18 Comments to “ Question: Do you like using your real name online? .” Please leave a comment below, thank you.

1. # 1
   Lisa :
   ( August 26th, 2007 at 11:00 am )

   I used to think it was okay to use my real name everywhere but just yesterday I found some pretty nasty comments on my blog (which is just barely online now), by someone who referenced the town I grew up in and my boyfriend’s name, which I NEVER mentioned online. Now I’m kinda skittish: apparently people with a grudge (don’t ask, I’m a really nice person in the real world…) can just google me, find my website and be all mean and nasty because I don’t know who they are. Bastards. I used to be so innocent…



2. # 2
   Bes :
   ( August 26th, 2007 at 12:14 pm )
   

   Hi Lisa [good to see/hear from your again.] Thanks for the comment.

   That is indeed very horrible, specially when you think you have not done anything and you do not know who those people are. I wonder if those people realize that you probably have no idea who they or or why they are doing such a thing. Have you tried investigating a bit, like seeing if their ip originated from the same town, or stuff like that? I am hoping you can find out who that person is or why they are frustrated or upset. So in your case, using real name results in someone leaving such comments. That is a good example of a not-so-good outcome of using real names, I guess?

   Good to see that your blog is back online, even though it is getting such comments.



3. # 3
   Nicole :
   ( August 26th, 2007 at 1:53 pm )

   I can certainly see why people would feel safer using an online alias. I don’t use one, though, and I really don’t have reasons why I don’t, I just didn’t give myself one.

   I think certain people have more to lose if they’re “online lives” are discovered. I don’t think I am one of those people. That’s not to say that real life people I know or have known won’t come a crossed my site. I’m honestly not that worried about it, though. I’m a fairly private and not many people know all that much about me, other than those I let know.

   So, yeah, I use my real name. I’m pretty careful about other details I reveal about my offline life, though; and I think recently I’ve become even more careful.



4. # 4
   Bes :
   ( August 26th, 2007 at 8:36 pm )
   

   Hi Nicole! Thanks for the comment, and nice to see you again too! I have a lot of catching up to do.

   Do you think one of the reasons you may be a bit safer than other people, who use their real names online, could be because you use only a part of your full real name?

   Yes, you are right, “certain people” do indeed get affected immediately and on a big scale if their online world is found out by offline people, or vice versa. I think you have a good philosophy on many levels, of not letting everyone know about your private life but only the people you want to know.

   Is there a specific reason, if I may ask, that has caused you to become more careful online lately when it comes to revealing more about your offline life?

   Thanks again.



5. # 5
   inspirationbit :
   ( August 28th, 2007 at 9:13 pm )

   I use my real first name, but don’t mention my last name due to privacy reasons , plus I see no point in me using my last name (it’s hard to pronounce and spell anyway)

   I personally like to know real names of people behind their online nicknames, if I’m interested in getting to know them a bit more.



6. # 6
   Bes :
   ( September 1st, 2007 at 2:11 pm )
   

   Vivien-inspirationbit, thanks for sharing. That makes sense; sharing something and not the complete thing. Privacy is something many people do not think about, and like Nicole pointed out above, for some people privacy can be a very critical factor in maintaining an online or even an offline [my cases] status. I am guessing for some people, it is becoming clearer and clearer as time passes as to how they want their identity to be viewed online, and how their preferences are actually affecting them.

   It can be a good thing many times to know real names of people, as many people consider their names to be very person to them.



7. # 7
   Joshua :
   ( September 5th, 2007 at 11:30 pm )

   The way I figure it, if someone really wants to find you, they will.

   No sense delaying the inevitable, huh?

   Unless of course you are leaking secret government information and have the threat of death looming over your head…

   Speaking of which…I found this the other day…it pulls up all sorts of personal information! http://pipl.com/



8. # 8
   Bes :
   ( September 6th, 2007 at 1:42 pm )
   

   Thanks for the comment Joshua.

   That is true in many cases: it is not that hard to find someone online, specially if someone has left some trails online. Heh @ “the threat of death looming over your head.”

   I am not sure if I had heard about that website before or not, but I just tried it after you mentioned it, and it instantly found someone I searched for as a sample. I think it can be both good and scary. I wonder hoe a person can opt themselves out of all such available data.



9. # 9
   Sara :
   ( September 22nd, 2007 at 10:11 am )

   I got to know an online person and I actually thought she was really nice - I told her my name…not a good idea because a few days later, there was hatred between us and she posted my full name on her blog, resulting in everyone leaving nasty comments about me. But thank god she is long gone from the internet now…she told me that she found it amusing to irritate me.

   Now I just use my first real name, which is Sara



10. # 10
    Daniel Lee :
    ( October 19th, 2007 at 3:36 pm )

    I am just starting to give this some serious thought. I moderate a message board where people have to use their real name to post, it certainly cuts down on the chicken shit comments.

    What if the founders of the Constitution used their online identity? Kind of an unreal metaphor but not so far off base when you come to realize that those who do not have an opinion that they stand behind stand for nothing. There are some places where using your real name does not matter, but when you are expressing a political opinion you have to be ready to take responsibility for that opinion no matter who disagrees or what the consequences are. Those who are not willing to die for freedom will not have it.
    I just don’t see anyway around it.

    Benjamin Franklin Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one.

    That goes the other way as well, those who are willing to give up a little bit of security in order to gain freedom shall have neither.

    It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees!
    – Emiliano Zapata

    I know not what course others make take, but as for me: give me Liberty, or give me death. - Patrick Henry

    Adios for now,

    Daniel Hallas



11. # 11
    Bes :
    ( October 29th, 2007 at 1:31 pm )
    

    Sara, thanks again for the comment. I do not know the whole story, though that sounds like a very good example of a very bad thing that can happen online. Some people start doing random things if they are upset about anything, and posting personal information just to get back at someone is one of the things many online people can get away with more easily than in the offline world.

    I think it’s a wise choice to use the first name, yes, and sorry you had to encounter such a person. Do you 2 still talk/interact on any level?

    Daniel Lee, thank you for sharing, I really appreciate it.

    Having people use their real name does indeed seem to deter many people from doing things like annoy other people, as in Saras’ case above.

    I also like using and associating my name to many things. Your example of the constitution is very interesting. Without names, it would have been hard for many people to give it more credibility, even though apparently no one today personally met or knew the original writers of the Constitution. What kind of a message board do you operate? Does anyone still say anything that many would usually not say using their real names?

    So from what I am gathering, it seems that in cases like what Sara described, using a full name can hurt, and in what you describe for situations like the constitution or having and promoting certain ideas and trends, a full name or a real name can do wonders.

    Sorry for the late response, and thanks for waiting!



12. # 12
    Question: Do you prefer reading online articles with or without pictures? at The Reasoner :
    ( November 10th, 2007 at 11:34 pm )

    [...] simple example of an article without a picture is my post “Question: do you like using your real name online?.” Sure, an article may have other pictures like the site name logo on the top of this page, [...]



13. # 13
    ChampDog :
    ( December 29th, 2007 at 8:45 pm )

    I’m using nickname. I think using real name looks more profesional than the nickname. Is it true? If you see some nickname like mine writing something in the blog or forum, I have a feeling people will think it is a scam. “This guy must be not serious” or they probably have a second thought on my comments. I don’t know. My original thought is there is no real and fake name in a cyberspace. Whatever names we like to call is not important. I even can call myself the same name with you. It is the content and idea that we write is the key. I’m confused, that’s why I come to this page by Google.



14. # 14
    Jen :
    ( January 3rd, 2008 at 2:50 pm )

    I don’t really see anything wrong about using your real name on websites, because like Joshua said, you can find out almost anything about a person if you search the web long enough. That being said, I only use my real first name on the internet, but one day in the future I’ll probably make the switch and make my blog something like “myrealname”.com. For now though, not using my full name is a way to be a part of the blogosphere without putting myself completely out there.



15. # 15
    Webhosting Directory :
    ( January 25th, 2008 at 4:52 am )

    I see an advantage of using one’s real name in buying a domain. Let’s say yourrealname.com.
    You should secure your real name in the domain registrar, otherwise someone who has a grudge against you might steal your very own name and register it for himself or herself. Once you own your name in this dotcom era, that is yours for life so long as you renew your registration fee. Anyone can take away your name from you. That’s one vulnerabilityon this Internet age.



16. # 16
    Mark :
    ( April 17th, 2008 at 2:31 am )

    After reading the pro and cons of using the real name, I would prefer to use a fake name and have a little more privacy. You never know when you will need it, right?



17. # 17
    Bes :
    ( July 26th, 2008 at 1:08 pm )
    

    ChampDog, thanks for the comment. A real name does look more professional in the eyes of many people and maybe, though not surely, majority of the companies that may visit a site to see how someone behaves or what someone is up to.

    I agree that the actual name we choose becomes our name online and thus we associate by it: that is a very good point. It is what we do and write or express that counts, and the name, whether permanent for a while or forever, only pinpoints to identifying the character or entity associated with that. By having the same name, you meant a nickname like “ChampDog”?

    Jen, thanks for the comment. The availability of the .me domain names now, do you think you may get a domain name like jenlastname.me ? I think that is a nice step, using the first name but not the full name to try to experiment or be in both areas.

    Webhosting Directory, thanks for sharing, and good point. However, with so many variables available, one can register yourrealname.com, .net, .org, .me, .it, .co.jp, .co.uk, .mobi, and many more, with .me being added to the list recently. In your view, when using real names in domain names, should one focus on certain domain extensions or as many as the budget allows?

    Your nickname, for example: do you use it as your real name everywhere online or do you use some other name also in some other online places?

    Mark, thanks for the comment. True indeed: privacy is important and with the growing fanatical interest in the web, it is sometimes easier to find more about people online than in real life, even if you live next to them.

    What do you think of the idea of using first names only [like Mark], like Jen mentioned above? Do you think that gives some privacy and some exposure, or can a first name make it easier to think that something may be associated with you?

    Thanks again everyone.



18. # 18
    vanuir :
    ( August 15th, 2008 at 1:18 am )

    no, pseudo…i’m undercover

Please leave a comment below, thank you. You will be able to edit your posted comment for up to one hour (60 minutes).