“I posted on Yahoo! under a pseudonym because I had fun doing it,” wrote John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods, who was recently outed for posting on Yahoo! Finance under an alias, “I never intended any of those postings to be identified with me.”

The road to hell is paved with good intentions, J-Mack.

Turns out that John Mackey has been posting online rants against Wild Oats Market and in favor of his company, Whole Foods Market, since 1999.

I shudder.

What Mackey did was not illegal: people post online rants, blogs, and videos under aliases all the time, and internet police turn a blind eye.  I shudder because what Mackey did was inappropriate for a leader.

In fact, I would argue that what he did was inappropriate for darn near anyone.  I like my blogs and online life as much as the next gal, but I always adhere to my own golden rule: if I’m not willing to attach my real name to my post, I don’t post.  It seems cowardly to post ugliness under an alias.  If you’re not willing to take the consequences for your actions, maybe you should rethink.

I have other rules that simplify my life, and help me navigate good and bad turns, like:

• If you think you’re underdressed, you probably are.  Go back to the closet and start again.
  
• At work, being a little bit early is better than being a little bit late.
• If you’re not sure if you can keep a commitment, don’t commit.
• Say, “Please” and “Thank you.”

But back to my rant.  I think aliases are one of the key shortcomings of Web 2.0.  When anyone can post anything with no responsibility for their actions, well, my friends, we’ve created a shit-storm.  Aliases allow leaders like Mackey to be posers.  No wonder the next generation doesn’t trust leaders.  No wonder we’re all aching for someone or something to believe in.  No wonder the word ‘authenticity’ is being thrown around these days like so much loose change.

We want the real deal, not some made-up, phony impersonation of the real deal.  Unless it’s Ru Paul.  Bring that girl on!               

• Read the full New York Times article about Mackey’s alias;
• Read the Wall Street Journal article;
  
• Should CEO’s like Mackey and elected leaders be held to a higher standard than others? Take the survey.
• See the survey results here.
  

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