Inside the mind of the anonymous online poster...has it gone too far?

[BlackLantern]

excellent read

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/m...ind_of_the_anonymous_online_poster/?page=full

The raging commentary on Obama’s aunt is a microcosm of the thorny problem many websites are grappling with right now over what to do with anonymous comments. At many of these sites, executives have begun to ask themselves: How did we get into this thicket, and is there a sensible way out? But a more basic question needs to be answered first: Who are these people who spend so much of their days posting anonymous comments, and what is motivating them?