I’ve been thinking about anonymity and the internet. Seems that when people are anonymous (and what allows you more anonymity than the internet) some of them get really nasty, doing things like threatening people. I’ve read a few articles that discussed this in terms of online communities. The current thinking is that allowing anonymous posting isn’t a good idea. And monitoring the comments (and letting people know that you’re monitoring them) is even better.
This behavior shouldn’t surprise anyone. I think we do it from the time we’re kids. I’ve already noticed with my daughter (10 years old) that if she knows I’m paying attention, checking in on her, she’s less likely to misbehave. And I finally understand why mothers come out to clubhouses with milk and cookies. They aren’t worried that you’re starving to death, they want to make it clear that they know you’re out there and might pop in at any moment. Someone is paying attention.
This is what online community leaders need to do. They shouldn’t be Big Brother and listen to everything, they just need to pop in with milk and cookies every once in awhile so all the members know that someone is paying attention.
So, when you’re setting up a community, say some forums where your visitors can post questions and comments, realize that you will need to pop in and take a look and maybe pull some posts. That will help keep the discussion on your forums civil so everyone can enjoy them.
