Two GCC stories

I don't know how it works now but when I got my account on the GNU machines (as best as I recall--it was almost 15 years ago) I had to send a photocopy of my driver's license to the FSF. I also had a phone conversation with someone at the FSF (to verify my phone #--although I don't have that number anymore) and during that phone call they verified my SSH key fingerprint. Also when you do any copyright assignment to the FSF, it's all done via snail-mail (and IIRC you cannot use P.O.Boxes for legal reasons) so they have a valid address for you... and of course if you're getting a login account on an FSF machine it's a very fair bet that you'll need to be doing some sort of copyright assignment.

The FSF is different than some other environments where "getting access" just gives you the ability to promote git code over SSH or HTTPS or similar: for the FSF you get an actual login account, with shell access and everything, on their servers and this gives you a LOT of capability for mischief.

The FSF systems HAVE been hacked before and it's very unpleasant. I definitely do not begrudge them this requirement. It's not like NightStrike has to publish his information to everyone; it just needs to be available to the FSF folks. I see absolutely nothing unreasonable about this.

I do agree that if the only requirement is that he email them a "real sounding" name, the whole thing is ridiculous... in that case I support his refusal on the grounds of civil disobedience :-)