I have an easy time recognizing faces and personalities, but a hard time connecting the face/personality/person to the context I know them from, and an even harder time pulling out the right name to go with the face/personality/person. Like you, I have a much easier time if I've seen the name written. (And like you, I have an easier time remembering names I use in writing regularly — the name that always comes to mind for you is wispfox, even though I was introduced to you by your given name first.)