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[Aliyev]

Does anyone have one?
What I mean by a cosplay name is a name you introduce yourself as at conventions. Like, your real name is Joe Normal but on Facebook and your other social sites of choice you have your cosplay photos under the name Alexander Magnifico, and you introduce yourself as such when cosplaying or at conventions. Maybe you even have a calling card with that on it to give out to new friends.
I'm wondering what the protocol is on that-I use a different name, an old nickname, to keep my cosplay kind of seperate from the rest of my life, partially because I don't really share the fact that I cosplay with a lot of people outside of conventions and, well, I am meeting lots of strangers and maybe it's a good thing they don't have my personal facebook or whatever.
Do you think it's a good idea? Have a cosplay name, want one, know someone with one? What's your opinion?

[EmoxJerk]

I think it's a good idea. Many cosplayers in Asia, I know they do not use their real names online. Probably for the reasons you mentioned, keeping their private lives and their cosplay lives separate.

I personally chose my cosplay name, Kara, because my real name is pretty unique and it's easy to tell it's me when I'm online or out and about. And I thought it would be best to start to use a nickname instead of my real name due to just random people on the internet. You never know when you might meet a crazy stalker or someone hellbent on ruining you @_@ !

[Ilafatyu]

I've been using my general Internet nickname: Fayt. But I'm just breaking into the cosplay world, haven't made many real connections yet... So if my legal name change goes through, I'll probably just use it instead. Shea isn't that bad, yeah?

[Shirayuki~Chan]

On things like tumblr, i only use my real name with friends, and everyone else can just call me by my url!

[Shana05]

Some of my friends have them but I can never really settle on one name. I pick all kinds of names for my badges and stuff. These days I'm often go by BabyDoll (Sucker Punch reference) or Earl of Trancy (Reference to Alois of Black Butler). I did go by Shana for awhile as I did cosplay her for quite some time. When it comes to things like Facebook, I use my real name. On other forums it's just a random screen name.

[usuyukisou]

Aside from keeping your personal and cosplay/Internet lives separate, it's generally a good idea to maintain some level of privacy with people you've only just met and barely know.

[violetlights]

Tumblr is actually the only place online where people call me by my real name, everyone else calls me Violet.
My real name is Kaylee; I don't have a problem with people knowing that name, It's just that for most websites my username is violetlights, and the first thing people do is shorten it to Violet, and it just sticks!
I still use my real name on convention badges and stuff though.

[Ineedaname9]

Mine is part of my name. I'm Naomi Yoshi but people who know me call me by my real name of Angela.

[ghosgreen]

It's kind of tricky for me. I do technically have a cosplay name but I rarely go by it. I usually introduce myself as my real name unless I'm meeting someone for the first time and they only know my screen name. But yeah usually go with the real name. That or I introduce myself as so and so character that people know me as better.

[My_Insanity]

I don't go by my real name for cosplay related things because it feels too personal. When I introduce myself at cons, use as my name on my cosplay cards and call myself online in relation to cosplay I use PI instead. It's a bit of a comfort thing and I'm so used to it now that it would be hard to switch out of the habit.

[RydiaValentine]

Don't use your real name, can be dangerous. Besides, it's pretty awesome and fun having an "artistic" name for cosplay.

[12WolfZ]

Afer; only for online. I use that for any video game, anime, forum, sports related website/forum I'm on: Seemed like a solid choice, since it's out there already. I only give out a real name if people ask what it is, assuming I want to give it to them. I put my online name on the convention badges, mostly because I think its fun; but also if you're not going to ask me for my real name, that's really all you deserve to get for free. Otherwise, I don't really care. It's a hobby.

[Larcenciel]

Never thought about it, but then again, this is the first year I am going really all out. *Shrug*

[touchmon]

I use Liza mostly. My real name is a very long and hard to pronounce based on how it looks but if people ask at cons I will give it to them(spelling it from how it is pronounced is hard to do too). Unless the badge is required to have a real name, I use Liza or the characters I'm cosplaying.

[Mangochutney]

I like the novelty of having an excuse to use an alias, and that's pretty much it. It's this great super-spy frisson. Even if Mango is a shitty super-spy name.