HN user
Despite of what some people will tell you, prejudice is real
I’m constantly going back and forth between “nah, people are generally sane and good, they don’t just think in stereotypes and names don’t matter” and “oh, god, they all have a strong impression even before they meet me, and it’s probably negative”.
But in the end, I’m sure prejudice is real.
Thank you both, this made me smile and feel really good. One of those warm moments.
I think you’re right, but the importance of some history to the credibility is higher in certain areas. If I write an article and post it on HN, then yes, I don’t think people here care too much about my public history, procided that the article is interesting.
But if I decide to write and sell a book or produce a paid course, then having no history related to the field I’m trying to be an expert in feels pretty sketchy.
I can say for myself: when I’m considering buying a book or a course, I research the author.
Thank you, this is very helpful.
1) Yes, this was one of the best things that happened to me.
2) Again, thank you for formulating that in such a clear way.
5) Yeah, nothing like that, luckily. No enemies I know of, no debts or hated relatives.
Your comment made me think in a refreshing manner.
I bet that was both exciting and extremely hard. Glad to hear you did it.
For an online identity, do you intend for it to be easily connected to your (new) legal name?
I'm not going to change my legal name any time soon, sorry for a somewhat confusing explanation. I was just thinking if that new online identity is alive and successful (subjectively), then, in the future, I might consider changing my legal name accordingly.
I've started the process and, except for a few places like Twitter, many online services and communities make it pretty hard to use a pseudonym. Especially when it comes to restoring a lost or hacked account, when you have to confirm your identity.
I do have a feeling this might be an overreaction of sorts, so yes, you're probably right and my relationship to the origin will relax over time.
Another issue is hidden discrimination or just stereotypes. Continuing with the Muslim analogy, imagine a caucasian non-religious western dude named Muhammad with a weird last name that doesn't sound like anything familiar anywhere on the planet except for one country. This is something I had to live with. When people hear my full name, they usually think of a certain culture and religion, and it has nothing to do with neither me nor my appearance.
Thanks for your reply.
Good luck! I hope your new name and online identity will be a pleasant adventure.