I was told, recently, by a really old-timer (40+ years sober in AA) that self-identifying wasn't a practice in the beginning of AA. The stigma of being an alcoholic was so profound, then, that anonymity was a supremely important concept. Also, in the very beginning, your sponsor was the member who actually got you into the meeting. They were sort of clandestine and held in members homes. The role of sponsor has evolved, over the years, into a kind of spirit guide/confessor.
Lots of things have crept in that aren't in the book. 90 in 90, for example. It's not in the book but I wouldn't say it's a bad idea.
Personally, I have no problem saying, "I'm XXX and I'm an alcoholic." because I am "XXX" and I am, most assuredly, an alcoholic. Likewise, I haven't got a problem with people who fail to self-identify. I feel badly when one of the AA Police bark, "Who are you?" at some poor guy who's in a meeting hoping to unscramble his brain. I don't know if these are folks who put conventions over compassion or if they enjoy that little bit of empowerment.
For me, it's helpful to separate the process from the meetings. I've found the principals of AA provide me with an excellent framework for living a sober, productive and gentle life. I've also found that there are as many kooks in AA as there are outside of it.
A meeting is the hour a day I dedicate to maintaining my sobriety. Sometimes it's a very enlightening hour. Sometimes it's a very tedious hour, but even in a tedious meeting, I'm learning to better exercise my patience.