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Dorian S. Nakamoto, identified by Newsweek magazine as the founder of Bitcoin, exits his home surrounded by members of the media.Jonathan Alcorn/Bloomberg/Getty Images
The term "doxxing" entered the vocabulary of many on Thursday with the publication of Newsweek's controversial story identifying a man the magazine says is the inventor of Bitcoin.
Doxxing, a play on the word "documents," is a slang term for revealing the identity of someone who wishes to remain anonymous on a public forum, often with malicious intent.
Whether or not the Satoshi Nakamoto identified in the article is the inventor of Bitcoin is a matter of debate, as the evidence on both sides is largely circumstantial. Regardless, the Newsweek article ignited a heated online discussion about the journalistic ethics of doxxing and the merits of the culture of online anonymity.
The term doxxing was originally popularized by online forums like Reddit and 4chan that regard anonymity as sacrosanct. It was on these forums that many expressed anger about the alleged doxxing of Satoshi Nakamoto. Some took issue with the level of personal details about Nakamoto in the piece, which included photos of his house:
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