David House
* "Reputation. Using a RealName is the most credible way to build a combined online and RealLife identity." (Some people don't want this, for whatever reasons.)
I agree that the restriction should be lifted. A lot of very smart people do not want their real names connected to certain projects or be found on the internet at all. And I don't agree that "why not?" can be a valid argument, but even if it is, the above is a valid answer to it. So all in all there is no convincing argument for the restriction, but at least two convincing arguments against. Human identity is much more than just a file descriptor or a map key, and people from academia often don't get this, because they don't have to fear using their real names. Particularly in economically illiberal countries being known as the author of a certain Haskell package can get you into trouble either at work or even with the government. It can also prevent you from getting a job. Nobody should be forced to use their real name anywhere on the internet, because unlike a bulletin board in a university, lab or school, the internet can be searched by employers easily. Greets Ertugrul -- nightmare = unsafePerformIO (getWrongWife >>= sex) http://blog.ertes.de/