You see, I think this is going to be the biggest question we face in the next decade or so.   How are you to even know what my real name is?  How do you know that I didn't just make up the real sounding name of "Albert F..."?  I can still have pride in my work, without using my real name.  I can't give you any data to back this up, but in general, I think for young people, whether or not I know someone's real name is becoming irelevant, especially as more and more of our lives are being pulled online.  The name of somebody simply does not matter.  If you use a real name, then you might be trying to "upload" your real life repuation onto the web, and that is fine.  But if you use an alias, presumably there would be nothing to upload, but after a while the alias itself would develope its own reputation anyway.  It does not matter what your name is, as long as the content is good.  I think this is the paradigm shift that goes along with the transition between a society dominated by its media, to a sociiety controlling its media.   Sooner or later, however,  the law WILL get involved, because eventually money will be involved, which needs to be taxed somehow, and it wont be a philosophical question, but a legal question.  How do we tax people who don't use their real names but are making money anyway.  But think about it this way...  What kind of world would it be where we forced people to use their real names...Out the window of history flys the great authors, like Mark Twain, George Orville, and the rest.  Also what do you mean by Good Science?  Not everything people write here is really all that scientific.  I am not saying that people don't generally write about themes that revolve around science, but do you see people publishing the results of their studies here?  Maybe then I could see the need for requiring peoples real names, if eventually this site offered free peer review and hosting, but for the rest of the authors who aren't submitting offical-type publications, then why in the world would a real name ever be necessary?  To preserve civil discourse?  I don't agree with that.  Besides you have the power to ban people from the site, if they are trolling or whatnot.  And that power has nothing to whether or not people use their real names when they sign up.  You have that power at all times.    

Ok, what I mean is this:  Right now I am just trying this stuff out.  I made a very conscious descion when I decide to use my real name, but now I want to to use just an alias.  That is what i mean by change my identity.  This is a big issue for me.  I wasn't sure that using my real name was the best thing to do, and I am still not convinced.  So now I want to try using an alias, or pen name if you will.  I think it is important that this option be available not only to me, but to everyone else who has similar concerns about using their real names.