After Hours

Yes, if people have something to say, say it. They shouldn't hide behind an anonymous name. Facebook is not foot proof. These anonymous users could just create a fake account though.

yes - if you have something worth saying, it's worth standing behind - if you can't stand behind it, it isn't worth saying

I don't think it should be a "blanket" ban. But if your website is set up for serious discussions, then having a sign on should be manditory.

I do think that I wouldn't use my real name here, if you recall what happened to me here when I did. But my login is tied to a verified email address so there is some accountability.

With anonymity, people really tell you what they think and feel, no holds barred.

Obviously, though, the issues with this are:

a) those who are 'a few fries short of a happy meal' can post some interesting and/or disturbing stuff.
b) trolls, and trolls who pretend to be somewhat insane.
c) sock puppets. Sock puppets are fake personas created to promote or defend a particular cause or point of view.

But of course, some of the above lunacy can make it interesting, as sometime it can be fun to watch two (alleged) people of very different opinions lock horns,

The 64 Million dollar question is if you make people post under their 'real names', how do you verify that they are not lying, or using someone else's account?

The challenge of verifying identity is a extremely difficult. The whole basis of everything from airport security to online banking security is all about how you identify a person with some degree of confidence.

At the same time, how do you make it easy to use without compromising privacy?

Posting anonymous because there are sometimes a comment needs to be heard and the consequences of any identifiable information may cost the poster. No just whistle blowing, but negative comments against an company, employer or client may backfire. Discretion is always needed. Take the comments of city employees posting on Facebook.

It really depends on the level of transparency that would be expected and what the topic of conversation is. If you're asking for the status of the IT staffing environment, it might make sense to allow more anonymity so that people can be safe to post an honest assessment without fear of a backlash from coworkers or employers.

That said, I'm in general agreement that there needs to be more transparency in general so that (at least some) people will think twice before engaging in a flame war or deciding to spew nonsense just to see how it turns out.

No question. What is the point of anonymous comments other than allowing a lot of crap.