Couple of comments:
My name: stridergdm
Well Strider is my trail name. Not very original I know. But fits me. And the character I've admired. And I've used it at an chat forum based out of RPI for over 20 years now. I'll answer to Strider or Greg. It gets weird though now reading Lord of the Rings when it says, "Strider did x" and I'm thinking, "I did?"
Now since Strider is so common, I've added my initials in several cases.
Now, back to Phil's comments on anonymity. How do we know anyone's name is their name? How do we know Phil is really Phil? Ultimately we don't unless we've met him, seen his birth certificate or passport. (Since driver's licenses can be easily forged.
(now I do trust Phil is who he says he is. Just picking on him as an example. No offense intended Phil.)
Ultimately, ideally reputation DOES get attached to a name, either your parent given name, a pseudonym or whatever.
I do agree that the use of "hit and run" anonymous users is greater than ever. But even those people on the Net that I've never met, I know by reputation, even if that reputation is attached to an obviously fake name.
Ultimately that's little different than it being attached to their legal name.