Editing Nickname (section)

== Computing ==
{{See also|User (computing)}}

In the context of information technology, ''nickname'' is a common synonym for the ''screen name'' or ''handle'' of a [[User (computing)|user]]. In [[Computer network programming|computer networks]] it has become a common practice for every person to also have one or more nicknames for [[pseudonymity]], to avoid [[ambiguity]], or simply because the natural name or technical [[IP address|address]] would be too long to type or take too much space on the [[Computer display|screen]].

In the [[IRC | IRC (Internet Relay Chat)]] text-based messaging system first developed in the late 1980s, a nickname (or "nick") was required for every client that connected to an IRC server.<ref>{{cite IETF| rfc = 1459|title=Internet Relay Chat Protocol| sectionname = Clients| section = 1.2| page = 5| idanchor = ietf}}</ref>