House Affiliation and Usernames
Original discussion posted in cunningfolk. I added a few afterthoughts.
We've had discussions about the correlation between Hogwarts House and things like MBTI type, D&D alignment, etc. and, while these traits are never mutually exclusive to a single House, there do tend to be definite patterns.
Sometimes when I'm sorting a new member, I get a vibe as to where they belong before even sorting. So I was doing a lot of thinking about this, and I noticed there are certain patterns that seem to correlate with House affiliation and the way those individuals choose their usernames. I chalk it up to the general psychological aspects of each house:
Gryffindors seem to either a.) cut right to to the chase with names that tell you boldly and directly exactly who they are (real names, or derivatives or their real names), or b.) catch you off guard with a shot of humor or bluntness that makes you remember their presence somehow.
Common username patterns: Forthright self-identification, humor, boldness, shock value, catchphrases.
Hufflepuffs also use their real names fairly often, but frequently choose names that make references to personal interests, hobbies or fandoms. Also worth observing: Hufflepuffs incorporate numbers into their usernames more often than any other House (birthdays? team numbers?). I think this can be attributed to the open nature of the House: these are sociable, non-judgmental people who have an innate ability to relate with others. Of all Houses, Hufflepuffs seem to break down that wall between others more readily than others, exposing bits of their personalities and making themselves more approachable. I don't know if this is intentional or subconscious, but it definitely does open a door to sharing common ground; I don't think I have ever met a Hufflepuff who was lacking in the friend department.
Common username patterns: Open self-identification, personal interests, birth dates, fandom references, sentimentality, conversational icebreakers.
Ravenclaw names often have a dreamy, cerebral or poetic quality. They actually tell a lot about themselves in their usernames, but much like their common room's knocker, won't let you in without figuring out the puzzle. Ravenclaw names are beautiful, but often metaphorical.
Common username patterns: Obscure pop culture and literary references, poetry, alliteration, metaphor.
Slytherins seem to actually lack a visible pattern in their usernames; if you look at our common room's roster, it looks like a hodgepodge of disjointed words and phrases. However, if you analyze it a bit deeper, I think this can be attributed to the trait of subtlety. The names actually have a lot of important personal meaning, but only to the user themselves; think of Tom Marvolo Riddle's symbolism in his choice of horcruxes and choice of an anagram to say who he is without actually saying it (William, I'm looking at you).
Common username patterns: Cypticism, subtlety, hidden personal meaning and delusions of grandeur.
I'm going to follow this up with the obvious disclaimer that this isn't an absolute rule that defines every single individual in each House. However, it's something I've noticed.
So tell me... What House do you identify with, and how did you choose your username?
Mine is the surname of a character I created at the age of seventeen, who originated as the well-dressed bad guy of a comic book, but who wound up becoming the morally-drab focus of the novel I keep meaning to finish writing but don't. The character, for better or worse, has just been this recurring thing in my life and means a lot to me even though I keep abandoning him on the creative front (in favor of more tangible career opportunities). So I chose this name because even though it's completely meaningless to everyone else, it's got a lot of history.
Outside of LiveJournal, I tend to use derivatives of my real name...although those accounts are usually used for the purpose of sharing my art or seeking professional work, whereas this is the only site I use for just making friends.
We've had discussions about the correlation between Hogwarts House and things like MBTI type, D&D alignment, etc. and, while these traits are never mutually exclusive to a single House, there do tend to be definite patterns.
Sometimes when I'm sorting a new member, I get a vibe as to where they belong before even sorting. So I was doing a lot of thinking about this, and I noticed there are certain patterns that seem to correlate with House affiliation and the way those individuals choose their usernames. I chalk it up to the general psychological aspects of each house:
Gryffindors seem to either a.) cut right to to the chase with names that tell you boldly and directly exactly who they are (real names, or derivatives or their real names), or b.) catch you off guard with a shot of humor or bluntness that makes you remember their presence somehow.
Common username patterns: Forthright self-identification, humor, boldness, shock value, catchphrases.
Hufflepuffs also use their real names fairly often, but frequently choose names that make references to personal interests, hobbies or fandoms. Also worth observing: Hufflepuffs incorporate numbers into their usernames more often than any other House (birthdays? team numbers?). I think this can be attributed to the open nature of the House: these are sociable, non-judgmental people who have an innate ability to relate with others. Of all Houses, Hufflepuffs seem to break down that wall between others more readily than others, exposing bits of their personalities and making themselves more approachable. I don't know if this is intentional or subconscious, but it definitely does open a door to sharing common ground; I don't think I have ever met a Hufflepuff who was lacking in the friend department.
Common username patterns: Open self-identification, personal interests, birth dates, fandom references, sentimentality, conversational icebreakers.
Ravenclaw names often have a dreamy, cerebral or poetic quality. They actually tell a lot about themselves in their usernames, but much like their common room's knocker, won't let you in without figuring out the puzzle. Ravenclaw names are beautiful, but often metaphorical.
Common username patterns: Obscure pop culture and literary references, poetry, alliteration, metaphor.
Slytherins seem to actually lack a visible pattern in their usernames; if you look at our common room's roster, it looks like a hodgepodge of disjointed words and phrases. However, if you analyze it a bit deeper, I think this can be attributed to the trait of subtlety. The names actually have a lot of important personal meaning, but only to the user themselves; think of Tom Marvolo Riddle's symbolism in his choice of horcruxes and choice of an anagram to say who he is without actually saying it (William, I'm looking at you).
Common username patterns: Cypticism, subtlety, hidden personal meaning and delusions of grandeur.
I'm going to follow this up with the obvious disclaimer that this isn't an absolute rule that defines every single individual in each House. However, it's something I've noticed.
So tell me... What House do you identify with, and how did you choose your username?
Mine is the surname of a character I created at the age of seventeen, who originated as the well-dressed bad guy of a comic book, but who wound up becoming the morally-drab focus of the novel I keep meaning to finish writing but don't. The character, for better or worse, has just been this recurring thing in my life and means a lot to me even though I keep abandoning him on the creative front (in favor of more tangible career opportunities). So I chose this name because even though it's completely meaningless to everyone else, it's got a lot of history.
Outside of LiveJournal, I tend to use derivatives of my real name...although those accounts are usually used for the purpose of sharing my art or seeking professional work, whereas this is the only site I use for just making friends.