[EL] Anonymity and free speech

	I agree that allowing anonymous speech -- whether this stems from the government's not restricting the speech, or private publishers' not restricting it -- can increase the likelihood of libel, insults, distraction, and more.  I can see why some blogs and newspapers might want to have a policy of officially forbidding anonymous speech.

	But the trouble is that barring anonymous speech can deter a good deal of valuable speech as well, especially given the ease of searching on the Internet.  I've heard commenters say that without anonymous commenting, they would refuse to post about pretty much any controversial topic, for fear that they'll jeopardize their future job prospects (or even their current jobs).  And that reaction strikes me as quite reasonable.  Many a sensible law student who is facing a tough job market would be quite reluctant to blog about how he opposes gay marriage -- or for that matter, about how he himself is gay.  Many would be reluctant to blog about their views on illegal immigration, or affirmative action, or abortion.  And of course when it gets to the really hot-button topics, such as whether there are biological differences in intelligence or temperament between the sexes, or among various racial groups, only the very hardy, or very foolhardy, are likely to be willing to talk when!
  their names are out in the open.
 
	Now perhaps the reasons for restricting anonymous speech, either through governmental action or private action, outweigh the reasons for allowing it, either in general or in specific contexts.  But it seems to me that the reasons for allowing it are often quite powerful.

	Finally, I suspect that few Web sites can really do much about people who are willing to deliberately flout the prohibition.  How, after all, can a Web site operator effectively make sure that a member of the public is posting using his real name?  (Perhaps newspapers publishing a few letters to the editor each day can insist on a phone number, and call to confirm that the number corresponds to the sender, though even that's an imperfect security scheme; but blogs that allow hundreds of posts a day can't practically do that.)  But that's a separate matter, specific to the particular example given by the post below.

	Eugene