3 ms·

Chicken and egg. His identity was only relevant because NYT was going to reveal it, so he had to quit his job and temporarily shut down his blog.

ketamine__ 6y ago
NYT was going to reveal something that everyone already knew because Scott published his identity himself? The guy overreacted. I'm guessing he has some difficulty processing emotions based on his actions and later statements.
- kortilla 6y ago
  No, I think you’re confused on the order of events. His identity was absolutely not easily revealed. The NYT reporter managed to find his identity and then told him they would dox him as part of the story. This is when he took down slatestar and we first heard about this (many months back). In reaction, some pleasant netizens took it upon themselves to dox him as much as possible. He then ended up having to quit his job as a psychiatrist and returned to writing full time.
  - ketamine__ 6y ago
    Scott published his own identity. That was his choice. Do you disagree with that? Is there some unwritten rule on the internet that you are anonymous as long as it's kinda a little bit difficult to figure it out? He quit his job and started another business by using his notoriety. If his life truly was in danger he would have retired. Instead he's trying to make money from his followers with a new business!
    - kortilla 6y ago
      > Scott published his own identity. That was his choice. Do you disagree with that? No, he quite clearly was trying to keep the association between the psychiatry real identity and Scott Alexander. There would be no fucking discussion here if Scott intentionally meant to reveal his identity. >Is there some unwritten rule on the internet that you are anonymous as long as it's kinda a little bit difficult to figure it out? Yes, there is a reason it’s gotten its own term. And this is why many sites (like Reddit) have very explicit anti-doxxing rules.
      - heavyset_go 6y ago
        > No, he quite clearly was trying to keep the association between the psychiatry real identity and Scott Alexander. There would be no fucking discussion here if Scott intentionally meant to reveal his identity. Then why did he publish his own recognizable blog post with his full name here[1]? [1] https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Technological_Singularity/wtQkDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=scott+siskind&printsec=frontcover https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Technological_Singu...
        TeaDrunk 6y ago
        Isn't there a difference between having your name in a book that likely doesn't get much circulation and therefore probably wouldn't damage your career from attention, and the literal New York Times outing your name? Shouldn't we at least suggest these are significantly distinct events with very different ramifications for the author?
        heavyset_go 6y ago
        Don't argue that Scott didn't intentionally mean to reveal his identity if he himself intentionally chose to reveal his own identity.
        neonate 6y ago
        That's not what TeaDrunk was arguing.
        TeaDrunk 6y ago
        I think it is fair to say that the author under the pseudonym of Scott Alexander didn't mean to provide an avenue for which his identity could be in a major, nationwide, widely-read source of news, when he republished an article under his real name in a relatively niche audience book that would unlikely have the same amount of circulation as the New York Times.
        kortilla 6y ago
        You’re right, he’s probably working for NYTimes and this is a geurrilla marketing campaign. He didn’t want to stay anonymous and was using the name Scott Alexander for a decade for the build-up to this climax of made up events.
  - pseudalopex 6y ago
    People in the rationalist community discussed his pseudonymous writing using his real name. Just searching the web for his real name would reveal his pseudonym even before all this. He quit his old psychiatrist job and started a new one in addition to writing.
- gkoberger 6y ago
  You keep saying that in this thread, but no he didn't. He made a few mistakes in regard to pseudo-anonymity, but he never released his full name on purpose. Could you please post a source if you're going to insist he intentionally revealed his identity prior to NYT getting involved?
  - ketamine__ 6y ago
    So it's all one big accident? You know how absurd this all sounds. First, he has a right to anonymity. Second, if he publishes his name he has the right to anonymity.
    - gkoberger 6y ago
      No, I'm saying he never published his name intentionally. There were clues in the past (he published the same thing twice, and his pen name is close to his real name), but he never published it. Could you provide a source if you're going to keep saying the same incorrect information?
      - heavyset_go 6y ago
        Yes, he's published his name[1]. [1] https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Technological_Singularity/wtQkDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=scott+siskind&printsec=frontcover https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Technological_Singu...
  - heavyset_go 6y ago
    Scott published a post from his blog under his real name in this book here[1]. [1] https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Technological_Singularity/wtQkDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=scott+siskind&printsec=frontcover https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Technological_Singu...

ketamine__ 6y ago

NYT was going to reveal something that everyone already knew because Scott published his identity himself? The guy overreacted. I'm guessing he has some difficulty processing emotions based on his actions and later statements.

kortilla 6y ago
No, I think you’re confused on the order of events. His identity was absolutely not easily revealed. The NYT reporter managed to find his identity and then told him they would dox him as part of the story. This is when he took down slatestar and we first heard about this (many months back). In reaction, some pleasant netizens took it upon themselves to dox him as much as possible. He then ended up having to quit his job as a psychiatrist and returned to writing full time.
- ketamine__ 6y ago
  Scott published his own identity. That was his choice. Do you disagree with that? Is there some unwritten rule on the internet that you are anonymous as long as it's kinda a little bit difficult to figure it out? He quit his job and started another business by using his notoriety. If his life truly was in danger he would have retired. Instead he's trying to make money from his followers with a new business!
  - kortilla 6y ago
    > Scott published his own identity. That was his choice. Do you disagree with that? No, he quite clearly was trying to keep the association between the psychiatry real identity and Scott Alexander. There would be no fucking discussion here if Scott intentionally meant to reveal his identity. >Is there some unwritten rule on the internet that you are anonymous as long as it's kinda a little bit difficult to figure it out? Yes, there is a reason it’s gotten its own term. And this is why many sites (like Reddit) have very explicit anti-doxxing rules.
    - heavyset_go 6y ago
      > No, he quite clearly was trying to keep the association between the psychiatry real identity and Scott Alexander. There would be no fucking discussion here if Scott intentionally meant to reveal his identity. Then why did he publish his own recognizable blog post with his full name here[1]? [1] https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Technological_Singularity/wtQkDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=scott+siskind&printsec=frontcover https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Technological_Singu...
      - TeaDrunk 6y ago
        Isn't there a difference between having your name in a book that likely doesn't get much circulation and therefore probably wouldn't damage your career from attention, and the literal New York Times outing your name? Shouldn't we at least suggest these are significantly distinct events with very different ramifications for the author?
        heavyset_go 6y ago
        Don't argue that Scott didn't intentionally mean to reveal his identity if he himself intentionally chose to reveal his own identity.
        neonate 6y ago
        That's not what TeaDrunk was arguing.
        TeaDrunk 6y ago
        I think it is fair to say that the author under the pseudonym of Scott Alexander didn't mean to provide an avenue for which his identity could be in a major, nationwide, widely-read source of news, when he republished an article under his real name in a relatively niche audience book that would unlikely have the same amount of circulation as the New York Times.
      - kortilla 6y ago
        You’re right, he’s probably working for NYTimes and this is a geurrilla marketing campaign. He didn’t want to stay anonymous and was using the name Scott Alexander for a decade for the build-up to this climax of made up events.
- pseudalopex 6y ago
  People in the rationalist community discussed his pseudonymous writing using his real name. Just searching the web for his real name would reveal his pseudonym even before all this. He quit his old psychiatrist job and started a new one in addition to writing.
gkoberger 6y ago
You keep saying that in this thread, but no he didn't. He made a few mistakes in regard to pseudo-anonymity, but he never released his full name on purpose. Could you please post a source if you're going to insist he intentionally revealed his identity prior to NYT getting involved?
- ketamine__ 6y ago
  So it's all one big accident? You know how absurd this all sounds. First, he has a right to anonymity. Second, if he publishes his name he has the right to anonymity.
  - gkoberger 6y ago
    No, I'm saying he never published his name intentionally. There were clues in the past (he published the same thing twice, and his pen name is close to his real name), but he never published it. Could you provide a source if you're going to keep saying the same incorrect information?
    - heavyset_go 6y ago
      Yes, he's published his name[1]. [1] https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Technological_Singularity/wtQkDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=scott+siskind&printsec=frontcover https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Technological_Singu...
- heavyset_go 6y ago
  Scott published a post from his blog under his real name in this book here[1]. [1] https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Technological_Singularity/wtQkDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=scott+siskind&printsec=frontcover https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Technological_Singu...