Why is my full real name showing up when I sent an IM?

Why is my regular IM screen name showing even when I have selected to use my alias screen name ?

• I have an alias screen name/profile set up to protect my regular email address. However, my regular screen name still shows in an IM chat. That defeats the purpose of an alias if my regular screen name is still being revealed. How do I fix?

• Answer:

  Please note that if you just created your alias, you will need to exit Yahoo Messenger by right clicking the Yahoo icon by your clock and choosing exit. When you start it again, your alias will become available for you to use. When using an alias, you have to choose the alias from the drop down menu in the IM window. This is near the bottom under Send As. You choose this before you send the message you type. If you use the Yahoo chat rooms, on the Join room window you would need to also use the drop down menu to select your alias before you choose the room to join. It is easy to forget to do this. So you have another option and that is instead of signing into Yahoo Messenger with your regular Yahoo ID, sign in with your alias. Just sign out of Yahoo Messenger and delete the Yahoo ID and type in your alias and same password. Now when you send an IM or want to go to a chat room your alias is the name used by default. You can still use your main Yahoo ID, but you will have to choose it from that drop down window discussed above. To show the sign in window for Yahoo Messenger just click Messenger at the top and Sign out. And one last note. An alias cannot have a profile of its own. If you want an alias to have a profile you have to link it with your main Yahoo ID. But from what you have said you do not want to do that, so your alias is not going to have a profile. I hope I have helped!