Would The Real Matt Hartley Please Stand Up?
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After yet another mishap of mistaken identity today over the social Web, I have decided that I need to investigate turning my own Web site into a clearing house to combat one of the biggest issues facing me today. People thinking I am another Matt Hartley.
Like something out of a bad Sci-Fi movie, people with my name are all around me. My only comfort during this rather disruptive discovery is the knowledge that most of us are doing pretty well for ourselves. I guess it is fair to say, in a “Borg collective” sort of way, Matt Hartley (all of us), rocks!
And that got me thinking. Since I own our Web site namesake anyway, maybe I should start a community for people with this name? Man, how weird would that be? It’s like being Norm at Cheers, but in a creepy, virtual sort of way. Perhaps this is not as good of an idea I had initially thought?
To make matters worse, trying to maintain a successful online presence would be quite problematic. Blog author profiles would be a nightmare as, clearly, we share the same John Hancock. Even trying to do a real life Meetup would be chaos as name tags would instantly be rendered useless, likely bursting into flames upon adhesive application. And don’t even get me started on trying to do a raffle using our own names… wow, that could end badly.
Perhaps instead of using the website to create a community for my name driven brethren, I should instead explore the possibility of creating a pool for our “vast” resources to purchase an island of our very own?
Picture this. Living in a place where you no longer find yourself in that awkward position trying to remember someone’s name as you stand in the grocery checkout stand. Clearly, there is magic to be had here!
And free Wi-Fi. Oh man, sharing Internet has never been so easy! Assuming we could convince a fiber offering ISP to provide services to cover an entire island for one single account holder known appropriately as Matt Hartley, each of us would be able to split down our share of the monthly fee into nothing. Bliss would ensue, storm clouds would vanish and ponies… everyone would get ponies to play with on the beaches covered in golden sand.
All kidding aside, I do find myself wondering why it takes something this elaborate to call attention to something that my own Web site quite clearly states: I am not the Matt Hartley you think I am. I live in Washington State, I am not the brain surgeon, scuba diver, Iron Maiden roadie, hair stylist you went to band camp with in the ’80s.
Seriously, why do I end up with email EVERY DAY with often confidential content to be delivered to another Matt Hartley? Are people really this careless? While I sometimes find it funny and pass it off with a smile, other instances lead me to wondering what the heck?
7 Comments
Bryan Price
May 22nd, 2009
at 9:04am
I’ve got a Major League Baseball pitcher with my name. I’ve got a Major League Baseball PITCHING COACH with my name (damn you can’t even tell us apart from our vocations!) There’s another football player in Colorado (High school). And a couple of others that are also into sports. Which figures, because the sports end up in the news, and Google finds them.
Oh, and the one that owns our name (not me) is a DJ in California. I own the one with my middle initial.
Robert Glen Fogarty
May 22nd, 2009
at 10:01am
I often get supposedly confidential information intended for the eyes of other Fogartys — it’s led to some pretty interesting conversations!
Those other Fogartys are lucky I’ve got their backs is all I’m sayin’!
GadgetNut
May 22nd, 2009
at 11:46am
Incidental name confusion isn’t too harmful, and as you’ve all pointed out, sometimes mildly entertaining. But yes, people often do make the incorrect presumption that you are who they think that you are. Yes, some people are careless. Yes, some people just don’t use their ‘gray matter.’ It’s not too bad to sort out as long as the confusion doesn’t extend to your credit records.
I have a more common name. If one looks in my local phone book (if people do that anymore?) there are six. There are twenty four of ‘me’ in this state. And that’s just the ones who are listed. One of ‘me’ even has the same birth date. Sheesh. As I’m not ‘listed,’ none of them are me, either. There are several hundreds nationwide. And similarly to you guys, several of them are doing much better than am I. Maybe they’re afraid that I’m riding on ‘their’ coat tails.. ;-)
It could get really difficult if the wrong ‘me’ should become a financial ‘deadbeat’ and make me have to go through the hassle of separating out what is and is not ‘my’ information on credit reports and histories. The last time I checked the info in mine, it stated that they had records on ‘me’ since about four years before I was even born. Luckily, the info was only ‘misplaced’ but not derogatory, otherwise it could have cost me in several ways while it was sorted out. It does make me wonder why credit reporting agencies only index information on a name, and do so rather cavalierly, with very little intent or effort to do it right, and no regard or sympathy for those that their actions have wronged. The burden falls on us to straighten out a mess that their actions created. I feel for the ‘John Smiths’ of the world. They’ve definitely got it an order of magnitude worse than do we. So we laugh when we can, and cringe when the mood strikes.
Khürt Williams
May 30th, 2009
at 9:05am
I am so thankful to my parents for taking the time to consider what I might be called for the rest of my life.
There can be only one!
Khürt (yes the umlaut is on my birth certificate).
Matt Hartley
July 24th, 2009
at 6:18pm
Would the real Matt Hartley please stand up? Were you talking to me?
By the way, I’m THAT Matt Hartley. You know, the one you referenced on your Website saying you’re not that guy from the Globe and Mail?
Sorry about all the emails you may have received from people who were trying to send me press releases about the latest gadgets, gizmos or whatever.
But if you’re down with holding a reunion of sorts, count me in. I’ll bring the beer and the crab cakes.
Maybe we need a secret handshake or something?
Matt Hartley
July 24th, 2009
at 9:22pm
Matt: Greetings from Washington State. I heard you jump ship to another writing gig, hope it is working out for you?
As for a reunion, it might be interesting. Clearly there are a number of us out there with what might be described as the greatest name on Earth. Heh
Matt Hartley
July 24th, 2009
at 9:23pm
Matt: Not really so much a problem on the email front, however I am about ready to break down and share a Twitter account with ya though. I receive a number of tweets directed to the Matt Hartley to my north. :)