I never saw the reason for this, especially as with most people (aka anyone named [anything] Smith) then it's probably easier to actually track them by their username rather than real name (just look up your name in Google sometime). Plus, even if you assume it's due to social networking sites, that doesn't hold water for most people, since multiple people there have the same name, many set profiles to private, and quite a few people who use forums don't have things like a Facebook account to even look for. Truth be told, I'd say the least anonymous thing online is probably a domain name.
Actually, for me you will be able to find things that do not display who I really am by searching FullMetalBabe than searching my real name, which hits right on the nail. :S
Hello, my name is Ray It all depends on the website for me. If it's something serious like AdminAddict, I'll put part of my name in my SN. Now if it's a goof off site which I want to remain anonymous, I use a whole different set of names and email addresses.
I was never creative, and the nicknames I've used in the past are all stupid. I really don't care if people know my name, so I just use it -_-.
I tend to use Dan or some form of it for normal stuff. And I used to use g00gl3r on most forums but since winning a SEO competition (and even Matt Cutts mentioned me on a radio station for it) and then doing a lot of e-interviews since then, I've ended up with my real name AND g00gl3r on a lot of websites. So g00gl3r's known as me now too. As a result, I give up hiding, I'm Dan, it's me, you got me. :p Stops me trolling though which is good. :p (Joke!!!)
I use Bryce, not that I really care to be anonymous, but if I want to be I will be. I've got, at this time, around 10 different windows live accounts, none of the @hotmail or @live crap emails though. All on domains, half of which, maybe more that I own. One is for general online people I chat to, non-friends just general. One for another computer forum I'm on, then one for AA, not that there's many on there, no one wants to use WLM here . And the other is business, then a few spam emails that I just got bored and signed up for WLM. I also have [email protected] and [email protected], there's a nifty hack you can do on the WLM signup page to get those. Obviously you can't verify em, but makes for some good laughs. I will not be telling you how to do it as I don't want it patched lol.
I've always used some form or my real name on forums. 'Danny Boy' or 'DJ Dan' or 'Big Dan'. I'm not opposed to using my real name and do so on the social networking sites, I think using a nick name more friendly so long as you've got your real picture up as an avatar. Sometimes a real name just seems to formal and serious. I don't really care about anonymity though anyone with the intelligence to do a whois search can find me and since I own domains and my name, address, and phone number is public in the registry.
no my names not mike bolton, tho I DO feel his pain on office space. anytime I tell sumone my real name they always have sumthing smart to say about it...lol..
I use my real first name as a username on my hobby forum, and have my real first & last name in my sig. My real first name, Mary, is probably statistically the most common name in the world, in various forms and spellings. Lemme tellya how many Mary's are registered on the forum, or were in the same school, church, etc. ... I've had up to 3 friends at a time with the same first name. :p As a regular member of a growing forum there are potentially other Mary's, easily confused. When I worked in an international business office my ubiquitous first name was a definite asset when I met so many people of all nationalities, usually over the phone. All over the world people had friends and relatives with a similar name, they remembered it and usually started calling me whatever version is current in their own country - Miriam, Marie, Maria, Mariko ... A very good sign communications were flowing!
