Toward a Forum Philosophy for SI, Part 4

Read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

What’s in a Name?

One of the forum issues that has been discussed at length at SharperIron is the question of whether to allow anonymity. Specifically, the question is whether to allow members to have profiles that do not disclose who they are or to post using nicknames or other labels that do not clearly identify them.

Naturally, with the change in leadership at SI, some have wondered what the rules will be going forward. But before we announce any policy, let’s weigh the pros and cons of anonymous posting.

What’s Good about Anonymity Online?

To some it’s obvious that there is nothing to gain from anonymity in forums. But I’m not among them. In fact, three ways in which anonymity can be helpful come readily to mind.

For one, anonymous posting allows the timid to have a voice. Though I’m inclined to think, “If they’re not willing to attach their good name to their thoughts, they don’t deserve to be heard,” another thought quickly follows: should those who prefer to avoid the limelight be penalized for that? Do the shy have nothing of value to say? The truth is, the world is full of introverts who have keen insight into things, and being able to post anonymously or under a pseudonym probably results in more of these insights getting out where they can be helpful. (Note to biblical counseling movement enthusiasts: yes, I’m aware that “introvert” is a Jungian term, and no, I’m not a fan of Jung.)

A second advantage of anonymous posting is related to the first. It can protect those with a lot to lose from intimidation (intentional or otherwise) by the institutions or leaders who employ them. In other words, anonymity is a bit subversive, but sometimes that’s a good thing. Though I have no personally verified cases of this intimidation going on in biblical Fundamentalism, rumors of it are plentiful and plausible. When someone has important and edifying information to share, but is not free to do so because of external restraints, anonymity can be a valuable solution.

But it’s the third advantage of anonymity that I find most interesting. In theory, anonymous writing can allow debate that is more purely focused on what matters most in debates: facts and reasoning. When the person(s) we are debating are unknown, we have less opportunity to be distracted by factors that are often irrelevant to the question at hand—factors like level and source of education, gender, appearance, denominational affiliation, age, cultural background, race, and the list goes on.

As an example from life outside of the forum setting, suppose you are checking into a hotel when someone comes running into the lobby, shouting, “Everybody out! The building’s on fire!” What matters in that situation is not whether this person is overweight, has a college degree, or is a Baptist (it does matter if he’s nine years old, but work with me a little here). What’s important is whether this person has his facts straight when he says the building is on fire and whether his reasoning is sound when he says everyone should exit.

It makes sense that some debates might better focus on what matters most if those participating are blind to factors that are only distractions. In these cases, anonymity is an option worth considering.

Drawbacks of Anonymity

Unfortunately, the advantages of anonymity in forums bring disadvantages along with them. While it’s probably true that some debates could proceed better with the personal factors excluded, it’s also true that personal factors often matter.

In an ideal world, we would all wrestle with every issue by personally weighing the claims of those involved regardless of who they are, sifting their conflicting claims through the grid of Scripture, and forming our own conclusions. But in reality, none of has time to personally research every question, even every important question. And we’re often not in a position to verify every item one side or the other claims is “fact.” The consequence is that we accept much on the authority of the source.

Arguably, Fundamentalism has suffered from too much of this dependence on human authorities. For too many, “consider the source” is all the research they bother to do for most of the issues of our day. But nobody is one hundred percent wrong one hundred percent of the time (or one hundred percent right one hundred percent of the time). So “the source” of an idea or argument is never the primary factor in whether it’s true or valid.

But none of that changes the fact that who is making the claim is often one important factor in deciding what the truth is. In those situations, anonymity isn’t helpful.

Another disadvantage of anonymity is that it adds another layer of insulation and with it an additional degree of distance between persons posting in a forum. In forums we’re already interacting without seeing the faces of others or hearing their voices. The result is that empathy is automatically somewhat reduced. But if the people we’re interacting with also lack real names and real backgrounds (or are pictured by avatars), they are even less “real” on an emotional level. And it’s easier to treat them badly.

I can’t prove that, and I’m no psychologist, but there has to be a reason that emotionally sensitive people often prefer writing over face-to-face conversation about sensitive matters. And it can’t be coincidental that people who are having a dispute in writing often quickly work things out when they meet face-to-face (though the reverse is also sometimes true).

It’s just easier to care about a real person who is the second cousin of my former pastor’s barber than it is to care about “Fightin’Fundy1611.”

The Accountability Problem

The biggest drawback of forum anonymity, though, is the accountability problem it creates. It’s true that moderators can ban a “Dark Knight” just as easily as they can ban a “Bruce Wayne.” That’s not the kind of accountability I’m talking about.

I think we’d all agree that in a healthy forum community—especially one that discusses issues—a great deal of self-regulation must occur. No matter how discerning and quick (and numerous) the moderators may be, the atmosphere depends ultimately on a lot of folks reining themselves in.

This is far easier to do when you know your words are attached to your good name and will remain attached for a good long time. As I pointed out in Part 3, Proverbs teaches that words carry the power of life and death (18:21), and James warns us at length about how easy it is to engage in sinful communication. It’s so easy, in fact, that James declares that a man with a consistently pure communication is “perfect” (3:2).

Given how difficult it already is to restrain our verbal impulses, removing ourselves too much from the consequences of our words by hiding our identity is likely to increase temptation in this area. And allowing anonymity on a large scale in the forums is likely to breed an unhealthy forum environment.

Conclusions and Policies

Because the situations where anonymity is desirable are relatively few, SharperIron will continue to avoid anonymity in general while employing it selectively.

Real Names: We’ll be asking all new applicants for membership (and as time allows, many of the existing members) to use some combination of their real names for member names. Though a real name will be required in each member’s profile, I believe displaying some variation of a real name in posts is also preferable to labels that are less personal and less real. So the order of preference is (a) real name; (b) last name with first initial or first name with last initial; (c) other, with real name in the profile (new cases of this preference will be granted with great reluctance, maybe not at all).

Our Beloved Timid Lurkers: While it’s true that the timid have as much right to be heard as anyone else (and probably have even more of value to say), it’s also true that no one is obligated to make being heard comfortable for them. It’s usually impossible to be widely heard without being widely exposed. That said, I believe there are ways SI can give timid folks more opportunities to contribute to the site without granting them anonymity in the forums. We’ll be exploring these ways after the redesigned site goes live in a month or two (or three).

Those with Much at Stake: When it comes to protecting the identities of those whose jobs or ministries may be jeopardized by their posting at SI, I believe this problem is solved ninety-nine percent of the time by simply being discreet in what one posts. However, it has been the policy of SI to grant anonymous accounts to a few in special situations on a case-by-case basis. I intend to continue that policy (but those who have recently received that privilege can attest that it’s not a hassle-free process).

All anonymous accounts should be viewed as temporary. That is, we’ll reevaluate them periodically to see whether the conditions that made them necessary still exist.

Anonymous Debate: The advantages of anonymous debate in some situations are worth exploring. There’s no reason why SI couldn’t occasionally feature a moderated debate with invited participants who write with their identities hidden from each other and from SI readers. It sounds like an interesting experiment.

Provided that we were honest about our beliefs when signing up, we SI members are “children of light.” So it makes sense for us to be who we are openly, in the light, in the SharperIron community.

Aaron Blumer, a native of lower Michigan, is a graduate of Bob Jones University (Greenville, SC) and Central Baptist Theological Seminary (Plymouth, MN). He, his wife, and their two children live in a small town in western Wisconsin, where he has pastored Grace Baptist Church (Boyceville, WI) since 2000. Prior to serving as a pastor, Aaron taught school in Stone Mountain, Georgia, and served in customer service and technical support for Unisys Corporation (Eagan, MN). He enjoys science fiction, music, and dabbling in software engineering.