Anonymously Speaking - Part Two

In relation to my previous post on anonymous online forums posters, I found this article and thought I'd pass it along. I remain almost entirely unsympathetic to the "anonymous" cause. I can see some limited excuses for certain people to need anonymity, but overall, I believe nearly all anonymous users of online forums choose to mask their identities just so that they can be abusive (with no repercussions). Many of their rantings and insults go far beyond childish. If these people ever actually met - face to face - with the people they were insulting, they would be red-faced and embarrassed beyond ever even admitting to.

An excerpt from the article: "There are examples everywhere of anonymous comments that cause harm. On even the most innocuous sites — a parenting message board, for example — anonymity often leads to the type of response that would hardly be likely if names were attached."

I agree. And I hope that in the future, more forums will be available that require the positive identification of those who choose to participate.

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