As a programmer, do you see any professional or other advantage in using your real name in online discourse, versus an invented handle? I've always gone by a single username and had my real name displayed whenever possible, for a few reasons:


My interests online are almost exclusively professional and aboveboard.
It constructs a search-friendly public log of all of my work, everywhere.
If someone wants to contact me, there are many ways to do it.
My portfolio of work is all tied to me personally.


Possible cons to full disclosure include:


If you feel like becoming involved in something untoward, it could be harder.
The psychopath who inherits your project can more easily find out where you live.
You might be spammed by people who are not worth the precious time that could be better spent writing more of the brilliant software you're famous for.
Your portfolio of work is all tied to you personally.


It seems, anyway, that a vast majority of StackOverflow users go by invented handles rather than real names. Notable exceptions include the best-known users, who are typically well established in the industry. But how could we ever become legendary rockstar programmers if we didn't get our names out there? Discuss.

The biggest thing I can think of is both an advantage and a disadvantage: everything you put online under your real name will follow you. This is good when you are posting good, constructive things. It's bad when you post a picture of you from that night or when you say something offensive or just plain stupid.

I find that using my real name helps keep me in check -- I think more about what I say and how I say it. But it has on occasion been inconvenient when using my name invited personal attacks for various reasons.

All in all, my approach is to use my real name when dealing with professional-ish stuff and to use a handle for personal interests and things I might not want to be as easily searchable.
