on "handles"

shimon

I didn't know that handles existed until I read the comic of 2005/01/31 "The Next Generation":





So, I have no idea how handle works. How/where do I get one? I understand that handles are unique, but to be so there must be a way of "registering" handles as not to have duplicates with other gamers, right?

Thanks for your help!... and if it's a stupid question forgive this newbie...

Alpine

Looks like your handle is Shimon.

Mine's Alpine, and on Xbox Live where Alpine was taken, I'm Alpine Twilight.

It's just a name you use, cause it's not cool to be playing World of Warcraft as John Brown, the Elf Mage.

Chief1138

handles are not necessarily unique, they're just names people make up for themselves when playing games. there's not an official registry or anything

TheFish

You make them up yourself, either as a terrible pun on your name, or you steal something from heavy metal lyrics. Then you add shitty capitalisation and random punctuation. Behold:

..xX_InSaNeOpTiCiAn_Xx..

They're not unique at all, in games where names must be unique then whoever registers it first gets it, and everyone else has to use all the retarded spellings - just look at how many stupid variations of Morpheus or Neo there are in pretty much any game ever.

whuppins

Handle is just another word for nickname, or alias. See http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/handle, definition 3.

EclecticGroove

TheFish wrote: »

You make them up yourself, either as a terrible pun on your name, or you steal something from heavy metal lyrics. Then you add shitty capitalisation and random punctuation. Behold:

..xX_InSaNeOpTiCiAn_Xx..

They're not unique at all, in games where names must be unique then whoever registers it first gets it, and everyone else has to use all the retarded spellings - just look at how many stupid variations of Morpheus or Neo there are in pretty much any game ever.

I'll see you stupid Matrix variations and raise you a fuckton of asinine and unoriginal FF7/Naruto/Dragonball names.

Szechuanosaurus

The term handle originated from CB radio slang, who's users would use a pseudonym, called a handle, in place of their given name. Early versions of Compuserve's web access portal included a 'CB Simulator' which was an early version of applications like MSN Messenger. As it was a CB simulator, usernames were referred to as handles. I suspect that this is where the term originally crossed the species gap into computer terminology. TBH, usernames are rarely refered to as handles in forums or computer games these days, but this is the general concept that Tycho is alluding too and it may be a sign of his age that he still refers to a chosen pseudonym as a handle.

They are by no means unique, despite some games and forums allowing you to permanently register a username, although it's rather bad manners to choose a handle or username that someone else uses, especially if they are well known by that handle and even if you want to use it in a game they don't play. If you really want to get yourself a permanent handle, start using a consistent in-game name and get well known for being very good (or at least infamous) in that game, then most people are unlikely to use the same handle.

Pojaco

I've been Pojaco since the 56k days

MichaelLC

Pojaco wrote: »

I've been Pojaco since the 56k days

I've been MichaelLC since I was born.

Yeah, it's just your username or alias. Add a picture (like the ones here) and/or a 3d image, and you have yourself an avatar as well.

See Playstation's "Home" for more.

saint2e

I've been "Saint" or some variation of it since the BBS days.

2400 baud 4 lyfe, ya'll.

Tofystedeth

I've had this name since I cobbled it together in the 9th grade. No one else on the internet seems to want it for some reason....

Scooter

I've had to fight to the death for Scooter on many an occasion. I was in one gaming group with at least 2 others, who had to settle for scraps of leftover letters.

In fact, just a few minutes ago I spied a "Scoota" in G&T. Time to sharpen the ole dagger.

Quid

Quid is off of an old pseudonym that I used when I was more interested in writing. I like how it sounds and it's short, but if I don't get into a service early I'm usually SOL. If that's the case then I'll use Cambiel.

INeedNoSalt

My handle is just a statement of fact that I like everyone around me to know before any serious communication occurs.

"Hey, guys. I need no salt. Sup."

There should be a registry.

ViolentChemistry

Maverick, Goose, Iceman.
*snrk*

Although that's actually pretty much the same deal as gamer-handles. Except instead of talking to your guild on Teamspeak they talk to eachother on the radio while flying supersonic weapons of killing and out-flanking shit.

Irond Will

I've had Irond Will since the late nineties. It surprisingly is rarely taken, though it turns out that there's some sort of Russian Death-Metal label called "Irond". Go figure.

Scooter

There's a band named Scooter.

I hate them.



I also hate political types who get into scandals and ruin my good name.

Sentry

Luckly, my handle is rarely ever taken also... :roll:

I just hope some giant comic book company doesn't make some despised, poorly concieved super-hero out of it....

Edcrab

Woo, another "explain your alias thread" evolves from out of nowhere...

INeedNoSalt wrote: »

There should be a registry.

Pfft, that seems like too much effort for something that'd make no difference to online happenings.

Heh, who am I kidding, I'd sign up to that in five seconds flat

...only to find that there's already about forty Edcrabs or something...

Anyway. So you have a handle- love, honour and obey it. Or get a new one, whatever floats your boat!

Scooter

Just don't stick any numbers at the end of it.


No one likes a numbername.

ViolentChemistry

Was it here that there was a guy named O*&ONFI@&H@#* or something and everyone just called him "keyboard-smash"?

Quid

Yes. He was banned.

Edcrab

Hah, really? Elsewhere we called a Vegeta34234235-type "Vegetable Numbers". We were very bad people.


...so yeah. Choose wisely!

Gihgehls

Scooter wrote: »

There's an MC named Scooter.

He is super duper.

Bouncing_Soul

Man, I used to use Green Jello back in the BBS days... now I use this one.

I try to avoid numbers as much as I can.

Mr Heist

Scooter wrote: »

I've had to fight to the death for Scooter on many an occasion.

When are you scheduled to go against Mr. Libby?

Nerissa

I've been Nerissa since the old VAX at my college. At the time, it was pretty uncommon, if not unique. Of course, it's pretty obviously a girl's name, and at the time there weren't nearly as many of those on the internets.

Now, I have to get in early to get it. I can't remember if it was DAoC or Horizons where I sat for over two hours trying to get my damned name.

Malkor

VAX I remember using those. I've been Malkor since I played my first MUD. Sometimes I'm Roklam. I think I still remember the number I used to have to dial to telnet to the internet.

Klyka

my handle is being passed from generation to generation.

I will be the last one to inherit this handle, for there will be no children of mine to carry on the legacy.

darkgrue

saint2e wrote: »

I've been "Saint" or some variation of it since the BBS days.

2400 baud 4 lyfe, ya'll.

2400 baud?!? Luxury! Try 300 baud acoustic-coupled! I mean, who needs to transfer data faster than you can read, anyway?



Still have mine, in fact...

Goddamn kids, get off my lawn!

As previously mentioned, in computing, calling usernames "handles" predates even Al Gore's Internetwebchupamathingy. Calling nicknames "handles" really seems to be rooted in CB radio.

Other than picking something that you know to be unique, and being more famous than the next guy, there's really not much one can do to claim a name, or defend such a claim. Using a handle clearly based (or ripped straight from) popular culture would be a sure-fire example of how not to ensure your pseudonym is unique.

I'm not the only darkgrue on the internet, although I have most of the page-share on Google. I'm "more famous", so in some sense, I win. On the other hand, not all the returns on the first page are me, and aren't easily distinguishable from me, so I also lose...

There's nothing you can do in the real world to keep other people from being called by the same name (for example, there are like three other people in the US with the same first and last name as I do), why would it be any different online? Adn what would you do when all the good names are already taken? When all the names that are words are taken?

TresstheFool

A handle is also nice to use over and over so that people recognize you. Of course, with that in mind, I should probably change mine. Still, I like it because it says right in the name not to expect intellectual wonders.

Djeet

"Player 1" w/out quotes was an excellent handle that had a number.

Thanatos

Yeah, this baby is getting moved to D&D.

And "handle" is not an archaic term, dammit. :x

I've been using Thanatos since the 1200-baud days. All those other dudes just stole it from me. Including the lazy videogame designers who use it for the name of a boss. :P

Ruckus

Thinatos wrote: »

Yeah, this baby is getting moved to D&D.

And "handle" is not an archaic term, dammit. :x

I've been using Thanatos since the 1200-baud days. All those other dudes just stole it from me. Including the lazy videogame designers who use it for the name of a boss. :P

Squeanix?

Thanatos

Ruckus wrote: »

Thinatos wrote: »

Yeah, this baby is getting moved to D&D.

And "handle" is not an archaic term, dammit. :x

I've been using Thanatos since the 1200-baud days. All those other dudes just stole it from me. Including the lazy videogame designers who use it for the name of a boss. :P

Squeanix?

Among many others, yes.

rattletrap

My first ever handle was for Quake, where I was "Zealot".

Then Starcraft came out and ruined it forever.

I don't remember how I came up with my current one. It's reasonably unused in most places, which is nice.

Tastyfish

Its always wierd when you have a slightly odd one and come across someone else with the same one, only come across one other Tastyfish so far who was a member of an Australian lock-picking forum.

nexuscrawler

Your name isn't Thanatos. Look.

moniker

I kind of like the self reflective nature of my handle and find it funny in the 'he's breaking the 4th wall' sort of way. Only now it's the 5th wall since we're on the intertrons. It's rather common though, so I either have to be early to get it or tack crap on like 'clever' or 'a' or whatnot. Alternatively I use architectonic. It's both architectural (in a style that I really like) and hording wealth of knowledge related, so I like the term.

durandal4532

I've used Durandal with or without numbers since the first time I could, though I did make a few people on WoW with other ones. Leonidas, which 300 has rendered impossible to use again, and HiroProtagonist, which I noticed is the default name in the example gamertag in the 360 manual.

I also had a different name for Starcraft, my friend was Romulus, I was Remus, and we played nothing but 2v2.

nexuscrawler

i'm terrible at coming pu with names so I reuse this one all the time

I used to have another during the golden age of IRC that's about it.