I don't like nom de lists. That's a cop-out. I prefer to know the name of the person I'm talking to on such lists, and know a bit more about that individual. If I speak at a public platform, someone gets up and asks a question, I may have one kind of reply. At a cocktail party, another (more nuanced, perhaps); and in a private setting with trusted friends, I might lay bare my soul. The disappearance of that intermediary stage is a problem. I see the logic of openness, and don't question it; but it is one reason I end up being more of a lurker than a poster here, than on another list where there's a sort-of omerta in operation.
Salil
