I know that some people choose to use their real name as their screen name. My real name is unusual enough that I believe it would be fairly easy for someone to track me down if they knew it...and I don't want that. But I wanted to choose a name that would represent me in a personal way, but not give out too much personal information.

The other day, there was a small discussion (in the middle of another discussion) on Newsvine about screen names and what they tell another person about yourself. Can you tell gender from the name? Can you tell political beliefs? Region of residence? Attitude toward the world? Yes...sometimes you can deduce those person things from a screen name...but not always.

In fact, sometimes a screen name can be misleading. I chose 'redsfan' because that's one incarnation of who I am....a serious Cincinnati Reds fan...and a baseball fan in general. Many people assume because I chose a sports reference for my screen name that I am male....but I am female. Many people assume because I am referring to a Cincinnati team that I am from Ohio, or that area. I have never been to Ohio in my life. But 'redsfan' is a very accurate description of me...or at least, one aspect of me.

And then there are trolls...don't you just know by some screen names that the person is a troll? Screen names that involve "I-hate-xxx" or "xxxsux". They are just asking for attention, and not the good kind.

I'm curious about all you other people here on the Vine and what your screen name means and why you chose it. If you chose to use your real name...why? Aren't you afraid of stalkers or people with ill-intent? I've heard it happens! If you chose a more anonymous name, does it accurately reflect something important in your life or personality? What do you want it to tell people about you?

Thanks for participating!