It opened up a discussion about anonymity, pseudonymity and whether using real names civilizes the Internet.

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Pseudonymity is a neologism that defines a state of existence between authenticity and anonymity.

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Twitter allows for pseudonymity, but also certifies the identities of well-known tweeters.

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Anonymity and pseudonymity are prized too: many online hangouts shy away from insisting on the use of real names, which tends to make people behave better.

ECONOMIST: Digital identities