From the ORIGINAL Calladus!

Way back in 1980, during summer camp, I asked my friend Jeanette to help me come up with a name that I could use in the Society for Creative Anachronism.

I'd asked for Jeanette's help because she was taking Latin in school, something that I thought was pretty neat. I wanted a Latin name for my SCA persona, something that might mean sly wolf. Or something like that.

Jeanette looked up several ways of saying this, and gave me a list to choose from. I chose Lupus Callidus as the name. Okay - perhaps Lupus was a bad choice. I realized that later. And I didn't like the way Callidus was spelled, so I changed it to Calladus. It worked out so well, that I also used it for one of my Dungeons and Dragons characters. (Hey, it was the early '80s! EVERYONE played D&D!)

I've been using Calladus as my pseudonym online since I got onto FidoNet back in 1987. I use this pseudonym on Hotmail, Gmail, and Yahoo email. (email me at Gmail please - I check the others only rarely). On the forums I occupy this is also my pseudonym.

But now I've got a beef. It used to be when I looked for 'Calladus' all I found was myself. Now when I egosurf, I get a lot of people who aren't me!

Apparently my pseudonym started being used in an online RPG called "Adventure Quest", as one of the NPCs. Not surprising really - that game tends to 'borrow' names from everywhere.

Now my pseudonym is being borrowed by others. I've seen the name in a wide variety of fantasy gamer settings, and a really dopey "Darth Calladus" too. (I wonder if that guy still has 'Star Wars' sheets on his bed?)

I'm not really bothered by this at all - it's a little flattering. It does make it a little harder to egosurf for me - but if you add the word 'Skeptic' or 'Atheist' or "Rev." to it you will probably find me.

And for all the other Calladai out there - I have a proposal for you. If you want to be known as a TRUE Calladus, just drop me an email. I'll put you in a Calladus Database, and give you a registration number. Those of you with lower registration numbers can feel superior to those with higher registration numbers!

Of course, being the first I will start with registration number 1. (And zero too - just in case someone tries to be tricky.) Start sending in your email now - the coveted low numbers will go fast!

Calladus - the original.