Renonymize, a 21st century verb

A verb for the 21st century:

Re-nonymize, or renonymize, V,. To discover, using data from an "anonymized" data set (a data set from which the explicit identifying data has been removed) which specific individuals generated the data. Usage: ". . . companies claim they're releasing an anonymous dataset, only to discover later that it's not so difficult to re-nomynize it."

Word of the Day: renonymize

[#1 posted by zuzu, May 28, 2009 9:40 PM]

Thanks AOL!

[#2 posted by Anonymous, May 28, 2009 9:47 PM]

Thought the word for this was de-anonymize. denonymize seems like a more appropriate abbreviation.

[#3 posted by nosehat, May 28, 2009 9:48 PM]

One would hope there would be a stiff penalty for companies that did this.

I remember that AOL was going to get sued for doing this, but I'm not sure what the follow up to this case is.

(Searching for AOL along with the law firm that filed the suit seems to indicate that this law firm is now working for AOL!? What the hell?)

[#4 posted by AT203, May 28, 2009 10:59 PM]

No. Too difficult to pronounce.

[#5 posted by Anonymous, May 29, 2009 2:15 AM]

But the question is, how do you spell it?

[#6 posted by Anonymous, May 29, 2009 5:07 AM]

Surely it should be re-nymize.

[#7 posted by RainyRat, May 29, 2009 5:49 AM]

Something wrong with "nominate"? Literally, "to name", as opposed to "without name", or "anonymous".

[#8 posted by Brettspiel, May 29, 2009 7:38 AM]

Apparently, it's difficult enough to wrap your brain around that it's misspelled in the usage text.

[#9 posted by buddy66, May 29, 2009 7:42 AM]

And already being misspelled.

[#10 posted by arkizzle / Moderator, May 29, 2009 7:55 AM]

Rainyrat,

it's being used as a this- data-was-supposed-to-be-anonymous signifier (or at least, this-data-was-previously-anonymous).

So, renonymize make a very clear statement about the dataset, and your use of it. Whereas nominate can be used in any situation to name anything. The word is specfic to a data-is-no-longer-anonymous usage.

I think its a pretty appropriate word.

[#11 posted by Antinous / Moderator, May 29, 2009 12:32 PM]

We don't correct quoted text.

[#12 posted by Anonymous, May 29, 2009 12:36 PM]

It's not clear whether the word is renonymize, or as the example gives it, re-nomynize. Renomynize would make more sense, IMHO.

[#13 posted by RainyRat, May 29, 2009 1:46 PM]

You're entirely right. But it's still horrible.

[#14 posted by nrkn, May 31, 2009 5:47 PM]

The antonym for anonymous is onymous:

adj. 1. bearing a name; as, articles in magazines are usually onymous. Opposite of anonymous.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, published 1913 by C. & G. Merriam Co.

So surely it should be reonymize rather than renonymize? As the n is part of the an- prefix?