User talk:Rbanzai/Signature Debacle

Your signature
Please don't sign as Anon Y. Mouse - you're (intentionally or unintentionally) impersonating another user, User:AnonEMouse, which is wrong and against the rules to boot. Since it's not your username, remediation is easy, and I strongly suggest you do it ASAP, before you sign another comment. Please respond on my talkpage ASAP. - CrazyRussian talk/email 01:39, 22 June 2006 (UTC)
 * Hi there crzrussian. I got your comment and understand your concern but I'm not about to change my name. I am not intentionally OR unintentionally impersonating another user. Our names our different as is everything else about us.
 * No one is about to mistake one of us for the other. I always sign properly and all it takes is one click for someone to see who I am. There are thousands and thousands of users here and no one knows how many have similar user names.
 * Please just drop this. It would only be important if he (or I) was attempting to fool other users, which I obviously am not doing. Anon Y. Mouse 02:10, 22 June 2006 (UTC)
 * I am taking this straight to WP:AN. This is certainly inappropriate, and I cannot let it slide. Nothing personal, of course. - CrazyRussian talk/email 02:14, 22 June 2006 (UTC)
 * This is most obviously personal and I will fight it with every bone in my body. It is not "certainly inappropriate" and you are needlessly harassing me.Anon Y. Mouse 02:15, 22 June 2006 (UTC)
 * I'd prepared the following reply for WP:AN, but I suppose it's best left here.
 * Impersonation might not be the most apt locution, but with the unintentional qualifier it's not particularly untoward. In any event, it's eminently possible that a user might elect to sign as Anon Y. Mouse having no knowledge of the existence of a user who signs as Anon E. Mouse (see, e.g., Newton v. Leibniz calculus controversy), but the signature might nevertheless be confusing; were it simply a common name (e.g., Joe; User:Searchme signs as Joe I), it'd be less likely that one would be confused, but the name is a bit idiosyncratic.  I certainly understand the impulse to be especially recalcitrant when one belives he is being treated unjustly or is being asked to make a change he would have been inclined to make were he/she asked "nicely" (I don't have an opinion as to whether Crz's request was made "nicely", although I'd probably think it was), but even if Crz, et al., are altogether wrong (about which, again, I've no opinion), it might be beneficial to the community were Rbanzai simply to accede to the request; it would surely demonstrate sublime civility and good faith, and I'd imagine someone (read: me) would give you a barnstar.  Joe 06:04, 22 June 2006 (UTC)

Hi. I guess I should probably comment somewhere here. I had actually seen this signature (on WP:AFD) a few times. (On a side note, we can track down nearly the exact moment it changed: at about 12:50, May 31!) When I first saw it, I wasn't bothered too much. If it was done in conscious imitation, then I'm flattered; but it would be interesting to know if it was merely a case of great minds thinking alike. :-). I thought that anyone who picked a moderately obvious pseudonym, as I did, had no call to complain about others' picking a similar one. However, I now see that any confusion will always affect other people more than me. After all, I'm not going to confuse the two of us, but others well might be confused. If we ever do start editing similar subjects, this could be a real issue; so far we haven't, but we're each moderately active, so it is probably only a matter of time.

What actually affected me more is better stated in this signature guideline:
 * Most users choose a signature name that is either identical or closely related to their account name to avoid confusion. Signatures that obscure your account name to the casual reader may be seen as disruptive.

Without meaning to seek offense, as a casual reader I would find it hard to connect the user name Rbanzai and the signature Anon Y. Mouse. If the user name really was AnonYMouse or something similar, this would be less of a problem, but it isn't. Even as a non-casual reader, who learned about signatures and usernames a month or more ago, I found myself confused as to what user really was behind that sig. In short, while I wouldn't felt sure enough of my grounds to press the issue alone, the other people complaining do have a certain valid point. AnonEMouse (squeak) 13:27, 22 June 2006 (UTC)
 * I can make this really easy: Personal attack removed. . The last argument by AnonEMouse that there is some nefarious fucking reason for me picking that name is IT. There is NO goddamn rule that my username and signature have to be the same, similar of any other goddamn thing. What the fuck is wrong with you people? Can't you just say "Hey, the name is similar, it's probably best to make it something else?" NO! You have to drizzle accusations on top of everything. Personal attack removed. People keep mentioning how nice I should be about this and at the same time they make sideways comments about what my "real" motivation was for changing my name. You are not being nice, you are being a bunch of goddamn internet bullies. So to reiterate, Personal attack removed. Wikipedia does not need me, and I do not need it. Personal attack removed. I'm proud to use my singature on what will obviously be my last edit at Wikipedia, Personal attack removed. . Anon Y. Mouse 16:21, 22 June 2006 (UTC)
 * I have not used any of my admin power in connection with this incident. I have done nothing any other use could not have. You, on the other hand, are cursing and offending people, and that, believe it or not, is also against policy here. If I see another personal attack out of you, I will use my admin powers to block you. Consider this your first and only warning. - CrazyRussian talk/email 16:24, 22 June 2006 (UTC)


 * Personally, I don't know what your real motivation was, though I'd be glad to hear it. I hope it was merely to get an interesting and amusing signature. I also don't read anyone here accusing you of anything. "Hey, the name is similar, it's probably best to make it something else" is absolutely all that people are writing here. Crzrussian hasn't used any admin powers here, he just wrote you a message, like any editor could do. Please calm down, this isn't such a big deal, no one is trying to murder you. AnonEMouse (squeak) 16:31, 22 June 2006 (UTC)

Leaving Wikipedia altogether?
If you wish to leave Wikipedia, you have the Right to vanish, and in a few days an admin will delete your talk page. (To anyone following this conversation: please correct me if I'm wrong.) I think it should be left up for at least a few days so the people reading WP:AN have something to look at. Let me know if there's anything I can do for you. --Fang Aili talk 21:25, 22 June 2006 (UTC)
 * Thank you for the info, Fang. I understand why you think the page should be left up for now. Anon Y. Mouse 21:30, 22 June 2006 (UTC)

Please stay
This is bullshit, anyway, and not worth leaving over. Nobody has it in for you - not I and not Fang and not AnonE. Please stay. - CrazyRussian talk/email 22:34, 22 June 2006 (UTC)
 * I had my most recent cancer checkup yesterday and although the chest Xray and MRI were clear I won't get the CT results back for at least a week. It's making me kookoobananas. I just wish this whole thing had never happened. I will change my signature and just try to get through the rest of the day.Anon Y. Mouse 22:42, 22 June 2006 (UTC)
 * The bad mistake of one person should not be a reason for you to leave, Anon Y. Mouse. Obviously, you are going through an emotionally trying time right now, and I appreciate your willingness to drive forward despite your fears. In retrospect, this takes a lot of emotional fortitude, as I know of people who just buckle and become apathetic, and take pity for themselves. So, sir, in respect to your strength and actions during this trying time in your personal life, I applaud you. -- Joe Beaudoin Jr. Think out loud — WP:PORN BIO? 04:00, 23 June 2006 (UTC)
 * Welcome back, and my condolences for your trouble. AnonEMouse (squeak) 14:54, 23 June 2006 (UTC)