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"Reserving" a Twitter name
Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 4:12 pm
by Katya
So, I'd like to change my Twitter username, but the one I have in mind will only make sense if a certain, um, project* I'm working on works out, and I won't know about that for a few months. My brother suggested setting up a dummy Twitter account with that username, then changing the name on that account, thus freeing up the original one for me to use on my "real" account. Is there any reason to think that wouldn't work?
*All right, just between us, I want to reserve @MRSJOSEPHGORDON-LEVITT
Re: "Reserving" a Twitter name
Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 9:23 pm
by Imogen
you're marrying joseph gordon-levitt?!
Re: "Reserving" a Twitter name
Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2012 11:40 pm
by Marduk
Imogen wrote:you're marrying joseph gordon-levitt?!
No fair! I saw him first!
Re: "Reserving" a Twitter name
Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2012 6:14 am
by Katya
Marduk wrote:Imogen wrote:you're marrying joseph gordon-levitt?!
No fair! I saw him first!
I'll fight you all!
(No, I am not really marrying Joseph Gordon-Levitt, mainly because @MRSJOSEPHGORDON-LEVITT is too long to be a Twitter handle. Does anyone have any insights regarding the actual question?)
Re: "Reserving" a Twitter name
Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2012 8:41 pm
by Laser Jock
I can't think of any reason that wouldn't work, though if you have any followers on your current one you'd want to give them a heads-up so they don't wonder "Who is this random person I didn't know I was following?" (I haven't actually tried this, though, so I don't know if there's a "waiting period" before someone else can claim a name that was in use, the way Blogger does for deleted blogs.)
You could also just keep your current username and use the new one for this project, but it sounds like you're not a fan of that option. (Also, what if people find and follow the new/placeholder account before you pull the switch?)
Re: "Reserving" a Twitter name
Posted: Thu Jul 05, 2012 6:09 am
by Katya
Laser Jock wrote:I can't think of any reason that wouldn't work, though if you have any followers on your current one you'd want to give them a heads-up so they don't wonder "Who is this random person I didn't know I was following?" (I haven't actually tried this, though, so I don't know if there's a "waiting period" before someone else can claim a name that was in use, the way Blogger does for deleted blogs.)
Good thought. I'll look into that.
Laser Jock wrote:You could also just keep your current username and use the new one for this project, but it sounds like you're not a fan of that option.
If it pans out, the project will be ongoing, so I'd effectively be "rebranding" myself with new name. (I'm finding my current Twitter name has some unexpected disadvantages, which is part of the reason I'm looking to switch.)
Laser Jock wrote:(Also, what if people find and follow the new/placeholder account before you pull the switch?)
I'm not going to tweet anything from that account, so anyone who finds it and follows it is probably just a spambot, anyway. (I won't put my real name with it, so no one will know that it's me.)