In a moment of distinguished poignancy, the esteemed philosopher Eminem once said: “I am whatever you say I am, if I wasn’t, then why would I say I am?” It turns out that what seemed like a rhetorical question has become more difficult to answer in the age of social networks. After much protesting by a group of drag queens, Facebook has issued a public apology and promised to tweak its policy of requiring that all profiles include user’s “real names.” As The Atlantic’s Jessa Lingel and Tarleton Gillespie explain, what seems like a narrow issue has broader implications: “If we’re willing to look past the glitter, the makeup, and the fabulous hair, the issue beneath is an important one … Must we be ‘ourselves’ online? Can we allow people to be playful or protective about their online personas, while still avoiding the abuses that seem to accompany pseudonymity? And most importantly, who decides?” And won’t the real Slim Shady please stand up?

+ The New Yorker: Who’s real enough for Facebook?