Pen Names (Ethical issue)

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#main internet marketing discussion forum #ethical #issue #names #pen
  • Banned
    Well, we discuss this one pretty often ... here's the recent/current thread on the subject.

    For myself, I see no "ethical issue" involved in using pen-names in itself and it's something I do regularly, as do many others here, for each of my niche marketing sites.
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  • Not unethical at all. Everyone uses pen names, from actors to singers to porn stars and Clickbank marketers.
    • [1] reply
    • The key is how do YOU feel about it? Your post here gives me the impression that you find it a tad distasteful or you probably wouldn't have asked the question.

      While I don't see any ethical boundaries crossed with using a pen name, my advice is that if it makes you feel uncomfortable - don't do it. In the end, it's how you feel about yourself that matters.

      You can always stay nameless, too, or use a gender neutral nickname.
      • [1] reply
  • Just don't lie and say you are a doctor or something.
  • No, it's not.
  • I use pen names and my real name. My real name is pretty common which can make it a problem sometimes so pen names sometimes just make sense. Reminds me of that "Tom Kruze" guy who has that infomercial on, either it's a stage name or he found a great way to make it work for him.

    In some places you want your real name out there, in some other areas it may not make sense, be practical, or come to bite you in the ass later on. Got to make that judgment yourself.
    • [1] reply
    • As long as you don't scam anyone I think it's ok.
      Just like the authors of the actual books, even they're allowed to change their names, so it's definitely nothing unethical to use pen name in the IM.
  • I've named many of my pens. There's Frank, Shirley, Jacob, Betty, Sean, Slippery (this pen used to have a nice rubber grip but something happened to it). :rolleyes:

    Seriously, it's done all the time. Look at it this way, if it weren't okay, would EZA allow you to have so many? What is it, 50, 100? I go by Jonny Bongo sometimes...
  • At first, I think I felt the same way that you do, however I realized that your credibility can really suffer if you don't use pen names. For example, if you have niche blogs and you use the same name for a beauty blog as you do for a pet training site, and all your other blogs all go by the same name, how can you really claim to be an expert in all of these different areas. As well, many people who are in internet marketing may start out with jobs and just don't want to mix both aspects of their lives. My opinion is that if you are putting out great information and you are not just trying to make a fast buck, then it really doesn't matter what your name is. I hope that helps.
  • Nope not in my book. Some of the greatest works of literature have been written under a pen name. As long as you are not being deceitful in what you're doing there should no issue.
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    Pen Names (Ethical issue)

    Can any one answer weather using a pen name in your marketing is an ethical issue? I'm not talking about the people who use fake names to scam people with crappy software. My example would be if I was constructing a blog about beauty products it would not be a good idea to put up a pic of a hairy man. Ok dumb example but you see my point. My job is helping people find good products that solve their problems but I want to be ethical as possible because we all have to sleep at night. Warriors thoughts?