The use of aliases on the internet has become intriging to me. I have been
looking into this question, asked a number of people who use aliases why they use alias instead of real name.

The answers were varied to begin with, as many people had never really thought this through, and only adopted what they considered the norm, and the way things are done.

According to the Oxford dictionary:
name by which one is called (on other occasions or at different times).

According to wikipedia: A pseudonym is a fictitious alternative to a person's legal name. From greek, "pseudonym" meaning "false name", a continuation of the greek "pseudos" meaning lie, falsehood.

Pseudonyms are used frequently as writers' pen names, by resistance fighters
and terrorists, graffiti artists. The use of pseudonym is also very common for actors, musicians and other performers as stage name to conceal ethnic background, to change a common name into something more memorable, to better match their stage persona.

In most of the above case there was a desire to improve on the orginal, to have a name that would make easier identification, or to completely hide true identity.

The uses of aliases, pseudonyms, was extremely common in the 20th century
for actors, performers and musicians. There was a feeling then, and maybe
justifiable, that the real name would also reveal the ethnic origins. This could be a detriment then. Is it still so?

I find the use of aliases intriguing. I compiled a short, totally random list that is appended here. The list comprises mainly names that were used in the English speaking world, although there are a few from other countries.
Almost all the names are stage names, although there are also quite a few
writers and other professions.

I can only guess that often an alias was assumed as it was felt that the alias had a better ring to it, that it would be more memorable and easier to remember.

I would love to get into the head of some of these people and know why they chose to use a pseudonym. In some cases it seems obvious from the
original name. In other cases I can't see the reason for choosing an alias.

Was there something wrong with the original name? Was there a desire to
remain anonymous? Was it so that people who know them would not recognize
them? These last two seems illogical as the pseudonyms became household
names in most cases.

There are also many cases where a nickname became the alias. This is easier
to understand. I didn't include any of those in my list.
It seems that it was a trend, the fasion, for many years to use aliases,
especially in the first half of the 20th century or more. It then seems to have subsided a little, but it has come back big time with many young performers and actors. I included a faw rappers and modern singers in the
list.

Is it the same that lies behind the use of aliases, or ids as they are called, on the internet?

There are cases where I can understand the use of ids on the internet. But
where I don't understand it is within the social networking. My understanding of social networking is to get to know other people, to connect, make friends, even business developments.

If you use an alias how do I know who you are apart from reading the bio?
I have no way of checking if the bio is right. I presume it is, but often I come across the scantiest of bios, no real information, no picture, and then a lot of funkie stuff as music and videos and so on.

All of this funkie stuff may give an idea of the character of the person behind it. But if there was a picture and a real name that would tell me so much more. And the aliases used on the internet. You sometimes have to be a linguistic expert to understand what is written.

So if you are a member of one of the social networks such as facebook, my
space, twitter and you want to make contact, would you choose one of these faceless, nameless people to be your friend.

The internet can be such a cold, impersonal place. Luckily the social network sites have made it much less so.

I will say that I have made it a rule never to accept invitations from people who don't have a normal bio and a picture. Only on rare occasions do I sway from this rule.

This is a clear case of needing feedback, comments and ideas. You all know
where to do that.
Let me make something clear. I will check out each comment including bios and pictures before I approve.