New York Times, Please do not Doxx Scott Alexander

The following is an email I wrote to New York Times technology editor Pui-Wing Tam, whose email is pui-wing.tam@nytimes.com. Inspired by Zvi Mowshowitz.

Dear Ms. Tam:

As you probably know by now, one of your reporters is planning an article about Scott Alexander and his blog Slate Star Codex. I cohost an SSC Meetup in Philadelphia and I am a paid subscriber to the NYT crossword, which my wife and I do every day.

I am asking you to reconsider your policy of including real names in all articles. Because of your intention to publish his real name, Scott has deleted his blog, which is a huge loss to the world. Scott explains his reasons here, along with the many reasons why having his name published will be harmful to him personally and to the community of his readers, which include many of the best journalists and content creators currently active.

There is no reason to inflict this harm in a story which centers on the blog and the community, not personal details about Scott himself. My understanding is that this is an across-the-board NYT policy, but surely that policy is not so rigid that it requires doing permanent harm to Scott and his readers.

Please reconsider this decision.

Wesley Fenza