as an operator of a large IRC network I am forced to keep my real name off my employer's websites, websites like github and my home address out of the public record (director's addresses and such like)
it's a major nuisance
An IRC nick is not a mask one hides behind. It is an alternative identifier for a real person whose other personal information may be locatable.
That leads us back to the pseudonym discussions: Not every name that isn't on ones state-issued id is anonymous. With mine, even without clicking on my profile, you can easily find out my name and yes, my address as well.
If I connect to an IRC network (mostly freenode, or gnome/gimp) I'll be online as darklajid as well. I ran a tiny irc network a couple years ago and used the same handle. For me that's not at all hard to believe.