- This is why I don’t try to hide my identity online. I use my first name in all my logins to remind myself that I’m not anonymous.
Wise decision. I use the same screename almost wherever I go, no reason to try and hide my identity, because if there were a situation where it REALLY mattered if the person knew who I was or not, they’d find out regardless of any attempts at obfustication. The internet hasn’t been anonymous for some time now.
In my younger and more reckless years I posted on a large forum asking for some advice about whether or not to break up with my now-ex-girlfriend. I came off as a bit of an arrogant prick, and voiced some concerns that I hadn’t mentioned to her. Some internet detective was able to figure out who I was on Myspace, found out who my girlfriend was, and sent her a link to the thread.
Needless to say the question of whether or not I was going to break up with her resolved itself before I had a chance to make a decision! It certainly wasn’t a clean break though and she got hurt more than was nessecary, I still regret it today. Since then, I dropped all assumptions that what I do online is somehow secret from my “real” life.