Google’s announcement today of Google Buzz reminds me once again that they are on the way to owning our online life. We’re rapidly approaching the point where your single most important online identifier will be your Google username.
And what’s mine? dbt001.
I signed up for that back in the days when we were still being semi-anonymous on the Web. I’m sure I could have gotten davidbthomas as my username back then, but that seemed a little too specific, a little too revelatory. Why, that’s how I’m listed in the phone book! Who knows what might happen?
Now I’ve got a dozen or more services tied to my username. It would be a nightmare to change. But I want my online identity to include my name. Vanity? No, practicality. We’re all overwhelmed by information and incoming messages. I want to make sure that when someone sees something I’ve shared or directed their way, they know it’s coming from me.
So now I’m back to trying to figure out what I can add to the front or end of “davidbthomas” to make it unique, without sounding too ridiculous. And I’ve talked about this already online in several places, and with several people. My wife has suggested I consider medication, and she didn’t sound like she was kidding.
Is there a medical term for someone obsessed with their online identity? I mean, other than “dork,” of course.