My Names

Since "Mark Johnson" is such a common name, I decided in high school to start using my full legal name ("Mark Scott Johnson"). In college, some folks started to call me "Mark Scott". I liked it and it stuck. After the end of my first long-term relationship in 1990, I decided to start using "Scott" in my new social circles. ("New occasions teach new duties" and all that.)

Consequently, I go by three different names, depending on the context:

• My family and total strangers [sic] call me "Mark".
• In professional and church circles, I am known primarily as "Mark Scott". I generally sign my e-mail messages as "M.S.".
• In social circles, particularly among country/western and square dancers, I go by "Scott".

Take your pick. I answer to all three equally well.

And while the use of my initials ("MSJ") to refer to me goes back at least to graduate-student days, in recent years the practice has grown, to the point where some folks call me MSJ to my face. This is particularly true in computing circles, I guess because my e-mail account name is "msj". I sometimes even refer to myself as "MSJ", so you're welcome to as well, if you like.