Identity separation and combination and whatever

[afuna]

I usually try to separate "afuna" from my real life identity, and it works, but I'm beginning to find it limiting. It's literally stopping me from doing a few things I want to do, either because I'm lazy, or I can't decide which identity to do things under.

I want to join a couple of local user groups, but I have been putting it off because I can't decide whether doing so is work (so RL identity) or play ("afuna") to use. I also want to follow along workmates on twitter and whatever, but no way am I using my current twitter account for that. (And once invites are less scarce, I want to get a wave invite under my RL name, just so that I can connect to workmates as well). And occasionally I wish that I had my code under my RL name, just because it would be nifty on my resume :-) But I don't want to create any more linkage than I already have, because a lot has managed to creep in over the years.

I've set up email accounts under my RL identity, but I have very little activity under them because I'm so busy doing other good stuff to maintain... that kinda hurts my resume I guess? I strongly suspect it does.

So. It's too much work to keep up separate identities, but it's too much risk to combine the two, and I'm back where I started (unable to act on a few of my interests until I decide which of the two I'd rather have them under).

Comments

[cesy]

I'm having the opposite problem at the moment - lots of people know that Cesy is Jenny S-T, including people at work and relatives and random RL friends. There are some things I'd like to look at online that I don't really want linked where those people could find it easily. But setting up another identity from scratch is hard work, and then I have to go and tell all the people who I don't mind knowing about the link, so they don't get scared by the sockpuppeting.

[afuna]

Oh man, yes. I don't have any thing to contribute, but good luck, and I wish you the best in figuring it out <3

[pne]

and then I have to go and tell all the people who I don't mind knowing about the link, so they don't get scared by the sockpuppeting.

That bit is easier if you also build up a new social circle with the new identity... but that rather misses the point of a social network if you can't take your friends with you.

[juliet]

I have a similar sort of issue in that I have this journal, & then one for fannish stuff. The difference is more because many of the people who read this journal (or my LJ one) would be not at all interested in my fic writing, so I put it elsewhere. But then I have to remember to comment using the other username, or run the other account with another reading-list altogether (in fact I've tried that & it doesn't work for me)...

I am leaning further towards just openly linking everything & choosing not to care, but I'm fortunate enough to be in a position where I could do that. My main concern is that I have some RL friends who might be scathing about my fannish activities (such as they are); but actually, I'm increasingly thinking "screw them then". (In which case I could just link my fic from my profile on this account, & vice versa, & it's all good.)

Um.