It would seem to be time to discuss what the policy on this blog should be with regard to requiring respondents to identify themselves. I believed that this is not now required, but some people seem to feel very strongly that all respondents should identify themselves. I would like to know what their reasons are.

I dont myself much mind discussing or debating with an anonymous interlocutor. One advantage of anonymity is that ones views might be taken and discussed for what they are, without their being held hostage by readers linking them with particular persons or groups. Some of the pleas that respondents identify themselves sound as if they come from a desire to pigeon-hole the respondents, to have one of those "Aha!"-moments that permit one to disregard the arguments because one has discovered that they come from a suspect person or coterie.

In any case, if we had a policy, wed all know what it is. People who want to respond would know what it is, and at least one source of unpleasantness could be avoided.