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USING PSEUDONYMS

There are many members who use pseudonyms for participating in discussions as well as for registering. Why does any one want to hide one's true identity? Personally, I am given to strong expressions, yet I do not want to use a pseudonym. Should this practice be permitted and continued on A N?

MADHUKAR KULKARNI.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Joan Denoo on November 30, 2011 at 12:42am

Oh my gosh! Looks like someone needs to clean up the Madhukar Kulkarni Google search site. At least now I know that M.K. is a male.

If you look up Joan Denoo, there is just one of me, no others on Earth. I was Joan Smith for 20 years and more than happy to shed that name.

Oh Jeez, I Googled my name and I certainly have no secrets. Well, at 75, almost 76, at least I am still alive. By the way, there is no 25 year old Joan M. Denoo.

Permalink Reply by Madhukar Kulkarni on November 30, 2011 at 9:10am

Joan,

Your point is well taken. I will try to put my photo on my page. I am a science fan and I have presently put the photo of the Hubble telescope on my page, nothing else!

MADHUKAR KULKARNI.

Permalink Reply by Madhukar Kulkarni on November 30, 2011 at 9:07am

Tom,

There may be many Madhukar Kulkarnis elsewhwre, but there is only one on A N. If another one appears here in future, he surely will have to use a pseudonym.

One amd only one MADHUKAR KULKARNI.

Permalink Reply by Joan Denoo on November 30, 2011 at 12:46am

By the way, if some use a pseudonym instead of their name, what is the word for someone who does not use their own photo. Pseudophoto?

As MADHUKAR KULKARNI stated, "Should this practice be permitted and continued on A N?"

Permalink Reply by Meddlesome on November 30, 2011 at 3:41am

Pseudophoto? no its an avatar.

Permalink Reply by Joan Denoo on November 30, 2011 at 8:11am

Oh! How foolish of me! Of course it is an avatar.

Permalink Reply by Hollyn on November 30, 2011 at 2:14pm

Speaking for myself, I don't feel like I'm hiding anything by not supplying my full, real name. My user name is a play on my real name: my first name is Hollyn - I pair it with "oats" when trying to explain to someone how to pronounce it. "Hollyn, like Hall & Oates" thus... hollynoats. (Also, depending on company, "Hollyn, like haulin' ass'...")
Back to my first statement, I don't feel that any ol person on the internet has any reason to know my name unless I have decided I want to give it to them. Same standards for the public, should I have my full name displayed on my car? Driving and being online are sort of similar in terms of how strangers treat each other. (...sorry, tangent... anyway...)

I work retail and have to wear a name tag - I hate this! I hate helping a stranger and all of a sudden they're calling me by my first name when I don't get that same courtesy of freely knowing theirs. A nametag can be a blessing and a curse, if you'll pardon the adage. A lot of times, especially on the phone or if I'm ordering food, I tell people my name is Helen just so I can avoid any stupid questions.

So, I'm not hiding. I just don't tell strangers my full, real name... online or in public. They really have no reason to know my full name other than just being curious.

My attitude could be completely different if my name was a bit more common. I've never met another Hollyn in real life, so I'm kind of protective of my name.
A few months back this crazy, white trash tweeker customer was talking to me and going on about how she loved my name and that she was going to tell her daughter so she could consider passing it onto another child.
Inside I'm screaming, "Fuck you! Stay away from my name!" ... I know there's nothing I can do, I just don't want to know about it. It's just cheesey and lame to tell someone that. My name is one of the only things that's really, truly mine.

Most of my user info pages contain this sentence: "My name is Hollyn, that is all you need to know if you're ever going to know anything at all."

I mean it.

Permalink Reply by Madhukar Kulkarni on December 1, 2011 at 7:20am

Friends, I did not mean this to be a serious topic when I started this post. I have, however, discovered some serious reasons for adopting a pseudonym. No objection at all! Wish you a best next name! As far I am concerned, I stop here.

MADHUKAR KULKARNI.

Permalink Reply by Greg LeGore on December 3, 2011 at 7:56am

Certainly people are at different phases of their life, and in growing into their current and future identities - some are more comfortable, some less, with being publicly identified on this or any controversial site. In some cases, they may use another identifier to protect themselves from harassment or harm...so yes, it should be up to the person not a central policy.