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Hey, Newbie! What's your name?

by Steve Diamond
45 replies
I know a lot has been written about the recent influx of new members. I haven't had the time or inclination to read it all, but there is one issue I want to bring to light: user names.

I was around a few years ago when we had the big push to switch from aliases to real names. And you know what? It felt really good. To me it felt as if a curtain had been opened or an opaque screen turned into a window. I thought, 'these are real people, professionals, not trying to hide from anyone.'

I think it helped to nurture a sense of community and a sense of trust. And I believe those are good things, just in case anyone was wondering.

Now it feels to me as if the fog has returned, the curtain has been drawn again, or whatever metaphor you prefer. All these aliases! It just feels different, less like an open community.

So to all the new folks who aren't using your real names: please do. It's easy to change. You won't lose your profile or history. Just click that Help Desk link in the top menubar and open a ticket.

And to anyone browsing the forum as a guest, it's common sense and common courtesy to find out something about the culture of an online community before you join. The culture here encourages the use of real names. Please be guided accordingly.

Best wishes to all and thanks for your support.

Steve
#hey #newbie #real name #user name
  • Profile picture of the author Catherineduncan
    Great post Steve, I completely agree.

    I think it really adds to the sense of community that we enjoy here at the forum when people do use their names.

    Also, I feel more inclined to take advice from warriors if they can be identified as real people and not just a meaningless screen name.

    Catherine
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    • Profile picture of the author MeCanX
      Originally Posted by Catherineduncan View Post

      Great post Steve, I completely agree.

      I think it really adds to the sense of community that we enjoy here at the forum when people do use their names.

      Also, I feel more inclined to take advice from warriors if they can be identified as real people and not just a meaningless screen name.

      Catherine
      Not all of our names are meaningless to us...

      Mine is my DJ Name which might be meaningless to you...but is highly respected where I am from and in my industry...

      Also, it's stands for I can do anything...

      Me = I
      Can= Can Do
      X= a variable in algebra that can be anything...

      Hence the name MeCanX = I can do anything!

      Plus I used to be a Mechanic in the Military and I got dubbed that nickname...

      So before you say "meaningless" ask someone what it means...

      But if one must know my real name...then it is Joel...

      Don't know why you would need my last name as then I feel it gets into privacy issues and blah blah...
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      • Profile picture of the author Steve Diamond
        Originally Posted by MeCanX View Post

        Mine is my DJ Name which might be meaningless to you...but is highly respected where I am from and in my industry...

        Also, it's stands for I can do anything...

        Me = I
        Can= Can Do
        X= a variable in algebra that can be anything...

        Hence the name MeCanX = I can do anything!

        Plus I used to be a Mechanic in the Military and I got dubbed that nickname...
        Hi, Joel. Thanks for explaining that. It tells me there's a person behind the name, which is really the whole point of my post.

        Steve
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      • Profile picture of the author Catherineduncan
        Originally Posted by MeCanX View Post

        Not all of our names are meaningless to us...

        Mine is my DJ Name which might be meaningless to you...but is highly respected where I am from and in my industry...

        Also, it's stands for I can do anything...

        Me = I
        Can= Can Do
        X= a variable in algebra that can be anything...

        Hence the name MeCanX = I can do anything!

        Plus I used to be a Mechanic in the Military and I got dubbed that nickname...

        So before you say "meaningless" ask someone what it means...

        But if one must know my real name...then it is Joel...

        Don't know why you would need my last name as then I feel it gets into privacy issues and blah blah...
        Sorry if I offended you Joel,

        I was just pointing out that it adding your name to your account lets others know that there is a real person behind their posts.

        I think 'meaningless' was not the right word and I apologise for that.

        Perhaps a happy medium for people who feel strongly about their usernames could add their name to the custom user title (the title that appears below your username).

        Catherine
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  • Profile picture of the author Lindsay Brynn
    Great post Steve. When I first joined I used a random screen name I use on most message boards that I use.

    I soon learned that it is best to use your name and real picture on the forum and things have definitely improved. When it comes to business I hope people will trust me more and I definitely trust warriors more when I feel like I know them a little better.
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  • Profile picture of the author MasonRamm
    Yes, I agree with you totally Steve and I personally feel more
    comfortable in this forum and trust fellow warriors more when
    they choose to use their realnames and pic.

    Great post Steve.
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
    Hi Steve,

    Even a real sounding first name is fine with me. I understand the need for anonymity.

    At the same time, I can't stand starting a reply like this:

    Hi vyolp48695,

    That's a great question....

    Etc.
    All the best,
    Michael
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  • Profile picture of the author Sara Young
    I didn't realize I could change my username. Will definitely submit a ticket. Thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author Anomaly1974
    Yeah but in some cases you can go overboard. My full name is Marcus Aurelius Ward J. Clifford Tipton. Mostly I go by Ward or Mark though.

    Real names sometimes add to the problem rather than creating a solution. In my case, my Ma said she was kinda mad because I messed with her at the wrong time. Something about eighteen and one half hours of false labor.

    Go figure huh? I mess with her once without even knowing it and she messes with me for the rest of my life.
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  • Profile picture of the author Don Schenk
    Good idea Steve. Another way I have see folks here use a handle plus their real name is to put the real name under the handle.

    :-Don
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    • Profile picture of the author PaulWilson
      Hey all,

      I have just joined the forum today and added my REAL name and pic. With a name like Paul Wilson I do have to compete with all the other 10's of millions of them in the world, so it's sometimes difficult to get what I want

      Ah well, I'm here...even if it is without a space in between

      Paul
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  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
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    • Profile picture of the author Steve Diamond
      Originally Posted by alexa_s View Post

      I'm not sure I altogether agree, to be honest. I think that many real people who are professionals might have reasons other than "trying to hide from anyone" for choosing not to use their own full name.
      Hi, Alexa. I didn't mean to accuse anyone of nefarious motives. I was talking about a feeling, a feeling of trust and community. It's a nebulous thing, which is why I used the word "feel" quite a bit in my OP and why I gave those foggy metaphors.

      I'm simply trying to express that the atmosphere felt different here to me, speaking for myself, when nearly everyone was using a full name.

      If folks want to use a screen name plus their real name, Don Schenk's suggestion is a great one.

      Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author ToddK
    Steve,

    Thanks for the push! I originally joined the forum back in February and used a name I had been using on other forums. I have been meaning to switch to my real name for the last several weeks but was just to busy....or lazy....or got sidetracked reading....to enter a ticket.

    Well, your thread pushed me over the edge and I just entered a ticketed to change over to my real name.

    Thanks!
    New Name: ToddK.
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  • Profile picture of the author Tanya B
    Thanks for the note about this. I had created my screen name before noticing that everyone either had very real sounding aliases or were using their real names.

    My name is Tanya and I've submitted a ticket to reflect that.

    Happy Money Making!
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  • Profile picture of the author Launder
    Yes that is a nice post and I agree to an extent. I don't mind the crafty names some use but when they are just blahblah type names then I can't stand it. My real name is Launder, my last name is one I can barely say and it would take much room to add on so I just went with Launder, its almost always an available name anyhow.
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    • Profile picture of the author jamesparmis
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      • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
        There's a big difference in my mind between a clever nickname like "MeCanX" and "asdfg12345". I can also see using an initial rather than a full last name. This is the only forum I use my full name on - usually it's JohnM or JohnMc.

        And if I can't use the fish picture as an avatar, I never use "Happy Hooker" as a tagline!:p
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  • Profile picture of the author laurenceh
    I think unfortunatly there are so many idiots in internet world that people to tend to sign up to forums with non descript names until they feel "safe".

    I must admint before i read around warrior i wasn't sure what to expect. In fact my prejudgement was that people wouldn't be helpful,or might even try to mislead as why would anyone want to help the "competetion".

    I was very wrong, hence the reason i have "come out" so to speak today!!
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  • Profile picture of the author Devon Brown
    I saw a post on this before and meant to submit a ticket to change it and it slipped my mind. So now I submitted a ticket to reflect my real name, seeing how I got a pic of my smiling face on here anyways.

    Thanks for the reminder Steve!
    Devon Brown
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    • Profile picture of the author Susan Hope
      This has been discussed before if I remember correctly but it is good to bring it up again, here and there for all the new forum members.

      I prefer if people use at least their first real name, no need to put surnames and if you don't want to do that, perhaps sign off from your post with your first name, for me, it's just a politeness thing, I always like to address someone correctly if I can.

      I chose "SusanneUK" as a forum name a few years ago and deliberately used an "s" instead of a "z" in there in the hope that nobody else would have chosen that spelling and that worked for me. My real name is Susan and I prefer to be addressed as Sue or Susan so I always sign-off with one of those two.

      My little gripe to add to this thread is I would like to know what country you are from, it helps in lots of situations, I don't need to know your exact location, just your country that you reside in and I notice lots of members don't bother filling that part in on their profile.

      Cheers
      Sue
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      • Profile picture of the author Karen Connell
        Originally Posted by SusanneUK View Post


        My little gripe to add to this thread is I would like to know what country you are from, it helps in lots of situations, I don't need to know your exact location, just your country that you reside in and I notice lots of members don't bother filling that part in on their profile.

        Cheers
        Sue
        Sue,

        Me too - but then Im just plain nosey!


        When I realised that folk on WF were much friendlier than any other forum, I simply added my real name underneath my 'User Name'.
        I might even go one step further and submit a ticket...

        Karen
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  • Profile picture of the author rapidscc
    It's good to use real name. I myself signs my post with my full name now..

    The only problem is that there are hundreds of campaigns signed up under my nick already..that's outside warrior forum. This will cause a major "Branding" issue I think..


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    • Profile picture of the author Steve Diamond
      Originally Posted by rapidscc View Post

      The only problem is that there are hundreds of campaigns signed up under my nick already..that's outside warrior forum. This will cause a major "Branding" issue I think..
      I don't see it that way, and I think your remark uncovers one layer of why I feel less comfortable in this new atmosphere here at WF.

      I always thought of WF as primarily a place where professional marketers could meet to discuss issues, strategies and tactics pertinent to, well, marketing. This means I don't think of WF as primarily a place to extend one's campaigns.

      Sure, we sometimes pitch our own products and services to each other, but only when they're pertinent to marketing.

      So I think that part of the change in "feel" or "atmosphere" recently has to do with an increase in pitching. Whether or not this is tied to the issue of using real names I don't know. But I think the point you raised suggests that there might be a connection.

      Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author Rudolf Bodocsi
    Hi Steve!

    Thanks for advice I will be change my username. Actually I never thought that way when I choosing my username. But you are absolute right about username.

    Rudolf
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  • Profile picture of the author Wilter Quesada
    I will change my name from corvette052 to Wilter Quesada.
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  • Profile picture of the author babushka99
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  • Profile picture of the author Tracey_Meagher
    I could never think of any cool usernames so using my own was just the easiest, albeit, most boring option! Glad to know I'm doing my part to keep the spirit of the community going

    By the way that MEAGHER is pronounced MAR ... I've always wanted to let people know that!
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    • Profile picture of the author babushka99
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      Originally Posted by Tracey_Meagher View Post

      By the way that MEAGHER is pronounced MAR ... I've always wanted to let people know that!
      Glad you cleared that up Tracey. Being dyslexic, I was reading it as meager!
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  • Profile picture of the author kabong
    Great post Steve. Thanks..I'll ask the support to change my username.
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  • Profile picture of the author beninewie
    Hi Steve,

    Great post and I agree with your sentiment. However I'm going to keep my moniker as it's what I try to use everywhere and it seems to be unusual enough that I haven't come across someone else using it. If you're wondering beninewie is a shortening of ben in newcastle (where I'm from), so you could say I'm giving my name and location

    But in keeping with the feel of this fantastic forum, I've added my ugly mug and my real name underneath (great tip Don!).

    Cheers,
    Ben

    PS. This is my first post. I joined a couple of years ago but haven't really been here much as my focus was on stuff other than IM. But that has recently changed and I plan to be much more involved from here on out.
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    • Profile picture of the author Steve Diamond
      Nice to meet you, Ben. I look forward to seeing you around.

      You taught me something, by the way. I didn't know there was a Newcastle in Australia. Google maps found it for me, a couple hundred clicks north of Sydney along the coast.

      Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author Andrea Brown
    I really understand what you mean, Steve. I just changed my username and I already feel a bit more professional and appropriate for networking.
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    • Profile picture of the author beninewie
      Well glad I'm teaching someone something

      I'm certainly learning a lot around here!

      Yes Newcastle is interesting from a SEO perspective as you often find results related to the UK town mixed up with the actual local results.

      We, like our UK counterpart once was, are a major coal town (worlds biggest coal export port), but luckily we have nice sunny weather and great beaches to go along with that

      Cheers,
      Ben
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      • Profile picture of the author Okane
        The reason why I am not using my full real name is that for now, IM is one of my hobbys and I don't want that everybody is able to research what hobbys I have.

        "In real life", I am a scientist and I prefer that colleagues who google my name find my scientific publications, patents, etc. but not my posts about making money online.

        I chose the nickname "okane" because I love Japan and "okane" means '"money" in Japanese...

        Marc (that's my real first name)
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        • Profile picture of the author Steve Diamond
          Originally Posted by Okane View Post

          "In real life", I am a scientist and I prefer that colleagues who google my name find my scientific publications, patents, etc. but not my posts about making money online.
          Hi, Marc. Nice to meet you. I appreciate your reasoning and I'm glad to know a little about your "real life."

          My original remarks were more addressed at the majority of members here who are professional marketers or professionals in related supporting roles (e.g. consultants like me).

          Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author wisecrone333
    Hi Steve,

    I am a newbie too and I appreciate the sentiments behind your post. I have gone under the name of "wisecrone333" since my last child left home and I wanted to celebrate getting older and tying that in with knowing a lot, but learning a lot too.

    I can see where it might be construed that I am hiding behind something, but strangely enough I love being known in this way - it has sparked some interesting conversations and I think in so many other areas of the internet where youth is king, that my implied age makes me stand out a little more.

    That said my name is actually Lisa, I live in rural New Zealand - six kids, six grandkids and finally some free time in my life to try and develop my internet marketing career. I hope by the posts that I leave that people will come to understand and even like the personna behind the handle - I am a really friendly person. Also I usually sign my posts "Lisa" anyway because I think it is a bit rude to just finish without salutation (another old fashioned idea )

    Thanks again for the post
    Lisa
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    • Profile picture of the author Steve Diamond
      Hi, Lisa. Nice to meet you!

      I'm glad that this thread has become a kind of "introduce yourself" venue. I really appreciate knowing a little personal background about the folks I see here.

      BTW, to see a few personal details about me, follow my name to my profile. I've filled in some of the blanks!

      Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author meldave
    Hi Steve,

    The reason I use meldave is it uses a short version of my and my wifes name, Melody and David. Usually I'll end my post with my name.

    David
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    • Profile picture of the author HelenS
      Hi all,

      I also just joined today and used my real name...

      I did think about creating an alias for about two seconds but didn't for two reasons...

      1. because my real name was easy (literally on the tip of my tongue)
      2. because I hope to get to know people on this forum and (for me) being myself is the best way to do that

      Helen
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  • Profile picture of the author yves
    I don't put my full name because if anyone wants to google me I will come straight to the top. As far as I can see there is no one else with the same name as me and I actually don't like the idea of just anyone finding out everything about me and all my posts etc. I am quite a private person. That being said I am not ruling it out entirely for the future.

    If my first name isn't good enough then tuff
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  • Profile picture of the author yves
    Just realised that my post was a little cheeky, didn't mean it to be
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