I used this because I wanted to use Dave, but it was already taken.
I love my name, and I’ll give it out freely to anyone who asks*. But I don’t mind that smidgen of brief anonymity that using a pseudonym gives me.
- In fact, I think it’s posted on the board somewhere.
It only takes one, and I’ve heard of enough.
I’m a bill collector. With an extremely unusual, if not unique, real name.
I got “paranoid” 17 years ago when the Federal Marshalls took down a guy in the parking lot who had my real name written on a sticky note in his pocket. He’d murdered a cop to “solve” his legal problems, and thought my demise would solve his financial problems.
Most people aren’t a threat. Some people are.
Discretion is the better part of valor. Anyone interested can find me, but I’m calmer if the nutjobs have to put a little effort into it.
Like Derleth said, it only takes one. It doesn’t help that I’m female and thus have been taught to protect myself a bit more. And there’s always the chance of the one serious furry-hater who decides that I’m the one they want to pick on.* It’d probably be pretty easy to find my real name, but why make it that much simpler?
Safety isn’t the main reason - Silvercat is just plain who I am online.
*This isn’t a fear of ‘fursection’ (snort), but I’ve actually been targeted for mocking once for my webcomic. I found it entertaining to be perfectly honest. I don’t know why anyone would really choose to stalk me, but that’s why they’re called crazy people…
I work for a government agency. I’ve posted enough controversial stuff here about my past, and about my personal life, that if I used my real name and someone thought to Google it, I could potentially get fired, or at least get seriously gossiped about at work. In the relatively conservative atmosphere of my workplace, being known as “the lady who reads gay porn about Star Trek” is not particularly desirable. Even though there are no morals clauses in state or local government, a lot of private companies do have them. And my government agency has been discussing layoffs recently, so I may have to look for another job before too long.
That said, I will give you my name if I meet you in person. But not on this board, or on the other sites on which I use a pseudonym.
Since I’m the only one with my name, it wouldn’t be that hard to find me if I post my real name. But considering I’ve already done that here, I’m not too worried about much happening.
As for “live” friends and family finding the stuff I post online - they know most of it anyway.
I just like my pseudonym; it’s my favorite character in my favorite book.
Just a partial of my fullname (firstname plus firstlastname) is enough to identify me uniquely, worldwide and, as far as the relative who keeps the family tree knows, historywide.
Why would I want, say, my prospective employers to see all my posts in the Dope, remarks to newspaper articles in their online editions, or posts to the WoW forums? I’ve posted enough information here to be easily identifiable by someone who dug a little, but heck, I don’t want it to show up in Google!
Add that my firstname is hard to pronounce for most non-Hispanics and yeah, “for some reason” most of my online-met-friends call me by a nick.
I use my real name and a pseudonym online. The pseudonym is what I would legally change my name to, if I wasn’t too lazy and cheap to pay the court costs. I don’t fear my privacy that much. My address, phone numbers and many photos of me are all online.
I only use my pseudonym on Yahoo because someone already registered there with with my name. All other places have my real name.