"Playing roles doesn't make you a phony - as long as you make it clear what you are doing." (Bagpuss)

Exactly so - and that "as long as" is crucial.

It's the difference between someone who dresses up as a Doctor in a Mummers Play, and someone who pretends to be a Doctor when a patient needs treatment.

Fancy dress is fun, and part of the fun can be trying to guess who the hell it is inside it, and there's nothing wrong with that on the Mudcat. But say there's a real discussion about real things, it doesn't belong there.

And I can see why someone might, in a serious discussion want to talk about something personal in an anonymous way.

So there are reasons why and occasions when. But you have to think about it first. "To live outyside the law you must be honest."

As for "mudpeople/mudperson" - if the words "mudpeople/mudperson" are used in a nasty sense by nasty people, it might be a good idea to retrieve it, and use it in a positive and respectful sense. Mudpeople/mudperson sound like good word to me, and I'm happy to have them referring to me.