I have trouble thinking of a cool screen name. It seems like all of the good ones are taken, and often I just get writers’ block when I try to come up with a handle to use. But I don’t want to use something lame like “kdunn315″ either. Here are some tips for thinking of a cool screen name.

Think in terms of other stuff you find cool. If Fight Club is your favorite movie, then add that to your list. If Salems Lot is your favorite novel, then add that too. If Bob Dylan’s Oh Mercy is your favorite album, list that. If you think these are all cool, then the people who matter to you will likely agree.

Now that you have that list, think of how they could become screen names. Maybe “FightClub” is available as a screen name. If it’s not, then maybe “TylerDurden” is available. (He’s one of the main characters.) “SalemsLot” might not be a cool screen name, but “MisterStraker” is a very cool handle indeed. And people who have read the novel will “get it.”

One other aspect of picking a cool handle to use online is avoiding really lame screen names. Dungeons & Dragons or Tolkien related names are almost never cool. In fact, I’d rather not be a member of a forum than be a member named “FrodoBaggins” or “Gandalf.” And usually, if someone else has been using that screenname, it’s not cool either.

Having an online identity is fun. Being “cool” online is something some people could never pull off in real life. I hope these few tips help you be cooler on the Internet.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 10th, 2009 at 8:09 am and is filed under Aid, School of Relationships, The Networkers Way. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.