Yet a prospective employer armed with images of youthful Facebook indiscretions, can insist we must be the same person as we were then. Already social networks are defining us and claiming to know us, in a way we would never claim to know ourselves.

An argument for consistent naming online can easily be dressed up as an accountability measure that can deter undesirable activities; from illegal acts to the merely devious tactic of expressing support for one's own position under another name, to make one's voice appear louder.

There are desirable outcomes to having a single name, but it is clear what the biggest advantage to Google and Facebook is; the more information they attach to one identity, the bigger, better-defined target you will be for advertising and marketing.

As we all know, assumptions about our tastes can be riddled with errors and oversimplifications. And a lot of us simply don't want to be a target for "targeted marketing".

If you do want someone else to tell you what kind of person you are, you're free to stick to one name online and let all the detritus of your words and deeds down the years adhere to that consistent identity. But let it be a free choice.