Why some writers don't use their real name for online writing?

1. 90

   Neha Sadanaposted 11 years ago

   Why some writers don't use their real name for online writing?
   
   Is there anything wrong in sharing our real name with others?

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2. 44

   jacobkuttytaposted 11 years ago

   Often names are too complicated to pronounce or lengthy.  So people use a short and easy name which will be easy to remember.

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      Laura Schneiderposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Englebert Humperdink is hard to spell but easy to remember, too, though. LOL

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   mysticalroseposted 11 years ago

   It represents my alter ego. Not that I dont like real name. I like it but at the same time when I am writing what I want I normally feel better on my alter ego level. But I am wondering why do we need alter ego at all right?

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   Damodar Bashyalposted 11 years ago

   shy may be. some like to use better keyword. mine is real though :-)

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      Laura Schneiderposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Wicked-cool name, Damodar Bashyal! Thanks and regards for sharing!

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   Ritambhara Omposted 11 years ago

   some personal, social and psychological reasons are behind it, as i think so
   1- privacy concern
   2-In seek of fair judgement
   3-criticism will not hurt their real identity
   4- Act similar to the great writers so they want to copy
   5-Want to hide their gender identification
   6-Online sources are not much reliable
   7-Some writers wants to give favorite name to their hidden personality
   8-They can discuss some controversial issue
   9-They can share some hidden and secret emotions without having any fear
   10-Souce is not reliable.
   11-They don't like their name or love some other names and now they have a chance to pick it for themselves as i did in my case.

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      Esther Strongposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I agree with this well thought through answer and would add that the reasons people do not use their own identifiable photograph would be similar.

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      Stephanie Henkelposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Great answer! I wouldn't have thought of all these reasons, but you are absolutely on target!

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      Neha Sadanaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Great answer must say!! It could be like 11 reasons not to use your real name for online writing! Hows that?

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   Aisha Jilaniposted 11 years ago

   well even i think this and have noticed a lot of times that why cant people use their real name... I think it would be lovely to actually get to know the person and read their hubs because name tells a lot about a person... I think people should try to use their real name as writing is a passion which everyone should be confident enough to agree.

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7. 81

   EuroCafeAuLaitposted 11 years ago

   Remember all the great writers of old?  Many writers reveal their political and personal preferences through their writing, so they adopted pen names.  We are not that important, I suppose, but it is still nice to use a pretend name so that not everything is so laid out in the open.  I personally chose a name that tells something about me.  Most people find out my name eventually, it's not a state secret, but just like many things in life, it's nice to reveal oneself slowly and gradually, like the opening of a springtime flower garden. 
   
   Similarly, many people don't use their real picture.  This is the other side of the coin.  I noticed you used a baby photo, probably one of your children.  It seems that we are all seeking some kind of privacy in our public lives, after all no one needs to know everything about you.  That should be reserved for special people on individual basis.

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      Neha Sadanaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      You are right Eurocafeaulait we all are seeking some kind of privacy! That may be the reason I use my daughters picture instead of mine. Thanks for the answer!! I like the way you describe it.

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      EuroCafeAuLaitposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      You're very welcome   Cute daughter, by the way!

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8. 67

   Steve Westposted 11 years ago

   At one time the answer to your question would be no, there is nothing wrong with sharing your name with others. However in the society we live today with an identity theft epidemic it makes it difficult to trust everyone especially on the internet where you don't have a face-to-face contact.
   
   I was also told once by a writer of romance books some writers are actually male writing as a female authors or the other way around.

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      Laura Schneiderposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I KNOW that's true (gender-switching to gain publication and audience for certain works).

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9. 62

   ElleBeeposted 11 years ago

   When I first started participating in sites like this I was younger, and it was still in the time when everyone warned you don't use your real name online for safety reasons, and so I've just stuck with using my pen name.

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    LaWandaDeniseposted 11 years ago

    Sometimes it can be dangerous.  It all depends on the topics and pictures that you post, in relation to the social position that you have.  I heard of a school teacher who went on a vacation, was drinking and partying with her family and friends, posted the pictures on facebook and was fired because of it.  This is not fair to me; but this is how our world works.  This teacher did not have the children with her so I do not understand what the problem was.  She is a grown woman who should be able to spend her free time how she chooses.  Fortunately, people change, grow, and mature over time; but unfortunately, old posts can come back to haunt you.

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    MickSposted 11 years ago

    Probably because you don't have to try very hard to get published on line and so they don't want print publishers they may write for seeing the crap work they write.

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       Laura Schneiderposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Ack, so cynical MickS! A lot of the stuff I've read on HubPages is high-quality. There are VERY notable exceptions, of course, and most of us need a good editor to polish our articles before publication. :-)

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    SidKempposted 11 years ago

    I put my real name on everything I've published so far. But using a pen name is a valuable thing to do. Some professions would frown on a person being an author outside their field. I know one professor who puts her fiction in a different name so that the fact that she writes it won't be a barrier to tenure.
    
    An alternate name can be an identity to form our writing around and grow into. (See my hub, the Power of a Name.)
    
    It can also be a protection against criticism or simply being misunderstood by people who know us in one context, and are not ready to hear about us in another context.
    
    For many years, I did not let my professional colleagues know about my role as a teacher of Zen meditation. Only when I was mature and secure in both did I bring them together and put my name on both in the same place.

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    1. 90

       Neha Sadanaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Thanks, I agree with the reasons you mention above.

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    cygnetbrownposted 11 years ago

    I don't have problems sharing my real name with other people. The primary reason I use a pen name is because my real name is so common. If I had a cool name Neha Sadana, I would not be using a pen name.

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       Neha Sadanaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       How cool is your answer! Thanks

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       Laura Schneiderposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Great answer! I've written under a pen name for the same reasons--I just love the name, and it's not common like mine is.

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14. 81

    trusouldjposted 11 years ago

    My mom is always finding me online.  It's a way of having privacy.  I don't like people looking over my shoulder.  It's easier to share personal feelings with people who won't get on the phone and share your innermost thoughts with everyone you know.

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       ElleBeeposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       This summarizes a lot of my reasons as well. My dad has googled me one to many times (and I only know of one - but its still more than enough!)

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       Laura Schneiderposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Very true, trusouldj. I have a family that sounds opposite of yours--keeps everything to themselves--but most people aren't that way, at least those I know.

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    GhostlyChillsposted 11 years ago

    I don't want customer's contacting me in person. I have a email address for my small business, if customer's have any questions.

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    Kate_Wishposted 11 years ago

    I don't want anybody know that I am that dumb

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    btrbellposted 11 years ago

    so many reasons....often anonymity, alter egos, freedom, safety, comfort. Sometimes it can be as simple as identifying individual venues.

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    Smora Lauraposted 11 years ago

    I don't see anything wrong with it as such. I always share my real name. However some people might not wish to be recognized online by people they already know so they would take up a false persona. Perhaps also for security reasons and protecting their identity from being stolen. They may wish to hide their gender. This is what JK Rowlings publishers did. They made it sound as if I man wrote the books so more boys would read them. There are many reasons ..

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       Laura Schneiderposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Probably as many reasons as there are individuals, I agree. By the way, awesome name, Smora Laura.

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    Cruncherposted 11 years ago

    There is not anything wrong per se. But, for me, there is an outside chance my day job would be embarrased by my online scribblings so I think it is simpler to avoid the problem. (That's right, Cruncher is not my real name!)

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    Relationshipcposted 11 years ago

    I started out with different pen names for different niches. Google makes it easy to type in a name and find out everything about that name; therefore, sometimes it's just easier to keep business separate.
    
    I mean you wouldn't want your adult business intermingled with your business that addresses teens, so it's important that your pen name doesn't bring up all your adult stuff when you are searched. It is just a way to keep bushiness, thoughts, and ideas separate online. And it's OK to have different businesses, thoughts, and ideas.
    
    So I don't think there is anything wrong with using different pen names, but make sure you use your real name for something you really want credit for!

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       Laura Schneiderposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       That makes total sense, Relationshipc! I hadn't considered some of your reasons before. (oops, too late).

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    Goody5posted 11 years ago

    The hub pages are all about fun to me, and fun names are a big part of it as well. I see people with boring names like Randy, David, Travis, and Barry all day at work, and when I get home I look forward to all of the make believe names that are on the hub pages.

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