This is not a computer related blog post but I "have to" write this rant since I'm regularly remembered about this cultural Problem: There happen to be people who have a suname that is often used as name like Philipp or Simon - the later one being my family name. It's understandable for us that people mess up our name and surname. Since I know more male names used as surname more often the men of such families more are often confronted with this.
In oral language this isn't a problem but I've tried several tricks to point people in written correspondence to hint them to my correct name. I haven't found good answer. If you happen to have such a surname it won't help if you write your surname in CAPITALS after your name. Even if you abbreviate your name and then write your surname - there isn't a guarantee that the other opposite will get it right until even the third time. A good way if you are with collegues: Just tell them your name and don't tell your surname. 🙂
But what is one of the most embarassing things is the usage of forms:
It's usual to fill in forms where you have to put your name and surname in clearly differentiated fields. This works quite good in at least bureaucracy. I've never gotten a letter from official side who'd have gotten my name wrong. But I'm regularly confronted with the situation where people did think I did fill in the form wrongly and mix the names - once more. - I even double-check the naming of the fields!
So please: If you have to transfer names and surnames from a list and you realize that yet a surname is more commonly used as name -DON'T CORRECT it by switching name and surname. These people haven't most often missunderstood your form. Just copy the values and it will be right. Thank you!
It saves US bearing such names the time to re-explain it to YOU that it was really meant this way! 🙂