Identity is everything. Especially when the door gets kicked down and a search warrant gets nailed to the door and they haul away all those building blueprints and material laced in either gunpowder or a mysterious compound. Such is the life of those on the run and hiding out half of the day secluded in bunkers with copious amounts of Turkey Spam.
But not everyone who needs to protect their identity smell of deceit and/or overbearing corn beef.
Some are called whistleblowers and they don't even sound high pitched. Others just find the clandestine atmosphere of speaking out thrilling and cathartic. They are most likely to fear retribution from higher up if their story is told and linked back to them.
Refer to an article, "Hours For The Taking", published on a drop-out of a weighty jaw-dislocating Sunday broadsheet, Sydney Morning Herald. Despite playing up the usual "puns as titles" angle most noted by everyone who can't but help it, it also highlights the issue of careful editing of pseudonyms for article subjects.
The first paragraph introduces a woman/man by the moniker of Ally who works for the Department of Workplace Relations. No more than two paragraphs later another name appears, Harvey, who also happens to work for the same organisation. There might be some who think that the proverbial ball was dropped on the part of editor's and it was. But not in the respect of exposing the 'informant.'
The first name of the second named is that of the surname of the first named. Namely two names of the lone named but not of the real name in either name. One name, split.
Written on Monday, 17 February 2003