If you appreciate his work, please don't cause Gwern grief by trying to uncover his True Name.
Breaking Gwern's pseudonymity could get him in a lot of trouble. His writings cover many topics, but some of them show evidence of breaking the law. For example, he has probably used Silk Road to buy drugs online. Even the most lax employer or school would be forced to take some action if they found out about his activities. He could even face criminal prosecution.
The guy has created a ton of value and captured almost none of it. Considering how altruistic he's being, the ethical action is to respect Gwern's desire and not out him.
Because private institutions (atleast all that I am aware of) avoid getting involved in non-school matters. What schools do you know of that would get involved?
Having gone to private schools, my experience has been that they are more likely than public institutions to get involved in matters outside of school, since the behavior of their student body contributes to the external image they are trying to portray.
When I asked what schools do you think would get involved I actually meant "provide names of schools." I am curious to look at the policies they have in place and see what is different from the schools I am familiar with.
Doxing a pseudonym without consent (or attempting to) is kind of impolite and aggressive, especially if you want him to answer your questions about his life.
