Real Name vs Pen Name?

I used pen name,choose a good and easy memories pen name for yourself. but make sure your name and your pen name does not have a big difference! for example a's name is christopher tang, but the pen name is jerry tang.

I'm willing to share my real first name, but I don't feel comfortable sharing my real last name. For nothing else, I may wish to enter the corporate world again later and don't want future employees knowing about all of my online ventures. To be honest, I don't think your potential members / customers will care too much about your last name assuming your reputation is strong with the pen name.

Also, I tend to keep my personal and professional life separate. I currently own a blog that is very geographically specific (Shanghai). I don't want people who I socialize with to necessarily know that a site they may be visiting is from me.

My photo can be shared, but I keep it a bit blurry so those who meet me in real life likely won't make an instant connection.

Both are fine actually. For IM niches, I'm using my real name but for other niches, I'm using other pen names.

The best thing you could do to a pen name is eventually make them so real and successful that it is really like a real person.

I use my real name... I'm not scared and confused...

How about this then.

Is Matt Cutts, really Matt Cutts? Is Bill Gates, really Bill Gates?

Really, I don't think it matters...

My personal opinion is that you should use your REAL NAME in YOUR niche. If you plan to move into lots of different niches, I would probably use a different pen name for each..but, regardless, MY niche would be given the privilege of having my real name. It creates a vital transparency essential for business.

Like for me, my niche(s) would be internet marketing and web development. I wouldn't dream of using a pen name in these niches.

Just my 2 pennies.

With what i have seen.. most of the people in social media.. use their Pen names to promote their products..

When I first started marketing I used nickname as I did not realise the importance of branding onself. Now I only use my real name, because it is important that people know who you are, where you come from and what you are about. There is an amazing amount of information that is searchable online, now if you you have skeletons in your cupboard, they will be found.
Now I know some people like to adopt pen names that they attach to different areas of their business where they purport to be be experts, because they feel they cannot be experts in multiple subjects.
I have knowledge and expertise in a number of different backed up with certificates and accreditation all in my own name and I would never think of using a pen name, some how its seems a little dishonest.

You do of course have film stars and some authors who do not use their real names but these are exceptions rather than the rule

I use both my real and pet name but it depends on what you are doing.
for social media i suggest real name because you are marketing yourself, article writing pet name

I use name name for most forums (not this one, decided to use real after i had joined) and things related to my free guides. But if i am using articles to backlink i tend to use a very unusual name so i can track the articles when they are indexed more easily.

Real or pen name depend on what I'm doing