Updated with new blog posts & requests from bloggers formerly designated as "anonymous". So naturally the numbers change as well.

Yesterday (November 16, 2010), the Age of Autism blog published a phantasmagoria by J. B. Handley, asserting that the blogger known as Sullivan is in fact Bonnie Offit MD, the wife of Paul Offit MD.
In that post, Handley wrote:
I’m personally convinced, I think Bonnie Offit is Sullivan.
Today (November 17, 2010), Mr. Handley posted this comment

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I'll attend to just the first two sentences:
One of the more enjoyable parts of kicking the hornet's nest is watching the Keyboard Courage Club, aka anonymous bloggers, all get together to defend one of their own. It's a society of chicken-shits.
Two points:
- Is anonymous the same as pseudonymous?
- How many of the bloggers who challenged Mr. Handly's phantasmagoria are in fact -- well, not blogging using their legal names?
I'm going to tackle the second point first, and leave the first for another post. Let's look at the evidence to date:
As of November 17, 2010, at 6:39 Pacific Standard Time (PST) November 18 at 8:05 pm there are eighteen twenty responses to Mr. Handley's assertions:
Posts:
- Liz Ditz at I Speak of Dreams So Wrong It Is Funny:
- Orac at Respectful Insolence I am Bonnie Offit
- Kev at LeftBrain/RightBrain I am Bonnie Offit
- Kim Wombles at Countering No No No I am Bonnie Offit
- Kim Wombles at Countering It Has to Be Asked
- Kim Wombles at Countering Age of Autism Runs Out of Steam: Handley, Bonnie Offit, and Sullivan from LBRB
- Catherina at JusttheVax I am Bonnie Offit
- Science Mom at JusttheVax I'm Really Bonnie Offit
- Todd W at Silenced by Age of Autism I am Bonnie Offit!
- Laura at Life at The House That Asperger's built I am Bonnie Offit
- Emily Willingham at A Life Less Ordinary Age of Autism, Meet Shark
- Rene F. Najera at Epi Times Ich bin Bonnie Offit / Yo soy Bonnie Offit / I am Bonnie Offit / 我邦尼Offit
- Travis at the Pretend Biologist I am Bonnie Offit
- Sheldon at Vaccines Work He Who Pays the Piper--I am Bonnie Offit
- Todd W at Silenced by Age of Autism I am Bonnie Offit -- Followup
- Michael Rosch at New York Atheism & Skepticism JB Handley is a deranged psycho (I have proof)
- Kim Wombles at Countering The Fallout of Handley's Sullivangate: Looking to Tomorrow and Hope
- Kev Leitch at LeftBrain RightBrain Society vs. Individuals
- Craig Willoughby at My Socrates Note It Is Time to Step Away from the Accusations, AoA
- MJ at Autism Jabberwocky When Age of Autism Attacks
I will now segment them:
Responses using the blogger's full, real name:
- Liz Ditz at I Speak of Dreams So Wrong It Is Funny: JB Handley Claims "Sullivan" is Bonnie Offit
- Kim Wombles at Countering No No No I am Bonnie Offit
- Kim Wombles at Countering It Has to Be Asked
- Kim Wombles at Countering Age of Autism Runs Out of Steam: Handley, Bonnie Offit, and Sullivan from LBRB
- Emily Willingham at A Life Less Ordinary Age of Autism, Meet Shark
- Rene F. Najera at Epi Times Ich bin Bonnie Offit / Yo soy Bonnie Offit / I am Bonnie Offit / 我邦尼Offit
- Michael Rosch at New York Atheism & Skepticism JB Handley is a deranged psycho (I have proof)
- Kim Wombles at Countering The Fallout of Handley's Sullivangate: Looking to Tomorrow and Hope
- Craig Willoughby at My Socrates Note It Is Time to Step Away from the Accusations, AoA
Let's review. Hmmn. Mr. Handley asserted that "anonymous bloggers" were responding to his post. So far, 9/18 = 50% 9/20 =45% of bloggers responding did so under their own names. As the Mythbusters would say, "probably busted." We aren't done yet. What about the other eight? eleven?
Orac's relationship to David Gorski, MD is well-known. In fact, at the blog Age of Autism Mr. Handley himself made a big deal out of their relationship, as did Jake Crosby at the same site in an effort to threaten Dr. Gorski's employment.
So we are up to 10/18 = 55.55%. 10/20=50% Progress! Even closer to busted.
Next:
Who is Kev? He is Kevin Leitch; his real-life identity is well-known to the folk at Age of Autism, as this scurrilous post reveals.
So we are up to 12/18 = 66.66%. 12/20=60% Even closer to busted. Creeping up on busted!
Who is left? Are they truly anonymous?
- Catherina at JusttheVax I am Bonnie Offit
- Science Mom at JusttheVax I'm Really Bonnie Offit
- Todd W at Silenced by Age of Autism I am Bonnie Offit!
- Laura at Life at The House That Asperger's built I am Bonnie Offit
- Travis at the Pretend Biologist I am Bonnie Offit
- Sheldon at Vaccines Work He Who Pays the Piper--I am Bonnie Offit
- Todd W at Silenced by Age of Autism I am Bonnie Offit -- Followup
- MJ at Autism Jabberwocky When Age of Autism Attacks
Are these people anonymous or pseudonymous? Let's take them on a case-by-case basis.
My call? Pseudonymous, and therefore the count is up to 14/20 = 70%. Even closer to busted.
My call? Pseudonymous, and therefore the count is up to 16/20 = 80%. Even closer to busted.
Next:
Sheldon is a long-time commenter at the Huffington Post (as Sheldon101), and other sites. In October 2009 he started a blog to curate his comments, some of which were, well, moderated out of existence. (Is there a pattern here?) He has a revealing about page, including an email address to which he replies [personal evidence]
My call? Pseudonymous, and therefore the count is up to 17/20 = 85%. Even closer to busted.
Although I don't know MJ myself, I know people who know him in real life and vouch for his identity.
My call? Pseudonymous, and therefore the count is up to 18/20 = 90%. Even closer to busted.
- Laura at Life at The House That Asperger's Built
Laura has an informative about page, but no contact information. I'm putting her in the "anonymous" category.
Travis also has an informative about page but not contact information. For that reason I am also putting him in the "anonymous" category.
Both Laura and Travis have left comments that indicate they don't think of themselves as "anonymous" so I'm adding them to a new category: blogs under a partial version of real name:
Final count? 20/20 = 100%
That is strong enough to call
Mr. Handley's assertion is totally and completely busted.
Oh, and about Mr. Handley's comment that
...anonymous bloggers, It's a society of chicken-shits.
Well, Mr. Handley, how about your anonymous (and vulgar) comments?
These are his most recent (the ISP has been verified as Handley's):

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