OT - Are you someone else online?

LydiaJ

I use two names - my real name on the blogs of my RL friends, and on a SEN site where I've been asking for advice about my son's education, and LydiaJ (or just Lydia) everywhere else online. On rare occasions I've used some other name if I wanted to ask a question and be 100% sure nobody ever worked out it was me! My personality is real, every time, but I occasionally make minor alterations to trivial details of my circumstances, just to make my anonymity more secure.

lostinrates

I use different names on different sites: often of the lost theme. Its not to try and be different, its just habit I suppose. When I started using internet forums I was a bit lost, and language was much, much harder. So much so that lostinrates had be rolling with laughter because in my mind it was hilariously similar to lostinspace (sibilant and sthe similarity of the vowel sound).

I am as differently me in different places as I am different in different social circles. The me that would have tea with my grandparents (before they died) was the me who would go out clubbing all night: the same person, different levels of inhibition about different things.

Living with one's partner and family at the same time makes the division of selves harder: I'm prety much me all the time I think. DH voice is deeper in Italian than it is in English, I'm not really sure why, its the same him but he appears taller in comaparison to other people and his voice is lower.

poppy_f1

i have a few diff names across all forums im a member on, depends on availablilty of a username tbh

fc123

Same name, same personality...but I don't really go on many forums apart from PN's occasionaly and check out HPC once a fortnight just to read some of the funny stuff...but rarely post there...far too scary.

I am reg'd as my brand name on various sites but rarely post...only if a query comes up on a google search.

I am my daughters name or 1st name on trade mags..but, again, rarely post comments on articles.

I have to say the whole different persona business sounds quite exciting but I don't seem to have the imagination for it. I didn't know it existed until I arrived here. Is it common elsewhere in InternetLand?

A google of fc123 throws up a lot of us and none are me.....in fact, I think I turned up on p12 last time I tried it.

michaels

I'd never thought to google usernames before - there goes my afternoon wasted

wageslave wrote: »

Wageslave here, different user name for everywhere else.
No way could I use my "real" user name here. Some clever sod would google it.

sjaypink

have various usernames, and my real name obviously, but i am consistant under all- im pretty much always a rambling p!sshead :beer:

SingleSue

I have different names and different personalities dependent on the site...here I am pretty boring and stick to the rules...elsewhere, I can be very rude and sexual!

Very few people get to the see the real me, even in real life...it's all a facade of coping, being positive and uber confident, in reality, I am not coping, I am not positive, I rant about things a lot and my confidence could fit into a thimble.

So I go with what suits that particular board/site.

lostinrates

SingleSue wrote: »

Very few people get to the see the real me, even in real life...it's all a facade ....

TBH< I think thats what it is for most people (to some degree or other). I was very lucky to have good coaching as a youth about things like this, but unlucky enough tio go through a stage where I relly needed it! The saying fake it till you make it, while abhorant, is often pretty close to the mark. I'm known as being pretty socially confident in ''real life'', I approach people, introduce myself, keep conversation flowing: people think its natural, and more often than not it is now, but it wasn't: its an acquired skill. Something I've learned is that the focus is on you more when people are standing around awkwardly: so awkwards shyness brings what it fears upon itself whereas my getting things flowing while you feel more notciable, you become less so . On the net of course its different: and one can lurk unnoticed. I haven't quite got the hang of that

mitchaa

michaels wrote: »

Purely for fun until Ms Kool moves it - all votes are anonymous but I would be interested in peoples thoughts on the whys...

Security issue I would have thought?

Even though the votes may be anonymous, the replies in the thread wont be.

Im only Mitchaa on this site for obvious reasons. It would be so easy typing a username into google and finding out a hell of a lot about that person even down to their personal addresses/work places, what they're doing, when they're off on holiday etc etc.

Kind of miffed, why you would want to know?

Jennifer_Jane

I started off here with a different username (no, it wasn't 'dervish'), but as it was a contraction of my real name, I decided I was too visible to people I knew. Hence taking the name of my favourite walking-talking doll from my childhood.

Jen
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