Using your real name on forums, ever a good idea?
 

Never on a message board like this.
On mainstream boards would it ever be good? I'm guessing a little from trust but serious repercussions. I'm guessing having a different handle always allows a slight cushion.

I just say this as one guy on here says he wishes he used an alias but because everyone knows him by his real name as branding he can't change it. It's like having an email everyone is used to or a number.
A producer I know was silly enough to use his real name and now he can't change it because it's what he is known by. This also screwed up his relationship with his family more as his wife vilified him as much as she could for his kids.
*sidenote: Cops got involved one time and realised how awful his wife was and the producer befriended a couple of them. He ended up using 2 of them in a couple of blowbangs. Good stuff!

Seems like protecting your real identity is just as important as your strategy for branding.


The reason for asking this is I'm going through my password manager on other boards I have and am probably going to delete my real name handles (which are 30+) Maybe I'll keep my real name for engineering boards that I rarely visit.

Why wouldn't it be?

~ Renaldo,

I think most people know who I am - Never been a single issue in over 11 years on here.

It's one of those "it depends" things I think. I dont mind if people know I'm Tom.

When I made my facebook account, I used my real name. If I ever post on facebook, it's my first and last name that shows up. Haven't had a problem to this point.

But of course I don't create content and barely even host any adult content currently for that matter.

Real names makes it easier for hackers and robbers to gather your personal information and ultimately use it against you. You're just asking for trouble.

I was already known by my real name. So pointless hiding it.

If you are a professional then of course. How else do you expect to get business?

The internet is still littered with references of me from days when I was an active real estate agent and the last time I personally marketed a home in my name was 2008.

Outside of adult, I use a different screen name on each board. I posted on a Mustang board for ten years and after a while it was kind of creepy with too many strangers knowing too much about me. I'm also very vague about where I live, my name, etc.

People finding out you shoot porn on a large scale in a group of conservatives. I'm ok with telling certain people but it's embarrassing if others know.

I think most people will never mind if you develop products adult industry people use but being immersed in it can maybe become a problem.

Always a valid point, even though it's a thin layer making a alias will make you less likely to get hacked. Of course if you piss someone off enough they'll go psychotic to get to you sometimes.

That's what happened to the producer I referenced. Everyone knows his real name and it's what he depends upon so it's useless.

Mystery (the pick up artist) is known as that and he does well. Depends on what you do. Mainstream it's a safe bet. It's a little harder to start over if you use your real name though :2 cents:

It depends on what your objective is

I've never really been stalked online. But I've had followings on messageboards that were geared toward Johnny Load content and you get strange things happening. You could always tell lurkers by how often they crept around your profile or threads.

Never enough of a board whore to warrant much of anything abnormal though. In fact when I break 1000 posts on here it'll be my first time doing it anywhere! :upsidedow

I think it depends, if you stir up shit really not a good idea to use your real name. Otherwise not too big a deal.

Yeah. I made this thread because I wanted a second opinion.
A lot of threads are just to bounce ideas and sometimes the occasional "Oh shit, never thought of that." Which is always a good thing.

Although I've used the same online alias since the earliest days of BBSing...many colleagues in the fetish/bondage community know my real name from conventions, munch scenes, etc.

I recall a few people at the first Bondcon in Queens N.Y. in 2001 that went around using their online alias and how stupid it all sounded...so I made sure I avoided that in-person.

But most knew the linkage between 'Silent Knight' and 'Kastle Archives' anyways...