At a webcomic I visit, the author has decided to drop a pseudonym he was using and return to using his real name, as he felt that while using his real name (which he did originally, but stopped after threats from an ex-girlfriend) he acted more like "himself" on the internet; people kept mentioning that he was exactly the same on and offline. When he took the pseudonym, people mentioned how much harsher and distant he was on the internet as compared to real life.

So, this got me thinking. Does anyone here think the same? Massassi certainly has its share of angry posting; would these exist in real life? Would these exist if everyone used their real name?

I often think of changing my username here to something a little less obvious; "Matthew P" or something that would disconnect me from real life a bit. As it is, a simple google on my name brings up all sorts of things I'd be hard pressed to explain in real life ("No, really, I'm cool! What? An internet message board about a Star Wars Video Game that is, moreover, eight years old? Err..."). But then I think, is it right that I want to be distancing myself from real life so much? What does it say about me that things I do on the internet could be considered "embarrassing" in real life? It's not that I have some uber-jock, uber-luddite thing going in real life (my book shelf has five shelves of video games collected over a fifteen year career, after all), but still I feel a twinge of unease whenever I think that everything I say here is available for people from "real life" to read and make judgments of me with.

Thoughts? Would people act more "rationally" or like they do in real life if they had the accountability of having their name in bold letters (though I've certainly had several poor moments here, even with my full name up)?

Forgot to add: post how you think you're different in real life to here. Does Pagewizard offer relationship advice to everyone he meets? Do other people do things in real life they have cliches about here? I can't think of any examples... Morat would be an example, but he's not here anymore.

I think I'm a bit more forthright here; that I have absolutely no friends interested in computers in real life obviously means that I have to keep a bit of myself "under the surface" with friends; I can't chat about Doom 3, or Kohan 2, or even Windows vs. Linux. Even that I have the opportunity to sit down and consider each word I say here is different to real life; I say far fewer utterly stupid things here (so you must get some idea of how frequent they are in real life! ;)), but then, I think I'm much less bantery and humourous here too; I think my sense of humour comes off far more bitter through text than in real life, where I like to make jokes about anything, for any reason, to anyone.

I'm pretty much the same, except people who act like *******s to me for no reason get an *** kicking rather that feeling smug and righteous a thousand miles away.

Well, since I am much more comfortable talking to people who I have never met and can't see (the internet) I'm probably pretty different online.

I'm willing to discuss more personal things with people online. Things that I'd probably never even mention if I were talking to someone in real life. It's probably for the same reason that some people are realy jerks online: there's no fear of actual retribution. WHile I'm not going to get punched for what I say online, at least I can tell you guys stuff and not have to worry about seeing you and wondering what you're thinking about it.

I used to use my real name for everything online basically. Mainly changed because I wanted to disassociate myself from my DF/JK work a bit.

I try to treat people online the same as I'd treat them offline. Reality is reality, the world wide web is not some fantasy land. Say something stupid to someone online and they'll still be hurt and you'll still be an *******.

Under this name I find myself to be rather formal and sardonic. Inexplicable.

I'm far friendlier and more helpful in real life. Some could say I'm funnier too, although I don't attempt to be funny online all that often. In comparison to trying to type/spell perfectly 100% of the time, I'm kinda dyslexic on occasion when speaking. That can prove humorous.

Stop being exactly the same as me, Acharjay. Else I'll pound you.

the only difference i know of between me and my on line persona is that you cant actully see the mood i'm in while posting. so it takes away from the meanign of words.

I tend to be taller online.

I'm actually a shy person in RL

If I'm not myself here, then I'm never myself. There's no reason to pretend to be anyone else.

Dont think many of you would be in the least surprised if we met.

I would, considering you live several thousand kilometers away from me. :p

I'm a bit different here, though not much. Most of the changes I make are content changes, I talk about different things to different people, but personality wise I think I'm pretty similar.

You wouldn't know, but offline I'm a sexy pimp. I drive around in my BM picking up girls and going to wild parties every other night. My night life is as wild as my day job as a fashion model. I have to constantly pry off the ladies with a stick. Also, Hillary Duff totally digs me.

I'm way different online. I'm pretty much like SMOCK!.

<3

Both online and in real life I pretty much call things like I see them. Online though, I'm less shy so I talk to people I don't know just like those I do. In real life, I hold back my opinions when I don't know someone.

I find it easier to be gregarious online. I guess I feel the same way that SMOCK! does when it comes to talking to strangers online. I don't talk much in real life.

I'm nicer online than off, and shyer offline than on. And I'm a Brit. And I use my real name.

Hm.. Well i'm far more talkative 'online'. In fact in an average week i likely type /significantly/ more than i speak out loud. But that's in a good part due to my generally misanthropic/reclusive tendencies. Which isn't to say i don't have friends and don't like hanging out and such, just that in most contexts i'm pretty quiet and reserved. But i'm not sure i'd really count that as an effect of being online vs offline necessarily.

However the alias thing.. shrug. In fact there are friends locally who call me dor or mouse as well, sew.

I think I tend be a lot quieter online than in person. In real life, especially in groups, I can be pretty loud and obnoxious. Online I tend not to post much, because I'm a perfectionist about anything I write- often I end up writing a whole post and then deleting it because I'm not sure it says what I want.

I also tend to come off as more sarcastic online than I mean to be.

I don't know that it's a function of using my real name or not, 'cause I usually don't even think about what name I'm posting under. It has more to do with being more able to analyze and think about my words than it does with anonymity.

I tend to act the same online as I do online. Maybe I can be a bit more assertive online, but not much.

I'm Acharjay's doppleganger. I have fun trying to pronounce words I've written a dozen times but have never spoken.

What you see online here, is what you'd get in real life.

A few years back, I used to be a bit different. That has since changed. Virtually all of the time, whatever I say here or in a private chat, I'd say directly to you if we were having the same discussion in real life.

MBeggar is identicle in person, DS is a little more quiet. I tend to think I'm somewhat similar, but I cant' tell.

I use my real name, the only problem being that I am often mistaken for a certain video game character...

I'm more or less the same online and in real life. Once I'm comfortable with the community/people, this is what you get.

Seconded. I've never really gone by my real name online (save for 'Real Name Day' in the Cantina), but I don't think I behave much differently online compared to my every day self.

I am actually an agent of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, assigned to the detection and prevention of child molestation over the internet.

hmm. I believe I'm far more talkative online. It seems I just have more to talk about online. I mean If I went "omq do you have Firefoxes nightly build" in real life I'd be shunned for life. Or "Check out this map, the lighting is amazing not to mention the textures" people in real life would be like "what the heck is wrong with you"

Hardly, you just have to find the right people to talk with.

I think people who use their real name online tend to use it as an ego booster (not a bad thing), and/or they feel comfortable in using their name as it may be more common place. Regardless of whether you use your real name or an alias, there is always some form of discretion that keeps your real life persona from inducing your online persona, usually in the form of some physical or emotional factor.


Me. I really don't know how people perceive me as online. I don't think I convey much to give much of a perception. However my real life persona is that I'm more of a stale type person.

Haha. I am a lot more quiet and less problematic in real life then I am online. I still do the same things and stuff..just a lot quieter.

You whisper insults at people while they're talking to you? o.O

I usually use my real name.
Not for any other reason than I think most nicknames are stupid. And also some people will make generalizations or assumptions on you depending on what it is, not that I care, but just another reason to use a real name.

You would be surprised....

People can make assumptions about your real name.

Not as easily.

Yeah, I think I'm more likeable online. Kind of difficult to get to know people well here, or at least that's how I found it...

I'm alot more outspoken online, and jsut generally more talkative, i've found. I'm always way too quiet in real life. Of cource, one of the reasons i'm more outspoken here then in real life is because oin real life i can't argue about some of the stuff i can here. take the 'objective reality' thread. i bet noone in my school, including teachers (except maybe my chem/phys teacher, he's got two master's degrees) knows what the Anthropic Principle is, and yet within two posts Mort has a page-long argument against it.

I find it harder to actually make contributions online; I always read a thread, think "I have nothing worthwhile to add to that" and go do something else.

^ Ditto

I think I'm pretty much the same person online as I am in real life.