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Playa names

Author: Ben

Date: 2024-08-18

What’s in a Name?

So you’re gearing up for Burning Man and you’re wondering if you need a playa name, and what it should be.

I have strong opinions on the subject!

The most important characteristic of a playa name is NOT:

  • Self Expression
  • Novelty
  • Whimsy
  • Creativivity
  • Wit
  • Anonymity
  • Sexy-vibes
  • Non-sexy vibes
  • Non-normativity

Uniqueness is the only meaningful characteristic of a playa name

In the default world, there are literally millions of people named John or Susan.

On playa, there may be dozens or hundreds, so going by John is a tough move!

Someone hops on a loudspeaker and shouts “Hey John! Come get a back massage!” and a few people turn their head.

But if someone hops on the same speaker and shouts “Hey Quartz! Come get a back massage!”, we know that Quartz will be thrilled, and no ambiguity will be presented.

Radios and Naming Conventions

“Ben Ben, this is Moonlight! Your art is on fire”

There may be three Bens on radio today, and now you need to disambiguate before you can figure out where to go.

“Chainlink Chainlink, this is Moonlight!”

It will be easy to identify who is being contacted.

Permanancy, and the value of Branding

If you say your name is Adam Smith on playa, people will immediately tie your on playa identity to your career as a trend-setting economist, and start talking to you about work and the unintended consequences of dynastic wealth.

If you say your name is “Adam”, you require some form of disambiguation.

If you say your name is “Adam from Burners without Borders”, you solve the disambiguation, but you tie your identity to your camp.

If you say your name is “Coffee Table” you may be accidentally mixed up with the coffee table at your camp.

If you say your name is “Sphere”, and no one else on playa is called Sphere, you have a unique name, that can come to be immediately recognized as you, and you don’t have to worry about it Doxxing you or inheriting the connotation your name brings in the default world.

What’s a good playa name?

After all that aside, what’s in a good playa name?

I think starts to come down to the other characteristics above:

  • Self Expression
  • Novelty
  • Whimsy
  • Creativivity
  • Wit
  • Anonymity
  • Sexy-vibes
  • Non-sexy vibes
  • Non-normativity

Anything that you are enthusiastic to be called, willing to talk about the back story of, and open to seeing written down on https://www.burnermap.com/ can make a good playa name!