Later, when I started joining online communities, and needed a nick, hey, I already had a pseudonym, which is almost the same, thing, isn't it? So I used "ana". Much fun ensued, and i found an outlet for much angst, just by posting it on the web.

But, hey, eventually people begin to figure things out. No mind, really, except that it points out that these various kinds of identites really are different things.

Characters of course are fictional critters, who have at least some differences from their authors. Pseudonyms need not have any reality to them at all, except one's ability to remember which name to use when.

But web personae can be as real or as pseudonymical (is that a word?) as you like. They can be anything from a role-playing-game character, to a byline (not unlike a pseudonym), to the real you.

Anyway, comments are welcome.