Should hubber hide behind a name with no real photo?

When someone chooses not to post a real photo of himself with his writing it isn't necessarily a matter of "hiding". I don't choose to post a photo of myself, and I would venture to say that my writing (whether or HubPages or anywhere else online where I have material) - if nothing else - could not be more honest, open, and authentic. Although I have only rarely been questioned about anything I've written, I am prepared to back up what I write (with further clarification, references, etc.), knowing that anyone can either ask me to through Hub comments or else e.mail me.

Based on some of the "real" photos I see on HubPages and elsewhere, I (like many others) have reason to suspect that not everyone in those "real" photos are the writer. I have a perfectly acceptable face (one nose, two eyes - all the usual stuff :) ), so it has never even occurred to me that not posting a picture would be seen as "hiding". I suspect a lot of people are like me, though, in that many people are not very comfortable posting their face (and in some cases, their own name) out there for "all the world to see". Many people have a certain amount of "reserve" that has nothing to do with hiding.

As a writer, I want my words to speak for themselves. As a reader, I've occasionally had my curiosity about what another writer looks like; but, in general, I don't think I need to know that to know whether I like the person's writing.

My name makes it pretty clear that I'm a woman; and in much of my less "formal" writing I mention things like having children. In more formal writing I don't include information about myself; and when it comes to that kind of writing, again, I want the words to speak for themselves. I don't want people clicking past my work because they may think women write nothing worth reading or because they hate Americans - or for any other reason a picture may result in prejudice against my work.

I could point anyone to a few pieces of my writing where comments make it so clear that my woman's name, alone, does occasionally bring comments that the same writing, under a man's name, would not "inspire".

For writers like me, who want their words to speak for themselves (and for them, as writers and people, as well), not posting a picture should not be viewed as "hiding".

when I first joined this site I did hide behind a picture that was not me due to the fact I did not know what kind of site I was on and who was on it! After I saw that it was a ligit site I was confident that my true identity was ok to reveal! To answer your question I can yes it should be ok if individuals do not want their true idenity revealed it should be by their choice for their own personal reason!

The choice to use your real name or a pseudonym on Hubpages, or other such sites on the internet is yours and yours alone. A "pseudonym" is a fictitious alternatve to a person's legal name. Now, having... keep reading →

Just because there may be a photo, how do you know it is actually a photo of the blogger/Hubber? It could be a stock photo or a photo of someone else. Why do you care? HubPages is not a dating service.

I feel writers should be able to identify themselves however they feel comfortable on the web. Afterall we are all here to "write."

I feel the "content" is more important then the identity of the writer. There have been many books written under names that do not exist. I have read amazing books by people with names like "Ophiel" who supposedly died quite a few years ago. The name may have been "made up" and the person could still be around for all we know. No one knows for sure but this makes it "interesting." I believe in the "freedom" of identifying yourself or not. That is up to you.

Is the question about who people are, or about the fact that their identity isn't one you know? The question suggests an unwilling acceptance of the fact that others choose to show one side of themselves.... keep reading →

I like using real name and not the real photograph. Even using my real name, I've to clarify to dozens of people that my name doesn't belong to a particular gender. its a neutral name and used by both male and females in my country. I also write with pseudo names but purpose of using different names is to categorize similar type of article with a matching name. Using real picture involve lot of complications. However, your avatar must reflect your culture, your beliefs, liking , disliking and what not.It should reflect your thinking, your views and portray as if it's your real photograph.

First off, it should be fairly obvious where I stand on this! I admit that pseudonymous blogging/posting/commenting can have negative issues as without the worry of damaging your own reputation people can say stuff which can pretty offensive and which they probably wouldn't say offline.

However, not needing to worry about being identified is also part of what makes the internet so great. If I don't like my job I can moan to the whole world about it without having to worry. In some countries blogging anonymously is a must if you live under an oppresive regime.

Ultimately there's no 'should' as far as blogging/hubbing goes except that the writer should be free to choose anonymity if they prefer things that way.

 Should Hubpages Require Real Photos Toss the Avatars so that there will be a sense of realness to the website?  A few of the hubpage writers do not have digital cameras or an online picture to use and... keep reading →

Take it from someone who has taught extensive classes in finding people - having your name out there on the internet - as well as having your picture is not smart in today's world. Your name is not unique; stolen identities, credit problems, nosy neighbors, everyone has access and anyone can cause problems without much effort. Check your security and don't let your guard down. I write real experiences and real information and my writings almost always include personal information but keeping my identiy safe is paramount in today's society. (Besides, I avoid a lot of junk mail as well.)

Honestly, I find the world around me and its various creatures much more fascinating to look at...

I imagine you've already decided how to procede (question posted 4 mo's ago), but I'd still like to weigh in with my two-cents. I emailed everyone I know that may find HubPages (or my work) interesting anyway, so I quite comfortably provided my own likeness on my profile. If the fact that I am a magical fungi offends people or makes them automatically skip past my work... well that's OK by me. They're probably not open-minded enough to get me anyway.