What's with the pseudonym, bro?

Some of this blog's readers have learned through email that I blog under a pseudonym. Well, sort of. My pseudonym is close enough to my real name that it's not really a pseudonym. (Add "land" in front of "wehr" and you have my real last name.)

You might wonder why I would do such a thing. (Web 2.0ers, say it with me: your blog is your brand!!1)

Some reasons:

--You would be surprised at the many different ways people pronounce "wehr" with "land" in front of it. (Land-weer, Land-wurr)
--There is someone with my real name on Facebook who goes by "Tunz". Yikes.
--I thought it might be better to separate my web identity from my non-web identity. I was not sure I wanted this blog (and other such things) to be Googleable via my real name.
--Let's be honest: "Wehr" is just more rock-star.

The intention to separate my web identity from my non-web identity failed miserably when in January 2009 I sent Deric Bownds some links using my real-name email address. Oops. Now if you Google my real name, the very first link is no longer even his blog -- it's mine! I.e., enough people have searched for my real name and arrived at my blog through his link that the link is now the number one search result.

When I tell people this story, they often ask, why don't you just ask Deric to take down your name?

First of all, it's already too late. It's not even his blog that appears in the search results anymore.

More importantly, over a year later, I still cannot decide whether I mind people being able to find this blog via my real name. On the one hand, it could help me get in touch with some old friends since I don't do Facebook. On the other hand, I am weirded out by two different types of people reading this blog: (1) people who know me but only in a very superficial way, like colleagues, and (2) people who once knew me very well, but I no longer keep in touch with.

My ex-girlfriend from high school found this blog. I have no idea how long she has been reading, or even if she still reads.

I have not told anyone I work with about this blog, but that does not mean they have not found it. (I would tell them if they asked, but it seems lame to announce "yeah, I have a blog.") I occasionally write very personal things on here, and even on posts having nothing to do with me I might express thoughts in such a way that it becomes personal or revealing. It is strange to think of people reading this blog who see me five days a week but know nothing more about me than my meeting or hallway persona. My shy self is much more open in writing than in person.

I was not sure originally, but I no longer mind that future employers can find this blog. If they don't like what they see then I probably should not be working for them.

And although it may be awkward to have certain people read this blog, awkward ≠ bad. It is not a bad thing for casual acquaintances to learn more about me and my interests, or for old friends to be able to keep up with me.

In conclusion, I have no reason for a pseudonym other than having a slightly more rock-star name and to avoid being confused with "Tunz". You might have noticed that in this whole long post I never actually typed out my real last name, still clinging to the faux comfort of being non-Googleable. The ribbon cutting happens now:

Justin Landwehr

Eat that, Googlebot.