Real names vs. pseudonyms

[Daniel van Eijmeren]

HARRY FLUKS to WILLIAM PRICE, 14-06-2001:

> [...] my personal view is that I prefer letters to be signed by real
> names. A name like "HorizonHse" looks like a pseudonym. Even if the 
> sender can be reached by e-mail, it still gives the impression that 
> he wants to hide something. Putting your real name in the "sender" 
> line, and/or in the signature, takes away this impression.

I don't think that using a real name will do anything for being 
accepted as being a honest or dishonest person. And apparently, it 
isn't important anyway, because there are people here who are only 
known by their pseudonym or by their first name. I've rarely seen 
complaints about that, mostly they were just welcomed and treated 
as if they did use their own name.

I've always used my own name here on the list, but at this moment 
my advice would be that it is better to use a (steady) pseudonym.

I base this on my own experience, because I think that some people
here stubbornly look at me as some kind of bad guy. I've seen 
people telling me that *they* know what *my* intentions have been. 
No explanation from me is needed and even if I would explain myself, 
my words will be misused as a *proof* of the bad intentions they 
already had in mind anyway.

As if that isn't enough, they use their own picture of me as a proof 
of what kind of sad person I must be in my private life. In other 
words: just say your opinion, and I'll fill in your whole personality 
for you.

Such thoughts are just sent to the mailing list as a *fact* 
("we all know that you did that because... etc.") and then 
I have the task to explain what my real intentions were.

Unlike Donald, I can't run away to Timbuktu. The chance is big 
that someone here will yell: "Hey, that bad person, as we all know, 
Daniel van Eijmeren has arrived here!" And then other people will 
politely explain the guy that the fact that I have run away can 
only prove that their thoughts of me as bad person have been right 
all the time.

In other words: Using your real name is not important here, because 
people will make a pseudonym out of you anyway.


Best wishes, 

--- Daniel