Your Username Is Fine

There is no need to create another new account just because you grew bored with the username of the last one.

There are many usernames out there in Neopia that contain numbers and underscores. So what, right? Well, there are many people who look at their username and think, "Ugh, why did I pick this one?" Normally the reason for this distaste is the extra characters, or just the words themselves. If this is you, there are things you can to do solve the problem. The simplest one is just to create a new account. Simple, right? But there are several reasons why Neopians such as yourself are reluctant to do this. You may have a trophy you are proud of and are sure that you would never be able to get it again. Maybe you love your pets to death and would hate to leave them. (You could always send them through the pound, but then you risk the chance of losing them to someone else, and now transferring can only occur once a month.)

But before we move on: I am not trying to offend those of you with numbers and underscores and whatnot. I am saying that it is perfectly fine. It's just that other Neopians are unhappy with using them. Now, where was I...? Right.

Here's what you can do:

Step 1.

So you know that you don't like your username. You have come to grips with it and accepted it as the truth. But now what? You might be afraid that people won't take you seriously with a username such as yours. Maybe you just wish it looked simpler and was easier for your friends to remember. Get over it. If they're really your friends, they'll remember. Whatever your reason is, stop fretting over it. That's the first thing you have to do. You just have to learn to deal with it.

Step 2.

OK, so now you have no worries about your name. But what are you going to do about it? You can't simply change it. TNT is just a flock of silly gooses who won't let you bend the rules this one time. (If you think about it, being able to change your username can actually cause much confusion and distress.) You are going to have to work on your account itself. What does that mean? Spiffy it up. I want you to go out there and earn yourself some neopoints. With them, paint your pets! Buy them wearable clothes and items. Buy them that plushie that you see in the shops and think, "That's pretty expensive for just a plushie." Make them look and feel wonderful. Spend, spend, spend! There is nothing wrong with spending your neopoints! You can always earn them back.

This may take a while, for you might be saving up for that special paint brush or that avatar plushie you always wanted. Don't fret it. Keep saving up. These things count as sprucing up your account. And of course it will take time, whether you are in the middle of saving up or not. Relax. You have plenty of time. Meanwhile, the next steps are waiting to be executed.

Step 3.

The next step in your quest involves learning. I know, I know, you're all saying, "What does learning have to do with this?" It can play a big part. It's time for you to make use of your space. You have Neopets (if you don't, well, shame on you. Go get some. Or adopt 'em. That'd be nice) that have petpages. You've probably looked at the editing page before and went, "Oh my goodness! I can't do this. What language is it?!" It's called HTML and CSS. (Here's where the learning comes in.) TNT has set up a nice HTML Guide for users such as yourselves to use. Read it and learn from it. Experiment on the pages. Ask around for some help; I'm sure there will be some people willing to help you out. Make your pages all fancy-shmancy. They can be general information, guides, anything. Some people use them to detail their pets' "real" look, personality, family, etc. Do whatever you wish.

But you have more space than just that! Your userlookup should come next. This is usually the first thing that most people see when they meet you. They will wonder, "Who is this?" And they will look at your userlookup for more information. Therefore, I suggest that you make it all pretty as well. HTML/CSS is such a lovely thing. You can make the page look nearly any way you want.

Step 4.

Whew. The learning bit is over. But there is more to do. (There will always be more to do; I'm just giving a quick rundown.) The next thing is to find a hobby. No, I don't mean something to entertain yourself while away for Neopets. I mean stuff to do while you're on it. I know, I know, you're already busy making those neopoints. But I am sure you can find time to earn some trophies. (; Some of the games you play for neopoints can earn you trophies and avatars. Awesome. But that's not entirely what I mean.

Get yourself entered in the Beauty Contest, or the Caption Contest, or the Neopian Times with articles or comics. Find something you would enjoy doing to earn some cool trophies and have some fun. The trophies will spiffy up your userlookup. And that's the entire point: spiffying up your space.

Step 5.

This is something small and optional. Have you ever given much thought to your NeoBoards font? I know, it is something that seems a little trivial to some people. Talking is talking, right? In most cases, when on the Boards, most people will judge you by your font before getting to know you. Crazy, right? But it happens. Having a pretty, nice looking font gives people good first impressions. I can't tell you exactly what the deal is, but I am sure you know that people often judge with first impressions. I am not saying that your font is bad! I am just suggesting that you make it look like you put some thought into it.

And it makes you feel good to have a good font. (: And that's all that matters, right? Of course it is. How silly of me to ask.

Who wants to give a bad first impression? Chyeah. That's what I thought. Another thing would be the type of avatar you use. (Matching avatars and fonts are always lovely, keep that in mind.) Typically, people like to use ones other than the default ones. You can flaunt that avatar you won while earning those neopoints and that trophy. You can one to express your personality, if you wish. The most impressive ones, I think, are the expensive ones, and the kind you work hard to get by playing games and such. This is just a personal preference. You may use which one you like best.

Just be yourself with this decision. Fonts and avatars should reflect you. If they do, then I am sure most people won't be given a poor first impression. (Again, it makes you feel good: all warm and fuzzy on the inside.)

Extra Tips.

Phew. All the hard stuff is over. Now it's just time for a few extra small things that you can do to make you love your account.

1. Collections - Find something you would like to collect. Stamps are fun, slightly expensive, but still fun. You can get an avatar out of it, too. You can collect avatars. Trophies. NeoDeck cards. You can set up a gallery and show off item collections. You know those special plushies that have been gathering in your inventory? Put 'em in your gallery. Or those berries that have been piling up after you began playing Pick Your Own. Or gourmet foods that you haven't fed your pet (I have no idea why you wouldn't, but whatever).

2. Battling - Get some Battledome points, win some fights. This is not something I do very well at, but other people work wonders. Try and maybe you can do well. The more you win, the more points you get, the better your stats look on your userlookup. Spiffy spiffy, eh?

3. Site Plots - Get involved in TNT's plots. They work hard on them, so you should at least try one. They're fun too. Challenging, hard, and fun. You can earn trophies for them, avatars, and site themes. You don't know what a site theme is? It changes the look of the site. Instead of the standard yellow border (or any other color you chose) you can earn different colors with pretty designs. @__@

~

So there you have it, my friends. A way to love your account when the username you chose is not something you are pleased with any more. You can do these steps out of order, add your own steps, or whatever floats your boat. Have some fun! /cheesiness