From: utzoo!dciem!mmt
Newsgroups: net.singles
Title: pseudonyms and communication
Article-I.D.: dciem.226
Posted: Thu May  5 17:02:37 1983
Received: Thu May  5 17:42:17 1983
References: hcr.391

rlgvax!thekid gave us his real name and address, and Andy Tannenbaum
explained why he is trb. So what? When I see the name "thekid" I have
some idea what to expect. "thekid" has a personality because of what
he communicates. But trb doesn't, because Andy always signs his real(?)
name. What matters isn't that the label be the one you were born
with, but that it is consistent so that people can identify a series
of comments as coming from one personality. Andy's comment about the
divorcing of the rabbit!bimmler personality hit the nail on the head.
If the "normal" person who signs rabbit!bimmler is inventing the "bimmler"
person, there is good reason for using a pseudonym.

I disagree that one has to know "everything" about the people with whom
one communicates. I have had some people claim I am secretive because
I wear a beard which hides part of the face. I wear clothes, too.
You wouldn't know me any better if I signed with a full-colour picture
of myself than with an exotic psuedonym. Some choices of pseudonym in
themselves tell something about the writer's self-image. One reason we
were so easily able to love Lady Arwen was because she chose an attractive
name and her communications matched the name. Personally, I choose
to follow the former AI project, Andy Tanenbaum, and sign
		Martin Taylor