To play
Devil's advocate perhaps we should compare
handles to a
fine wine. An email address that indicates it has been in use for a number of years could possibly add an air of
authority (or at least consistancy & longevity) to an otherwise insignifcant
nym.
Now, we know that nobody online would ever do something so
vile as to present false
credentials and pretend to know something they don't, so the system should be safe.