Resources to Taking Back Your Right to Choose Your Own Name

This is not a comprehensive list of articles on the subject, but rather a very brief list of expert opinions and unique perspectives primary found on the resources page of My.nameis.me. If you’re interested in reading other perspectives on pseudonymity, we highly recommend this comprehensive spreadsheet listing more than 120 articles and blog posts on the subject.  Organizing members of Occupy Love Street have written several of the blog posts found on that spreedsheet as far back as August 2011, which was before the Nymwars Wikipedia page was created. 

The Nymwars Wikipedia page states:

Nymwars is the name given to the conflicts over policies mandating that users of internet service identify using real names. They began in July 2011 when the social networking site Google+ began enforcing its real name only policy by suspending the accounts of users it felt were not following the policy. Pseudonyms, nicknames, and non-standard real names (for example, mononyms or names that include scripts from multiple languages) were suspended. The term is a neologism, coined from "pseudonym" and appears to have gained prominence as the hashtag "#nymwars" on Twitter.

 This, in our opinion, is the most cited and circulated article on the issue:
Researcher danah boyd explains the imbalance of power that ‘real name’ policies create:
“Real Names” Policies Are an Abuse of Power

This, in our opinion, is the most detailed list of feminist reasons on the issue:
Geek Feminism explains who is harmed by ‘real name’ policies:
Who is harmed by a Real Names policy?

The Electronic Frontier Foundation makes a case for pseudonyms:
A Case for Pseudonyms
Anonymity

Phil Windley discusses reputation and names on Technometria:
Google Plus: On Trust, Reputation, Pseudonyms, and Value

Tim Carmody writes on what’s at stake with real names and privacy for Wired:
Google+ Identity Crisis: What’s at Stake With Real Names and Privacy

Jon Pincus explains why pseudonyms matter for diversity on Liminal States:
Why it Matters: Google+ and Diversity

BBC Magazine explains why Google+ wants your real name:
Why does Google+ insist on having your real name?

Kent Pitman, writing for Open Salon, explains the consequences of using real names:
Using Real Names Has Real Consequences

My.nameis.me founder and former Google employee Skud offers an in-depth (and highly recommended) look at her own case of Google suspending her profile, and others:
I’ve been suspended from Google Plus
More Comments on Google+ and Names
Preliminary results of my survey of suspended Google accounts

Jillian C. York, profiled here, has been writing about ‘real name’ policies for awhile:
Google+ and “Real Names”
Despite hoaxes, anonymity remains important
Policing Content in the Quasi-Public Sphere

Mathew Ingram, writing for GigaOm, discusses the value of anonymity:
Google+ and the Loss of Online Anonymity
Anonymity has real value, both in comments and elsewhere

Leslie Harris and Emma J. Llanso make the case for ABC News:
Facebook Age and Anonymity: Civility vs. Free Speech

GrrlScientist writes an open letter to Google+ for The Guardian:
Google+ and Pseudonymity: An Open Letter to Google

Google+ Threads from Google Employees
Bradley Horowitz – Google+ VP of Product
Frances Haugen – Google+ Profiles Product Manager

Occupy Love Street organizing team member LoveSet Free writes one of many blog posts to encourage people to Help Stop the Abuse of Power and circulates a petitions with over 1,500 names on August 4th, 2011