In Welsh, it would be pronounced ‘du-weer.’ Here’s how a similar word (dwyn, “take”) is pronounced. Dwyr (or dwfr) means “water.”
In case you care. 
Well, I do actually. I hate not knowing things like that. Thanks very much.
And my poor kitty really didn’t like water all that much. I hope he wasn’t mad at me. 
I do give out my real name and my screen name… I answer to both. When referring to other people, I find myself using both the real name (if I know it) and the screen name. So I’m a “both” person.
F_X
I very strongly prefer that people use my real name, and I feel uncomfortable addressing others by their screen names IRL. When meeting people, I generally try to ask their real names and try to think of them and refer to them as such and not their screen names (there are a few exceptions, generally when I’ve only met someone once or they explicitly state that they prefer to be addressed by screen name).
I don’t think of myself as my username and it is not part of my identity – I confess, I like to distance myself from my username, and if you yelled “Hey, lel” across a crowded room I probably wouldn’t respond. I generally introduce myself by real name, but also mention that I am also known as my username to avoid confusion.
I’m going to my first Dopefest in a month and will introduce myself with both my username and real name. Whichever they want to call me afterwards is fine with me but good luck figuring out how to pronounce Aesiron… even after having it for two years, I’m still not sure how to pronounce it myself.
[Slight Hijack]
Just out of curiosity, Cerowyn, but doesn’t the presence of the “f” in the alternative spelling “dwfr” usually indicate that it should be pronounced ‘du-veer’? I’m sure that, in Welsh (as in many languages) there are multiple exceptions for general rules, but I thought that a single ‘f’ takes on the charateristics of the English ‘v’ in pronounciation. But since I don’t exactly know Cymraeg…
[/Slight Hijack]
Well, I’m happy with Happy’s suggestion, way back at the beginning of this thread. Of course, my name really is Dave, so it’s not a big difference, for me. And, I’ve been Davebear for a long time, so I answer to it, just as happily. But, I feel kind of silly calling people by names I know aren’t their real ones, unless they happen to be their real-life nicknames, as well. I’ll do it, but it feels silly.
I usually introduce myself as “Bill” at dopefests and then sort of parenthetically say “Billdo” if they look confused as to who I am.
When people introduce themselves just by their screen name IRL, I usually ask them if they have a real name. Almost always they respond that they do.
I usually try to use people’s real names when I talk to them, though some people’s screen names really fit them. It’s usually no big deal.
I’ve yet to attend a doper gathering, but in related areas (e.g. We have various IRC channels frequented primarily by members of our university, and I’ve met people through them) I tend to introduce myself as “Hi, I’m David or Kit when I’m online.” (I got tired of Kitarak so shortened it for IRC) and then answer to either of them afterwards. I perefer they use my real name, but it doesn’t especially bother me either way.
Only problem is that I end up making a lot of offline friends who call me Kit in person, which confuses other people. After introducing myself as David to third parties I often get “Wait… Why do they call you Kit?” and have to explain.
Ass-iron. Because it will sound good yelling it across a crowded bar.
Another vote for the combination approach. I switch back and forth depending on what strikes my fancy at the moment (unless I know that a person has a real preference for one over the other). I actually think it’s pretty fun to use all the interesting nicknames. It always makes me think of an old-school baseball team, where everyone calls each other quirky names like Deacon and Pebbly Jack and Cyclone and Turkey Mike. Ok, now I realize it also sounds like I’m spending too much time at the racetrack, but whatever.
Some of this probably stems from another bb I used to frequent years ago – like the Dope, a lot of people got to know each other IRL, but it was considered a real faux-pas to use real names. It’s interesting how this shifts from group to group.
I <i>thought</i> I knew a lot of real names, but even in this thread I’m a little amazed to realize there are a few posters who I’ve met, some of them more than once, whose real names are escaping me at the moment!
I also tend to make even shorter nicknames from board names – even though I know and use their real names on occasion, so biggirl becomes biggy and CrankyAsAnOldMan is Cranks and Maeglin is Maeg.
PS When I met zev_steinhardt at a KosherDope, I wouldn’t have dared call him by his real name – I used his board name, and was sure to pronouce it properly – “zevunderscoresteinhardt”!
Escapee, I am not the Watts you seek.
Yeah. Since my name is Dave, hey. It works.
I refer to other Dopers by name if I’m close enough to know their names. Some Dopers I’m pleased to have become quite close friends with, and I would feel odd referring to them by their screen names.
At the same time, there are also Dopers with whom I go back and forth between names. Like Geobabe. Half the time I’ll refer to her by her real name, and half the time I’ll call her Geo. Dunno why, but there it is.