Letting Go of Dawn :) and Welcoming Dawn Smiles

Summary

The author, a child of the 80s, has transitioned from using the screen name "Dawn :)" to "Dawn Smiles" on Medium to improve discoverability and align her online presence with her real-life demeanor.

Abstract

The author recounts her first encounter with the emoticon ":)" on a BBS in the 80s, which led to her widespread use of smileys in her online interactions. She initially chose "Dawn :)" as her Medium screen name to reflect her frequent smiling and nostalgia for early internet culture. However, she realized that her screen name did not match her Medium account username, @DawnMLamond, making it difficult for readers to find her. To rectify this, she has rebranded to "Dawn Smiles," a name that captures the essence of her original screen name while ensuring consistency and discoverability across platforms. She has updated her links and social media to reflect this change and advises others on the importance of matching their Medium screen name and username for better visibility and fan engagement.

Opinions

The author values the importance of a consistent online identity, emphasizing that a mismatch between a Medium screen name and username can hinder discoverability.
She reflects fondly on the early days of internet communication, highlighting the novelty and eventual adoption of emoticons as a form of expression.
The author believes in the power of branding and the need for an online presence that accurately represents one's personality and is easily searchable.
She suggests that relying solely on links for readers to find her work is insufficient and that a memorable and searchable screen name is crucial for attracting and retaining an audience.
The author is committed to engaging with her audience, encouraging them to subscribe to her Medium posts and support her through platforms like ko-fi.
She sees the evolution from text-based emoticons to image-based emojis as a natural progression but maintains a fondness for the simplicity of the original smiley.

Now you can find me! :D

So, I’m a child of the 80’s, and I remember when I saw my very first :) It was on a BBS (Bulletin Board System) called Isles of Shae. I had dialed up for the first time on my dad’s lightning fast 2,400 baud modem!

People were talking in the text based chat room, and they kept putting these weird symbols at the ends of their sentences. Not everyone, and not all the time, but often enough I thought it might be a code or something.

Was I not following protocol? Was that how you were supposed to signal you had finished speaking? I finally had to ask — what was that :) people kept putting at the end of what they were saying?

Someone kindly clued me in by simply saying, “It’s a smile!”

I looked at it again, and I clearly remember tipping my 14 year old head to the side to get a better look at it. And then it dawned on me. (pun totally intended) Ooooooohhh!!!

And with that I joined the smiley gang. To a fault — I put :) everywhere. And I continue to use them to this day, even though for the most part they’ve given way to image versions called emojis such as 😊and 😀and 😺.

So, when it came to choosing my Medium screen name, Dawn :) made total sense! Plus I smile a lot in real life, so there’s that. And I kinda liked the feel of kickin’ it old school :)

The problem, however, was that you couldn’t find me if you searched for me. My screen name may have been Dawn :) but my Medium account username was @DawnMLamond — my married name.

Brilliant move or sneaky self sabotage? My branding of Dawn :) just wasn’t going to work since no one could actually find me! :P Oops.

So here I am, at the end of an era that began over 40 years ago. It’s time to let the :) go.

Since Dawn :) was always intended to convey the idea of Dawn smiles — that’s who I am now! Dawn Smiles :D I went ahead and ported over all my links and my ko-fi page to my new identity. Next on my list: Twitter.

Key Message: If your Medium Screen Name and User Name don’t match, people won’t be able to find you from memory. If they have to rely on a link to get to you, it’s not enough. You’ll miss out on your best possible fans!

😊 Want to know whenever I publish anything? Here you go!

😀 Like what you read? Give me a smile, buy me a ko-fi

Letting Go of Dawn :) and Welcoming Dawn Smiles

Now you can find me! :D

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