When we are having a conversation with someone, we seldom address that person just by their last name; rather, we use their first name, nickname, or Title, such as Sir or Miss, and so on. That is to say, when we address somebody strictly by their last name, it typically is in a situation in which the superior person, such as a Sergeant or a Teacher of some sort, addresses everyone that way, pretty much as a demonstration of their authority over the other person. Therefore, it is rather surprising that when we examine any form of print media, whether in actual print or online through various social forums and the like, the industry standard is often just the last name, with seldom anything else included.
Perhaps this doesn’t bother most people, because they are used to it, but then again, the people that aren’t bothered are typically the readers, but not the person, so being involved, because that person hasn’t been directly asked. So too, perhaps the person that is being written about isn’t bothered because they are used to it, or inured to it, but it has to be admitted that for most of those people being written about, just being addressed by their last name is not how they are dealt with in the real world and therein lies the rub -- for the bottom line is that there surely should be some sort of compromise that can be obtained which satisfies all parties, and that would seem to be something as simple as adding that person’s first initial, or the initials of their first and middle name, so that what you have, for example, with a person such as James David Smith, is instead of writing Smith, it’s J Smith or JD Smith, which not only flows just fine, but is also going to be more satisfactory to James David Smith, as well.
At the end of the day, it just makes sense when writing about people to write in a manner which is consistent or at least in harmony with how we might address them in person, and adding an initial or two doesn’t seem to be all that daunting for those that are utilizing the written word, because most people desire to be dealt with in a respectful manner and just the last name without the first name or initials with it, could be seen as disrespectful by some, and therefore should be subject to being changed. After all, there are plenty of things that have been standard practice back in the day, but have ended up being changed, because it was seen as being beneficial in making that change, of which, an adjustment to just utilizing the last name of the person so being written about just seems to be one of those things that should be changed, and therefore ought to be changed, and the sooner that this occurs, the better that it will be.