Well, Crane Driver IS my own name (no-one else can use it here) so I'm being just as honest. I've never made any secret of the fact that 'Crane Driver' is Andrew McKay from Gower in South Wales, but since very few people outside of Mudcat have ever heard of me under either name, what does it matter? I use a name I chose myself rather than the one my parents chose.

Why? I liked the 'feel' of the place, with so many idiosyncratic names about, rather than the fairly limited choice of names most of us are stuck with outside. I like puns and word-play, so I thought I'd join in.

Personally, I don't get so upset about what people post here that I'd want to administer 'social retribution' - I'm certainly not going to fly to Canada to smack ClintonHammond in the mouth for anything, so knowing his 'real' name makes no odds there. If I did want to take a point up with him privately, I could PM him whatever name he was using. That's the real point - I have to stand by whatever 'Crane Driver' posts just as much as I'd have to stand by whatever 'Andrew McKay' posted if I used that name. So, it's just as 'real' a name.

Andrew