Why use a nickname on a forum? But use your real name on FacebooK?

[FUNX650]

I think nicknames (NNs) are very
important in "social" relationships.

Thus:
The offshoot of NNs' appearance in many
"social media" relationships, seems, to
me, to have been a natural evolvement.


Bob

[Jaretr1]

Ive been JaretR1 since I joined the interwebs. Its my name and last name initial with a 1 (because Im #1). Well not really. A job I was at when I joined AOL for the first time back in the days of dialup, my name to sign into their system was JaretR. I think JaretR was taken on AOL (can you imagine) so I added a 1 and it took it. Ive been JaretR1 ever since. And yes, I still use AOL for email. Why change at this point?

[Guyb]

When I joined the forum I used my middle name that I go by and my last name initial. I didn't want to join Facebook when I did. My wife tried to join and she got rejected for our last name. I tried to join to see what the issue was and so had to argue that that was my real last name. So on Facebook it has my first name that I never use. Guyb is what I use on all forums that I belong.

[WAXOFF]

Well you're Mike Phillips on here because you are The Man Mike Phillips detailing king of the universe. We are all just little asteroids floating out in space. Hey I picked my name because I felt it was detailed related.

[PurpleTowel]

It is false security if you think you are being anonymous on the internet.

Yes, and people can steal your credit card info at the counter of Best Buy if they really want to steal from you. I believe that the less you do to open yourself up to dangerous and unknown contact through the interwebs, the better. I'm not a paranoid person by any stretch of the imagination, but there is no need to expose yourself to risk unnecessarily.

[BudgetPlan1]

Budgetplan1 was the license plate of the car that led me to first join automotive forums; using elsewhere just seemed consistent.

I too remember Usenet and the ever popular rec. groups. This is much easier. Also remember Pine, Elm, gopher and Lynx.

Facebook is completely different subject...crazy town.

[Wendell Jarvis]

I use my Real name on both Media

[PaulMys]

I use PaulMys because my real last name (starts with M Y S...) is Polish and would just make people scratch their heads and wonder how a name could contain so few vowels & so many consonants. Plus, being Polish excludes me from being able to even think of a nickname.

I'm kidding, of course. But that being said, I happen to believe that a lot of guys/girls take pride in coming up with a screen name (or user title, whatever) that is either a clever creation of theirs, or describes them in some way.

Although I totally get your point Mike, I tend to disagree with it. I've met quite a few guys/gals on here and other forums. Almost all with nicknames. As I read their posts, and over time realized their genuineness/intelligence on subjects, I have started conversations, PM'd, gotten email addresses, and in the case of my old truck forum, even made a close & life-long friend.

(And as a point of information, I am not currently, nor will I ever be on Facebook, twitter, etc.)

[pilotpip]

Why do I stay "anonymous" on here? Because I don't know you. Facebook is for friends and family, and I can say that everyone who is my "friend" is someone I've personally had interactions with at some time in my life. I have my security settings tight for a reason. Yeah, I get that my info is out there, but I'm fortunate that I share my name with a pretty famous athlete and doing a google search on my name will produce about 30 pages of this other individual before anything of mine pops up.

I haven't posted on the AG Facebook page because of this, and the reactions and statements by some of the fans of the page. I am considering unfollowing it. There's no content there that is worth my time that isn't on here.

Frankly, AGO is about the only forum I think I would share my name on. The others that I am a member of, regardless of activity or interest have way too many keyboard commandos that like to beat their chest. I don't get into that stuff, but frankly I don't want those morons out there knowing my name. Unfortunately, social media is only making us less social, and more sociopathic.

[dlc95]

Many moons ago when I first started out in forums, they said one needed a nickname. At the time had no clue as to why. Though it was some sort of
special computer thing you had to do. I started out on a chopper website (Hondachoppers). The website asked for a user name and password. Had no clue what that
all meant. Had a chopper called "roadrat" (was small name painted on the bike from previous owner). So I just took that and to this day I
used Roadrat everywhere on the internet because it was just easy to remember.

Since completing the competition ready class a couple weeks ago and I do have plans to begin my 2nd career, I knew "Roadrat" wasn't going to cut it.
I was shifting between just using my name Tom or my initials TMQ. Decided just to do the initials for now.

But yeah, If one is going to get any credibility, I'll go with a TMQ rather having a roadrat touching my car!!! Smile...

Tom

dlc95 are my initials + graduation year.