Anonymity and Online Community: Identity Matters

Does it?

[Casethejoint]

I read a blog post recently about "Anonymity and Online Community". Drawing on Wikipedia's recent woes, the author's argument is that a club is a better community than a mob (in my words). Does this key in with your experience?

[edited by: rogerd at 5:41 pm (utc) on April 4, 2006]
[edit reason] no blog links per TOS, please [/edit]

[rogerd]

>>a club is a better community than a mob

The Wisdom of Crowds notwithstanding, I think for wikis in particular this is true. In blogs and forums you can have debates. Each party can have his say without affecting anyone else.

In a wiki, though, one overwrites those with other views. To develop a wiki in a useful and positive way, you either need a group with a shared common goal and a willingness to work out differences, or a lot of adult supervision.

I like wikis for intranets and closed communities, and perhaps for some specific and non-controversial topics.