Please, three years? I joined at 13 and entered my age as 18. I didn't want to lie to people directly so I just avoided referring to anything too age-specific. Just like you, I didn't want to be judged by my age before I'd had a chance to prove myself. When the truth finally came out when I was 16, the average estimate seemed to be 19.
So yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if you were similar. If you acted sufficently smart, you might have earned those three years in the eyes of your peers.
As for the name thing, I still use a fake surname for everything apart from Facebook. Like you, my real one is extremely rare. It's just good net practice, nobody cares. Also, I think my parents Google me on occasion to see what I'm doing.
Glad to hear you're achieving your ambitions. Welcome back.
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