Definitely when I registered, they asked for first and last names, and it didn't occur to me not to use my real name, although I don't think there was any reason not to, really. I went back in and changed it to my initial at some point.

Yep. I went to Salon directly from The Well in 1995 and it was definitely a "use your first and last name" environment back then (which is how The Well was).

When I registered for salon, the page said to use your real name, with some sort of "If you really don't want to, we guess it's OK, but we won't like it" sort of disclaimer.

IIRC, there was some huge kerfuffle when a salon writer did an article and used a bunch of quotes from posters, full names given, without seeking permission. From MWT boards, I believe. And that lead to a bunch of people changing to pseudonyms. I don't know it that was before or after I registered, but I did have knowledge of it. That said, I'd briefly been Full Name on the NPR boards, but didn't stay there long, felt too exposed as such, so used this one when I registered. To post about cats, I think.

I think I joined Salon around 1999. I guess they were okay with pseudos then.

I registered at Salon under my full name, and again as just this. Not sure why I registered as my full name, but I didn't post much with it and they rooted it out in a push for consolidation later. Tried to make me go that way instead of this.

No, thankee! ita is just enough to stand out and also be untraceable.

I had been full name on USENET and some random web pages, and that still bothers me. Because I had nothing useful to say. Midget (yeah, midget, I'm pretty sure) battles. Oh, yeah.

Since we're talking about names [I've rarely used a pseud, mostly because I get all weird about "what is this expressing? what does this make people think I'm trying to say" about it and then it's just easier to default to real name or variation therof], ANYWAY, I need to share that I am working on a global project and the person we are proposing as a key lead in China is named "Beyond Yu". Oy.

I've got a user whose registered self assigned user id in our database is something obscene. And the poor thing is stateside, very fluent in english and oh-so polite and prim ( she blushes when she says stupid,) I can't imagine what she was thinking. I guess she wasn't?

I KNOW that I'm not the only one who wants to know what it is.

No, no you're not.

This evening I managed to slice my index finger while taking apart my new blender so I could wash it only moments after mocking the instructions about not sticking your hand in the blender while it's on. Typing now difficult.

And then I had to dig in the dumpster for that air pillow package material that I'd tossed out yesterday so I could securely pack an Amazon return item that came in an enormous box with other things I'm keeping.

My shoulder hurts, my finger hurts, and I appear to have left my dignity in my other pants.