Last Sunday the New York Times published an article titled, “News Sites Rethink Anonymous Online Comments”. The article explores whether internet users have the right to remain anonymous as they participate in conversations. The goal is to answer a simple question, "Should users have the power to address the world while hiding behind a digital disguise?" As Arriana Huffington stated in the article, “Anonymity is just the way things are done. It’s an accepted part of the Internet, but there’s no question that people hide behind anonymity to make vile or controversial comments.”

I believe this is a timely and valid question we should all be asking. When we first launched Pluck in 2007 we introduced the concept of a persona. The persona is a digital representation of a user in the context of a site where they interact. The user has a choice to provide as much or as little information as they choose when creating the persona, including the display name. In other words, the user can create a digital disguise and remain anonymous.

There is no doubt the ability to create a digital disguise has led to increased the number of users willing to participate on our customer’s sites. In some cases users use their anonymity in a negative way as many of our customers have experienced over the years; however, the option to remain anonymous has incented many users, who otherwise would not have participated, to contribute in a positive way.

I don’t believe the answer to the question is as simple as allow anonymity or requiring a real identity. In fact, I believe there are many factors influencing this decision, including the type of readers you have. We have seen customers be successful by focusing on both ends of the spectrum. For example, SF Gate allows users to establish a persona of their choosing to participate, while NPR requires users to provide their real first name and last name to participate.

So, should users have the power to address the world while hiding behind a digital disguise? My take is it depends, but there is no doubt anonymity should be an option. A user should have the ability to decide how they want to represent themselves in a conversation, but the community should also have the ability to decide who they want to listen to. In other words, the job of controlling the negative consequences of anonymity should not be placed on the editorial staff or community manager alone.

Over the coming weeks I will be writing a number of blog posts to explore how customers can be successful allowing anonymity with Pluck. Areas I plan to explore include:

• Anonymity cannot be avoided, identity has to be earned
• Use your community to help decipher the winners from the losers
• Give each individual user the power to cut through the noise
• Your responsibility in the conversation

I look forward to your feedback and reactions, even if you are using a digital disguise. Let the conversation begin!