Choosing an Alias

Redmango · 31-01-15 00:02:30

I am presuming that many users of this forum, and certainly the ladies who contribute to the video content, are using an alias. I am curious how those names are chosen. Do the folks at Feck guide newcomers through a process of selecting a name? How many use that name beyond this context? Are there any far-reaching consequences to using an alias? I suppose I also assumed it was to protect the privacy of the contributors.

I've chosen RedMango for this forum, for no particular reason, although I do happen to like mangoes and the color red, but this is a small, private forum in a quiet corner of the internet. What about more public venues?

Pointedly, I'm not a member of Facebook, mainly for privacy reasons, but I would very much like to join for the social opportunities and still have great hesitation about putting my real name and information in such a widely accessible forum. I thought I'd ask about this here because the people in these forums always have something intelligent to say. Please share with me your opinions and experiences?

Laney · 02-02-15 03:39:40

Welcome to the forum RedMango!

All contributors to IFM use an alias. The hardest part of choosing one is coming up with something unique. There are over 5,000 contributors now and most common female names were taken long ago. If a new contributor wanted the name Lena, for example, they would have to change it to Lena_D or Leena or something like that. Contributors often choose names that have personal significance to them like their childhood nickname, their friend's name or the name of a fictional character they like. The only kinds of names we don't allow are porny names like 'sexybabe_88' but it's pretty unusual for someone to choose a name like that.

One of the consequences to choosing an alias is that once you've chosen one you're usually stuck with it. I chose my name right after I submitted my first folio for IShotMyself in late 2011 when I didn't expect to do any more work. If I'd known I would be using it on this forum more than three years later I would have chosen something easier to pronounce!

Most contributors don't do shoots for any other websites so they don't use their aliases in any other context. For those who do appear on other websites some keep their name and some use a different name. I'm on AbbyWinters as Laney .

Choosing not to give your personal information to Facebook is smart. I only have pretty limited information about myself on there, but photos, login locations, what I click on... it's all logged forever. Makes me feel uneasy...

PS I like your alias, it reminds me that this weekend I will be in Darwin sweating in a cotton dress and eating ALL the fresh mangoes .

Last edited by Laney (02-02-15 03:42:14)

richard · 03-02-15 00:46:43

I have to correct Devochka - not all contributors use an alias. I can think of several right away who appear under their real name.

Laney · 03-02-15 00:53:07

Oh yeah, now I think about it I can think of three.

ashmedi2 · 04-02-15 00:26:12

I'm not a contributor, but I subscribe to all 3 Feck sites using the same alias, altho due to a few renewal problems, one site has an added 2 and one site an added 1 to the base name...

I wanted something unique that no one else was using and my source of inspiration was the various internet info on mythological gods demons, etc etc...

My first choice was Asmodeus, and I was ticked off when a number of forums and other sites already had users with that alias...

I finally determined that Ashmedi was not in use on any of the Feck sites, nor on the few forums I used to be involved in so that became my alias and I take good care of it

ManInsideTheBox · 25-03-15 06:27:37

Not a contributor, I just used a reference to an Alice In Chains song. That's the story of mine, really...

#1 31-01-15 00:02:30

Choosing an Alias

#2 02-02-15 03:39:40

Re: Choosing an Alias

#3 03-02-15 00:46:43

Re: Choosing an Alias

#4 03-02-15 00:53:07

Re: Choosing an Alias

#5 04-02-15 00:26:12

Re: Choosing an Alias

#6 25-03-15 06:27:37

Re: Choosing an Alias

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