Does My Real Name Matter To You?
A few days ago, one of our SB Nation bloggers got called out in an article by Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star. Kravtiz made fun of our blogger for using the name “Big Blue Shoe” as opposed to his real name on the Indianapolis Colts website "Stampede Blue", which he runs .
Later, Kravitz had Big Blue Shoe on his radio show (audio link). Kravitz kept trying to pound home the point that he (Kravitz) carried more credibility because of using his real name, while Big Blue Shoe carried little to none because he "hid" behind a silly pseudonym (although it's interesting to point out that Kravitz steered clear of the quality of content being provided by both).
My real name is Jon Johnston. It’s not that hard to find out who I am, as I’ve posted information in my bio (the picture HAS to change), which is available here on SB Nation. You can find me on twitter -@Cornnation, on Facebook - "Corn Nation", contact me via email - cornnation@gmail.com, but here on Corn Nation I go by ‘corn blight’. I admit, it's a silly screen name, but when SB Nation asked me to join and start a Nebraska site nearly four years ago, I never imagined that it'd grown into what it's become now.
We've recently partnered with CBS College Sports, which means you'll see CN content show up on the CBS site from time to time, moreso as college football season approaches. We'll have access to AP photos from now on, including during next year's Nebraska games, so there's a lot to look forward to.
Now, granted, I haven’t done worth a darn here at CN lately because I’ve been heavily concentrating on this year’s Nebraska football yearbook, as I really want it to be the best Cornhusker football preview yearbook you can buy. Becoming a published author was one of the goals I had when I started this site, and I'm grateful to Maple Street Press for giving me that opportunity. (I should be done this week and back to posting better stuff here at CN next week. There's a bunch of stuff that just can't fit in the yearbook.)
Googling for me under my real name, well, you’ll find some other people that aren’t me, but near the top of the list you’ll find an article I did near the end of a rather long career as a published author in the computer industry. You'll find next to nothing having to do with sports writing.
If I changed my screen name on this site to use my real name, would it make much of a difference to you? I'm asking because SB Nation is seeking to establish more credibility, as am I. But does it really matter? Or, as Big Blue Shoe points out, is it all about the content?
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Comments
If I met you in a bar...
and you asked to call you “corn blight”, then yeah I’d be a little weirded out. Otherwise? Not really. I find it funny how the “established media” guys spend so much time these days trying to justify the validity of their media/publishing formats versus the non-established or newer formats.
by Flatlander on May 21, 2009 7:40 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Newspaper writers are just threatened because all the sudden they are realizing there are better things out there than their crap. Screen names, handles, pen names, whatever else..it doesn’t matter. Keep it up corn blight.
by Winfield Featherston on May 21, 2009 7:53 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
You'll always be Corn Blight to me
The problem I have with the anonymous nature of the internet is people are not held accountable for what they say. Want to start a rumor that a player nearly OD’d on painkillers? Easy. Want to pretend that you have inside access to Husker football, and leak made up tidbits? Just as easy. Who cares?
It’s also allows people to change their identity too easily. Here I can be a level headed fan posting as JLew, but then again I may also go by Furious Red at the CU board and be a huge ass.
If you ever want to see the true ugliness of the anonymous internet go check out the comments on youtube.
I’m not saying I have never regretted posting something, but I strive to stand behind whatever I post as if my real name was attached to it. And I think the bloggers here do as well.
You can't possibly be a scientist if you mind people thinking that you're a fool.
~Wanko the Sane
by JLew on May 21, 2009 10:09 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
It's all about the content
Whether it’s Samuel Clemens, or “Mark Twain”, it’s what you write that truly matters. It’s up to the readers and the publishers to decide if what you write is worth reading. Writing under pseudonyms has been going on for a very long time, for a variety of mediums, Mr. Kravitz….if that is your real name.
by Wolvie on May 21, 2009 11:40 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
FWIW,
I changed my SBN name from JQ to my full name a few years back when my articles started to be picked up on some mainstream sites. I figured it just made sense. Some people told me this was a mistake and now my identity would be stolen, or I would get a lot of hate mail. I’ve gotten a few hateful notes over the years but I don’t think my identity was stolen yet.
I teach on campus and I was worried having my name out there might cause some conflict of interest events. That has not happened either.
All in all, I think it is better to use your real name. But it is not a big deal. I’d like to think using your real name might make reporters less likely to “borrow” your material without extending credit, although my personal experience has not born out this belief. I’ve found reporters using their real names at times feel perfectly fine republishing my material under their names.
www.rockchalktalk.com for pretty good KU baseball coverage
by James Quinn on May 21, 2009 12:41 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I listened to the interview and read the Kravitz rant.
I have to say Kravitz comes out looking very small and unprofessional in the whole exchange. Big Blue Shoe made all the good points in the radio interview.
www.rockchalktalk.com for pretty good KU baseball coverage
by James Quinn on May 21, 2009 2:29 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
My God!
I thought you were John Byers!
by I'm right on May 21, 2009 9:06 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
any more talk like that
and I’ll have to ban you, sir.
Go Big Red Nebraska!
Our Cobs Are Bigger Than Yours!
Corn Nation!
Twitter!
cornnation@gmail.com
by corn blight on May 24, 2009 4:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
congrats on your book
be sure to let us know over at RMN when its published. I could give a crap less about Nebraska football (or Nebraska in general, for that matter), but I’d give your book a look.
by leghumpingjihadkiller on May 23, 2009 2:16 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
thanks
kind of……
book will hit shelves July 6th – you know we’ll be saying more about it soon.
Go Big Red Nebraska!
Our Cobs Are Bigger Than Yours!
Corn Nation!
Twitter!
cornnation@gmail.com
by corn blight on May 24, 2009 4:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

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