I use my real name as my username in discussion communities. Always have all the way back to my first AOL dialup username.
Poll: Do you use your real identity on HN?
21–30 of 307 posts
Re: Poll: Do you use your real identity on HN?
#22There's lots of value in being personally identifiable online, I was asked about writing a book last year, the person found me through someone that had seen my reddit comments and connected my person to my name, for that reason I always use my real identity when commenting online (unless there's a specific reason I need to be anonymous).
Re: Poll: Do you use your real identity on HN?
#23About 1% of the posts I write are mildly controversial and I'm sort of happy to know that my person is not associated with them. On the other hand, there are probably more posts that I want to be associated with.
Re: Poll: Do you use your real identity on HN?
#24Nope. I do all my online interaction as epochwolf.
Re: Poll: Do you use your real identity on HN?
#25For some reason I'm extremely hesitant to post things under my real name. I don't really care if people know my name on an individual basis (and it's not like I'm a high profile poster anyway), but I am squeamish about it generally, and feel too self-conscious to post anything if my name is associated directly with it. I've tried blogging under my real name and always went back and deleted everything, it caused me too much anxiety. I'm not like that at all in person. Are there others like me around here? I think it's the permanent nature of what goes online that bothers me about it - there is a freedom to pseudonymity that, when not abused, is quite wonderful.
Re: Poll: Do you use your real identity on HN?
#26Yes. I wish I could change my username, though- I used it on a whim when signing up for what I considered to be a dummy account at the time. Woops.
Re: Poll: Do you use your real identity on HN?
#27I use my real name as a way of keeping myself accountable as I've noticed that I'm much more inflammatory when under the guise of a pseudonym.
I do not think HN frowns on inflammatory speech if worded deftly.
If you are inflamed, your speech should be inflammatory.
Anything less will be intellectually dishonest.
Re: Poll: Do you use your real identity on HN?
#28I didn't really think about it, but the username I chose is one that I really try to use universally on any online community where I'm using a fictitious name, and is ultimately tied to who I am.
Re: Poll: Do you use your real identity on HN?
#29I almost never hide or lie about my identity in person. I don't view my online life as separate or different than in person life. So, I use my real name almost everywhere.
Re: Poll: Do you use your real identity on HN?
#30I just put my very short real name.