Do you use a pen name?

No, there is no way she can sue them. Unless she a written contract with the company, companies are allowed to fire an employee anytime within the first 90 days and they do not have to give the employee a reason. This allows companies to get rid of employees who are not working out or fitting in with the company and the other employees. After the 90 day period than they can only fire someone for "cause". Actually, by letting her know why they fired her, they were helping her by letting her know that this could be a problem in the future and letting her know that she might need to be careful of her on-line identity. Some companies will actually monitor peoples online accounts (myspace, facebook, etc) during this 90 day period to see if they are saying negative things about their job and will eliminate them for posting negative comments about where they work. After all, if they have complaints about the company then they are not "fitting in".

Speakeasy, that is a really great point! So many things can be taken out of context that you never know when you might offend someone. The worst thing is having someone see something you wrote and forgot about and bring it to your attention in a way you did not mean for it to be used.

WOW! Speakeasy, that is absolutely horrible. The poor woman. I hope she can sue them. I don't see how though. The internet can be a blessing and a curse.

Hi MSF, I actually knew a girl in highschool nicknamed winky. That is so funny that you reminded me of this after all those years. I think people use pen names for different reasons. I use one because I don't really want to share my writing with my family. They won't care enough to research such a thing anyway.

Thanks msf. I am waiting to hear updates on your boys as well. Take care.

What a coincidence really MMJ…a classmate friend and me with the same nickname. Is your family aware that you are good in writing? They might be interested then once they learned about your talent. Anyway, we are also your family who appreciated and cared about your work…be it an article or a discussion here in mylot. Stay sweet and happy friend!

I agree. That is why I do not use a picture of myself either. It is a great way to express ourselves with anonymity. No one really knows us and we are less likely to be a target of someone's frustrations.

On the internet, I don't like to give my real name either. I feel there are too many people out there who could use it for mischief. After I get to know someone I will usually let them know my name.

When you use crazy or cavedweller, I will know you are talking about me. LOL I tried using crazy cavewoman, but they just wouldn't believe me. After reading my work they are now reconsidering my pen names. LOL I guess since you live in China the only people you have to worry about are those crazy ghosts. No one alive would want the torture you would give them. You can make them write for you and they might even do spin articles for you.

*scratch head* are you going to re-create the Earth? I think you are getting your geography mixed up again. I stay in Singapore, not China. Next time I bring you to China, and throw you into the cave, then you know what is China. If you dare come to Singapore, I hang you out on the cloth-liner and let the sun toast you oh. Here is just 1 degree north from the Equator, so it is sunny every day. I am sure after a few hours of drying out in the sun, you will turn as black as African.

I will turn an unsightly orange and red color. I will only get dark if I am lucky! I know you live in Singapore. I thought I would get a funny comment from you. Hey, I am planning to come stay with you and bring Canellita with me. LOL We will sleep outside since I am used to the ground. HAHAHA

Actually no one knows about our payments but the irs and the company's record keepers. The only people from ac that know my real name is the founder and the people that work for them. I only use my email for "certain" people. LOL I keep track in case something happens to me. LOL I am just kidding I am NOT that paranoid.

Honey, any investigative person worth their salt can get that info in a matter of minutes.

I was actually thinking about that too. As much as we move around though, I think I will be gone by the time they get to where they think I am. LOL

"People don't always take a pen name seriously when it is something crazy. It makes the information questionable." For sites where I need to be more professional I use a more professional pen name - fictitious first and last name. A lot of professional authors do this especially if they write in more than one genre. So, just because a name sounds like a real name; it could still be a pen name.

Oh, that's just great Canellita. We are all going to go to bed tonight and have nightmares! Maybe we won't answer our phones anymore without caller ID. LOL

Even worse than old boyfriends is old wanted to be boyfriends. (Shiver) Those people from high school that call you one day out of the blue and you politely wait to find out what they want and then you have to ask and they say they are just catching up and then they keep calling and you finally have to confront them since you were never friends in the first place!

That is a good way to break up your writing. You use your real name for what you want people to know you write and then a pen name for fun stuff. That's a good idea.

I have known a couple of people that will use a shortened version of their name. With so many people from different areas it helps to use a short name. Not too many people can even pronounce names that sound different to their area names.

Ah great a troll. LOL I think it's great that you have had a pen name for so long. Most people will change theirs after a couple of years if they are not successful in the endeavor they are using it for.

Pen names are definitely used to present yourself. I have heard professional pen names or pen names that sound like real names, to the funnier more expressive pen names. I like the pen names that express someones personality.

LOL. I figured wally world turned people into zombies. LOL It doesn't matter if you work there or you shop there, watch the people in the store. They all walk around like zombies.

If you write about the amusement park, must be wal-mart, you shouldn't use your real name until you get what you want. Just a suggestion, you catch more flies with honey. Totally agree about the world being a negative place. If I am venting, I like to write about the bad in a humorous light.

Thanks. I agree. I write about the bad in a humorous light also. I had a story published about zombies and used Wally World as the victims. LOL I think that's the only time I've done that.

Identity theft is so common, I completely agree with you. I have heard of people somehow finding all the necessary information for identity theft by just having a name. That would be awful.

Good for you! I think it is great that you want people to know who wrote it. You have confidence. Do you publish on the internet or in print?

I think a lot of people choose nicknames by mood and what site they are on. I try to keep same pen name for all of my writing sites.