Ok, I've read about the avatar survey in a thread a few weeks ago, and my avatar is so interesting that I didn't participate.

But how about your login name? Some guys are using real names, like Mikey does, but a lot of us chose other names.

People have asked my about mine, and I'm curious to hear about some of yours, too, if that's ok with you.

I studied Greek and Latin in high school. In Greek class we read the Odyssey, in Greek. I had enjoyed mythology since about 5th or 6th grade, and I've read up on mythology of other cultures besides the Greeks just for fun as an adult.

Anyway, I have forgotten most of the Greek I ever knew, except for a few phrases. One of the things I never forgot was the way Odysseus told the Cyclops that his name was "Nobody" (I know, it's "NoMan" in the translation in my sig, but I always thought of it as "Nobody.") The name he used, transliterated to English characters, is outis. My recollection of the pronunciation we used in class is "OOH tis."

When I finally registered here, I didn't want to use a login that I've used anywhere else, like Yahoo or Compuserve. My copy of the Odyssey (in English) was sitting near my computer, where it is now as a matter of fact, and I remembered the name from the class. Together with the quote in my sig it seemed a perfect choice for me when I first came here.

Thanks in part to all of you, I feel much more like a somebody than a nobody today.

So, how and why did you choose your name? What is its special significance?

Thanks,

Joe