Web Identity - Truth or Fiction

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[Lani]

At the moment I am trying to make a decision about disclosure and I am going around in circles.

Many people use their real names on their blogs and are comfortable with that.  Some people never use disclose their real identity online.  There are good reasons for both, in part dependent on what you are doing.  With my personal blog, I sit on the fence: I use a pseudonym, but I use my son's real name and I post photographs.

So my question to you is this: What do you choose to disclose and why?

At the moment, I am faced with a stickier issue.  Not one of privacy or safety, but one of image.  I am in the process of setting up a second blog, a more professional site about blogging. (Yes, I know - "Not another one!" - but I have a twist.) If I use my own name for the new site, do I need to keep my other identity completely separate from that in order to maintain a professional appearance, or do I need to be open about what I do in order to show my commitment to blogging?

Any thoughts are welcome.

[FormerAdmin]

Hi Lani,

tricky one

Some people have a real reason to use a pseudonym because they actively hunt internet predators or have other legitimate concerns around physical safety.

I use my real name - yet I do choose to blog (most of the time) outside of my main area of work (consulting). It avoids client confidentiality issues. I blog on blogging because I enjoy it - and I do have a lot to say about consulting, but don't usually share it with anyone outside my company family.

I do use the pseudonym facibus for other reasons - mainly because I so totally own it in Google now I would be nuts to give it up

My opinion is that you can write under a nom de net on one blog and your real name on another so long as people know that you're not trying to appear to be two different people. I'm not sure that commitment enters into it much either way - I think that regularly writing good content would be the number 1 sign of being committed to blogging.


Best regards, Andrew

[Meg]

Lani

I agree with Andrew that it is a tricky issue.

Another reason people use a pseudonym is because it gives them a certain freedom to reveal private things about their life that they might not otherwise do if not for their anonymity.

I guess a yardstick might be how would you feel if your son, sister, mother, boyfriend, employer (current or future) etc read your blog and knew it was you?

If you'd be happy for them to do that, then make the connection. Otherwise keep them separate.

I blog using my real identity, but I rarely disclose too much about my private life. It's my choice, and also respecting the privacy and wishes of my family.

I believe it's enough to say that you have been a blogger for X amount of time, but I don't think you need to "prove" it by disclosing your other blog. As Andrew says, your new content will speak for itself.

It is hard, however, to maintain multiple personas on the internet in terms of social networking sites...

[Snoskred]

I agree this is a tricky one.

My biggest concern - even before I became a scambaiter - was not being stalked online. I'd seen it happen to other people and it scared me. So at first I used my first name with a made up last name. For the majority of people that would probably be excellent security online.

Then I became a scambaiter (someone who baits the Nigerian 419 scammers) and they gave me a tin foil hat and said here, put this on. I became a bit paranoid about security, because there was once a situation where a scammer arrived on the doorstep of a scambaiter. And back in those days we were getting scammers arrested in South Africa - I personally took part in 3 baits where the scammers were put behind bars. Lucky for me all of them pled guilty or else if the arrests were to stick I would have had to lose my anonymity - and fly to South Africa to testify! That did happen to a few baiters and they did go and testify.

I think it is important to pick an unusual and unique name for the search engines, and I think it is important to keep a level of anonymity that you're comfortable with.

[Lani]

Yes.  I think I should go with my first instinct, which was to make no connection between the 2.  I have no problem with friends and family reading it, but I never use real names if I write about them. Regardless of any lack of respect for my own privacy, I am always careful about theirs. And who knows what the future will hold in terms of employment?

Snoskred, almost you convince me to create another pseudonym but I'm shocking at managing things like that and also a little bit bolshie.  My reaction to threats in the world at large is the bird.  Possibly foolhardy, but also a kind of principle.

Managing the social networking side of things is going to be a nightmare but once it's done, it's done.  I might even set up a separate user profile on my computer so that I don't have to worry about who I'm signed in as.

But the biggest thing that decided me?  The "content will speak for itself"

Thank guys.

[Martin Neumann]

Very tricky indeed.

Personally, I've always used my own name in every instance as it's one aspect of my branding plan - this is more so when you join every new social networking fad of the week. 

But then again, I'm primarily doing all of this for business purposes ... with a little fun thrown in - so it's a horses for courses thing.

I discuss personal and family/friends issues but never give out names, just talk in general.

I do get a bit of the cringe factor when I found out my Mum was/is reading my blog, especially on those posts where I tend to let loose with those 'wash your mouth out with soap" phrases. 

I'm also a wanna-be online documentary maker with a sway towards controversial issues so I fully understand the need for some to use a pseudonym and remain anonymous.

[Lani]

Martin, I completely agree with you on your name being part of your brand.  Say in some wild, distance future I'm doing initial things, like speaking gigs, I don't think I could handle maintaining a pseudonym in real life.

You'll have to give us more details about your whole "branding plan".  It might come in handy! 

[Sueblimely]

I was always so careful to separate my real identity and Sueblimely. I always used my real name when sites required it - eg Facebook so the two identities became blurred. As I do not talk of contentious or personal matters this does not concern me. Having plans to expand my web design business, I think being known is probably a good idea.

In your case, your past experience means that it will be much easier for you to establish your new identity without it having to be connected to your other one. You will know the best methods for promoting your new site so that it becomes known and good content is always the main key anyway.  If would say do what feels comfortable and right for you, as I don't think there are any right and wrong answers to this. Even if people do connect  one "you with the other "you"  just make sure you do not say one thing as one identity and contradict what you say with the other.

Come to think of it that is not a bad angle to deliberately go for - creating a dialogue between two blogs. On one you could argue the advantages of something (eg Alexa redirects) and on the other argue the disadvantages. Take no notice of me though - I got tired of no-one commenting on a shoutbox I once had in my blog sidebar that  I used to talk to myself to see if anyone noticed. No-one did so the shoutbox was culled. :'(

[Lani]

I'm giggling at the shoutbox story, but think of all those blogs out there which have nobody reading them at all!

You're right though, I've certainly learned a lot since starting my personal blog so things will go much more smoothly.  Part of me knows that creating connections with readers for the new blog would be easier utilising the relationships I've already built, but the other part of me relishes the work ahead.  In the end, it always comes down to content.

[Martin Neumann]

You'll have to give us more details about your whole "branding plan".  It might come in handy! 

Let's just say it's a work in progress, in a mind map format with over 120 personal branding techniques I've jotted/scribbled down over the years ... and I'm currently working on #3  :crazy2:

Hmmm ... you've just given me a thought for a product: "The Aussie Guide to Personal Online Branding: 51 Proven Techniques" - $24.95  |  AussieB Forum members: Free  |   Aff: 50%

Now I remember why I love forums so much ... they're the ultimate ideas factory. 

[Riayn]

I use a pseudonym but it is the same one I have been using on the internet for the past seven years, so in a way it is my online identity.   I prefer to keep my offline and online lives separate.  I don't want any future employer googling my name and finding out everything there is to know about me.  Not that I do anything illegal online, but no employer or interested persons don't really need to know what I do in my downtime.

I do use my real name on Facebook and LinkedIn though.

[Lani]

Yup, the future employers are the biggest issue for me, and I don't want to have to censor myself on my personal blog. 

But, boy is maintaining 2 identities on the web tedious.  I already have a million logins for different things, and now I need to get a million more. And keep an eye on who I'm signed in as where.  I'm still wavering back and forth.

[guera]

But, boy is maintaining 2 identities on the web tedious.  I already have a million logins for different things, and now I need to get a million more. And keep an eye on who I'm signed in as where.  I'm still wavering back and forth.

It is pretty tricky maintaining 2 online identities. We have had a personal blog (until recently was a static website) for 8 years, which isn´t on search engines and the address is only sent to family and friends - it is really just an easier way of keeping in touch with people back home, rather than emailing photos. When I started my own blog I decided I wanted it to be anonymous for a little bit of privacy and also to feel I could speak a bit more freely. I use pseudonyms for the whole family. I can see that down the track I may "come out" on the anonymous blog but I still think the two will stay separate. Most of my family and friends are not bloggers and I don´t think would tune in as regularly as bloggers do (and they are mostly technophobes too )

I am quite strict about keeping my logins separate so that the lines don´t blur between the two - it would be easy for a few quick link clicks to take you from one blog to the other if you´re not careful (eg separate feedburner logins, separate flickr accounts, etc). It´s easy to forget though and I constantly have to think - which username am I using? 

But when I set up my new blogs (slowly, slowly ) I will keep the same nickname and flickr accounts etc, because I want to make the connection between the two. So I guess it depends on whether you want people to find there way to you through the other blog and to keep and build on your readers, or is it a completely different audience?

[Lani]

Well, one's a personal blog, and the new one is a blog about personal blogging, so they are kind of connected.  At this stage, I'm thinking that I will probably tidy up a bit around the personal blog and change, not the content, but what content is more prominent.  I really don't think I have the energy to  sustain the subterfuge.  It's just not in my nature.

My friends and family know about the personal blog, although most do not read it.  They are fairly technophobic too.  The concern for me is more about what random people will Google my name in the future.  I am always careful about what I say about my family and friends and never reveal their names or the details of their lives, because while I've chosen to make myself an open book, they have not.  In the end, I think the bolshie part of me will be the victor, and if people chose to abuse anything I have written the response will be, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn..."  I am who I am.  And no-one can be liked and respected by everyone.

[goatlady]

I really don't think I have the energy to  sustain the subterfuge.  It's just not in my nature. [snip] ...if people chose to abuse anything I have written the response will be, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn..."  I am who I am.  And no-one can be liked and respected by everyone.

That's exactly my approach. Mostly the first bit - being anonymous is way too much effort
I work for myself, so I'm not concerned about employers, and as for clients - if there's anyone who doesn't want to work with me based on their Googling turning up some bad language or the occasional rant or my love of 80's metal... then I don't want to work with THEM.

[swollenpickles]

I guess I like to keep my real identity and online identity separate because I've always liked comics, and if it was good enough for Peter Parker and Bruce Wayne, then it's good enough for me!

In all seriousness, the only reason I do it is because I don't want to have to censor myself. I want to say what I want to say, without having to worry about how it will impact my "real life". By real life, I'm basically referring to my day job. I don't blog full time, and don't make anywhere near enough of it to support myself (although that'd be fantastic!). So I don't want something I say online to come back and haunt my "career". Does that make sense or am I rambling on again... I think I'm rambling... pickles out.

[Lani]

It makes perfect sense to me.  I'm not working at the moment (at home with bub) so it is the fure jobs that are my biggest concern But, still bolshie, while understanding the relationship between who I actually am and "corporate image" I can't help thinking that the hypocrisy of the way the world works should not necessarily be catered to.  Sacrificing myself of the pyre of my principles? Possibly....

[Kin]

I have been some variation of Kin/Kinny online since 1999, so it seemed natural to keep that going when I started a blog. I'm sure if someone REALLY wanted to, there's enough information to track me down, but I'm glad I've stuck with the online name, as I'm thinking of starting a new blog, and my online name can keep going without revealing myself or creating a new identity. I do have another blog that is completely separate and in no way connected to any others, but I think I'll take it down soon - my new one will replace it.

[swollenpickles]

I think there's also a different between maintaining a secret identity as opposed to attempting to pass yourself off as someone you may not be. I'm not sure whether or not people here would know and/or remember the whole Kumiko Cash Quest thing that happened a while back. I found it fascinating to watch. Never did find out what the deal was though...

[Lee]

When I was writing Crypt Hunter (and I'm still working out what I'm going to do with that site) I was writing as a character and it was hard when talking about the site referring to that character in third person.

It actually became harder as I got busier outside the blogging universe to get into character as I wrote!

I use my real name and photo on all of my blogs now, I do not give away any details about where I actually work except that it is for Queensland Government and that I live in Brisbane.

[Mistress B]

I'm quite comfortable now with using my first name. For a long time I maintained an anonymous psuedonym, but can't be bothered anymore. It came down to being comfortable in some online settings being Bettina and in others being Precious was no longer as important so I kinda feel like I reclaimed myself.

When I was first mucking around online the anonymity suited me and made me feel free, but now using my own name gives me the same sense of freedom.

That said. I don't use my surname anywhere on anything, don't often reveal the name of the town I live in and don't like to use my kids real names or that of their school or any other organisation they are involved in. I may slip occasionally, but its something I try not to do. You never know what twisted freaks are out there.

[Lani]

An interesting debate currently going on about this issue over at the Design Observer.

What's In a Name?

From the article: "...a real name at the end of a blog post is an indication that the person who authored the statement is taking responsibility, indeed ownership of the words — it is a simple act of honesty. For too long bloggers have been given license that is not tolerated in letters-to-the-editor columns of newspapers and magazines (except in extraordinary circumstances). If one is willing to expound, exclaim, or critique it should be done under a real name and with links to a valid email or website address. If transparency on the web is the new black, then there should be no secrets."

On a site where the comments are usually quite low, this one is at 151 and counting.

[Nomesque]

I actually used to be quite careful this way - I had a view to maybe becoming an officer in the salvation army (church) and didn't want to be judged adversely on my somewhat... earthy? humour sometime in the future But I sat down and thought for a while last year (actually, maybe laid down is closer) and decided to just be me, let everyone know 'me', and avoid any situation where I've got to pretend to be someone I'm not for more than two hours (I figure job interviews are OK).

[macgirvin]

I've had so much dirty laundry exposed on the net for so long that it's pointless to try and hide. There's a video somewhere of me inhaling an illegal substance on stage during my rock-n-roll days. Flame wars on USENET (I once had a reputation for being able to reduce somebody to tears in 25 words or less) - which are now part of the internet history archives. Private email rantings with co-workers about lots of politically incorrect stuff that was subpoenaed during the Microsoft anti-trust trial and put in the public domain.

Sigh.

Just be yourself - unless you're planning to run for public office. If your past comes back to haunt you, it would've anyway.   

[Lani]

It will. It has. It does.  Nothing can be done about people who choose to judge lives by the smallest parts of them.  Not in RL, and not on the internet.