Secondly, I'm making a subtle point - when I started with the company he lied about his name and called himself "John Snow". I only found out it was a lie months later.
I also want to protect the anonymity of my friend Ian.
I also want to protect myself (legally) if he ever read it
Further from a legal perspective using a pseudonym to refer to a person doesn't necessarily protect you if it would be clear to some readers who the person is that you're referring to. Having links in the profile would increase this risk.
It is obviously a sad state of affairs where the merest risk of someone objecting to the content of a post could have a stifling effect on publication (edit - especially where the contents are on the face of it completely truthful). However, the unfortunate reality is that even becoming embroiled in legal action (even where the person taking action is on flimsy grounds) can be costly and time-consuming. I just wanted to make sure you were aware of the possible consequences.
Bastard.
I think you may just have had a <whoosh /> moment :)