A Rose by Any .....

I'm glad my name is reasonably unique ( I know you can't be reasonably unique but you know what I mean ) and that I own an E mail with just my name and no numbers and symbols attached. I'm glad it can be used in whole for this blog and anything else I have encountered so far on the net. That isn't the case for many of my friends and colleagues who have had to use a combination of things and be creative in order to own their piece of the net. Sure Susie99@ and AdamG27@ at least have a semblance of who they are as they try to retain their true identity but many morph their names into unintelligible one liners their Mother would never recognise.

This shortage of name space on the net will not get any better as millions more decide to go online for emails, websites and blogs. For many areas it doesn't matter but if you are looking to advance your professional career, you need to consider perceptions of names when applying to your potential new employer. Being too creative will not get you past the gate if you are looking to get your CV any further than the spam can. Studies have found that unprofessional or offbeat names are rated lower by potential employers than real and professional names. With 90% of fortune 500 businesses having online application processes you need to reconsider that funky email address just like the tattoo you got from Mexico after 20 Coronas. No matter if everyone thinks of you as bigarsedaddy@ and you like the moniker, the perceptual ramifications will have you in the cyber trash bin without a reply.

All that said, there is the other side of the coin where people hide behind monikers so obtuse to enable them to comment and lay claim to opinions that they wouldn't proffer under their real name. Slambam@, slyfox@ and mnbv2355Z@ are all part of the ability to hide behind a screen of anonymity and then go forth and comment under a shroud of invisibility. So whether it's a creative moniker or a necessity because Joe Smith is taken and you weren't quick enough to grab that one early, people still need to consider where that name may take them and how it will be perceived. I know for sure that slutty69@big
Knockers is not going to engender credibility leaving comments on the CNN news blog or any such site looking for open and honest dialogue, along with a quick exit from the CV line.

People are looking for truth and the question often asked, what is your real name can lead to non replies or a mind your own business reply. For credibility, anonymity makes you a second class citizen if you have something worthwhile to say.

So to quote Mr Shakespeare be careful how you name that rose because you may not smell as sweet.