Folks college age or younger, is this the "thing" now.

[SeerSGB]

I'm 35, went online in 1995. Back then, even now, I try to keep my "online life" apart from my "real life". I'm very selective about who knows what about the other. And I would never think to consider my online nick my "real" name.

That said: I've been talking to a few college age and younger relatives and friends' siblings and a few of them actually introduce themselves by their internet nicks or put their nicks down on job applications. One, who is going into nursing, even has her MMO nick on her professional business cards and her name tag. The young woman that AM's the print shop that I do business with has business cards with her WOW guild and her screenname on them to give out to people.

Huh?

I get kids in junior high or highschool doing it. Me and my RPG buddies did it-- referring to each other by character names in the halls. But college age people, people in the professional fields where you would think you'd want to be taken seriously.

How does that work. "Hello, I'm Dr Stormageddon666 and this my nurse DeathQueen999"

I'll cop to being a little out of touch with the newest 'net trends or the "lifestyle" (as one snarky little teen I know calls online life). But is this a new fad that's just popped up, a symptom of new digital "Social media" lifestyle?

 

[Locutus of Bored]

I'm 37, so not the right age range, but I even get a little embarrassed telling non-nerdish people my geeky primary email address, so it's not a thing I would do, no.

 

[Kemaiku]

I have an online friend in America who I'm also penpals with, we usually sign our letters or cards to each other with our usernames.

 

[Kestra]

Do their nicks actually have weird letter combinations, or lots of numbers? There's a big difference between "Hi, I'm LT_data2864532" and "Hi, I'm Kestra."

 

[Deranged Nasat]

"You seem a well-rounded and straight-forward sort of fellow, Mister...Deranged Nasat, is it? Welcome to the team!"

I don't really see it working.

To be honest, I find the whole thing rather strange. Using alternate names casually among friends is quite endearing, but I wouldn't use anything other than my legal name for something as important as a job application, or any other "official" business.

 

[CorporalClegg]

At least she's not ashamed of who she is.

 

[SeerSGB]

Do their nicks actually have weird letter combinations, or lots of numbers? There's a big difference between "Hi, I'm LT_data2864532" and "Hi, I'm Kestra."

A couple of them do.

I have an online friend in America who I'm also penpals with, we usually sign our letters or cards to each other with our usernames.

Different though than using it day to day life and work.

If I was at a con or at meet up and someone came up said "Hi I'm Kestra" I wouldn't bat a eye. The last meet up I did, we used our nicks and rarely our real names cause it convo flowed easier for us.

I guess it's just more of the blurring of the line between the two "worlds" that has been going on for a while.

 

[Smellincoffee]

I don't know if I qualify -- I'm in my mid twenties -- but while I'd never introduce myself to someone as Smellincoffee in real life, I am sufficiently attached to it that I once seriously considered getting a vanity plate that incorporated "SC" into it, seeing as that's a nickname my username inspires.

 

[ares93]

I have me radio callsign on me business card. I use it as an online nick on a couple of sites too, so i suppose it counts. But its mostly used to identify different drivers.

Basically, my business card is set up like this. We all use the same design btw.

LoneAtom Speed Shop
Given name (callsign/nick) Last name
Mobile number
Home number
LA SS number
Email
LA SS email
Class (4WD, RWD, FWD)
Car (-** Make, Model)

 

[Kestra]

I can't see professionals using that a lot unless they actually used it as their name, instead of their real name. Like made that switch. And don't doctors and all need to use the name that's on their whatever doctor's license? There's probably something similar for lawyers and other professions. I don't think you can just whatever name.

 

[Canadave]

I'm 24, been online since the late-90s, and personally, I just distinguish between something I might want to be seen as part of my own personal online "brand" and something that's just for fun. So I use this username here and at places like Reddit and other message boards, but I use my real name on blogs, Twitter, etc.

 

[ares93]

I can't see professionals using that a lot unless they actually used it as their name, instead of their real name. Like made that switch. And don't doctors and all need to use the name that's on their whatever doctor's license? There's probably something similar for lawyers and other professions. I don't think you can just whatever name.

Well, I cant speak for others, but there's this girl I've knew for nearly a year. One day, out of the blue, she asked me what me real name is. Kind of threw me off for a moment. I mean she drove me car a half dozen times, least she could've done is to read the bloody name on it...

 

[CorporalClegg]

You put your name on your car?

 

[captcalhoun]

i don't see myself putting my name on my CV or my MW2 name or anything.

 

[CorporalClegg]

I have a friend whose initials are BMW.

And mine are JAG.

 

[ares93]

You put your name on your car?

Yup, its quite common in motorsport. Flag for nationality, first and middle name initials and full last name. Just look at every Rally or WTCC car. I've got me call sign underneath as well.

EDIT: Cant forget the bloodied red cross airbrushed on the hood and the "Frak You!" bumper sticker.

 

[thestrangequark]

I personally make no grand distinction between my online life and real life, and I use the screenname I use here in many different functions in my real life.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I go by "gorzek" elsewhere, which is a pretty obscure (and nerdy) reference. But I still put down my gorzek email address on my resume and everything.

I'm 30.

 

[Pingfah]

I try to be myself online, but sometimes Pingfah won't let me.

 

[Eyes]

My username started out/morphed into an extension of my real name, so it makes little difference to me, except how you spell it. I'm perfectly fine to be known as 'Iz', I wouldn't go round spelling it as 'Eyes' except on the internet. It's partly, but not completely, the internet that inspired that nick, yet I'm now almost always called 'Iz' informally by people I know. I find it quite awesome, actually.

The only thing that I'm slightly nervous about is my main e-mail address. Eyes330 looks a little... well... , but it's again, not something I'm overly bothered about.

My username isn't too weird though, so I don't have much of a problem.