Are You On My List?

The Comfort of Familiarity

Have you ever been part of an online community for so long that it feels like a second home? I can tell the affiliates who have been around for a while. They know people's government names.

The Identity of Affiliates

I have a running list of names that I keep handy so that I can address people by their real names instead of their usernames. Simone instead of Newme. Myra instead of Cherry Red. Rachele instead of Rcharinhp.

But it's not always easy to figure out who's who. Some usernames are obvious, like TheAbie and TheCatherine. But others have me stumped. Who is Feigner? Or FKelso? Or MTCandela? I had to be here for a while before I realized that Feigner is Phil and that FKelso is Fran (although I did call her Frank once, much to her amusement). And I only recently found out that MTCandela is Maria, and that West2000 is Susan.

I like this community. It's not just about making money. It's about making connections. It's about being able to ask for help when you need it and being able to offer help to others when they need it.

So, I am paying attention to how people sign their comments and their posts.

But, my list is incomplete, and I am left yearning for more. If you could lend me your aid, and share with me the missing pieces of this puzzle, I may no longer need to wait in anticipation for each new post or comment to reveal the name behind the words.

Who is who? or whom? Learning this will probably help other newcomers also!