http://qs321.pair.com?node_id=123175


in reply to Name Space

Back in 1994, I didn't have a nickname, like the others in my engineering school. I felt I had to have one, to sign my articles in the school paper. Plus it was cool to have one.

Since I loved books, and had grown a rather long goatee beard, I chose "BooK" (capital "B", capital "K"), whith the following explanation: "En anglais ça se prononce 'bouc', et en français ça veut dire livre.". Which you could translate as: "In English it pronounces 'bouc' (goatee in English), and in French, it means 'book'".

Naturally, the goatee didn't last, since several girlfriends had me cut it and not grow it back. But most of my friends know me by this name, and I am quite used to it.

I just have to be quick when a new online service opens, to be the first one to registrer my nick. This is the reason why I wish I had chosen a less common word for a handle!