> So, I've been here for three years, and only now has it occurred to me to find out where some of the more bizarre names come from (as if zwemgek isn't). Like Mike the penny-stamp man. And mousie. And bandaids. Maybe everybody else already knows this, and I'm filling the message bored with useless clutter. But the drive to satisfy my curiosity has always been very strong (you should see me at Christmas when the wrapped presents are all out early). I think it would be interesting to find out where some of your names come from.

Though my alias may seem to be straightforward, it actually does have a little backstory behind it.

I would first like to say that "The_Scotsman" is NOT a reference to where I live, but what ethnicity I am. I am an American living in the United States, but via my family history, I have a love for all things Scottish, and yes, I LIKE HAGGIS!!! :)

Anyway, on to the story.

It all started way back in high school...

*insert Acme Patented Flashback Ripple Effect (tm) here*

I took a course at my school in Telecommunications, which at the time involved setting up and maintaining a BBS (Bulletin Board System). This was in the days prior to public use of the Internet, web pages, and even local area networking (outside of the military).

Anyway, this course got me intensely interested in the online world, and I started frequenting a local BBS in the area (Analytical Engine). This was my first experience with the concept of aliases, as my SysOp ID at school was a boring "gscott". So, after a moment of thinking, I came up with a completely reasonable screen name.

My friends at school always called me "Flash" after those old Flash Gordon serials that were on in the 50's, (My real name is Gordon Scott) so I came up with "FlashMan". This was all well and good until I went off to college and got hooked up with the Internet (it was text-based, but hey, it was free). It never occured to me, having gone to a Christian high school and all, that some people out there with perverted minds would take my screen name completely differently than how I intended it. So, on "HexOnyx" (the next BBS that I frequented, this time Citadel on the Internet) I switched my screen name to "ScotsMan", after my last name as well as after my ethnic background.

That worked out well until I found the Iowa Student Computing Association (ISCA) Bulletin Board. Being that I was account number 65767 on that system, it was fiendishly difficult to find an alias. "ScotsMan" was taken, as was "Scots Man", "Flash", "FlashMan", and "Flash Man". So, I came up with "The Scotsman".

That worked well until we got to RinkWorks. Sam apparently has a problem with anyone in the chat rooms having SPACES in their names, so the final adjustment to my alias was made: "The_Scotsman".

But needless to say, my alias dates back over 12 years and several iterations, dispite its deceptively simple appearance.

The_Scots"Fortunately, no other changes have been needed..."man