The Denver Post is reporting that a federal judge in Denver ordered an ISP to release the names of people who commented online about a retailer. This has huge implications for anonymity on the internet.

In most venues when I comment online it is with my own name. I have long felt that anonymity debases the conversation. How can you determine the credibility of any post if you have no idea about the credibility of the person making the post?

There are legitimate concerns about identity theft if too much personal information is online. I know that concerns about identity theft have driven the practice of hiding one’s own identity in online conversations. Identity theft is a concern that I share, but have attempted to mitigate through monitoring credit reports.

When people started primarily using screen names, I noticed a discernible decrease in civility. I suspect that a decrease in veracity accompanied the decrease in civility. Where is Miss Manners when we need her?

Homework

Denver Post Article

Miss Manners Alive and Well at MSNBC. Who Knew?