Do you use the same name on every site/forum?

[fuwaka]

I’ve recently been torn on whether or not to branch out and use different usernames on different forums. For the past few years I have stuck with the same username and handle, but I am starting to miss the old school anonymity that the internet seemed to have in the past.

It seems like back in the day it was more common for people to have random usernames or use different handles across different platforms. I’ve noticed this trend kinda fade away ever since the modern web has become more commercialized.

So I want to know what the members of MelonLand do! Do you try to use the same handle across different forums? Does it match your web domain? Why or why not?
I’m really curious, as I keep going back and forth on whether or not I should use the same usernames. ( ´_ゝ`)

[shapezncolourz]

i try to keep my username the same everywhere, usually i know people on multiple sites (most notably tumblr/discord - pretty much everyone i know on discord i met on tumblr first, and for many others it's vice versa) and i don't want it to get too confusing :]

[Captin]

Actually yes! I've been using the name "Captin" since I was 11 on scratch. I mainly do this because its easier to call yourself as one name on different sites, or so people recognize me when they see my "name" mentioned. I kinda consider "Captin" to be like a stage name of sorts, so I don't have to give out more personal info then I have too.

[Eunice]

I do, I use my real name too. I used to use a different name in the past, as I hated my real name. But I've come to accept it, and now I use it all the time. (It's a long story, had to do with my parents and very complicated!)

[BlazingCobaltX]

I also use this same username on most places. The only exceptions are spots where I share information pertaining my physical location; for that purpose I use different usenames entirely. But for my online (fandom) presence I've used the same username for at least a decade. Not due to any 'brand recognition', but because I liked the idea of tracing a line between the various places I've been online. And yeah, I'm always hoping for someone from older forums to recognise me.

[coolio]

I used to use the same one everywhere, but I've largely stopped doing that. Growing up I didn't re-use names, then when I was trying to get my name out for art, I used my penname all the time. Now I've gone back in the other direction and almost never re-use my name anywhere.

I think for me what got me back into using unique usernames, was that I just wanted to get away from the whole "personal brand"ing that the collective culture of the internet was pushing for a while there. It felt very "sell yourself" and inauthentic.

And personally, it's not a privacy concern for me...I don't really care if people link me to all of my online projects. It's more that constantly going by my penname everywhere felt a little bit like I was trying to self-promo really hard, because it had become pretty normalized to do so. I didn't want to feel that way anymore, so now I just kinda separate myself on the web.

[fuwaka]

that makes sense! i’m thinking of keeping things the same / almost the same to avoid confusion, but sometimes i do miss the randomness of old MySpace page names..

i don’t really have a real reason for anonymity, as i’d like to share my work with other fellow melon-dwellers ( ´_ゝ`) but it’s something to think about and it’s lovely to know what others do and their thoughts ^^

i try to keep my username the same everywhere, usually i know people on multiple sites (most notably tumblr/discord - pretty much everyone i know on discord i met on tumblr first, and for many others it's vice versa) and i don't want it to get too confusing :]

[fuwaka]

aww i find it really precious that you still use your childhood username (genuinely, i don’t mean it in a condescending way i swear! )

that’s awesome though! hi Captin! ( * ´_ゝ`) i think a stage name is a good way of putting it actually! i don’t think i mind if people use the same name or two for me.

may i ask why you chose Captin initially?

Actually yes! I've been using the name "Captin" since I was 11 on scratch. I mainly do this because its easier to call yourself as one name on different sites, or so people recognize me when they see my "name" mentioned. I kinda consider "Captin" to be like a stage name of sorts, so I don't have to give out more personal info then I have too.

[Vidknight]

My current name is a more recent one as I only had it for one year, but so far, yea I have. Vidknight is not only unique enough that it can help differentiate me from other users if said place is massive, but it also simple enough that for more smaller forums, and groups people can just say Knight, or Vid, and everybody would most likely know who you are talking about. 

Although for spaces where something is more personal, or something that I don't want anybody finding out I do use a different tag. Not sure what it will be yet since right now I'm not in that situation yet, but if I ever do have to create another tag for some reason. I probably use knight somewhere, but I probably wouldn't either who knows 

[candycanearter07]

I'd say yes, with an asterisk in that I am weirdly inconsistent with slight variatons between em. Basically, there are 3 main "bases" I use, being etherware (generally pre-2020), candycaneannihalator, candycanearter (which i made because annihalator generally went over character limits), and sometimes candycane/candy if its a short term thing. I also sometimes add 07 to the end, as a bit of an inside joke because I joined the eternal-september server on september 7th.

Notable exceptions:
Bluesky/Hostname (candyether.space) - again, the two candy names seemed a bit too goofy to be used for a domain that I maybe want to use for actual serious stuff someday, so I thing this is a good compromise. also i wanted to use it for my bsky handle because it looks cool
Neocities (abslimeware) - i have no goddam idea what i was thinking with this one, but by the time i came to my senses i was already kinda posting my link around and it wouldve been a pain to modify
Steam Vanity URL (dittolake) - This one was a reference to an old Minecraft thing I was nostalgic for.. i think? also etherware was taken
Minecraft/Various (derpygameryt) - look i was young and stupid

[grubbyfox]

i have some non-english usernames here and there, and then mostly english. sometimes i will use the same username across places, so people can "find" me on that place. but that's the point - getting found.

on most random sites, i pick different usernames because i like to keep private/i dont like the idea of a stalker or random people on my online trail, finding my username all over, haha.

[AY38910]

Yes I always use this username. Unless already taken in which case I use a different variant (my email, on Proton "ay38910" was already taken so I added "ondawebz" at the end and now it wasn't taken). Or when I feel that another variant is more appropiate (my website, my usual username wasn't taken but I felt like adding "online" at the end was somehow more appropiate for a domain name lol)

[crazyroostereye]

Yeah, I tend to use the Same Name everywhere, where I don't publish to much Personal Information about myself. I do use other Names in places where I want to be more Anonymous or where I post other Personal Identifiable Info.

Also having a unique username of being able to use it everywhere and having People recognize me.

[MediocreMetastasis]

I have a personal user name and a gamedev/brand username (shows up in search engines more easily). I'm using my latter username for this site but only because it's gamedev related.

[Bede]

I don't use the same username all the time, but I tend to at least use variants of the same username. (Versions of "azuremist", "azure", and "bede" for personal accounts, and variants of "artsy azure" for my art accounts.) I prefer to have all of my internet presences connected. However, there have been a few times where I've undergone a whole new identity entirely. (Mostly in spaces related to illegal activities. Yar har fiddle dee dee, etc)

That sort of thing definitely isn't for everyone, though. It's easier for bad actors to follow you from platform to platform during harassment campaigns this way (speaking from experience). It's def a matter of personal preference.