Full Disclosure

I didn't start out blogging under the name "Janini". In fact I started blogging using my real name. But Karen convinced me that I should use an alias, because of safety and privacy issues. I never fully agreed with this--I think anonymity can equal irresponsibility. I have noticed that other bloggers use their real names. Or at least I assume it is their real names. But what about my family? My sons and my mom would not be capable of expressing whether or not they want their names on the internet. My husband argues that some level of privacy should exist, worried about identity theft or things I might discuss and his coworkers and family might read.
So I'm taking comments. What do you feel about the blogger's mask?