In message , VanguardLH
writes:
J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:

(*VanguardLH - I've been wondering for ages: what is the origin of
"VanguardLH"?)

Thanks for the following explanation!

I first used my legal (given) name as my nym. However, that was not
unique to find just my posts by my nym. Trying to search on me resulted
in finding way too many others with the same name. I wasn't try to hide
in Usenet (and still am not), or trying to hide in a crowd, or trying to
dodge anyone's kill filters.

In fact, I liked when NNTP providers used to add tracking headers that
were unique to the poster: regardless of nymshifting, they could be
identified by their account at an NNTP provider by looking at a header
(typically a non-overview header), like X-Authenticated-User or
X-UserIDNumber. Then NNTP providers gradually became more anonymizing
to their posters.

And we all know one particular nymshifter, don't we! (I'm not going to
give his current name or he'll just shift again, and I'll have to set
new kill rules again.)

When I used to play the Thief stealth games and participated in its
web-based forums, I had a gamer nym of Vanguard. I simply moved my
gamer nym into Usenet. As the number of newsgroups enlarged that I
inhabited (I was subscribed up to 52 at one point), I hit one where
someone already used that nym. To be polite to the that poster and
prevent confusion in identities, I simply added my first and lastname
initials.

Ah, I see.

My legal name is worthless as a unique Internet identity. I've not yet

(I was fortunate in already having an amateur ("ham") radio callsign,
which was both short and world-unique. [It also happens to contain my
initials: that's not coincidence, the UK authorities let you select a
call, you just had to wait for it to come up, i. e. they wouldn't issue
it early; they happened to be on the Js when I passed, so I only had to
wait a relatively short time - couple of weeks or months - for it.])

found anyone else using VanguardLH. If someone starts, I've had that
nym for a couple decades and they would be the one that is rude by
stepping on mine. You'll notice I add other headers to even more
identify my posts. If someone wants to plonk me, they definitely have

(I hadn't, actually.)

more than enough ammo with a neverchanging nym and e-mail address in the
From header along with using the other headers (if their newsreader can
include testing on non-overview headers). If someone filters on me,
it's very likely I am not interested in any reply they might've
otherwise made to my posts. I'm not desparate to see every article.

So, are you going to next ask me why I use as my e-mail
address? Clue: LH is not a valid [cc]TLD.

So you don't get spam to it. I've been fortunate in never having had
much spam to even my old domain - @soft255.demon.co.uk; since I
registered the new one a year or two ago, I don't think I've had _any_;
if I have, I've had three or four total in that time. Despite having
used my real domain on usenet.

I _do_ however find VanguardLH a bit clumsy to type - do you have a
preferred short form? I notice some people just say Vanguard. (I think
I've sometimes used VLH.)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Find out what works. Then do it. That's my system. I'm always surprised it
isn't more popular. - Scott Adams, 2015