I'm noticing that sometimes people are using their real names and photos when posting on The Saloon. Some are using their real given names as their Saloon usernames. Some are appending posts with their names. Some are using photos of themselves as their avatars.
It's your choice to make, but
I strongly recommend that you NOT do this. Here's why:
1. Basic internet security. The net is heavily infested with spammers, identity thieves, and other such internet scumbags. Posting your own personal info, even on a genuinely benign site like The Saloon, can expose you to risk you don't want or need.
2. Chinese schools, recruiters, etc. DO READ THESE PAGES! I can tell because of all the threatening e-mails I get.
By using your real name and photo, current and potential employers, and other organizations, can pretty easily match you up with what you say on The Saloon. This can lead to problems at work, legal harassment, or having to be very careful about your comments and opinions...all things we very much don't want to have happen to you here.
So again, it's highly recommended that you not use your identity in publicly-accessible internet areas...here or anywhere else.
Note that if you've used your real name as a username, you can easily change the "handle" people will see: Go to your Profile and click on "Account Related Settings".
Under your username you'll see a little box labelled "Name: This is the displayed name that people will see." Type whatever handle you want in that box, then click the "Change Profile" button near the bottom of the page...that's all it takes! Then, you'll still use your original username to log onto The Saloon...but what people will see is something different.
Be Safe!
By the way...when you get to full membership ("Barfly status"), there's an area where you can safely post photos of yourself if you want, and only other full members will see it.