Online, I usually just call people by their usernames/a variant of it/some other nickname they give. Occasionally I'll say, 'sweetie,' 'dear,' or other things of the sort, but that tends to be when I'm comforting someone or goofing around with them. I do call people I'm close to lovey both online and real life, unless they tell me/I can see that it's making them uncomfortable or they'd rather I didn't.

I think it's the tone that makes it degrading. I hate when my dad calls me sweetie, etc, because it's always when he gets condescending, but I have lots of friends and relatives that call me the same things and I don't mind at all. When waitresses or people I don't know very well call me those names, I don't mind. I'm with Kid Disaster, I think it's sweet.

When people use words like 'dear' in correcting me or in being nasty, it seriously bugs me. Which is exactaly why I do it when I get sassy with people who are being rude to me. I'm pretty passive and tend to brush off or ignore rudeness, but when I'm pushed to far, I lash out with something to the effect of, "Dear/honey/sweetie, *insert something snippy here*" It tends to get under people's skin.

I don't like being called petnames (which to me are Honey, Darling, etc) other then by my girlfriend, and she calls me "hun" which is fine. I think honey is too...sappy XD. Though if I am friends with someone and we've talked for awhile, I may end referring to them as "hun" or "love".

I usually don't unless I know them well enough that I know they'll tell me to stop if they don't like it.

I just kinda say dude. i find it somewhat degrading when someone calls me hun or kid like one of my friends used to call me.

i am fine when anyone calls me anything but OLD.

I call everyone Bro.... stupid Kiwi slang. But I HATE being called cupcake. it's to do with the story of a little girl who called breasts cupcakes... the night I heard that story my boyfriend txt me "hey cupcake" I was most upset and still hate the name.

I usually just say hello if i know them well as in real life i'll say something like "Hey sup?" or "Yo!" but i never creep anyone else out by calling them babe or honey its so creepy DX

I feel that being called most of those things are just fine, save for if you've had an issue with someone being TOO chummy (ie hitting on you, acting as if you're dating even though this is just the immernets...ect) and you've had to tell them to stop with all the baby and darling and sweetheart and love.

Usually, I'm one to call people 'darling' or 'love' depending on the context and how well I know the person. Again, unless it's one of those times when you have to try and keep anything that could possibly be misunderstood as a flirtatious advance to a bare minimum. Because calling a stalker (immernets or otherwise) sweetheart is not helping your situation any...

I use their username, shortened. Simple as pie :3

Or if I know them well, I call them goob xD

I tend to call users by their username if its short enough or I'll come up with a shortened version because I'm too lazy to write out the whole thing. :yes:

I would rather people called me Seiki than Seiki Nova or Nova. Never call me Nova.

The naming convention I use with everyone I meet online (until I know them well), which seems to strongly bother people, is to call them "Ms" or "Mr" and their last name (or a proper last-name-sound from their screenname). People seem honestly uncomfortable with politeness and formality. I am unsure why.

Regarding affectionate names, I am known to call my coworkers silly things like "my little kumquat" because we are all rather silly people.

The one that grates on me the most is "babe", especially when a man says it to his girlfriend, fiancee or wife. I find it oddly degrading for a man to be calling an adult woman a child. I do not find women weak or in need of protection; almost every woman I know is a strong and healthy individual. I understand that no harm is ever really meant by such an affectation, but it always makes my hackles rise.

Sometimes I do call my friends things like that just to seem polite. I use the word hon only though and if they dont like what I'm calling them they may tell me to stop politely :)

I usually give people my own little nick name, depending on how well I know them.
EXAMPLEofDOOM! >O : I call my boyfriend Garebear (since his name is Garrett and it resembles the name of my favorite stuffed animal made by Gear) My friend Ashley I call Momo or Momojomo. I'm not so sure as to where I picked that name up from. I call my friend Billy BillyWilly or Billiam (because his original name is William).

And I think that's it. ^.^

When I become 'friendly' with people, I tend to call them, err... interesting names, yes? :P

For example: Whore, slut, skank, hoe, trollop, slattern, harlot, floozy, hussy, jezebel, strumpet, tramp, bimbo, or concubine. :lol:

I've only had one instance where anyone I became 'friendly' with disapproved of such "name-calling," and that was, in a way, a fake attention-seeking disapproval anyway. :sweat:

Obviously I choose carefully who I'm friendly with for this reason. I'll be civil with people nevertheless, but I truly respect you and cherish our friendship if I call you one of the above expletives. :lol:

It doesn't really bother me. If I'm close to someone, I tend to throw profanities at them anyway (unless it's an older member of my family).
I normally use "dude", but I use this as a unisex (proper) noun and an adjective.

In real life, it makes me happy. I don't know why, it just gives me a warm feeling. On the intertubes, however, it just kind of creeps me out, unless I've known that person for a long time.