Discussions
Do You Use a Pseudo or Real Name when blogging? Why?
Posted by ericcapacia • 7/05/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: pseudo
I use my real name. It makes it more personal and sincere 
User Comments
-
Si. -
- Many authors who have published under a pen name have made important contributions to social change over the centuries. Therefore, so I don't believe that writing under a pseudonym made their contributions any less sincere, or authentic than those who published under their given names.
Both within the blogosphere and without, the proponents of blogging under your real name and proponents of blogging under a pseudonym appear to be evenly split.
The proponents of blogging under your real name take the position that doing so provides: a sense of responsibility for the things they blog about and publish; readers a clear idea of their interests and preoccupations; business and professional advantages of becoming a well know name in a chosen field.
The proponents of blogging under a pseudonym take the position that blogging under your real name has led to:
* situations where bloggers lost their jobs because of their Facebook activity. www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/1616/196/
* harassment and stalking and criminal threats made by internet trolls. www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=19&entry_id=14783
* being placed on government and/or police watchlists.
* becoming a target for identity theft. news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/7375772.stm
I use a pseudonym when I blog, so that the contract work I do online for an income is completely separate from my blogs, which are not monetized. I also use a pseudonym because I have previously been stalked. The unexpected benefit I have enjoyed is that the multitude of internet marketers in the social networks looking to befriend possible customers are not able to spam me under my given names.
I have done a fair amount of research on this topic and have blogged on it in these two posts:
How to Become a Better Blogger 2: Online Privacy
onecoolsite.wordpress.com/2008/07/14/how-to-become-a-better-blogger-2-onlin...
Blogging: Online presence and authenticity
onecoolsite.wordpress.com/2009/06/30/blogging-online-presence-and-authentic... -
I use my real name.
-
I use a shortened version of my real name, so I don't technically used a pseudonym. Actually, the name I use (K.Moore) was sort of given to me in my high school journalism class. When I was listed as the author of a story for the yearbook, it was listed at K.Moore. The name stuck. -
This is who I is ... -
celticmusicfan is my middle name -
I like to crawl the web
-
I obviously use a pseudonym. I do this primarily to maintain separation from the work I do for a living, and to avoid blurring the lines between professional and private.
In my work, I frequently deal with people who do not know how to do this, and learn about it the hard way. Some organizations (like the one I work for) actually ban access to social networking sites. Most organizations have the ability to extract a great deal of information about the online activities of existing or potential employees. It just means that one should carefully consider the boundaries that may be required between work and personal in their individual circumstances. It is different for everyone.
If a blogger uses a pseudonym, they are still able to exist in an online community as a positive person of influence. A pseudonym is not a license to be a jerk, although jerks will use a pseudonym for that purpose.
I use a pseudonym, but I will stand behind everything I say and every action I take under the name as it represents who I really am and what I believe in.-
@cindygeenotes
- I obviously use a pseudonym. I do this primarily to maintain separation from the work I do for a living, and to avoid blurring the lines between professional and private.
Me too and for the same reason.
I use a pseudonym, but I will stand behind everything I say and every action I take under the name as it represents who I really am and what I believe in.
Same here.
-
-
I use my real name. Don't know why. -
I use this name instead of my real name because my real name is too common on Google. Having a google alert set up to Aron Sora and AronSora allows me to see whenever someone talks about me on the web. My fake name is in position so people can find me and my work with ease. -
Jacque is my real first name. Roxx is a fake last name. I don't want anyone googling me and finding my blog, or strangers seeing my real name and doing shady stuff (stalking, id theft, harassment, etc). The last thing I want to do is put myself or my family at risk.
-
I use my real name on my blog. -
All the good names are taken. I started with Mark Twain, but found some other yaaa hoo named Samuel Clements (sp?) used it. So, I've stuck with my own. -
I use my great great grandfathers name. -
I use my real name because, when I started my blog about 3 years ago, I was hoping that my blog would promote my book, which had just come out. Had it not been for that I probably would have used a pseudonym or, more likely, I would not have started blogging at all.
The blog doesn't seem to be doing much for my book sales (it's still available) and I've greatly de-emphasized my book on my blog since then, but once you're out there it's too late to crawl back into your hole. So I've stuck with my real name. -
Pseudo for sure--my name gives away a lot about my ethnicity, gender, etc...and I have no desire to share those things with strangers. Also, I would rather not have my name be Googled by a potential employer and find all these things.
-
ill go for pseudo.
Add Your Comment
Login to leave a message.
