Arianna Huffington said: "Trolls are just getting more and more aggressive and uglier and I just came from London where there are rape and death threats. I feel that freedom of expression is given to people who stand up for what they say and [are] not hiding behind anonymity. We need to evolve a platform to meet the needs of the grown-up internet."

Gah. It isn't the anonymity that is the sole cause of people acting horridly online. It is a small part of what enables them to do so but it isn't the whole story. Different communities foster different types of comments. HuffPo isn't quality web. Most of their stories are clickbaits - links with exceptionally written headlines to intrigue users to click and read the top 10 bullshit lists.

What happens is that the users who prefer these types of links aren't the users who enjoy reading, learning, and sharing the knowledge. They are bored Facebook users who prefer a slideshow of images or a list of mediocre advice over long form articles that require actual use of their time and mind. The quality of content on your news site or blog has a tremendous effect on the quality of comments.

Similarly, the quality of existing comments is a huge determining factor of what new visitors expect and how they chose to act on the site. If you visit 4chan, you see the sick trolling don't-give-a-fuck community and act similarly in order to fit in. If you see a page filled with intelligent discourse and civil debate you will act similarly. I really can't imagine anyone coming on Hubski and trolling with rape or death threats.

it's a shame that HuffPo has gotten to the point where their existing commenting community is so broken that they feel the need to force real identities upon people, but there is a very slim chance it will solve the problem. More likely all this outside media coverage will incite even more trolling and hate.

ps: Long time no see! Great to have you back. How's life treating you lately?