Real name, user name, or some nickname?

I used to associate myself so much with the user-name Logan that it felt odd if people called me Greg, but now I prefer to be called Greg.  Some here will be called by first name, user-name, and by some other nickname (the nickname often being based on the user name).  Some prefer to keep even their first name hidden, and don't add it to the profile.  In some cases I've greeted someone by the real given name, and people have been surprised that I knew it (it was in the profile, but they did not know that was public).

I like the more personal touch of real names.  It can feel awkward when I call someone by a username that doesn't even sound like a name, particularly -- might be a combination of words, and then with no real name given one is apt to abbreviate it.  So "I_dig_intellectual_old_tracks" becomes "Idiot".  Hi Idiot, welcome aboard, you've come to the right place!

Of course the username alone provides more anonymity (and is sometimes suggested for security reasons), and I'm not comfortable giving out my full name to the public.

Do you prefer being known by your real name, and do you prefer to call others by real name?


Edited by Logan - January 12 2009 at 16:02

People only ever call me Mike or KBT, so it's what I'm used to. Mike is more often used though. In real life, however, hardly anyone calls be by my first name, I get last-named so much that there was actually a point where I was offended if someone called me "Mike" and I didn't know them well enough. A favorite highschool moment of mine was when someone asked, "Hey Sharkey! What's your last name, anyways?" . 

I prefer not to be called.

It seems to be split 50/50 with Dan/Daniel and Itsy. I'm fine either way.

NaturalScience wrote: Logan wrote: So "I_dig_intellectual_old_prog" becomes "Idiot".  IDIOP People that know me use my real name, others usually use NS.  Either way is fine by me.

Therein lies the idiotic joke (calling someone an idiot who can't even get an acronym right). I think I'll edit anyway.


Edited by Logan - January 12 2009 at 15:56

Don't care for either one. Usually people call me by my first name... I hate it, but who's asking me? I wish I had a cool nickname, but thinking of one requires brain cells.

Edited by The Miracle - January 12 2009 at 16:00

i choose ''by dog's name '' .because a friend of my called me by my dog's name ''Aquatarkus ''

NaturalScience wrote: People that know me use my real name, others usually use NS.  Either way is fine by me.

That's how I feel too; it depends on who's addressing me and how deep of a relationship we have.

MovingPictures07 wrote: NaturalScience wrote: People that know me use my real name, others usually use NS.  Either way is fine by me. That's how I feel too; it depends on who's addressing me and how deep of a relationship we have.

I can understand that.  Sometimes I'm a  little uncomfortable using real names when I don't know a person well.  From your user-name, what do you prefer, the full one (but that sounds awkward to me), MovingPictures, MP, MP07, MoP....?  I used to prefer reserving my real-name for people that I felt I'd developed an understanding with based on mutual sympathy -- people who you feel closer to and relate to/ can speak on a personal level with.

Raff wrote: My username is a shortened form of my first name (Raffaella, for the very few who still don't know). When I went by the name Ghost Rider, I liked people to call me by my first name, and when almost everyone started using Raff, I thought, "what the heck? I want to be called that for good". At least now people don't take me for a man as easily as they did in the past ! Anyway, just like Greg (though not for military reasons), I hate being called by my surname, unless it's in a friendly manner

But your last name is so welcoming...