Better stated, who do you want to be known as on the internet and why does it matter? When asked this question, most people will respond with “I want to be known as me or myself”.  Let me clarify, what username or alter-ego do you want to use and have people recognize as you.  By now, you realize I use QueenGeek whenever possible or some derivative.

Username and Accounts

The easiest and probably overlooked reason for deciding on a name for yourself is consistency for account logins. Now, this is more for the blogger than the readers as the account/username often is not displayed publicly but it depends on the site.  If it is shown, using the same username or account helps build an online reputation. For example, I have more accounts than I care to remember but a partial list includes accounts with Google (Blogger, Gmail, Picasa and more), Blip.tv uStream.tv, WordPress, Youtube, Twitter, StumpleUpon, HowCast, SeesMic and I think you get the idea.  Some of these services I use more than others, some I just wanted to secure “QueenGeek” for later use.

Why does it matter?

In two words: credibility and reputation. Your username will become synonymous to your signature. When people see it, will they think positively of you? When you submit posts or comments, what reputation are you defining in the minds of the reader? Are your facts correct and when you make a mistake, will you apologize publicly and correct the error? In the facelessness^W of the internet, we are only known by our usernames. Make your name memorable and credible.