In life, that is the ultimate lesson. That all of us think we re the most important. You want life to go how you want it to for you and your name. You know, there s all these other people that feel the same way about themselves.
— Mike Sager, a writer who wasn t thrilled that there were a bunch of other Mike Sagers out there in cyberspace. He went on to get in touch with 39 others with the same name, according to NPR. When you share a name with many other people, you start sharing, effectively, a history and reputation with them, says Judith Donath, a researcher at Harvard s Berkman Center for Internet and Society. And what if someone you share a name with is less than desirable? That s called the doppernamer problem, says Michael Fertik, founder and CEO of Reputation.com, a Silicon Valley company that specializes in improving (or repairing) people s reputations online.
Screenshot from LinkedIn
