Should I create a domain name using a pen name that is common with another person's domain name?
I'm considering a pen name to use, and I wanted to see if its firstlast.com domain is available, but it wasn't. So, I thought I could change the domain to something like firstlastwrites.com, authorfirstlast.com, or firstlastnovels.com, etc. which is available. But I'm concerned that someone who searches "First Last" would receive both sites in their search result, and mistakingly assume that the real First Last is also a writer.
Is it ok to have pen names that have name associations with real domains owned by others?
Notes
I recognize that I could pick a different pen name. But I kind of like the one I picked.
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1 answer
Names are almost never globally unique. This is true whether the owner chooses or the owner's parents do. Author Alex Feinman even has a note on his web site (.net) saying "looking for the other one? that's .com" with a link. If you search Google or LinkedIn for a name, odds are good you'll find more than one person.
Use the name you've chosen, and try to provide enough information on your site to tell visitors which First Last you are. If you're concerned about confusion with the owner of the "obvious" domain (the one that was already taken), add a link like Alex did. Or rely on visitors to sort it out; yours will hardly be the first case of uncertain identity.
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