Why do people hide behind psudeonyms?

[jgawne]

I don't get this. I mean on every computer board and such I am on I, I am known by my real name of JGawne. But the number of people who use their real names is really low, and the number of people who do not even put their real names in their profiles is pretty big. Even then most people don't even sign personal messages with their name.

 

I was recently asked a question by someone with a "supercoolrangerairborne506thgunnerkillkill" name and no real name in their profile (or even location). I'll be honest and say it was a question that would have taken me a while to deal with (and as many of you know I am trying to cope with my mom going into an Alzheimer's facility right now - such fun).

 

So I politely replied it was going to take some time to find the answer and I just did not have it right now. Only to find out it was actually someone I knew very well and they had done tons of favors for me in the past. Which ended up a kind of sticky situation.

 

Yeah, In know it is a way to advertise what you are interested in, but you can easily do that in a signature line. And if I see "John Q Public" make interesting posts, I'm going to know him and not some random name that could be anyone. So that when I run into him ata show or something I can make the connection.

 

I guess there are a few valid reasons to hide your identity. But there's enough ways to spell your name that will not tie you directly to an internet search- like John Q Public could be jpublic, public, JGpublic, J_Q_public, Mr_public, Sgt_public, etc.

 

yours in begging for sanity

 

Jon Gawne

[Abby K-9]

I don't know about "people" in general but I do not use my real name on any online forums. There are only two places online where I have posted my full name, and those are Living History Worldwide (where I don't really post anything except a few photos) and Facebook (where I can have everything set to private, requiring people to be on my "friends" list in order to see any of my posts, pictures, etc.)

 

I do this because - well, for one, I don't want my name to be all over the Internet. But more importantly, I have a nasty ex-husband and his squeeze who love to scour the Internet to find something to bother me about. Stuff that's none of their business. Like photos of hubby and I. (They don't know my new last name, fortunately, so their chances of locating me are pretty slim.) I think to some level, even without the ex-husband deal, I wouldn't feel comfortable posting my name all over the forums, anyway. I don't even post the town I live in, just a general area.

 

To each their own, I guess. But I still do sign with my first name. I try to sign all my posts and my private messages - it's just rude not to give people any idea what to call you.

 

Chris

[48MMS]

My name is in my profile. I use "48MMS" in honor of my first Squadron back in 1978. 48MMS also denotes my Air Force ties and I feel it'll draw more attention than "aniedrich". I welcome all military discussions, even ones that get too hot or sensitive. I truly believe that the truth is ugly and that we all can learn something new, especially me!

[Nkomo]

For me, I use a pseudonym because of my job. We were told in college that employers and our "future" students could go to the internet, punch in our name, and find all kinds of information to use against us in interviews (employers) and class (students). I followed their suggestion, albeit scoffing the entire time.

 

Within the past few months, it turns out they knew what they were talking about. To make a long story short, my boss lady used another female employee's Facebook messages against her in a job performance review. Second, I had set up a MySpace account back in 2006 and one of my students (Special Ed.) FOUND that page! Thankfully I never posted anything stupid, however she did find it and looked into the content.

 

Not that it really matters what I do in my spare time nor is it really anyone else's business, but I don't really want my students to pry that deeply into my background. I work with students who run the gambit of having an adjusted IQ of 35 to students who are sociopaths. I guess I could have used my last name or a combination of it, but students these days are computer geniuses and can find things in minutes it would take me an hour. Hope this helps you see why I don't use my real name.

Arch

[Sabrejet]

I hear what you say and understand completely where you're coming from. As for myself, I've been a forum member for less than a year and in this, just like other forums (non-military) I've belonged to, pseudonyms were/are the norm. That said, it was never my intention to hide myself behind a proverbial cloak of anonymity! As I've got to "know" fellow forum-ers, I tend to sign off my postings to them using my first name and this is usually reciprocated. Where postings have resulted in PMs, names and other details are exchanged, for example if one is buying/selling/trading etc.

 

Previously, via another forum, Nigerian hackers somehow got hold of my personal email (and NO..I did not publish it...nor am I dumb enough to reply to the kind of outrageous "phishing" emails they send!) As a result, for several weeks my spam box was bombarded with the kind of c**p they routinely send their "victims"..so for me its a case of proceed with caution...once bitten, twice shy.

 

 

(BTW..I've "been there" with the Altzheimer's thing via my late dad so I can empathise with you 100%. Just hang in there keep the faith.)

 

 

Ian

[LtRGFRANK]

THats my name. I'm old enough and have enough people that really don't like me (Retired Police Officer) but I don't care. Bring it on. But I like the psudeonyms. There's a story behind each one. There was a post awhile back about what their name and avatar meant and it was a hoot to read. Robert G Frank

[Jim Baker]

Mine was easier to spell than Alois Goggenheimer.

[Rakkasan187]

Jon,

 

I understand your concerns but with a last name of Smith, I have a hard time trying to put my namesake on where it hasn't already been thought of before. Believe me it took a while when I signed on to AOL. I must have gone through 1000 different versions of my first and last name, and everytime I got: sorry, already in use by another member, etc, etc. please try another name. I also agree it is discouraging when someone signs up to join a forum and then they hide simple things like location, age, gender, etc. Makes you wonder if some folks have been kicked off before and are coming back under different names....

 

I have deep ties to the 187th ABRCT, relatives in the unit in Korea, friends in the unit, my first unit, etc, so it was easier to use it as my avatar, than my last name. But almost 100% ofthe time I sign all correspondence with my first name, and on occasion I use my last name as well.

 

I have nothing to hide...

 

I lost my grandfather Christmas Eve, several years ago to Alzheimers, my thoughts and prayers are with you, and if you ever need to talk, drop me a PM. I understand.....

 

Leigh E Smith Jr...

[Jack's Son]

SANITY...........You've come to the wrong site!

 

 

JS.

[blkjack07]

..... because, Jon, not everyone is as nice a guy as you are!

 

Regards,

John

[Sgt Saunders]

Because it's fun!

[jgawne]

I know, I understand why some people have to hide for various reasons, and I will fully admit using facebook to spy on my former student employees to find out when they did not show for work due to being at a party (and used this as a lesson not to bust them but to get them to understand what a 'real' boss could do with info posted like that.'

 

The funny thing is I have been an internet user since it was bitnet in 1980 or so, and always used my real name, or a variation of it.

 

But case in point: I have no idea who blkjack07 is. Ah well, I WAS going to sent him (or her) a gift for being so nice. Sigh. Now I can't. Oh well. Too late.

 

But to each his own. Just if you PM me and I know you sign with your real name as I have enough trouble keeping those straight !

 

 

And totally off target US WW2 vets and their spuces get a $1100 a month payment to put towards assisted living expenses, but that cannot be used for the more expensive costs of nursing homes.

[Cobrahistorian]

Don't have much to add other than what's already been said. Even though I've got a screenname, I try to be as up front on who I am as possible and sign everything with at least my first name. .

Jon, I'm dealing with my grandmother's Alzheimers right now, so I feel for you. It really sucks.

 

Jon

[Andrei]

I think that real first name should be at least mandatory to sign postings.

We also have a case of Alzheimer in the family, my aunt. Like Cobra Jon said, it really sucks...

Andrei

[cutiger83]

Being a woman, I am very hesitant to put my real name anywhere on the internet.

 

However, one thing people have not discussed is updating the profiles with at least a person's age. I have been surprised to find out how young some people are. I am not saying that because someone is young that they don't have the same knowledge as an older person. There are young people on here who know a lot more than me. And I am not saying I would act any differently based on someone's age. However, I would not be quite as open and joking to a younger person. There are some things I can kid with an older person about that would be inappropriate for a teenager. It might come across the wrong way when viewed in a teenager's eyes rather than a 45+ person's eyes like I am.

 

With age comes maturity. Except for some of you I know on here.

 

And I know a lot of people don't like to tell their age and would lie. So I guess this is a never ending discussion.....Kat

[Teamski]

I don't like the idea of sharing my collection on-line and having some schmoe locate me and my house to take it. Call me paranoid.

 

-Ski

[Jim Baker]

I don't like the idea of sharing my collection on-line and having some schmoe locate me and my house to take it. Call me paranoid.

 

-Ski

 

You're paranoid.

[Teamski]

You're paranoid.

 

:laughing1:

[Squad leader]

I use a pseudo. because of my job. I am a teacher and I really do not want to see my name all over the internet.

My lastname is very scarce and I would be easily identified.

 

Dan.

[DwightPruitt]

Mine was easier to spell than Alois Goggenheimer.

And mine is because "Jim Baker" was already taken.......

[hbtcoveralls]

I always sign my posts to this and other forums, but it's not quite that easy. You see my name is also the name of somebody familiar to many of the folks who are into militaria from his "politically incorrect machine gun pages". I've been mistaken so many times both in person and online for the guy I like to call "the other Tom Bowers" that I wish I had a dollar for each instance. He had his site up and running long before I went online so I used to get really confused when I would introduce myself at a gun show or re-enactment and the person would light up and say "I love your website". As far as I know we've never met, although I've perused his website looking for parts for my TSMG, but some day I'm sure we'll cross paths. So I chose my online username from one of the garments I always favored "HBTCOVERALLS" and hopefully I'll be remembered as that.

Tom Bowers

[ehrentitle]

I don't use my real name because it's amazing what a diligent individual can find on the internet when they can search on a name, especially a less common one Just a simple search on your name may reveal you profession, age, photos of you, home address (including a Google street view of your home), telephone number, e-mail address, etc

 

So if you are talking about all of the expensive and rare militaria you have collected there is always a risk that someone might come looking for it.

[Jim Baker]

And mine is because "Jim Baker" was already taken.......

 

:w00t:

 

Yeah google my name and see what you get.....

[Airborne-Hunter]

I hate to say this, and I don't want to scare anyone, but using one's real name on the internet is very dangerous. If someone gets a first, last name and general location/city and they have a very good chance that they can get your address or phone for free on the internet. Assuming the name isn't really common. Now with more information, they find almost anything they want, especially if they have more resources. If they paid a fee it would be easier to get the info. To make it even worse, all this is perfectly legal and while perhaps immoral people still do it. The power of the internet is great both good and bad. Plus it is always good to play it safe. Best ABN :thumbsup:

[hawkdriver]

I don't throw my name right out there, if you PM me or we conduct a transaction, I will sign with my name. It's just part of our paranoid society now days.

 

Good day,

 

Mr. Hawk N. Driver