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When I was 12 I selected an online name. Many people refer to me by that name and have nearly forgotten my real name (my last name for sure). Over high school,
by Supermancho 5y ago
When I was 12 I selected an online name. Many people refer to me by that name and have nearly forgotten my real name (my last name for sure). Over high school, I had many names and developed a full-blown alias. This disturbed my father at the time.
A couple people I know live by these new names that we chose, even at work where they use their alias everywhere but on their taxes/employment record.
- marssaxman 5y agoThis sort of thing was common in the '80s/90s. I still know several people who are known exclusively by their handles. I changed my own legal name to match my alias.
- Ancapistani 5y agoAround 2015 I worked with someone who used a "handle" for most things. It was their GitHub username and their "@" in Slack. I remember thinking it was interesting how I had developed something of a disconnect between "the person" and "the person's communications". It was almost (but not quite) like they were completely different identities to me.
- fouc 5y ago> even at work where they use their alias everywhere but on their taxes/employment record. I basically do this, but it was by accident. I think it's a nice idea to have this kind of separation.
- _dain_ 5y agoThis could have been far more common but Facebook snuffed it out with their maniacal insistence that everyone use their "real" name online.
- kayodelycaon 5y agoI know quite a few people in the furry community who go by their chosen names without changing their legal one. (Myself being an example.) As far as I’m concerned, my name is Kayodé. My legal name is a convenient alias to hide behind in the “real world”. Having the separation is nice because there are many things I can talk about as Kayodé than my legal name can’t. (Mental health for one.)