I am kind of an "other" though I voted "yes." I go by Michele most places on the web and a lot of people know me by the email address in my profile that I have had for years. "Michele" wasn't available here when I signed up so I shortened it (the M stands for Michele). Michele is my actual middle name that I go by socially IRL as well. I have stated that here on more than one occasion. There are people who know my full name. I think my last name is not terribly important to being able to ID me as "oh, it's her!" online. If I ever remarry, it would likely change anyway. (shrug) People online generally have no problem identifying me as someone they knew on some list or other elsewhere/previously. I am pretty distinctive. There is no real point in using a different email address or username and trying to pretend "I am totally not THAT Michele. Really!"

My online and offline lives have been fairly separate for a long time. I imagine at some point those world's will collide. I have been working on trying to arrange for a gentle, anticlimactic collision. I no longer work for BigCo, so I no longer worry that my employer will go "You were quoted in a book saying WHAT?!!" or "You have a website about WHAT?!!"

It's all good.