‘Frequently’ asked questions might be slightly inaccurate, but here’s a few questions I’ve been asked that I feel I should answer:

• Why did you name your blog ‘Persona Non Grata’?

Persona Non Grata is a Latin word meaning an unwelcome or unwanted person. In diplomatic terms it usually means a person is not allowed in a certain place where they are considered ‘persona non grata’. To be honest, it’s a name I relate to a lot. Wherever I go, both online and in the physical world, I always feel like I’m trespassing, and it’s only a matter of time before I’m discovered and kicked out. Part of it is Imposter syndrome, but part of it comes with the experience of being made to feel unwelcome in social situations, such as being told ‘you can’t sit here!’ at various points in my life.

It sounds like a negative way to promote myself, and in a way it is. But I also feel like embracing it. Yes, most people won’t welcome me, but what are they going to do? I exist: deal with it. I might be an outsider, but maybe that gives me a different perspective on things than those on the inside. After all, it is my blog, and I have just as much right to say what I want as anyone else.

• Why is your Instagram handle ‘ftcat3000’?

Years ago when I first logged onto the Internet I played an online shooter called Quake. Each player would create their own handle for their character, and often they were predictable macho-sounding names like ‘Renegade’, ‘Vendetta’, or my favourite, the ever-so-creatively titled ‘Killer’. Being the wacky contrarian, I went with a bunch of sillier names that didn’t exactly fit in a grim world where soldiers blow each other up with rocket launchers. The one name that stuck with me was ‘Fluffy the Cat’. I ended up using that as my handle for much of my online communication (I still have an account on the Something Awful forums under that name), but eventually I shortened it to just ‘FTC’.

As for the ‘3000’ part, I found that in a lot of places the name ‘FTC’ was already registered, and so I would add something extra to my handle. At first I added ‘3040AD’ in reference to various popular franchises that would add a futuristic setting to their storylines (think Phantom 2040 or SimCity 2000). Eventually I lost the ‘AD’ part and just ended up calling myself ‘ftc3000’ as my default online handle.

Unfortunately I screwed up my account creation on Instagram and had to call myself ‘ftcat3000’ instead.

• Why do you have a picture of a cat on your social media profiles?

That’s Connor, my long-time animal companion. I’ve often felt uncomfortable using my own image on social media so I use his instead. I don’t think he minds. He’s much more photogenic than me, anyway.

• Why do you wear a hat in most of your pictures?

I often feel uncomfortable around people, so I wear a baseball cap so I can avoid meeting people’s eyes when I feel threatened.