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Small-Scale Question Sunday for October 13, 2024

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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A major motivation for people changing their names is when they did something bad under their old name and don't want it to be the first thing people see when they Google their name (the right to be forgotten). The UK has specific legislation in place to prevent sex offenders from changing their names for precisely this reason. If one of my friends had their name legally changed (and not because they were coming out as trans; although even then...), my first thought would be "is there something you're trying to hide?" If I'm broadly typical in this regard, it suggests there might be plenty of people who have seriously considered changing their names, but chose not to because they're worried about what people might assume about them if they did.