When people see my tweets, they often ask “why JoeBugBuster?”
BugBuster’s Beginning
My first tech job was at a now-defunct startup that offered vertical market software and systems for video stores. At one point I was doing software testing, and really took the job to heart. Apparently I did a good job, because I was nicknamed BugBuster in recognition of the number of bugs I identified.
The name stuck. I even named my first web site BugBuster’s Best, complete with a spider dropping down a web strand.
I also recognized that troubleshooting comes naturally to me: First as a tech, then as a team lead, and later as a systems engineer. First I was troubleshooting hardware and software, then I troubleshot under-performing sites, and now I am a troubleshooter for systems of systems.
Those Darned Exterminators
When I first decided to join Twitter, I’d intended to use BugBuster as my account name. It turned-out that one was taken. So were several variations, some of which had been claimed by exterminators.
I ultimately decided to add Joe on the front, like “Hey you! Joe!” JoeBugBuster was born. My first tweet:
Working
— Steve Case (@JoeBugBuster) September 11, 2008
Since then I’ve tweeted tens of thousands of times, due in large part to NostalgiaChat. (A Twitter Chat that I co-host on Sundays.)
First Words, Then Pictures
Years later, I finally succumbed to Instagram. Since JoeBugBuster was available, I went for it. It’s somehow poetic that Joe BugBuster’s first post there was of a Dragon:
JoeBugBuster’s postings on Instagram are just a shadow of those on Twitter – But over time, who knows?
No Turning Back for JoeBugBuster
I’ve debated whether I’d switch to BugBuster if the account name became available. There was a lot to be said for shorter Twitter handles when Twitter limited messages to 140 characters, including account names. That became less of an issue when the limit was doubled to 280 characters, and account names were no longer counted toward the limit in replies.
However, “Joe” has become part of my personal brand. I’d also feel a little “off” if people stopped referring to me as Joe on Twitter.
What’s the story behind your social media account names?
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