Helvensteijn.com

I’ve been using the nickname raptor, or when that wasn’t available, raptorNL for years now, but I just decided I’m getting too old for that nonsense. I already have a name that I’ve had since birth and which serves me fine, so I figured why would I need another? It’s not like a nickname offers any anonymity, there are other ways to accomplish that if so desired. It’s also not a given nickname, I just made it up myself, so I won’t be offending anyone by not using it anymore.

My first name is not that uncommon, so it’s already used by countless others. My last name is pretty uncommon, but I do have family I share it with. I already claimed helvensteijn.com, and I’m not about to go claiming our family name everywhere on the web.

That leaves me with just plain Colin Helvensteijn, but since many web sites and services don’t accept spaces in usernames, it’ll be ColinHelvensteijn then, because I hate underscores. As far as I know my first and last name pretty much uniquely identify me, so chances are no-one else will be using it. I’ve been using it on and off as a wikiname here and there (at Wikipedia for instance), so I already have precedent.

So, I’ll be changing my raptor/raptorNL nicknames everywhere to ColinHelvensteijn in the following days or weeks or so, at least if the site or service allows it. I could always re-register otherwise. I’m starting with Twitter right now.

Update: Twitter fail. Name is exactly 2 characters too long. Any suggestions?

Update, March 29th: Twitter Isn’t the only one wo thinks 17 characters is too long.
So, chelvensteijn it is then. If a site thinks 13 characters is still too much, I don’t even want to be registered there.