photo credit: Undrey
You have a lot to say online—but some of it you’d rather not say under your own name.
Writers and creatives have used pseudonyms, also known as a fake name, for hundreds of years, and now people are doing it online as well.
Using a different name online is a safe way to stay safe and express viewpoints that might be controversial. We all have the right to freedom of speech, but no one deserves to be abused online for stating their beliefs.
The best way to handle this is by creating a fake name that’s not tied to your real email address or online persona. To get started, keep reading to find our guide to creating a pseudonym.
Why Use a Fake Name Online?
There are many reasons why you may want to disguise your online identity, all of them perfectly valid. Safety is a huge concern, as are these other factors.
Privacy Concerns
You may want to use a fake name online for privacy reasons. Unfortunately, internet trolling is becoming more and more common, and no one wants to receive threatening or angry emails from strangers because that person doesn’t agree with their beliefs.
Although it’s best to ignore trolls, it’s even better if they can’t find your real name or email address online.
For extra peace of mind, you may want to take extra measures to protect your real identity—if so, you’ll want to know more about weprotectid.uk.
Separate Work and Personal Beliefs
Many people use a pen name to differentiate between work and personal beliefs. For example, say you work in government, but you want to say something critical about the government–if so, using your real name is a bad idea.
If you want to make sure your comments don’t harm you professionally, then you’ll want to use a fake online identity.
Business Branding
You may decide that it’s in the best interest of your business to operate under a different name. You may find this helps customers relate to you more, or for any other reason, but changing names for business purposes is common, especially in Hollywood and creative industries.
How to Select an Online Pseudonym
Now that you’ve decided an online name is right for you, how can you decide on a name?
The truth is, this is a completely personal decision, and only you can work out which name is right and why. However, if you’re using the name for writing or business purposes, you may want a name that is easy to remember, simple, and memorable.
Some people choose names based on some sort of personal connection, such as the name of the street they grew up on, a childhood friend, or even a character in a movie they liked. Your motivations for selecting your pen name don’t need to be shared with anyone else, so have fun and get creative!
Create the Perfect Name Today
Ready to come up with a fake name to use online? If so, use the ideas and tips above to get started.
Using an online pseudonym is a great idea, especially if you’re concerned about security, so start brainstorming names and you’ll be sure to come up with the ideal name for you.
Just remember to keep your two identities separate, so no one works out who you really are!
Was this helpful? If so, please browse some of our other blogs for more tips.
