It seems that the NYT has done this, i.e. it has indicated that it will "doxx" (reveal the real name of) Scott Alexander, of Slate Star Codex fame. So he has deleted his blog. Why? For various reasons, incuding that "some people want to kill me or ruin my life, and I would prefer not to make it too easy. I’ve received various death threats ...." He hopes that deleting the blog will kill the story and thus prevent his name becoming more widely known.
Anonymity is a mask for the good and bad alike, and it is difficult to come up with a good rule for when it should be respected and when it should be unmasked. Anonymity is often used to give freedom, and what it gives freedom from may be something we regard as good (the requirements of honesty and good faith) or something bad (improper pressure and threats). It is just too easy to come up examples on both sides of the line.
So I am a utilitarian on the subject of anonymity. It would be a great shame if we were to lose SSC, I think, and therefore my utilitarian calculation is that the NYT should back down.
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