Stream of Consciousness Sunday: Unveiling the Real Me

Here is my 5 minute brain dump as part of this great series. Here goes …

 

This weekend I decided to change my twitter name from @MummyinProvence to @AmeenaFalchetto. Why? The answer is simple. It’s my name.  Yes, I am a Mummy in Provence but that is just one part of me.  I’m new to twitter and blogging as a whole so when I started I treated it a bit like forums where you were anonymous.  I used to keep my Facebook locked down to only the people I knew in real life but recently opened it up to people I knew virtually as well. The Google+ happened and I realised that most my tweeps, who I love, couldn’t connect with me because, well, THEY DIDN’T KNOW MY NAME. I felt a bit silly for that.

MummyinProvence made me feel like I was living a secret life – It was also limiting when it came to talking about different topics that interested me. Some have asked my why I would just put myself out there, the real me and well, the answer is simple. I write my blog, it’s my words, my thoughts, my ideas and opinions so why not attach my name to it? I live my life in such a way that I really don’t have much to hide (apart from my jelly belly but you don’t see that online unless I decide to post a picture of it, which I promise I won’t!)

So, there you have it! Why do you choose to hide behind a username? And if you don’t, what was you reason for putting yourself out there?

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This is my 5 minute Stream of Consciousness Sunday post. It’s five minutes of your time and a brain dump. Want to try it? Here are the rules…

  • Set a timer and write for 5 minutes only.
  • Write an intro to the post if you want but don’t edit the post. No proofreading or spellchecking. This is writing in the raw.
  • Publish it somewhere. Anywhere. The back door to your blog if you want. But make it accessible.
  • Add the Stream of Consciousness Sunday badge to your post.
  • Link up your post at all.things.fadra.
  • Visit your fellow bloggers and show some love.

 

 

35 thoughts on “Stream of Consciousness Sunday: Unveiling the Real Me

  1. Nay Diaz

    I like this post and I looooove the jelly-belly part! LOL

    I have always been “Nay Diaz” on Facebook, Twitter, my ex-blog and in the new one, but I’m not popular on the web and also I lock down my Facebook to people I know in real life (this is really important in Mexico because of insecurity).

    Reply
    1. Ameena Falchetto Post author

      Thanks Nay! I understand why you lock down your facebook but unless your blog and twitter is protected I don’t see much point in having a different name … it took me a while to realise that!

      Reply
  2. Jessica

    On Twitter, I don’t use my real name, but on my blog I do go by my first name, Jessica. I am protective a bit about combining my personal Facebook with my blogging life, but otherwise, I’m becoming more and more okay with the idea of being more open with the two sides combining.

    Reply
    1. Ameena Falchetto Post author

      It’s funny how after a while it becomes a challenge to manage all the identities and they eventually merge!

      Reply
  3. Good Girl Gone Green

    Jelly belly….LOL! Great post!

    My twitter name is my blog but my name is visible. I dont have a problem with people knowing my name, I have a problem with complete strangers seeing pictures of my daughter on the internet that they can easily copy. That is why my fb is for friends and family and I have a FB fan page! I am just not there yet letting others see my daughter. I feel like if I post all these pictures of her, she didn’t really have a say in what were posted, you know

    Reply
    1. Ameena Falchetto Post author

      I agree 110% with you about pics of my daughter. I don’t feel I have the right to start her digital footprint for her. As far as I am concerned, as long as I have control over what goes online then that’s cool as it’s MY choice.

      Reply
  4. Crystal

    When I started blogging, I had only ever used my real name on Facebook, and it was locked down except to friends and family. When I discovered how much people used their first names, I started using mine, but sparingly.

    Then, I discovered how big a role social media played in getting anywhere as a blogger and it became “Link up your Facebook Fan page”. While making one of those, I realized that anyone determined enough could make the connection between my page and personal profile anyway, so I gave up, lol. I don’t intentionally make my last name public, but I don’t freak out if it shows up, and it is discreetly placed on my blog because I realized I WANTED credit for my blog!

    So, that’s how I got where I am with using my name.

    Reply
    1. Ameena Falchetto Post author

      You hit the nail on the head … when I got comments like “MiP this is great” I started thinking, WHO is MiP? That’s ME! So that’s when I chose to use my real name … the next step is to change my blog title but that’s a few too many logistics to change overnight!

      Reply
  5. Hines-Sight Blog

    Hi,

    I’m coming from Fadra today. I’m new to blogging and to this series. This was my first week participating.

    When I started blogging, I used my real name and do own my blog. I was in TV for awhile so it felt natural, but it’s a fine line with my children.

    Reply
    1. Ameena Falchetto Post author

      Hi, thanks for coming over! It’s interesting how, what you’ve done in your life can change how you choose to put yourself out there. I don’t use my daughters name ANYWHERE. I bet 50% of my real friends on Facebook probably don’t know her name.

      Reply
  6. Carol @ The Lazy Mama

    Actually, that became my problem too after having my Google Plus account. People I knew who are on Google Plus are people who knew me as The Lazy Mama. I use the name because it’s the real me although I don’t believe my personal friends knew that it is me. I have most of my stuff on Facebook and now I have to build it all again on Google Plus.

    Reply
  7. Julie Jordan Scott

    I haven’t hidden behind a pretend name since I started my online work back in 1999. Since then everything and everywhere I have been I have been Julie Jordan Scott or some form of it. (My entire name is too long on twitter so I am juliejordanscot.

    Don’t feel any reason to be anonymous… in fact, that would be sort of the opposite of what I am trying to achieve!

    Reply
    1. Ameena Falchetto Post author

      Thanks for your comment Julie, I think it’s interesting how we are all online with different goals or intentions. Like you, I want to use my real name because I WANT people to find me and using a pseudonym was just counter productive … I was worried that Mummy in Provence was going to be better known that ME.

      Reply
  8. Elizabeth Johnson

    I have honestly been considering this for a while now. (Although now, I’d just be a copy cat if I changed it. ;p)
    Hm.. still considering making the change. No real good reason I haven’t yet, other than the fact that I sort of do a mix of both, so it’s not a super big deal to me yet to be one or the other.

    Reply
    1. Ameena Falchetto Post author

      I don’t think you’d be copying! I’m not the first and I doubt I’ll be the last!

      Reply
  9. Marta

    I am soo on the fence about this and haven’t really made up my mind yet. My facebook is my real name, locked down, only for IRL friends. Twitter has my name in it and a link to my blog. My blog never uses real names yet I attach pictures.

    I’m basically all over the place 🙂 I’m still trying to figure it out. I do know that if you google my name I DON’T want you to find my twitter/blog so I try to make sure that doesn’t happen.

    Reply
    1. Ameena Falchetto Post author

      Why don’t you want your twitter and blog found? You’ll be surprised how much personal info we upload without thinking that means that a simple search and reveal more than we ever cared to be shared …

      Reply
      1. Marta

        I regularly google myself to see what’s out. I blog too often about work is the problem. When I started my blog it was just for myself and my friends who knew about it. Now that its more than that I’m senstive to what I put out there.

        Reply
        1. Ameena Falchetto Post author

          That is interesting! I have found that recently many of the things that google pulled up when I was googled have been replaced by my blog or twitter posts which has had me VERY careful about what I post!

          Reply
  10. Bill Dorman

    No bare skin allowed; you would think being from Florida I would have this great tan (actually I do but it’s only my arms, neck and & legs…..:) but there ain’t no way I’m showing this fat, white, pasty belly on any post. Other than that, I am probably pretty revealing up to a point with my writings. There is a cloak of anonymity but I just used my name because I didn’t really give it much thought.

    Other than living with Jason Bourne I don’t think anyone is going to come looking for you in Southern France……:). Oh wait, that was James Bond I meant….

    Good to see you.

    Reply
    1. Ameena Falchetto Post author

      Ha, thanks for those lovely visuals Bill! You never know who will come looking for you … all about managing you content that is attached to your name though don’t you think?

      Reply
  11. Heather O.

    I’ve pretty much always used my real first name on my blog, as well as my kids’ names (first names). My facebook is locked down to family/friends but not because of the name issue… it’s more “I don’t need everyone knowing what I’m doing every moment”.

    I’m “Heather O”, with a mismatched twitter username (eatherhaelo, which is my name in pig latin + the last initials) and DestinyManifest on forums. I really need to combine all these and change my twitter username, but I worry that people wouldn’t recognize me anymore!

    How is that working for you, changing your twitter name? Are folks confused, or is it an easy transition?

    Reply
    1. Ameena Falchetto Post author

      I don’t think too many people have been confused to be honest … famous last words … I personally am very visual so I get more thrown off when someone changes their avatar than their name. I have seen a lot of people change their twitter name and I don’t think they’ve encountered any problems.

      I do feel that I should, perhaps, consolidate my usernames but on some forums I’m not ready to do that especially as I’ve been known by the same username for years.

      I get what you are saying about Facebook – in the last year or so I have backed off big time on posting personal information on Facebook – it’s really a “need to know” platform for me these days!

      Reply
  12. Crystal

    I’m leaving my title as it is because I do still feel it describes me, but its a very personal and individual decision.

    I remember being called PoM a few times & even used it myself for a few weeks, but it felt so impersonal in the end and I like my name. Most people actually call me Crys (pronounced Chris) in RL, but the phonetics get confused online and people think its “Cries” lol.

    Reply
  13. Kim Davies

    Hi, Ameena.

    I applaud you for what you did. Yes, you are Mummy in Provence and people will always love you for that, but you also have a name that you got way before you became MiP. And, you need to let people know about that person as well.

    I first learned knew you as John’s Ameena, who posted a wonderful guest post on his blog, then as Mummy in Provence…but, that doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t love to know you more as you, just as Ameena.

    And, I am enjoying knowing you so far. Learning that you get tired waiting at the salon just like the rest of us makes me think of you more as a human than as the admirable Mummy in Provence who was so stunning that she was a model at one time. 😀

    Enjoy the week, Ameena! And please kiss BiP for me. 🙂

    Reply
    1. Ameena Falchetto Post author

      Aww thanks Kim! Had no idea that you knew that much about me before I made my online debut as, umm .. the real me!

      Have a great week!

      Reply
  14. Jack@TheJackB

    Every now and then I think about changing my name but so many people know me as TheJackB I have opted against it. Would hate to lose all that brand awareness- OTOH, it might be nice to just be me.

    Reply
  15. Gini Dietrich

    I agree that we should all use our names on the social web. But it’s kind of silly people don’t know your real name. It’s not hard to find, if you do a quick Google search. That just goes to show how EASY you have to make it for people. Most won’t go the extra mile.

    Reply
    1. Ameena Falchetto Post author

      You are so right Gini – you have to make it easy. Even though Mummy in Provence pulled up my real name I still wanted to use MY name!

      Reply
  16. Fadra

    I’m glad I read this because I was *pretty* sure I noticed the change online this week. I’ve always been pretty open about my name because I started in social media as a way to build my resume and portfolio in marketing. It totally evolved into something else but I don’t mind being public. With that said, I do keep a bit of a filter on what and how I write knowing that I am very public. In the end, I think it’s only helped me!

    Nice to meet you, Ameena 🙂

    Reply
    1. Ameena Falchetto Post author

      Hey Fadra! It’s important to keep a filter on things in the same way you would if you were out in public … we can never be 100% totally out there raw!

      Reply
  17. Gauri

    This is super-interesting and has clearly hit the spot for many, judging by the responses.

    Funny, I recently changed my twitter (which in truth I never use) to LovingEarthMama to match my blog as i thought leaving it as GauriSunshine was just confusing and people wouldn’t know it was the same person…? So it wasn’t about hiding so much as harmonising, at that point. I have also been trying to find a nickname I like to use for my daughter online ‘cos I feel it is unfair on her if sometime, when she is a little older, people come up to her and say ‘hey, you’re the girl with green poo’ or whatever. But up until now it has been all real names on the blog.

    I guess blogs named after people have a way of sounding like that person is famous or an expert. Personally I think a blog with a cute memorable name like (HoboMama or Mummy in Provence 🙂 with your real name easy to find in ‘about’ or what-have-you, is the perfect mix… but that is just me.

    I admire and respect your bold move.

    Gauri Ma

    Reply
    1. Ameena Falchetto Post author

      Thanks Gauri … I actually ended up getting the MummyinProvence twitter handle set up in ADDITION to AmeenaFalchetto because I was tweeting different topics that didn’t have much overlap. BUT I do use my real name on both and now only comment as Ameena not MummyinProvence.

      Reply
  18. Gauri

    It has certainly made me think about it more deeply… I am guessing that will continue. Thanks!
    Gauri

    Reply

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