I need icons that actually relate to my posts...

[meorae]

It's something I've wondered about. As I post my entries publically at least 95% of the time, I try to use usernames or nicknames instead of real names of people as often as I remember. I've caught myself a number of times about to write out someone's name and then I switch it to their username. And yet, even on public posts, I see a lot of other people (not random people, people on my flist) who comment or post with actual names. And that's not to even get into the people who flock their journals and leave one post open where you're supposed to comment if you want to be added and 50% of the time, someone comments with "hey realnameofpersonwithflockedjournal, it's realnameofcommenter." And I dunno. When I first got my lj, these comments and posts helped me figure out who was who, but now I try not to post any revealing information of anyone publically, whether that's full names, real first names in connection to a username, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses or whatever else. And I just wonder what other people feel. So go hence and discuss privacy on the internet and using real names on public posts or in comments of public posts. Or don't, your choice...

Comments

[prettypettigrew.livejournal.com]

I don't like posting names, but sometimes I end up doing it, only in friends only, though.
btw, this is Sally. call you later Susie!

[prettypettigrew.livejournal.com]

oh yeah, my unlisted phone number is 123-456-7890.

[l33tspike.livejournal.com]

usually I do first names, I figure that those aren't enough. It seems like they could be, but it just seems so unlikely that I ignore it. More recently I've been trying to friends lock most pictures I post in case the person would mind.

I'm tempted to smoosh you for telling me to go hence though...

[arrowwhiskers.livejournal.com]

I post real people's names all the time, mostly cause I feel like listing someone under their username is like an alias, one they don't even really -go- by ordinarily and so it's like it's distancing the experience from them.

I'm also remarkably unparanoid about the internet, mostly cause I figure I'm horribly and entirely mundane and boring, and if some stalker wants to actually take the time to seek me out or whatever, good for them. They have no life.

Despite this, carelessness such as leaving addresses and phone numbers unlocked feels kind of foolish, though I doubt there's much "risk" even in that. First names feel secure enough, though.

If you'd sooner I never ever use your real name in a post, let me know and of course I won't. But I really don't think you should be worried.

[meorae.livejournal.com]

It's fine if you use my name, I don't actually care. I just know some people who want to keep their online life separate from their real life (some on my flist and some who I've come across other places who've mentioned that), and I've noticed that I can easily figure out who someone is (if I know them in real life) by knowing their first name and looking at their userinfo. So my mind seems to have connected the fact that I can do that and that some people want to keep their online life private, making me try to use usernames instead of real names. I thought about it as I was typing out napoleonofnerds instead of EJ here and noticing that duello said Carol instead of acern and I realized that much of my flist does that, so I dunno. I guess I might be more paranoid because my father snoops and my parents went on and on about never revealing personal information online when I first started to use the internet. But I was wondering how other people feel because I couldn't actually come up with a reason for why I choose to do it...

[arsinyk.livejournal.com]

I don't mind if people post my first name. Full name/address/whatnot feels dumb/dangerous/wrong, but first name is fine.