There seems to have been some misunderstandings in the past about the useing usernames to hide behind on the net or Café.

I wanted to ask about opinions on this.

In my own case, a lot of people I know use a computer, I'm in a part of the world where people are naturally suspicious. So I do not want any one I perform for being able to type in my name and locate my writings.
On the other hand in prvate I have no problem, though like Banachek I have a performing name as most people in the world have trouble pronounceing my given name.

The very thing I was gaurding against was called to my attension by my girlfriend only two weeks ago, she found my real name from a review I had written some time ago, it shocked me and reinforced my belief that the net is a dangerous place. It is very easy to steal an identidy.


To be stright, I'm a small time performer, with only the scope of a city with small venues,so I feel the prospect of clinents being able to find my writings unappealing.

My question to the rest of you is your purpose behind your user names, and if you use your real name have you precautions in place?
I have a friend who annoyed a guy, he found her e-mail on the net, considering she used her real name and location was listed int he directorys it was easy for him to keep sending her thretening e-mails, trouble was she had to keep that e-mail.


H.W

I use my real name everywhere. I have no fears or try to hide behind anything.... I'm a little large so it would be hard to do.

In this day and age if someone wants to find you they will.

Greg

I perform under my own name.
And post to other perfromers here as jack.

A few years back I did a promotion where I exhibited a person dying live on the internet.

As a result I took a lot of hate mail.

That was the only time I found it to be a problem.

Best Wishes

Jim

Since I don't hold myself out to the public as an absolute psychic who never resorts to deceptive practices in the name of entertainment, no bubbles would be burst from anybody finding my magical musings in cyberspace; So I use my real name. If my persona were more shut-eye, then of course I would be more guarded.

As for clients conducting a web search, finding my products, and buying them to learn my secrets, I suppose that's possible. But that would only explain a scant handful of my performing material. For serious secret-picking, a simple keyword search on Mentalism would reveal far more dangerous materials in print and on DVDs.

Should the time come that I write something with which I don't want to be publicly associated, I'll probably just use one of Scott's names (just kidding there, Scott).

Best,
Neil

Of course he's talking of Scott Peterson...

H.W. is absolutely correct on this topic from his point of view.
Nowadays, if you are offering several different services but use the same telephone number for all of your services and someone looks up the telephone number on Google, all of your ads and websites will come up if the same telephone number is used.
So, if your playing many roles and you don't want client A to know that you do a show for client B and client C and so on, Then you had better have as many telephone numbers.

Derek

I perform under my own name, however all my contributions to the magic and mentalism world I make under another name all together. This is simply so when someone is searching for me, as a performer, they'll find me and not my products.

Kindest Regards,
-George Tait

I like using a ralse name. Adds another realm of deception to the performing, not only that but my last name is hard to say and remember.

Scott,
I rather like Dr. Zodiac. Of course, you seem a little young for the feel of the word Doctor, but I like where you are going with it. I think a nice stage name can add another layer to a performance. It all depends how you use it and how the character is percieved.

Sergeant

It's hard getting people to take you seriously when you are performing as Dr. Zodiac at a medical seminar, college show, or trade show.

So as for now Doc, is in limbo. He is happy to lecture and write.

Here I use my real name. In person, I prefer to be called Bud Spencer.

I use my real name, even here on the Café m. unger

I use my real name as psychic, an alter-ego as writer and an alias when posting on magic forums like this one.

I have changed my name to Salsa Dancer so now I do.

Well, H.W., you're a mentalist so.. you tell me if I do or not !

Seriously though, while I don't directly qualify to answer this because I'm neither a mentalist, nor actively performing at this time, keep in mind that many do not want to use their real name for a mulitude of reasons.
As an example, my last name is a dozen letters long, and although there are no silent consonants or other spelling gotchas in it, it itimidates the bejezzus out of most people, whether they hear it or see it in print. It is burdensome to spell over the phone or in person, as I often must durng some sort of transaction, and frankly, it doesn't roll off the tongue well either. In fact, I flat out do not like my (last) name, so the choice then becomes, do I use a theatrical stage name, like "Dr. Zodiac" as mentioned earlier, or a simple, realistic, pseudonym, as Enrique (aka Bud Spencer) uses ?
Of course, for here, Mystician works just fine for me.
Or, maybe I could just use a symbol like Prince did. Maybe I should change my name to be a pentagram !

(My earlier nym was Cyberhagen, which curiously is also 12 letters long, but that is not my real name either; that was a twist on the name of the cat in "Sabrina", whose full name was Salem Saberhagen )

I actually changed my name by deed poll to: 'HRT 743' after buying a second hand volkswagon carrying that registration. Okay, so that's a joke. Many in here know that all my shows, products and lecture notes all carry my real name.

I perform magic also.....my name can change with the venue I'm performing since they ask right before I go on anyways ("what do you want me to call you?"). I cannot do strictly serious only mentalism. I've noticed most of my clients like to laugh, if not a lot, occasionally at least. I can still bring them into awe and amazement. If I stop doing that, I'll continue just performing for the children.

I like salsa dancer also but its been taken:)

Performing magic is your choice, but from your writing seems that your clients like to laugh and so you mix the magic to the mentalism.

If this is your reason, then you should check two of the BEST mentalists of this century, Bob Cassidy and Max Maven, who both can make laugh their audience without having to mix magic with their mentalism.

Its not so much mixing but as Al Koran did, perform some magic as an ice breaker.
I know Mr Osterlind still loves magic but unsure if he does it in his shows. Doubtful layman would not enjoy it (depending on what magic is performed).
I don't tell them Im doing anything with special powers.


Have checked out Cassidy and Maven. Cassidy is very funny. I think Osterlind is also.