Name Change

Posted on October 21, 2002 in Site News

You may have noticed that I am no longer referring to myself as Emperor Norton on this blog. The reasons for that are many:

• I was feeling a peculiar distance from my readers who I think reacted to the “Emperor” part of the nickname negatively. Though the original Emperor Norton was a pathetic if amusing street person, most people don’t know his story and jump to other conclusions about what I intend.
  
• Crazy Tracy’s son seems to think that I am a professional wrestler.
  
• I don’t know enough about the Sandman comic book series to answer questions about it.
  
• It’s a lot to ask people to spell.
  
• I can’t answer the questions about the Norton Utilities that some people pose to me because they think I am Peter Norton.
  
• I just want to spend time without a mask and be myself.

To help people along, I will continue to use EmperorNorton as my IRC nick. And when I sign comments, I will use Joel (Emperor Norton) for a while. And I’m not taking down the Imperial Archives or changing the name of the blog. The beard stays, too.

I was thinking of Cassandro for awhile, but it seems to me that invites putting out a huge sign that says “Victim. Kick me.” Some already lined up. Maybe it will be harder for them the next time when they realize that there’s a thinking human being here, not a cartoon.

Again, thanks to my friends on IRC, in real life, and elsewhere who are helping me through this current beffudling crisis.