I'll be the first to admit that when it comes to online user accounts, I am rather protective of my favorite usernames. I prefer my aliases to be free of numbers and clutter. When other people on various websites see my online identity, I want them to be in awe of the sheer minimalism and genius of the moniker I chose.

For corporations and organizations looking to control their brand's messages online, this is of greater urgency. We've already seen examples of individuals "hijacking" corporate accounts by posing as a company representative on websites like Twitter and Blogger.That's where the website Username Check  comes into play. It's a simple and novel online tool: a user inputs his or her username and the website returns a check on whether that username is registered on various popular web 2.0 sites. Thanks to this tool I was able to snag the username "eric" on a couple of websites. In the case of an organization, it could be useful checking out if there's something out there that you should be aware of.

Able to register an awe-inspiring username after checking with this tool? Let us know in the comments.