OnlineID

**Online Identity = Who are you? or who will you b****(e)****?**
Before I understood about **P**rofessional **L**earning **N**etworks (**PLN**) or **P**rofessional **L**earning **C**ommunities **(PLC**), I created my online presents piecemeal. Not all my user ids are the same. Now I see the value of consistency. It is extremely helpful to develop a pseudo identity to use while online. When moving from place to place or site to site, it will help others locate you. It will also be simpler once the network grows to remember your ID.

Your Online Identity
You will need to develop your presents online. Here are some tips on how get started.
 * Think about how you would like to be perceived. What can you use as a pseudo identity?
 * Do you want to be known by your "real life" identity?
 * What is unique that makes you...well you?
 * When others describe you, what are the traits they list?
 * What are your hobbies, favorite things, or favorite places?
 * Is there a play on your name that others use often?
 * Is there a catchy phrase or brief description that can be used as your online ID ?
 * How unique is this persona? If it is somewhat common, how can you tweak it to make it unique?
 * Once you decide on the online you, see how available it is. You may have to tweak it more than once to get something unique to be used in multiple places. One site you can use to check how available your chosen ID is Usernamecheck
 * Consider using a Single Identification Service (SIS) such as [|Open ID] to record your usernames and passwords. These kind of services store your information and on many sites let you use the Open ID to log in. This is extremely useful if you are not always able to use your psudeo self. Just remember even though these services are useful, there are some disadvantages. I would not recommend using SIS for financial accounts or anything that can be used to "steal" your "real" identity.
 * When you decide on an ID, remember it becomes part of your demographics. It is another way for others to identify you. The world can find information about you. **Share only what you want the world to know about you**. Other people may give your ID to others whether you want them to or not.

Examples of interesting pseudo identities**

 * loonyhiker
 * cybraryman
 * coolcatteacher
 * EdVentures
 * GingerTPLC
 * Teach42

When you have decided on how you want to be known online, continue on to get a Simple Start