Episode: 1613
Title: HPR1613: What's in a nickname?
Source: https://hub.hackerpublicradio.org/ccdn.php?filename=/eps/hpr1613/hpr1613.mp3
Transcribed: 2025-10-18 05:49:27

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It's Wednesday 8th on October 2014. This in HP are episode 1,613 entitled What's In A
Knick Name. It is hosted by Enzius and in about 8 minutes long. Feedback can be sent
to Mikhail at Enzius.c or by leaving a comment on this episode. The summary is Mikhail talks
about his internet nickname.
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What's in an internet nickname as Shakespeare did not ask in Romeo and Juliet? Many of us use
an internet nickname. If you also use their nickname offline, at least in some context.
My general internet nickname is Inzius. This is the story of how I came to use that nickname.
I have used it only a few years, which is probably a lot shorter time than most HPR
listeners have used theirs. I first used Inzius as a domain name for my blog. I didn't want
a Swedish or an English name but something more general. Somehow I thought Latin would
be rather useful. Latin is not too exotic and it's timeless as there has been no native
speakers for a very long time as far as I know. Latin might also give an error of sophistication
and education. Of course many Latin words are already used and even trademark for various
entities, so it took me a while to find a word that was both meaningful and in little
use today. I don't remember how I stumbled upon Inzius but I immediately liked it. It
means ignorant or unskilled. Perfect. By using that name I keep everyone's expectations
low and it's also not very likely to be trademarked. I mean who would call themselves ignorant
and unskilled. A search for Inzius on the Almighty Search Engine came up with very few hits.
It seemed like a rather rare word on the internet back in 2011. So I felt that I found the
right domain name for my scribblings. It's also a short word. So I registered Inzius.se
and started blogging. At some point I also registered Inzius.org. I really had no plan
for what to use the .org domain for but I found the idea of a website for say an organization
for ignorance, rather appealing. But there was a drawback. The domain owner name and address
are in the clear if you search with who is for example, at least for those top domains.
After a while I received mails from different registers, given me generous offers to also register
Inzius.com in order to claim the territory of the ignorant. One of the registered registers
said I could have the .com domain for the low price of $550. And I even on two occasions received
snail mail across the Atlantic trying to convince me to buy the .com domain. Talk about an industry
that produces practically nothing while charging lots of money. I didn't renew the Inzius.org domain
as I just got bored with this spam and I did not really have any ideas what to use it for.
And at the time I was also unaware of the possibility to own a domain without openly publicizing
my name and address. At the time of recording this episode the .com domain and the .org domain
are registered in different European countries. Maybe there is a global growth of the appreciation
of ignorance. Ignoramesis Unite. About the time I started blogging I also joined Identica.
I used the nicknames Inzius there too. That is how it also became my nickname.
So this is the first and only internet nickname I've used in different contexts.
I mean before I have of course used many other names in different online forums and communities.
Later I've heard my nickname spoken by other people and I realized I had no clue as to how it
is pronounced. I never expected anyone to say my nickname. So I did a bit of research and it seems
that the Romans said inskis while during the middle ages in church Latin it became Inzius.
I've chosen the Roman pronunciation. That's the story of my nickname.
So has this been just an exercise in narcissism and or are there any lessons to be had from this
episode? Maybe that one day someone is going to try voice unique name and maybe it's good
having a nickname that is pronouncible. My real name is Michael. I respond to that too.
And thanks for listening and sorry for my slightly rough voice due to some cold.
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