&gt; I wasn’t forced to leave MIT over anything here on Shtetl-Optimized.<p>&gt; Bizarre as it sounds, CS departments mostly cared about what actual research we were doing and could bring to them!  So students and faculty afraid to debate anything controversial online under their real names, however politely, should know that even in 2016, the banner of academic freedom yet waves.<p>I wish we could say the same about private industry -- most notably our employers and our funders.<p>I am reminded of this:<p>&gt;I think the web has made us all write more defensively, and it’s a shame, because we’re effectively contorting our communication style to defend against a small minority of mean-spirited and uncharitable actions by some. Actually, as I say that, I instinctively feel the need to hedge myself–I don’t believe that people are really mean-spirited (well, perhaps some are–gak I’ve done it again!), but there’s something about commenting about stuff on the internet with people you’ve never met that seems to bring out the worst in people. (<a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;pchiusano.github.io&#x2F;2014-10-11&#x2F;defensive-writing.html" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;pchiusano.github.io&#x2F;2014-10-11&#x2F;defensive-writing.htm...</a>)