[OT] Re: Github names & avatars

[Andrei Alexandrescu via Digitalmars-d]

On 5/13/16 11:54 PM, Xinok wrote:
> On Friday, 13 May 2016 at 18:56:15 UTC, Walter Bright wrote:
>> If some company won't hire you because you contributed code to D, I'd
>> say you dodged a bullet working for such!
>
> I've known a couple people who had to apply for over 200-300 positions
> before they finally got a job in their field. Life isn't so convenient
> that we can pick and choose which job we want. Sometimes, you've gotta
> take what you can get. But suppose one of these people was a member of
> the D community and they get turned down for every job they apply for
> because the employer discovered something dumb they posted in this thread:
>
> http://forum.dlang.org/thread/gpcyapiqlkpfahrzfubb@forum.dlang.org
>
> The internet never forgets so a little anonymity is a good thing.

I honestly think this concern is overrated, sometimes to the extent it 
becomes a fallacy. The converse benefits of anonymity are also 
exaggerated in my opinion. My own experience is evidence. A simple 
pattern I followed throughout is:

1. Do good work
2. Put your name next to it
3. Goto 1

I've written a large number of things by my name that I shouldn't have, 
the most epic being probably 
http://lists.boost.org/Archives/boost/2002/01/23189.php. But if the 
prevalent pattern is good work under your name, then you stand to gain a 
_lot_. People understand the occasional fluke - and this community is a 
prime example.

Your name is your brand. (In the US quite literally anybody can do 
business using their name as the company name with no extra paperwork.) 
You have the option to build your brand and walk into a room and just 
say it to earn instantly everyone's respect and attention. Or you can 
introduce yourself and then awkwardly list the various handles under you 
might also be known. I was repeatedly surprised (this week most 
recently) at the brand power my name has in the most unexpected 
circumstances.


Andrei