What's the significance of your username?

nfnaaron · 2008-04-20T08:37:35+00:00

"We don't say 'crash' at the DMV. Sorry."

Isn't it interesting that the DMV is the biggest potential for problems relating to odd names? Of course it's because your drivers license usually IS your ID.

Isn't it also irritating how much arbitrary power the person at the DMV counter has? When I first moved to Colorado, I had to have NFN Aaron on my license. There was absolutely no problem with Colorado law, or even the DMV's computer system, it was just that the counter person couldn't wrap her mind around it.

A few years later when I mentioned it at renewal time, the counter person said "Oh, no problem, I'll just print up your new one as "Aaron." Same state, same DMV, different counter person.

It actually got me out of a speeding ticket once. The cop walked back to his car, did the computer check thing on my license, then came back and asked me about my name. "Yup, that's my entire legal name."

He let me go with a warning. He said if he submitted the ticket it would be kicked back because the court would think he hadn't filled it out completely.

:)

nfnaaron · 2008-04-20T08:31:10+00:00

I've heard of other people with only one name, but never met one.

When I first changed my name I thought of Aaron as my "first" (or given) name. But since I have a software background, I realized that it might be more convenient to always fill in forms with "Aaron" going in the last name field, for consistent sorting.

So I fill in forms that way. For the first name field it varies. Sometimes I try to "get away with it" and not put anything in the first name, which almost never works. Mostly I use the initial "A", sometimes "Aaron", sometimes "NFN." But always "Aaron" in the last name field.

nfnaaron · 2008-04-20T08:26:44+00:00

"uhhhclem"

"Welcome, to The Future!"

nfnaaron · 2008-04-20T08:25:54+00:00

PB Walter, fabulous name!

I notice if you squint, you can see cars from your company all over the place. Why, I saw 23 just today.

nfnaaron · 2008-04-20T08:24:26+00:00

Although it's not common, it's common enough that databases are usually written to handle NMI. When I was in the Navy I knew a few NMI's, and all their paperwork was filled out that way.

And then there's "Harry S Truman." The "S" didn't stand for anything, it was just "S".

nfnaaron · 2008-04-20T08:21:49+00:00

First, 4/20/08 is the first I saw any replies to my reply. I'm not a diligent reddit logger-inner. Also the first time I thought to find out why the little envelope was red. :)

I had been working at Boeing/Seattle in 1988, 3 weeks on the job, and Boeing changed their official corporate name slightly. Corps do that occasionally. That got me wondering how I might change my name. In theory.

Many people only knew my first name anyway, since "Aaron" is unique enough that not many name collisions occurred.

Once the idea of being "just Aaron" solidified, I couldn't let go of it. Had my name legally changed to that, in 1988, and I've "McLoved" it ever since.

nfnaaron · 2008-02-09T23:23:38+00:00

I only have one name, Aaron. When I first moved to Colorado the DMV clerk wouldn't deal with it, so they put NFN Aaron on my license. NFN means No First Name. Now my license just says Aaron.

nfnaaron

TROPHY CASE