Example of anonymous people and problems online

[ericbarbour]

People in the sports world are screeching about and deploring this. But it's funny.

https://deadspin.com/teen-girl-posed-fo ... 1820305588

This is exactly what has been happening routinely on Wikipedia servers since 2002. Lunatics showing up and manipulating others under screen names. Some of them were eternabanned, some became powerful insiders. The best manipulator wins. (Thanks a lot, Jimbo. YOU made this happen.)

Also, the nuts at Dramatica would call this "Girl On The Internet Syndrome". But it's not; she posed as an aggressive and abusive male. And it worked. For eight years.

[suckadmin]

Woah that is crazy!

[AndrewForson]

In his new role, saving the world from fake news by the miracle of crowd-sourcing, Jimbo declares

Anonymous sourcing is not good enough. We absolutely must see a lot less of it in the media. Get people willing to go on the record, or don't print it. Yes, there can be rare exceptions.

and later

It allows people to float ideas without accountability. It allows bad journalists to attack people in weird and obnoxious ways.

He retweets

I agree: historically people conveyed information with responsibility.

Calumnies were punished in Hammurabi's code as if the person committed the action.

Put skin in the game of the purveyors of information. Anonymity has small benefits, Huuuuge distortions.

Well, that wraps it up for Wikipedia then. "Weird and obnoxious".