About HedgedMind

It Eliminates Bias in Myself - Despite best efforts, I fear the judgment of others and this influences my behavior. By remaining anonymous, I can eliminate my own biases that may (consciously or subconsciously) affect what I say.

It Eliminates Bias in Others - I want the topics discussed here to remain independent of any personal views others may have of me or my background.

To invert the question, what could be the benefits of putting my name on this? There’s maybe two big ones: 1) personal fame (highly unlikely, but still not something I desire) and 2) using my existing reputation to bolster the credentials of the website. I’m not a public figure, so there’s little reputation to lean on and, again, I’d rather the content speak for itself.

The pros and cons of anonymity may shift over time, and I may eventually put my name on this. For now, it seems being anonymous best serves the purpose of the site: to organize and discuss interesting ideas.