I used to post under this account some time ago, even when it had a different name, then stopped for a while, then started an account using my real name. I knew it was a violation of the Forum Rules, but I guess I felt that going from psuedonym to real wasn't the type of violation that the rules were intended to prevent. In any case, I am sorry.

What I wanted from using my real name was to try to be more authentic, encourage people to play go more and in general be less glib. I was scared, due to the normal concerns of privacy, but at the same time I also admired the contributors to this forum who were fully out there and saying fascinating things. There are also long-term contributors who also do that under pseudonyms, so it's not as if one precludes the other.

Using the pseudonym could possibly have made me say things I wouldn't otherwise say, which can be a good thing or a bad thing. I am sorry if I said bad things.

I have posted enough under both handles that by now human textual analysis is sufficient to out me and there is no real anonymity in any case.

I am not dead, have not forgotten about go, and I miss all of you. I hope to have more conversations with you soon, but only under one name. Maybe you have a preference? What is more relatable for you and what made you choose real name vs. pseudonym?

Hi snorri! I feel like you are over thinking here.

Relax and have fun! Find the best fit for yourself. If you want to let us know who you are, let us know. If you are more comfortable with anonymity, do that. I personally think that it would be a pity to lose your history.

In my case, I like to feel that I achieve a slightly different persona when posting as ez4u than if I posted as Dave Sigaty. Am I just kidding myself? Possibly.

_________________
Dave Sigaty
"Short-lived are both the praiser and the praised, and rememberer and the remembered..."
- Marcus Aurelius; Meditations, VIII 21

Well, being a Dave could make you English,Scots, Irish, American, Australian, South African and several other noble things. But ez4u (which I and most English speakers around the world, I believe, pronounce ee-zed for you, marks you out in a way you may or may not want to be marked out

No forum rule says whether you can or should use your real name or a nickname. Personally I don't write my full name because I don't want Google to find it too easily, but people who know me can easily recognize me. On the other hand, whatever a human intelligence can do in 2021, an AI will outperform it in 2071...