4 ms·
I looked up his name a few weeks ago after the blog was brought down. It took be a couple of days to find it and even then I only found it because I've seen him
by astine 6y ago
I looked up his name a few weeks ago after the blog was brought down. It took be a couple of days to find it and even then I only found it because I've seen him in person. People here are discussing tracking down his old blog through archive.org, but I didn't think to do that. So, 'minimal investigation' is a relative term.
- Barrin92 6y agotype "scott alexander slate star codex" into google and his real name, plus several pictures of him are on the first page of the image results. Alternatively, given that he's made his profession as well as place of residence known, looking for psychiatrists named scott alexander in that region also returns an official result. If it took you days to figure that out I'm sorry to say you don't have a future as a private eye.
- harry8 6y agoGoogle is not a static thing. Results a few weeks ago may be nothing much like results now. (If it took a rando on the internet to point that out to you you don't have ... No let's leave that kind of garbage out, yeah?)
- Barrin92 6y agohis real identity has been up on the internet for ages, years in fact. He even used to blog under his actual name on less wrong, and has been at public events that he himself organised. Not to mention that as a medical professional that info is obviously going to be online as long as he practises. If your pseudonym is your actual first and middle name and you're relevant enough to be on the frontpage of google right now you're not being doxed, that's just public information at that point.
- heavyset_go 6y agoThe guy republished his own blog posts under his real name in print and online publications. If it's a "secret", it's a very open secret, even from the author himself.