@aeva@mastodon.social In somewhat limited circles but yeah, unfortunately so. "Wait, I know your name from somewhere... oh, it was _____!" is about a weekly occurrence for me in tech circles - and not always from a perspective of genuine appreciation either :/

Honestly probably the biggest downside is that it makes it really hard to meet and connect with people on a personal level, because there's always that nagging doubt of "are they here for me, or for my reputation?", and I *know* that I'm a role model to some people, which makes me super cautious about what I say publicly and how as well.

So the fediverse with its limited reach is definitely an opportunity for me to try and be myself more! With less concerns about it becoming "a thing this famous person said".

And I'm only well-known *in specific circles*, so this must be infinitely worse for people who are globally famous. The fame can be very useful to get activist stuff done, but it's also made me understand on a visceral level why celebrities almost always date other celebrities...