a desperate please

[Andy Wilson <ajw@Think.COM>]

   Date: Tue, 26 Oct 1993 14:46:56 -0700 (PDT)
   From: Arthur Chandler <arthurc@crl.crl.com>

   [...]

      Isn't it tough enough to build up a rep under our real names? What is 
   the point to using a pseudonym? I can think of some bad reasons; but I 
   can't come up with any good ones, except for "fun" and "just to see what 
   it feels like to put out opinions not my own."  I'm sure I'm missing the 
   point; so, before you jump on me as a Clueless Newbie, can you run by 
   the reasons why you want to have alternate personas on the NET?

Here's an example:  you're a rock star,  but your rock star identity is
a pseudonymous one,  so you can function as a normal person in your true
name identity.  When you are a celebrity your life becomes limited because
of people's reactions.  There will certainly be cyberspatial equivalents
of celebrities.

Another scenario:  if you develop some notoriety in a certain field,  it
may affect how your work in another field is received.  Say, for example
you are a dominatrix and a composer of church music,  and you love to do
both.  So you have separate identities for each.

It could also be instructive to have a cyberspatial pseudonymous identity
that is of a different gender, race, species, etc.

Andy