[anonymouskimmer]

> > > The longer your name is, the more untraceable you become.

> For some reason I don't believe you, Mr. Doctorow.

Yeah. My name is shared by more than 10 living people who are known enough to have Wikipedia entries. I think I'm a bit more untraceable, as long as you don't know my SSN, address, or workplace.

[smoldesu]

It's just basic information theory. Adding more entropy to your name makes you unique. If that is not a hidden identifier (names are not) then people will use all of that information in concert to more effectively track you. His entire thesis here feels like he misread an XKCD comic and refuses to admit it...

And I'm only frustrated because it's a shame. I like Cory Doctorow for the lip service he gives to open source and individual freedom, but he has repeatedly dropped the ball on anything that isn't fiction authorship. Nevermind the fact that he's embarrassingly wrong with this statement - if his memo to the man is naming his kid something long and unintelligible, that makes him about as revolutionary as Elon Musk.