I was staggered how everyone in this thread seems to know all the other contributors. I'd assumed there must be many regular(-ish) guests and, I daresay, also some members whose real name would mean nothing whatever to anyone else.

Speaking as one of the complete unknowns, I can't really see that dropping my own habitual pseudonym would enlighten anyone who happened to read one my very occasional contributions. And the urge to be candid could be a mistake: I'd have thought a certain anonymity to be sensible for contributors - not just women - to a open internet forum. Whilst I can appreciate that those of you in the public eye, e.g. with established positions as performers, might feel it reasonable to use your real names, I can't quite see a necessity for hoi polloi doing likewise. Mind you, I can't see much point in myspace and its ilk either, so I daresay I have entirely missed some fundamental psychological point.

Besides, I rather like not having a clue who anyone is. Makes me think that even this cat might look at a king.