I've been thinking a lot, lately, about identity and the Internet.
       I feel like I should get my thoughts down for posterity and for a
       bit of rubber ducking.
       
       The things is, I've always felt like there were two "me"s: real
       life me (Brian) and online me (echosa). I've tried to keep online
       me somewhat private-ish and separate from IRL me. The things is,
       lately I've been becoming more public online, largely due to having
       started regularly streaming on Twitch. That's really the cause of
       this whole line of thought, because I now find myself wondering:
       Is there any difference between Brian and echosa anymore?
       
       After a lot of thought and consideration, I've come to the conclusion
       that, no, the two are now one and the same. Internet searching is
       a thing, and because I wasn't careful enough for the past decade,
       there's no unlinking my two identities. I'm coming to terms with
       this, slowly, as it honestly makes me a bit nervous to realize that
       what little bit of separation and anonymity I had is (and always
       was) a lie to myself.
       
       Several questions arise, then, from this realization. Should I have
       made a bigger effort to keep my identities separate and secure? Do
       I have anything to worry about? Should I scrap it all and start
       over? Am I over-thinking this? (I over-think things all the time.)
       
       That said, by no means do I plan to go plastering all my info
       everywhere echosa exists. However, I'm trying to find the fine line
       between not posting *anything* and posting *everything*. Phone
       number? Nope, not going to happen. Real name? Why not, at this
       point? Photo? ... This one is tough. My face is already on Twitch,
       yet for some reason, I still feel some hang-ups when it comes to
       having my face online *everywhere*. I don't know why, but it's
       true. Probably just some psychological issue I need to work through.
       I'll add it to the queue. I can't deny that Brian and echosa are
       one and the same now, yet it is difficult for me to completely
       admit and accept. Again, I have no idea why. (Thanks, brain. As if
       I needed something else to be neurotic about.)
       
       There's just something inherently frightening about being known in
       a place that is known for being (somewhat) anonymous. Welcome to
       the Internet, where trust is a luxury.