Not long after I discovered Usenet and email lists, I decided that anonymous coward was the way to go. And more so after hanging out on various web forums.

We didn't call it "social media" back then, but people did get doxed occasionally. And online anger did sometimes spill over into meatspace.

I did not want my professional reputation to be damaged because of something (even something truly cringeworthy) that I'd posted somewhere. And then there was the FBI investigation of Jim Bell, which involved subpoenas to several cypherpunks contributors.

There was also an investigation of some truly crazy itinerant folksinger, who had posted some of the most amazing rants that I've ever read.

Edit: It was Carl Edward Johnson aka Toto aka TruthMonger.

See https://people.well.com/user/declan/toto/

I'd quote some, but it's definitely cringeworthy.

You really should worry about the FBI.