Abandoning the pseudonym for the real name: pro and con?

[S. Williamson]

<= That is my real name.    I answer to dude, though. 

[Tallpine]

fistful, I was having trouble hearing ... does your last name start with a B or a P

 

[tyme]

If the line is bad, I'll say, "I'm going to use the phonetic alphabet, are you ready?"

Unfortunately this often only makes matters worse.

You're nice.  I don't even warn them.  I just start in with the phonetic alphabet.  The response pegs the person on the other end somewhere between "smart" and "sheltered" (euphemism of the day).

[Perd Hapley]

fistful, I was having trouble hearing ... does your last name start with a B or a P

 

Gee, I've never heard that one before.   

[Paddy]

Gee, I've never heard that one before.   smiley

He was just joshin' you.

[Perd Hapley]

Get that one a lot, too.  Boy, maybe I should have hidden my real name.   

[Paddy]

It's the price you pay for having an unusual name.  People say to me "the life of Riley" and slap their rhino thighs like they just thought of something original. 

[280plus]

Most of the usual renditions of my last name are too obscene to post here 

 

[Tallpine]

maybe I should have hidden my real name

Sorry ... didn't mean to biss you off 

[French G.]

Yeah there's a negative, I get ripped for being of the proud French nation. Nope sorry. I am like 1/8 escaped French Hugenot(read: smart enough to leave France) but I am 100% been here for waay too long Virginian. So yeah that's my real name over there; yes it is somewhat peculiar to VA, no I have not surrendered to anyone and yes I have heard and approve of every bad joke on my name. 

  Leatherneck, you probably know I am not the greatest fan of the Osprey, but I accept it as a reality of Naval Aviation now. I'll probably be out before my ship supports them but they have been out to work their boat quals. I read the technical directive traffic everyday, there certainly is a lot of process improvement going on. Still, that is one unsexy aircraft. So there I was, far away from any ocean at my mountain home when I hear what sounds like a helicopter crashing into a running Briggs and Stratton lawnmower. Nope, just a USAF V-22 in the 'hood. Doesn't sound like a Sikorsky. Blasphemy! 

[GigaBuist]

Well, GigaBuist is a nickname I got from some buddies one night.  I'm a tech dork, and my real name is Justin Buist, so they made up GigaBuist.

Kinda like it, so I adopted it.

I blog under my own name, and realize this could possibly become a problem in the future when it comes to gaining employment.  Certainly factored into Kim du Toit's life. Hasn't bothered me thus far.  I figure I'm a bit lucky on that front.

The only downside I've experienced with regards to posting in my own name resulted in a VERY THIN threat of a libel lawsuit.  Of course, the only reason the fellow got his feather's ruffled was because of my posting under my real name, about said yahoo, a lawyer trying to extract money from him got in touch with me and I provided a signed affidavit saying that said yahoo was a liar with regards to where he earned his income.

[Balog]

I posted my real name and deployed address when I was in Iraq. Some THR people sent me gun books. It was nice. I've removed it since then, but it's probably in Google's cache somewhere.

I just don't see the percentage for me to post under my own name. What positive benefit could I possibly gain, other than increased respect from someone else on the intarweb? Yay.

[Chuck Dye]

Well, I finally came to a decision.

[Gewehr98]

There's some friggin' weird and scary-assed people out there on the Intarweb.

Pseudonyms are fine with me.

[Ben]

I just start in with the phonetic alphabet.  The response pegs the person on the other end somewhere between "smart" and "sheltered" (euphemism of the day).

Heh. I'm used to it from flying anyway, so I naturally fall back on using it for my collateral duty IT stuff and always go phonetic when giving usernames / passwords over the phone. I know they're not getting it when they stop me in the middle to ask, "wait, is that Foxtrot t-r-o-t, or t-r-a-u-t?" And when they've been repeating the previous phonetics back to me really s-l-o-w-l-y, I know that they've already typed in charliedeltaechofoxtr before asking me the question. 

[Antibubba]

Well, I finally came to a decision.

Chuck Dye, huh?  That's a good pseudonym--it could almost be a real name.

[Matthew Carberry]

For some months I have been increasingly dissatisfied with my use of a pseudonym and have been within a keystroke of sending the request for a name change.  Have any of you who use your real names on forums had any negative experiences?

Nope.  I still use "carebear" because it has Marine Corps significance for me.  But my real name is in my signature on akll the boards I'm on.

Except FARK, those guys are a bunch of animals.

[seeker_two]

This is my real name.....

....I use a pseudonym in public to blend in with the humans......

[CAnnoneer]

Internet anonymity is largely an illusion.

Your only real name can only be the one you give to yourself. Your legal name is just paperwork. The names others give you are usually misconstrued misconceptions.

[Sergeant Bob]

It's the price you pay for having an unusual name.  People say to me "the life of Riley" and slap their rhino thighs like they just thought of something original. 

Only really old people.

[Matthew Carberry]

Internet anonymity is largely an illusion.

Your only real name can only be the one you give to yourself. Your legal name is just paperwork. The names others give you are usually misconstrued misconceptions.

Also, CAnnon cannot be tried in a court with a fringed flag nor do legal documents written in all-caps actually refer to him. 

[grislyatoms]

I just start in with the phonetic alphabet.  The response pegs the person on the other end somewhere between "smart" and "sheltered" (euphemism of the day).

Heh. I'm used to it from flying anyway, so I naturally fall back on using it for my collateral duty IT stuff and always go phonetic when giving usernames / passwords over the phone. I know they're not getting it when they stop me in the middle to ask, "wait, is that Foxtrot t-r-o-t, or t-r-a-u-t?" And when they've been repeating the previous phonetics back to me really s-l-o-w-l-y, I know that they've already typed in charliedeltaechofoxtr before asking me the question. 

Heh!

I was on a call with some support service company or other one time to get a field engineer sent out.

Sweet girl on the other end, but...

Sweet Girl: "Okay, are you ready for an accession number?"
Me: "Yes."
Sweet Girl:<stumbling speech in fits and starts>: "Okay that will be....uhhh, O, zero... no...O... as in...one,....... uhhh.... Oreo,... Charlie,... T,.....like two...."
Me: "Just send it to me in an e-mail."
 
   

[Twycross]

*Shrugs* My real name is Andrew Morin. I just like using 'Twycross' because that is what I've always gone by online and it just seems weird when people I've never met call me by my first name.

[bunni]

I use my real name on a lot of forums, no issues.

[BridgeWalker]

I'm not shy about sharing my name, but I've also found that on gun-related boards, it's handy if the newbs/trolls don't always have "I'M A WOMAN, MESS WITH ME" right in their faces as a sort of open invite.  And nicknames are fun.  And plenty of people have a hard time figuring out how to pronounce "Haliczer".  And if people can't pronounce, they often can't remember it either.  So, I stick with nicknames, but do not in any way hide my identity. 

If I was a guy with a simple to pronounce name, I'd use it.  I'm Sara Haliczer, by the way, of Lansing, MI.