Internet Commenting Growing Away From Anonymity

An article from the Associated Press makes the case that internet commenting is slowly but surely transitioning away from widespread anonymity. More and more sites are finding that the prevalence of vitriolic comments is driving away new readers, not to mention other, more reasonable commenters. Sites like YouTube and the Huffington Post are leading the charge, requiring users to log in via Google+ and Facebook respectively in order to establish a real-world identity. The Post's managing editor, Jimmy Soni, said, 'We are reaching a place where the Internet is growing up. These changes represent a maturing (online) environment.' "Nearly three-quarters of teens and young adults think people are more likely to use discriminatory language online or in text messages than in face to face conversations, according to a recent poll ... Newspapers are also turning toward regulated comments. Of the largest 137 U.S. newspapers — those with daily circulation above 50,000 — nearly 49 percent ban anonymous commenting, according to Arthur Santana, assistant communications professor at the University of Houston. Nearly 42 percent allow anonymity, while 9 percent do not have comments at all.

Re: Yes, because moderation is oh so hard to do

[tverbeek]

If you think that the problem is "a few negative comments", you haven't looked at the responses posted on any news sites lately. I won't even look at the comments sections on the web site of my local metropolitan newspaper, let alone post anything: they are a rancid stew of idiocy, bigotry, and partisan attacks.

Re: Yes, because moderation is oh so hard to do

[jd2112]

Slashdot moderation is among the best (or perhaps just least bad) of all the sites I regularly visit.

Re: Yes, because moderation is oh so hard to do

[Anonymous Coward]

they are a rancid stew of idiocy, bigotry, and partisan attacks.

Funny how they think using real names will eliminate that behavior. I've been seeing the same type of comments coming from Firstname Lastname as I see from Xx_BuTt_B0ngZ_69_xX on sites where it's enforced.