It has been traditional when engaging in political discourse to use pseudonyms. I.e. The Federalist Papers.

When I signed up it asked for a "user" name, not "my" name I was just following instructions.

I don't really care. There is enough public information out there on all of us, that identity thieves could target anyone who works in a company, works for the government, has an online resume, or owns a home. As far as hiding behind a pseudonym, I can see it for personal/professional security reasons. May people get fired over a post on Facebook or Twitter done on their off time, and not remotely related to the company they work for or job they perform. This I believe is the biggest reason people use them - to limit liability in real life for some random online comment.

While there are many reasons FOR using a pseudonym AND several reasons NOT to use a “real personna”...
The biggest reason is Security ... Actual Computer, Home and Electronic Security.
There was a time I ran with some folks that if we had your real name we could gather a few more bits of information and either destroy you maliciously for fun or simply clean out your bank account or get a bunch of credit in your name and have a great time while we ruined your credit.
While the theory and ability to do this stuff was quite interesting, Actually doing That sort of thing went against my basic nature and I drifted away ... actually I began to make a living teaching people and companies how to thwart that type of thing.
Those folks still remain however and still do that sort of thing in an ongoing situation.
If you’re running around using your real name online you’re being extremely foolish.

Some of us have too many girls getting all stalky and clingy on us.

I'm not one of them. I was just trying to be inclusive. X'D

Oh there is real reason to fear. My wife and I are literally being hunted for civil social media speech that criticized a powerful Democrat on Bainbridge Island. That's not hyperbole and the specter of violence is hovering even after UCLA law professor Eugene Volokh represented me in state and federal court and got the unconstitutional gag order reversed and then got the unconstitutional law knocked down weeks ago. Now the death threats are fever pitch and there is an organized effort to locate us after we fled the condo we own on Bainbridge Island.

The full story is covered in detail here (outside of the details of the effort to hunt us which we are keeping to ourselves for now) if interested: [StopClarenceMoriwaki].

The tradition of using a pseudonym has a long history. This has been my online handel since before the world wide web, back in 89 when I ran a BBS and had political discussions with people from San Antonio to Calgary into the early hours.

It gives a layer of protection, and allows a freedom of idenity beyond the mundane. I know from where you know me by the name you call me.

I don't think anyone's fearful. I think when signing up you're actually asked to create a user name, so that's what people did. Had it asked for your name, I think it might be be different, ,maybe not. Pretty sure Twitter was an influence in that way.

Fear isn't a requisite for pseudonym use.

Fearful might be too harsh a term. I am well known by my name by many people. As in thousands. I'm a performer and sword fighter and I have been called this for over 20 years.

My day job really wouldn't have issues with what/how I post, as we are a pretty conservative lot, and I'm not for any kind of bad things happening for anyone. Least of all folks who seem to have mental issues (like some on the left clearly do, as do some on the far right)

My part time job also wouldn't have much to say, except that it is teaching at a local college - and my car pic alone identifies me to anyone who would want to find me (a Volvo painted up like the Swedish flag isn't exactly "non-descript" ) but again, I don't go out of my way to attack anyone - nor do I stand by when others are attacked unprovoked.

Also, about the car - you can find it painted up on Microsoft XBox Live in the Forza 4, Forza 6, and Forza Horizon 2 and 3 areas - under Paisley_Pirate (my xbox gamertag) so again, not really hiding that hard.

Mostly, it's in fun. And to keep the doxxers at bay. Cheers!

A pseudonym can actually tell you more about a person then their given name.

Judah: the name of my best friend of 18 years. I named him after Judah Maccabee/Judas Maccabeus/Yehudah ha-Makabi who's father was Mattathias, which brings us full circle as my given name is Matt. 80? The year I was born of coarse

Matt: the name my parents gave me. Named after no one in particular.

You tell me which one is better.

Oh BTW, he totally lived up to the name. Best dog ever!

Edit: I think Judah Maccabee itself is a pseudonym meaning the hammer of Judah.

I'm not fearful of anything in particular, I just prefer using a pseudonym as I've never met anyone on here in person, is all.

I wonder what Charles Ludwidge Dodgeson was afraid of? He used Lewis Carroll when he was writing. Or Samuel Clemens who used the name Mark Twain. Bizarre.

Could be they just didn't like their real name?

We live in scary times. People are attacked for their politics, their religion and their feelings about certain societal issues. I wrote a letter to the editor of a local newspaper and received harassing phone calls on it, one was threatening. It’s not worth it to let any of you know who I am.

In an era of a near complete loss of privacy, it probably feels good to do so, or, what if you're a liberial trying to think, where can you go and not get attacked or sacrifice your future?
Great option for a free people.

I've used the same screen name for about 9 years
It maintains continuity with my blog site .

I use my name, but respect those who don’t. Could be work related for the most part. Is this your biggest concern. - Scott

Well i personally do not like strangers yousing my name, and in a freespeech arena where you can tick someone off, it creates the illusion that i am not going to get maliciously destroyed all over online and charicter assasinated. Yall may be the spires of the community, but i am not.

I do it because it's just fun, and too, a lot of my clients on FB and other social platforming sites know me as DesertMinx, so it makes it easier for them to find me here.

I've always used my own name, Marilyn Clute, on social media until IDW. I just wanted an alias that said something different..such as "I'm a country bumpkin so I must not know much". Ha! I fear folks taking me too seriously.

I didn't use one out of fear. My name is Dan Beatty. I used one in a spark of creative irony. Lickspittle means sycophant -- which I am not to anyone in any way -- and to me conjured up the picture of a dog eating its own vomit, which is a reminder to me not to be what I was. 2Peter 2:21-22, "For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."

Not fearful of anything. Harpoon_64 is my gamer tag on World of Warships, so for this, strait up Harpoon was available so I chose it. I think it sounds cool, and is easily recognizable.

MySpace is soooo last century

My real given name is Frank but I l33t-ized ( web speak for elite) it as Phrank

If you have to ask, ?

It is funny also in this protect yourself atmosphere for ladies nowaday. That in a site of central to right thinkers that many of whom support gun rights and civil libery, decide to use pen names and you as a woman come onto a random sparsely populated forum of radical thinkers and go hey here i am, target me.