# How famous are you (or think you are)? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 4, 2014, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-famous-are-you-or-think-you-are/703568 "2014-11-04T01:51:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Arabella\_Flynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8491ac/32.png) [@Arabella\_Flynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arabella_Flynn)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-famous-are-you-or-think-you-are/703568/101 "2014-11-13T22:50:31Z")
I accidentally make myself internet-famous from time to time. I write a thing on my blog, someone for whatever reason thinks it’s _really_ interesting, and for a couple of weeks the number of hits goes up a few orders of magnitude. Then I sink into obscurity again, until someone else’s fanclub gets a hold of me. In person, I’m fairly well recognized among the local burlesque and circus performers, but I don’t know if that counts as fame. I’m just kind of around a lot. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2015, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-famous-are-you-or-think-you-are/703568/102 "2015-03-05T22:42:25Z")
There’s probably millions of people around the world that have heard stuff I’ve created. But there’s quite a few websites that list one of my pseudonyms as my real name. And that’s the way I like it… ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-famous-are-you-or-think-you-are/703568/103 "2015-03-06T02:27:19Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I googled my name and the first three hits that came up were me. None of them were Facebook or Linkedin. If I google my first and last name in quotes the first 28 hits are me. It’s a pretty unusual surname and I’m the only Firstname Lastname in the US. I’m slightly more famous now than I was when I responded to this poll because I work for a fairly visible law firm and I’ve published a little. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-famous-are-you-or-think-you-are/703568/104 "2015-03-06T02:59:34Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > Totally non-famous. > > The only kind of fame I ever fantasize about is being a recluse author, like Thomas Pynchon, who never gives interviews and is never photographed. And I’d write my best selling novels under a pseudonym. So, yeah. I’d only want to be famous if no one knew who I was, as oxymoronic as that sounds. You… You… You must be **Cecil Adams**! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-famous-are-you-or-think-you-are/703568/105 "2015-03-06T04:04:05Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > [QUOTE=Northern Piper] > > I googled my name and the first three hits that came up were me. None of them were Facebook or Linkedin. If I google my first and last name in quotes the first 28 hits are me. It’s a pretty unusual surname and I’m the only Firstname Lastname in the US. I’m slightly more famous now than I was when I responded to this poll because I work for a fairly visible law firm and I’ve published a little. [/QUOTE] I’m still the top three hits on my name on Google. I did a vanity search a while ago on a Canadian case-law database, and my name came up as counsel in over 100 reported cases. But that’s a pretty narrow area of recognition. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-famous-are-you-or-think-you-are/703568/106 "2015-03-06T04:16:44Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > You… You… You must be **Cecil Adams**! Hah! I wish! 😛 Or, well, if Cecil is actually me, then he’s certainly doing one hell of a job impersonating an ignorant schmuck on this board. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-famous-are-you-or-think-you-are/703568/107 "2015-03-06T06:17:08Z")
I get recognized by my voice alone by a narrow group of people who hear me on my work radio. That alone is unnerving. I am fairly well known by another online pseudonym and my writings have attracted the attention of certain government officials. Maybe they have a file on me? Several tens of thousands know of something I was heavily involved in developing but wouldn’t recognize my name. I’ve mentioned my involvement to one person who broke into tears at having met me. ---
**Author:** ![txswimdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@txswimdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/txswimdad)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-famous-are-you-or-think-you-are/703568/108 "2015-03-06T13:57:31Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > The only place I’m famous is here. 😃 “Dusty, infamous is when you’re more than famous. This guy, Shakes, he’s not just famous, he’s in-famous.” ---
**Author:** ![Nom\_de\_Plume](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/85f322/32.png) [@Nom\_de\_Plume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nom_de_Plume)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-famous-are-you-or-think-you-are/703568/109 "2015-03-06T14:10:34Z")
When I was younger, I was a DJ on the radio and anchored local TV news. (Very local, mind you) It was nice at first to be recognized, but often obtrusive. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-famous-are-you-or-think-you-are/703568/110 "2015-03-06T14:51:39Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I’m still the top three hits on my name on Google. > > I did a vanity search a while ago on a Canadian case-law database, and my name came up as counsel in over 100 reported cases. But that’s a pretty narrow area of recognition. 😛 Oh, I dunno. 100 reported cases is a _lot_. Unless Canadian case reporters include trial court orders? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-famous-are-you-or-think-you-are/703568/111 "2015-03-06T15:28:39Z")
No, reported decisions - cases where the judge gave written reasons (plus a few where the reasons were oral, transcribed, and reported). ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-famous-are-you-or-think-you-are/703568/112 "2015-03-06T15:49:47Z")
> [@pullin](#): > > I’ve mentioned this before on the dope, one of my relatives committed a well-known crime. Trust me, you’ve all heard about it (at least in the US). I don’t say which because I prefer anonymity (and we share surnames). Your surname must be Cooper! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-famous-are-you-or-think-you-are/703568/113 "2015-03-06T15:55:41Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > No, reported decisions - cases where the judge gave written reasons (plus a few where the reasons were oral, transcribed, and reported). Oh. “Reported decisions” here refers to appellate cases that are selected for reproduction in the reporter of record for the jurisdiction (in Florida, it’s _Southern Reporter_.) ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-famous-are-you-or-think-you-are/703568/114 "2015-03-06T16:05:48Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I’m well known in professional science fiction circles, and among northeast science fiction fandom. Maybe 100-150K people have seen my byline over the years. Schenectady? Science fiction? You must be the guy that operates the PO box Barry Longyear wrote about in _It Came From Schenectady_. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-famous-are-you-or-think-you-are/703568/115 "2015-03-06T17:09:35Z")
I am pretty much a nobody, except among my mother’s quilting circle. I’m sort of a big deal there 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-famous-are-you-or-think-you-are/703568/116 "2015-03-06T17:17:53Z")
> [@OldGuy](#): > > I’m famous within my profession and almost certainly \> 1 million people have heard of me world-wide. Kinda the same for me, except the numbers are nowhere near that high. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-famous-are-you-or-think-you-are/703568/117 "2015-03-06T18:07:58Z")
I’m one of the teeming, for sure. Anyone linked into high school baseball in a 5 county area of my state back when I played probably knew my name. These days my name is known by many in a particular segment of the auto industry, only in the sense that I have a lot of connections, not that I’m necessarily a VIP or anything. If you google me you’ll see a former NFL player with the same name take up at least the first page of results. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-famous-are-you-or-think-you-are/703568/118 "2015-03-06T18:19:24Z")
I voted local celebrity, but that locale is within the 5 companies I’ve worked for. I have a role where I become known to almost all employees. And, since I have a somewhat unusual name, people tend to remember me. Has not translated into new found wealth or anything though, but it does keep me employed. My name is shared (with one letter different spelling) with a character in Night Vale. This amuses many. ---
**Author:** ![SUZ\_MAC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e8cbc/32.png) [@SUZ\_MAC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SUZ_MAC)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-famous-are-you-or-think-you-are/703568/119 "2015-03-06T19:34:36Z")
Not famous and never have been. However, I too am amused that if you google my name you will find the first few pages referencing a character from Harry Potter. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-famous-are-you-or-think-you-are/703568/120 "2015-03-06T20:03:57Z")
I’m a little bit famous within the small subculture of fans of the game I freelance for. I’m known for some well-received fan novels, a few stories that appear in game sourcebooks, and hopefully for the published novel I’ve got coming out next month in the game world. Outside of that, hardly anybody knows who I am. 😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-famous-are-you-or-think-you-are/703568.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-famous-are-you-or-think-you-are/703568.md?page=7)