I think you may be asking me, as at least one who has mentioned it. I think there could be legit reasons for it. For those who are super privacy hawks and then for the unusual circumstance you shared about your own life. However, if you are not super threatened in the world, it is often used as a way to throw bombs without standing behind them. In a war, it's one thing-but in an intellectual debate, it smacks as someone who wants to hide from what they are saying. It raises questions of honesty and credibility

I published my books and all my commentary under my own name, mainly for publicity purposes. Some reasons I have an alias, which I do not use here, is to say things in a hostile environment without them coming back to haunt me/my family. Yes, I've been threatened for my commentary and even one time someone tried to run me off the road. Got to love a liberal.

One of the best pieces of advice I was ever given was by my fifth grade English teacher. After intercepting a note passed between two girls, she posted it on the bulletin board -- to their embarrassment. She said, "Don't put anything in writing you don't want posted on the bulletin board".

I've taken that advice to heart. In the digital age, there is really no such thing as anonymity and so to keep in mind that what I write is being posted on the bulletin board I always use my own name.

Of course since my son is named after me I tell him that it's so that he gets the blame.

My reason for not using my real name is, I think, justifiable. Thirty years ago I was publicly identified as a vital technical expert for strategic warning systems, and shortly thereafter was the target of an attempt on my life (obviously unsuccessful) by the KGB. I remained in the field of space based sensors, contributing to missile defense and intelligence communities, and was advised to keep a low profile.

It's been a long time, and the Soviet Union is no more, but I've occasionally had repeated incidents that would indicate I've been remembered. You can chalk it up to paranoia, but I remain cautious.

I assume some here just don't care about what others think; some just use whatever name they were assigned by some entity like AOL, with no significant reason. I was just curious, and would also be interested in why a nom de plume is so disturbing to those who've mentioned it.