Views on Real Names
 

Usernames should always be your real name. There have been several instances where someone has come up to my pit asking me whether I was there or not. I was proud to shake their hand, and meet that person. It would have been strange for someone to come up to 519's pit and ask for "___blanK___" from Chief Delphi. All 11 of us would have been staring at each other, trying to find out who that was.

Now, only my first name is in my username, but that's because I have a ridiculously long last name. Everyone who knows me just calls me Marlon anyway.

Using your real name is the best
Shows that your not afraid of who you are

A good point Andy.


There, mines changed

Talon Kratochwill

If I meet you and you pronounce it corrsctly, I'll give you a dollar!

I use the A.K.A. field, if anyone wants to know my name, they know where to look (that's what the AKA field is for anyways, thanks Brandon ;))

There can be only one...

I don't really think you need my full name. As far as I know, I am the only Eddie (and if that's not the case, certainly the only EddieMcD). It's amazing how a nickname can be so... identifying. Especially when it's based on the real name.

::waves to Big Mike::

See, you people know who I'm talking about. And when someone says EddieMcD (or just plain Eddie), they know it's me.

Re: Real names, please
 

Well, since Jeff pointed for us to post over h'yah, I will.

I guess if I really really really wanted to, I could switch my name to "William Leverette." But I won't for three reasons:
1) If I'm checking CD on the road, that's (counts)...nine more letters I have to type. Time is usually of the essence in such situations.
2) I don't need people trying to butcher my name...
...you get the idea. (If you're really that curious, it's pronounced "Lehv-er-ET. Like "lever met" without the m.)
3) Even though it's not my legal name, if you call out Billfred and I hear you (that being the key part), I'll answer. Which I guess makes it my real name.
4) If Madonna can do it, Cher can do it, and Dave can do it, then by golly so can I!

But if I had a really cryptic name with lots of numbers and leetspeak, I'd be very much inclined to change it.

(Hey! Maybe I should change by name to B!11phr33|)twelveityninetythrizee. That could be fun.)

Re: Real names, please
 

I'm going to keep "Jay H 237" for three reasons.

1. The fact is all through my life no one calls me "Jason". Either they don't know or they don't bother to call me by my real first name. The only time I've been called "Jason" is when I'm in trouble! :p I've always been called "Jay".

2. Since I signed on I've had my real name, Jason Hartmann, in the AKA field. I just use "Jay" (what people call me), "H" the initial of my last name, and "237" my team number.

3. And the last reason. So far there's only two Jay H 237's on this forum. :p Jay H 237 #1 and Jay H 237 #2. If I was JVN then maybe people would get confused! :D

Re: Real names, please
 

Way to go with bringing back the old thread! (jk) there is another one on the exact same subject...post in that now, please!