Does It Feel Weird to Be Called by Your FlyerTalk Name in Person?
 

Whenever I post on FlyerTalk, I prefer to keep my given name private and be addressed as Canarsie — although FlyerTalk members refer to me by a slew of other choice and less-than-flattering names in The Delta Forum Lounge Thread — Everybody is Welcome! thread, but I won’t get into specifics here as that is wa-a-a-a-ay off topic...

However, whenever I meet FlyerTalk members in person — and I have done so for greater than two years now — I do not usually respond to the name Canarsie, as I am not used to hearing people call me that. This is especially true when the pronunciation of Canarsie is mangled: “Hey, Canarise!” or “Good to meet you, Carnarsie!”

Instead, I insist that I please be addressed by my given first name, as I believe should be done once people meet in person. Sometimes I have to remind people several times to please do so.

None of this bothers me in any respect. I simply have still not gotten used to being called Canarsie in person.

What are your thoughts and experiences on this topic?

By the way, I would not be surprised to find “I never seem to encounter that problem” posted by FlyerTalk members whose names are the same or similar on both FlyerTalk and in person...

I don't mind being called Cholula in person as that is my real name.
Charlie Cholula to be exact. ;)
Seriously, I actually don't mind being called by my handle as that's what 99% of FT'ers know me as. I found it surreal at my first DO to be surrounded by FT'ers I knew as Canarsie, paradocs, socrates, Ms. Everywhere, etc. and see names of Jim, Bob, Mary and Dick being used to address each other. It just seemed weird for some reason.

I thought that your name was Charlie Tuna Cholula?????

My problem is that, with few exceptions, I can never remember real names. Even people I have met at 4 DOs....I am so used to FT handles. (I know, I am a salesman and should remember)

Since my name is Mike, it dosent bother me for meople to use my FT handle.

And the reverse is true. I met a few people at the only "do" I've been to. Now I think of them by their first names, and some of them don't resemble their handles. Sometimes I have to remind myself... is this so and so?

Rita

Doesn't bother me in the slightest -- my initials are AJ, and that is my name I commonly use as well.

I also respond to a variety of names, including my (much more common) online handle, and with some friends in person the names will be used interchangably, and we have some friends with duplicate names so people will usually just have one name dropped. E.g. my friend Beau is always called Oddy, because of another friend called Bo... I don't think it's much different from the usual nicknames people get given. :)

gotten used to it.. some of my friends call me civicmon.

No, the reason is obvious ;)

No, I'm used to being addressed that way often, and in person people just tend to drop the "Mpls".

On the other hand, I sometimes feel really awkward addressing other FT'ers by their handles, e.g. at ELP it didn't bug me to address you as Canarsie (because I sort of "knew" you) but I felt really out-of-place addressing a 60-ish couple in-person as Hunki and Punki.

I think it depends on ones familiarity with the people involved, both on-line & off, and on how close the FT handles are to being appropriate as real names.

Ditto. :)

Abby aka Abigail aka Gail (I answer to any and all.....)

I like Chas. Cholula - it flows.....

Hahahaha!!!!! I haven't met them, but I did think about the names being a bit awkward...!!!! :D

My preference is to call FT'ers their real name. And I've probably met over 150 FT'ers during the years.

The only person I can think of that I have probably half the time addressed by their FT Handle, is "Catman".

The first time I met people in person from Flyertalk, I thought it was the strangest thing to introduce yourself with your handle and name, never thinking when I registered for FT that I'd meet anyone in person (little did I know) and have to use the handle in that way. While not many people call me by my handle after the first hello, I would likely respond at this point having gotten used to being referred to via the handle.

I've had the honor of meeting a lot of FT'ers over the past couple of years. For those I've gotten to know, I have the name and handle down and can go back and forth (except Missy, I know her name but Missy just fits her so well, I'm not switching over). There are other people I've met where I just didn't have enough time to register both their name and handle or met them only once in a crowd, so (hopefully) have a name for them - either handle or real name. In the former case, I've used the handle and they've responded okay.

well my f/t handle is easy (http://gallery.flyertalk.com/gallery...Gallery/goalie) but it does feel weird when someone uses it vs my real name (which btw, is david and i'll answer to that or dave but never davey as it became a hazzard growing up when the monkees were on tv and being teased-curse you davey jones..... ;) ).

Dear Cantalope *snicker*, you are way too tense on this topic (as we discussed when I met you and Mrs. Cantalier and Jr. Canarooster for dinner!!! *smile*)

Always, Lehava (and see mine doesnt bother me because it is my hebrew name so I am used to hearing it spoken)

Not all of us have silly names. ;) :p
Since mine is an easy one, everyone calls me Dan. But you doesn't have to call me Johnson. http://www.jumptheshark.com/r/reddfoxx.htm

Reading your name fellow (OP) Brooklynite, sort of keeps me in line. :D
For those of you not cool enough to know, Canarsie is a neighborhood in Brooklyn. :o