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I'd like to start populating my new public github page with personal projects in order to show it to potential employers, however, I noticed that the first thing coming up in a google search of said username is a foreign adult site.

The username in question is also the local-part of my .edu address, and it doesn't sound like anything at all (surname initial+first name).

Should I be concerned about this?

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  • Just to confirm, who owns the username? Is it you, or someone trying to access your projects? Where is it originating?
    – user34587
    Jun 19, 2018 at 10:36
  • I own the username, however, I wasn't sure what to think of this situation, so there are no projects associated with the account. I'd prefer not to tell the origin.
    – nobody_in_particular
    Jun 19, 2018 at 10:44
  • @anonymous_user3132 Ah sorry when I asked about where it originated, I meant if it was someone else's username, was it from a potential employer or stranger, that sort of thing. But it's your own, thanks for clearing that up!
    – user34587
    Jun 19, 2018 at 11:03
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    When you publicize or advertise the site (e.g. on your CV), just use the URL. Usually if someone types an entire address into Google it will show that result first. If you're worried about it, keep the site public (reachable by Google) for a few weeks before adding it to your CV.
    – Brandin
    Jun 19, 2018 at 11:32

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No, you shouldn't be overly concerned about this coincidence - anyone reading your resume should be able to figure out that the user name is genuinely made up from your initial and surname and shouldn't question this further.

If the question of googling this name occurs, you can simply laugh this off (and perhaps blame your name on your parents) and move on with the interview.

If you've yet to actually use Git, then it seems appropriate to think up a less contentious name and move forwards with that instead. Some people might use their first name and initial of the surname instead of the other way around.

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  • Thank you, that seems like a sane way to handle this situation. Although it really doesn't sound like anything specific, so I guess my parents can't be blamed at all.
    – nobody_in_particular
    Jun 19, 2018 at 10:47
  • I made a mistake in my post, the username actually consists of the initial of my surname and my first name. However, my last name is hard to pronounce due to its origin, so I'm not sure what the better choice would be.
    – nobody_in_particular
    Jun 19, 2018 at 10:54
  • I also want to create a personal website with the same domain (although with the .com TLD). Both options (first name initial+lastname and surname initial+firstname) are available on GitHub and as a .com domain. The second option is longer and less pronounceable.
    – nobody_in_particular
    Jun 19, 2018 at 10:59
  • It's really down to you. You can always shorten your surname into a more memorable informal form. Whatever sounds good to you.
    – user44108
    Jun 19, 2018 at 11:02
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Unfortunately that is very common. I would even argue that everyone's name leads to something inappropriate. I recall a few times we had interviews and we wanted to google the person's name before they came in. Several times, inappropriate sites came up as the top results.

With that said, I don't think you have much to worry about. Try to google your full name to see what comes up. Be sure to give your full github url, not just your user name, so that prospective employers can just type that in rather than google search and having to bypass the inappropriate sites.

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