I also have a family to look out for, and I wouldn't want to put them at risk just because I put too much information on the web, but I'm not sure something as simple as a name can put me or my family in danger. I feel we are more likely to run into bad guys in real life than dealing with some cyber stalker.
At first, I was uncomfortable with entering my full name on social networks because I didn't want anything to show up in Google search results if someone Googled my name, but I found out I can't hide from people who want to know information about me. For under $40 you can get all the dirt on anyone through various sites, and I was surprised just how much information was available for free, including: my age, my maiden name, people I'm related too, current city and past cities I've lived in including the zip codes. All of which could set me up for identity theft easier than anything I've ever posted on Twitter.
My conclusion: If I'm going to be part of the social world wide web, I might as well use my real name and make sure I maintain a positive value attached to that name. If someone Googles me, they can see all the greatness I have contributed through quality tweets such as:
@digitalAngel I could go for sushi or a bologna sandwich.
I'm curious, do you use your real name online or a pseudonym? Do you believe there are any implications of publicly displaying your full name, and if so, what are they?
UPDATE: Poll Results 2/23/10 - 3/2/10
What is your online name comfort level?
42% Full name
00% First name only
00% Pseudonym
57% Depends on the site
