CPCFTW Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 (edited) Many client-facing jobs can also use fake names. I have used a fake name for a previous job. Some people don't want angry clients firebombing their homes, or conspiracy theorist hippies camping on their lawns and taking dumps in their mailboxes. I've also worked for a call centre so I can attest to fake names being used there. Probably at least half the time people will use a fake name. When you are talking to "Cindy" or "Valerie", it is often an african or arabic girl with a less palatable (to Western society) name. Edited March 20, 2012 by CPCFTW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stopstaaron Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 Many client-facing jobs can also use fake names. I have used a fake name for a previous job. Some people don't want angry clients firebombing their homes, or conspiracy theorist hippies camping on their lawns and taking dumps in their mailboxes. What job was that that you did? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPCFTW Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 (edited) What job was that that you did? Sorry but I think I'll keep my personal life secret from a board filled with lefty conspiracy theorists. I did work for a call centre before. See my edit above. Edited March 20, 2012 by CPCFTW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stopstaaron Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 Sorry but I think I'll keep my personal life secret from a board filled with lefty conspiracy theorists. I did work for a call centre before. See my edit above. Did you also make a facebook and a linkedln for your made up persona? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 What is your job? I'm a graphic artist. I used to work exclusively on comic books, but now I do a wide range of different kinds of books and other projects. I've been credited as a pseudonym, I've had clients who only knew me by a pen name. I've even had clients who credited me as the name of a completely different real person. That actually happens a lot too, for artists and writers. Those are people in the entertainment industry..not working in a robocalling centre. Like I said, I know teachers who do it. Social workers too actually. It's really, really common for people who deal with the public or have their names put out in public to use fake names. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPCFTW Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 Did you also make a facebook and a linkedln for your made up persona? I did not, but I was not responsible for bringing in clients. It sounds like this guy was given his position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stopstaaron Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 I'm not buying your stories. This "guy" was not writing comic books. He's not a dangerous criminal. He's not an undercover police officer. He was head of marketing and web developer.. there is no need at all to protect your identity with that job. None whatsoever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stopstaaron Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 Also Russel Matichuk, vice president of Sumex, said Monday that he had talked to RackNine about getting them to do some work, but they never did. “That’s weird,” he said. “There has never been anyone by that name that’s been head of marketing.” how do you explain that? unless you're calling the VP of Sumex a liar.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPCFTW Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 (edited) I'm not buying your stories. This "guy" was not writing comic books. He's not a dangerous criminal. He's not an undercover police officer. He was head of marketing and web developer.. there is no need at all to protect your identity with that job. None whatsoever. Sure there is. A client gets upset with cost overruns of his robocalling poll and then spams the internet with lurid details of mystery man's divorce and sex life as revenge. Hippies repeatedly "retweet" these lurid details as the media and internet has successfully dehumanized the mystery man. It's not up to you to determine whether an individual's anonymity is warranted or not. Some people like to post every detail of their lives on facebook and twitter, while others are more private. Edited March 20, 2012 by CPCFTW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPCFTW Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 Also Russel Matichuk, vice president of Sumex, said Monday that he had talked to RackNine about getting them to do some work, but they never did. “That’s weird,” he said. “There has never been anyone by that name that’s been head of marketing.” how do you explain that? unless you're calling the VP of Sumex a liar.. Maybe Matichuk was spared the pseudonym as he was a valued potential client. Or perhaps the VP of a completely different firm which never contracted the services of Racknine is mistaken about the organizational structure of the company? Shocking! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybercoma Posted March 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 I'm not, but notice it took you less than a minute to think of two jobs where people do regularly use fake names. Now think about all the artists, actors, singers, dancers, musicians, writers, broadcasters, etc in this country. A lot of them use a different name for business. I know several teachers who do the same as well. Hmmm... you forgot to list web developer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stopstaaron Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 Maybe Matichuk was spared the pseudonym as he was a valued potential client. Or perhaps the VP of a completely different firm which never contracted the services of Racknine is mistaken about the organizational structure of the company? Shocking! Okay, but, this Mystery person must talk to EC & RCMP, do you agree with that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybercoma Posted March 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 I'm a graphic artist. I used to work exclusively on comic books, but now I do a wide range of different kinds of books and other projects. I've been credited as a pseudonym, I've had clients who only knew me by a pen name. I've even had clients who credited me as the name of a completely different real person. That actually happens a lot too, for artists and writers.What's your thoughts on Drawn & Quarterly? I've never picked up a book from them that I didn't like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPCFTW Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 Okay, but, this Mystery person must talk to EC & RCMP, do you agree with that? Sure. He probably has already (if he exists). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 I'm not buying your stories. This "guy" was not writing comic books. He's not a dangerous criminal. He's not an undercover police officer. He was head of marketing and web developer.. there is no need at all to protect your identity with that job. None whatsoever. People in marketing and web development use pseudonyms all the time. For the same reasons as the other jobs I listed. Also, in some cases, the fake name isn't even a real person at all. For some companies, there might be several different people who might at one time or another operate as that name. It's not so much that they identify with that name, so much as acting as that name is their job. Another reason why people use fake names is they don't want certain clients to be aware that they are working for another company. Coke might not like it that you also work for Pepsi, Marvel did not like it if we did work for DC at the same time, etc. I also worked in a studio once that did not like their employees having their own freelance clients. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 What's your thoughts on Drawn & Quarterly? I've never picked up a book from them that I didn't like. Great company. They treat their creators really well, never try to interfere with the creative process, and they respect the privacy of their creators (many of whom do not publish under their real names). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybercoma Posted March 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 I know it's off-topic, but I need to hit up their shop in Montreal the next time I'm there. Right now I'm reading Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths by Shigeru Mizuki. Incredible piece of work. Even more so when you consider the guy only has one arm. In any case, everyone's aware the entertainment industry uses pseudonyms extensively. However, a marketer and web-developer for an web-services provider... not so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 In any case, everyone's aware the entertainment industry uses pseudonyms extensively. However, a marketer and web-developer for an web-services provider... not so much. Much. It's very common for the names associated with a web-based business to not be real. That anonymity is one of the advantages of being web-based. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stopstaaron Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 This guy worked at a robocall centre not writing comic books Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 This guy worked at a robocall centre not writing comic books I listed a lot of other jobs that commonly use pseudonyms. Call centres are definitely one of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stopstaaron Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 I listed a lot of other jobs that commonly use pseudonyms. Call centres are definitely one of them. Yes the menial workers do whom do the calling but not the guy in charge of marketing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cybercoma Posted March 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 You're both missing the point. Even if someone uses a pseudonym in their job, when someone calls and asks for that person at their job, they should be there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryan Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 You're both missing the point. Even if someone uses a pseudonym in their job, when someone calls and asks for that person at their job, they should be there. Not if the reason for the pseudonym is so that they do not have to talk to the public, also not if there is no such actual person. I worked at a studio once where there were five of us who 'worked as' the same name. If someone phoned and asked for that person, they'd just get a made up story as to why she wasn't available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topaz Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 Today, the National Post is saying we have a face and a name for the robocalls and this person is friends with a number of MP's but where is he? The Philippines is starting to be involved and did someone within the government or connection to the government hired a wiz on computers to do their dirty work?? And so it goes on and on.... http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/03/19/who-is-rick-mcknight-no-one-seems-to-know-who-the-mystery-employee-for-robocall-company-racknine-really-is/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shakeyhands Posted March 20, 2012 Report Share Posted March 20, 2012 I listed a lot of other jobs that commonly use pseudonyms. Call centres are definitely one of them. You are absolutely correct, a lot of call center agents use either a pseudonym or an agent ID number. Having said that, I'm pretty sure none of them have profiles, company, facebook or otherwise to their credit... and I'm certain they aren't friends with politicians, the majority of which are CPC MP's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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