[Otto42]

I've gone by the name "Otto" for about half my life. It's a nickname I got in college. Many of my best friends didn't know my real name for years. It just never came up. My mom is the only person who uses my real name, and every now and then even she slips up. So when I go online, I tend to use "Otto" instead of "Samuel". Not trying to fool anybody, it's just the name I go by.

There's nothing special about a nickname, is there? Or do you not consider those to be pseudonyms?

Now, Google+ might have no problem with this, but I can't use just "Otto" there. It requires a first and last name, I believe. Also, I can't be "verified" under the name Otto. I currently am verified with my real name, via the old Knol trick from Google Profiles way back when. I kinda like the verification, and so use my real name there. But it's weird, as almost everybody both on and offline knows me by Otto, not by my real name. And if I change it, I'd lose the verified checkmark. Kinda annoying, that.