The question I probably get asked most often is: “what does ParisLemon stand for?” I usually just tell people it’s not that interesting — because really, it’s not. The fact of the matter is that it was just the random screen name I chose for myself on AOL when I was a kid. Of course, now that TechCrunch has been acquired by AOL, it’s slightly more interesting.
The full story is that I was actually kicked off of AOL sometime in 1994 (when I was 13) for “scrolling” (basically hitting a letter and then hitting return over and over again in a chat room). My original screen name, “RELGEIS” (“Siegler” backwards), was banned by the service. But I was addicted to AOL and needed to get back online, so I grabbed one of my parent’s credit cards and came up with a new name as quickly as possible.
The name I picked, Paris Green (a pigment, animal poison, and firework colorant), was taken. So was ParisBlue, ParisRed, etc, etc. So, ParisLemon it was.
On AOL… Again
Oh. I stand corrected. This isn’t news. But this is. And this. And this. And this. And this. And this. And this.
Should I go back more than just two weeks ago?
