Sometime in 1997 or 1998, I signed up for an aim account and Sarcozona was born. I’ve since used a lot of pseudonyms on the internet and sometimes my real name, too, but my pseudonyms are bolder, more exploratory, more changeable than my real name. I feel freer writing as Sarcozona, even when I’m writing for the same audience. I can try new things as Sarcozona because I can make mistakes here without worrying what people I know will think. I can connect to a vibrant chronic illness community and pour out my heart without worrying about what potential employers might think about my personal struggles with illness. I can share endless political articles without worrying that my advisor thinks I’m wasting too much time on the internet. I think pseudonyms are a fantastic part of the internet and think that the internet should be more pseudonymous, but I met some people recently who do not agree. I wrote about my feelings on the matter over at Tenure, She Wrote this morning.