Being the Hydra

Drawing on game theory, the essay argues that identity is relational: it exists through the recognition and trust that arise when people expect to meet again, so platform designs should not assume a single fixed self. Ostrom and Axelrod are quoted on how repeated interaction can make cooperation stable, and the author links this to the claim that real-name policies rest on the idea that people behave badly when they believe they won't be recognized. The essay contrasts Mark Zuckerberg's view that people should have one identity with Olia Lialina's concept of the Turing Complete User, and it proposes multisig wallets and hierarchical deterministic keys as possible models for multiple identities. The article is cut off before its discussion of 4chan's anonymous posting is complete.