subject: Should You Use A Pseudonym? [print this page] Should You Use A Pseudonym? Should You Use A Pseudonym?
While individuals within the Internet Marketing industry love Internet Marketing for the possibilities it provides, it is also painfully obvious that people who do not work in this sector tend to view it through a highly critical eye. IM and also the internet in general are still steeped in rumors and misconceptions. The folks who work on the inside of it know just how legitimate and fulfilling it will be and, all the while, it poses an important problem: do you want to be judged for this world in your "offline" life?
Lots of folks who make money online do so using a pseudonym. They make use of fake names because they prefer to keep their Internet Marketing work apart from everything else that they do, particularly when they only do the work part time. Lots of brand new and part time online marketers are anxious that their friends and employers will find out that they are making money online. Obviously, even if you don't worry about this kind of thing it is still important: should you choose a pseudonym for the work you do online?
Pseudonyms transport with them a lot of positive aspects. The most significant benefit, obviously, is being able to generate an identity separate from your personal life and making it easier to keep the two from running into them. People who work in especially strict or demanding fields or who are surrounded by those who view the Internet as a sketchy place benefit from using a pseudonym because it protects them from judgment.
Another reason that many IMers decide on a pseudonym is that it helps them if they want to develop several products in several different fields. This is the way they can create expert identities in several niches while building credible businesses without their having to worry about seeming like a dabbler. You need not fear of being asked about inconsistant products or niches because you'll be working in them under different names.
Sadly, however, one of several greater reasons that people do IM business under a pseudonym is that they are trying to evade the responsibilities that come with running a business, like paying taxes. They appear to assume that if they do not do business under their legal names then they do not have to report any of the money that they earn to the IRS. It is important you don't fall for this faulty logic. Even if you make money under a identify that is not your own it is still seen as income and you will be held responsible for it. Further, the IRS will find youpeople whom endeavor to cheat the system generally get found out.
It's completely your decision whether or not you utilize a pseudonym for your online activities. For a lot of people it is just easier to have one identify for their offline life and another for their online life. Others, on the other hand, assume that using only one name makes life less complicated because there are fewer things to remember.