As KC says, "anonymity isn't always the answer but it might be the
answer sometimes." There are specific advantages to anonymity and
specific disadvantages. Depending on what you are after. One thing
it provides is a forum for "voicing" to those who are shy, incompetent
at speaking, poor at dialogue or lacking in power where power counts.
As such, it has a potentially important place.
It can also be used as a beginning where dialogue is the intention or
requirement but getting started is difficult for some reason.
What the disadvantages bring to mind - lack of dialogue, lack of
responsibility, missing context, for instance - is another aspect of
human communication that is often ignored.
Have you ever had one of those instances where you see, hear or do
something and have no particularly strong emotion about it but, when
you tell someone (who is really listening) all of a sudden you are
deeply moved? Have you noticed there is often a change in emotion or
relationship to something said or thought when it is said out loud to
another human being? This quality is missing not only in anonymous
situations but even also in most computer and remote conversations.
This phenomenon is one to be taken into account in designing which
type and medium of conversation when.
Nathanial Branden (Six Pillars of Self Esteem and other books) names
the phenomenon "pyschological visibility" and suggests that words
become more real when they are spoken aloud and more real still when
they are really listened to - and more still when listened to by a
group or by many sequentially.
> One thing "high" tech gives us is the immediate feedback. We could have
> all typewritten our ideas and handed them in, to be read aloud. With
> appropriate technology, you can see your idea in front of people
> instantly. There is less potential for filtering by human hands.
>
> All of it ultimately seems to get down to "trust in the system"... whether
> the system is human or "human with technology". Perhaps in a human system
> that isn't trusted, the technology can add an edge which allows ideas to
> be more safely expressed.
>
> Like most things, anonymity isn't always the answer... but it might be the
> answer sometimes.
-- Michael McMaster Michael@kbddean.demon.co.uk