to be secret or not to be

[arcon]

[ 10-19-2001: Message edited by: arcon ]

[Gary]

I have never understood the need for usernames.

[Purple Fencer]

I've only used a false name in one instance, and it was because I was trying to get a question answeredwithout it being contaminated by my real name being known. Wasn't cruel or otherwise Fencing Suck-ish.

Heck, you wanna find out about me, just look at my profile and click on the link to my personal web page. Evan has pictures of me in all my balding glory!

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Sam Signorelli -- Boldly going forward...'cause I can't find reverse!

[Stryder]

Most people feel more comfortable under the guise of our chosen "nom d'whatever"
Like Sam mentioned, our profiles are often honestly filled out. But anonymity protects web surfers from the casual jerk who likes to post rude personal statements.

It is smart to control the amount of info you post on the 'net.
There are a lot of jerks out there.

[space_cadet]

I agree with Stryder. But I do have to add that Christopher J Umbs has a lot of juevos to actually give his entire name including middle initial as his UserName.

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Cadet à Space

[Peach]

Never much thought about it. I post elsewhere (extensively) under my own name, but for some reason I just stuck "Peach" down when joining here and I stayed with it.

[Moonitic]

I used Moonitic because that's how you can email me: Moonitic@aol.com. Makes it easy to remember. There are a lot of Michigan fencers here & they all pretty much know who I am in real life (Mary aka "Buffy" Gibbs). Now that I'm published...I don't have the luxury of being "anon." anymore.

[MikeHarm]

Usernames are like a mask, it provides you the freedom to have an alterego saying the things you wouldn't be willing to otherwise safe behind your anonymity. But be careful to choose one you can live with, if you play at something long enough it stops being an act sometimes without you realizing its happening. I've known people who couldn't deal with it and snapped when they couldn't figure who they were anymore.

Mike

Notice the real name to the left side of this post. I never thought a cover was needed
since I have no intent to misrepresent myself. No second intent here, just straight
lunges.

[Shadow Fencer]

I agree with the responses with regard to keeping one's identity anonymous as well as using one's identity. I use Shadow because I've been in the shadows of fencing for many years before returning to it and it was the name of the dog across the street! Some people know my real name because they've private mailed me. I think it's fun because sometimes I've been mistaken for a member of the male sex and it's funny, at least to me!


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I live to fence and fence to live!!

[oiuyt]

Hi all,
Obviously oiuyt isn't my real name. I've just used oiuyt as a log in for almost everything I do online for, must be since 96 or maybe even 95... Back then I was into an online game site (trivia, contests, things like that) and was getting frustrated when my first 3-4 choices were already used as logins (including several variations on my name). I finaly decided to just use qwerty, as it would be easy to remember, but figured it'd already have been used by someone else in my position, so I decided to use poiuyt instead, but missed the p.... So, in almost everything online since it's been oiuyt (a FEW things are Mulch, a nick that I used for our LAN games of Marathon (think Doom/Quake for the Mac) at college... a friend tagged me with it when I was first starting, by the time I got fairly good it was a running joke). Here I fairly frequently bring up topics from my RL, including that I went to Hopkins and that I coach at UMass. Don't know if I've ever given my real name (Brad Baker, BTW, so NOW I know whether or not I've ever given it... ) but I certainly haven't been concerned about anyone connecting the real me to my fencing.net nick (a quick jog through our team's website would give that up....).
In general, in my experience, people tend to either be themselves or tend to lose interest in an assumed persona fairly quickly, at which the persona for all practical purposes is gone. So all we have are a bunch of people being who they are and a few people that are currently in persona, but we won't have to worry about any of them much longer, they soon be bored with who they're pretending to be.

Okay, that was longer than I intended, but I don't really feel like going back and breaking it into good paragraph or paragraph-like chunks....

-B

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"Oh but you can't expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you!"

All your music are belongs to us- RIAA

[Zelda]

Nothing hidden here. My name PURE and SIMPLE. Go by other monikers on other sites but hey I have nothing to hide here so why hid my identity?

[ledgerto]

Well, I would have picked a better name if.... I got stuck with this handle in college because they set up email for us and the whole name didn't fit. I just thought it best to keep it so people would remember my email addy.

At my salle most of the younger ones call me MOM (That is what I cross stitched onto my mask) because of mt coach. He started calling me that who knows why? I think it is because I am older than him and he is from Europe. Anyway about 2 weeks ago he started calling me Linda!! At first I didn't know he was talking to me so I didn't respond. I think we have now become peers of sorts because we are both teachers.

Anyway, last week, I got called another name, Weed Hopper, by one of you. I kind of like it. What do you think? Should I change my name?

Regardless of the name, if anyone wants to know about me, all they have to do is ask. I have nothing to hide.

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Old dogs CAN learn new tricks!

[This message has been edited by ledgerto (edited 05-06-2001).]

[Purple Fencer]

Originally posted by ledgerto:
Anyway, last week, I got called another name, Weed Hopper, by one of you. I kind of like it. What do you think? Should I change my name?

That was me!

If you keep that name, tho', you'll have to shave your head, learn to advance down a rice-paper piste leaving no mark, and only use yours fencing skills in the cause of Justice...

Looking like David Carradine would also help, but since you're a lady...


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Sam Signorelli -- Boldly going forward...'cause I can't find reverse!

[latenight]

I use a name. I always have on the net. Everyone who knows me, knows me by my screen name anyway. I have given my name to people who PM me. I certainly am not putting on a persona. I am as I post. I think it's scary someone could get so into a character they post as, as to lose touch with reality. Sign of a weak mind I guess. Anyway, I've been around here long enough that ya'll have a good feel for me anyway

[oiuyt]

Hi all,
I just wanted to add to the discussion that this thread meant that Shadow Fencer and I ended up connecting nicks to people in real life. We'd been at a tournament together Friday night, and after my post Shadow connected with who I was, and at a divisional meeting Sunday came up and introduced herelf. That's just really cool finally meeting someone that I only knew through fencing.net (okay, we'd been at a couple tournaments together, but I'm not sure that we'd talked more than a few words).

-B

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"Oh but you can't expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you!"

All your music are belongs to us- RIAA

[Mergs]

Have already given my full name in another post (one of the political/history threads).

Mergs is what my beloved and I call each other. Those that know me (and are lurking out there and don't post, you know who you are John and Mike!) know that Mergs is just a shortened version of my last name.

[ledgerto]

Hey! Sam,
I'm not to sure about the rice paper piste, but the shaved head sounds kinda exciting. Most people think I'm going through my second adolescent period anyway.

The funny thing is I can't hop very well, just ask my coach.
Linda

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Old dogs CAN learn new tricks!

[This message has been edited by ledgerto (edited 05-07-2001).]

[Dragoneye]

Hey gang,

My primary reason for choosing a pseudonym over my actual name is to avoid being harassed. That is, to thwart some errant twit who might wander in here looking to stir up trouble.

My reason behind the choice of pseudonym is twofold: 1. I love dragons. 2. I've a lazy eye, so my moniker is a play off of "draggin' eye".

I suppose if I wanted to stay true to fencing nicks, I should have gone with "Spidey" - for my crazy jumping retreats on the piste, or more recently "Crouching Tiger" - long story.


Cheers,

Dragoneye (Kim).

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"Violent delights have violent ends." R&J - WS.

[chilli]

I use the alias because I am wanted in 5 states. Something about a foil, a cable-TV installer, and lewd & lascivious behaviour.

Actually, my nick is based on my real name C.MaidenName-Hill. Everyone calls my hubby Hilly, so there you go. Don't want the weirdoes to come a-knockin'. So, I keep the real McCoy for those I get to know.