I had the shock of my life when I found that somebody is using my username on another forum. It may have been legitimate but you have a weird feeling afterall user names are unique right?? So do you use the same usernames on all forums or different ones?
Usernames are only unique on a specific forum. Anyone can use your username outside DP. I usually use the same username for all forums. Except when "Nico" isn't taken already. I'd be surprised to see someone else with my "nico_swd" username, though.
I know what you mean, but its not really your username I use different names on most other forums, because i dont want to be followed about, i dont think people realise how much you can find out if they have the same details in many places. I discovered a woman i used to chat to was being investigated for fraud and setting up dodgy companies, just from checking her name about 2 years later, i discovered she used about 4 identities in business but her username was the same on forums, it was eye opening.
I found that somebody was using my pic and all the same contents as me in Myspace. I was kinda happy than angry. "Imitation is the best form of Flattery".
If you have nothing to hide then you have no reason to change names. I do this so people know I deal straight up. I have nothing to hide nor will I ever. Be thankful this person did not use different one or you could have lost big time.
I wouldn't say its so much about having something to hide, but for example we often have interests outside of being webmasters, you may not want some people knowing every last detail of your interests and life, things like that. So i have tons of names, tons of passwords, so many that i store them in a excel file. Strangely when ive found out something dodgy its often been too easy as they leave a trail of info behind, but as you say if you have nothig to hide too that you should be comfortable using one name. I guess its down to choice, plus for example my username here could sound out of place on other types of forums.
I see your point and I am also glad you see mine. Sometimes things are easily found out other times they are not. It all depends on the level they have used to hide their tracks. I think most people are honest they just do not know what they have gotten themselves into. Some though are rotten and those are the ones to watch for. Makes things easier when they use the same names.
Sometimes when you are in marketing you dont want your competitors to google your username and find out what you are up to in the wide world of internet. But since my username is an odd one the probability factor was very high on somebody using that name although it sounds chinese I am not. Lots of people especially internet marketers use pennames but it is debatable whether it is correct or not ethically.
Ye i tend to use same username on forums, there is a couple i have come across with the same username. Its like legal identity theft
Me too. I'm using a very un-english, uncommon, I-think-it's-unique username. But... somebody out there using the same username as me.
I use one of 3 different usernames to sign up to things like forums. Never have I encountered someone with any of the same ones I use. I only use 3 because some places don't accept certain characters and one is a new one that I have been using more often lately.
I'm sure that someone is using my username in another forum somewhere. Mine is common and not-unique. That's why I chose it. When you are active on many sites and many forums and using the same unique username, way too much personal information gets attached to that name it gets to be not safe. I already learned that one the hard way.