[quote]The "if you can't beat them, join them" approach to a problem is IMO one of the worst ways to [i]solve[/i] that problem.[/quote]That sounds very noble in concept, and I don't want to sound mean, but I'm going to challenge you a little bit here. Why, exactly, is that a bad way to solve the problem, especially in this context? This phrase is considered an adage for a reason. Challenging traditional thought is a good thing, sure, but if you want to rebut an adage, I think you should probably have a good reason to back it up.

But the premise to that adage is that "you can't beat them." The whole point here is that you can't stop jerks from being jerks, especially in a semi-anonymous context like this forum. If you can't get rid of them, your other options are limited. And in this context, you're not "getting rid of good people." They're merely choosing not to reveal personal information about themselves. Here, at least, it seems that "if you can't beat them, join them (or ignore them)" is pretty sound advice.