Mark Potts runs through the details of Philly.com's reborn commenting system, which takes a good-enough approach to the complex problem of encouraging conversation in a world where an unfortunate percentage of us are idiots. As I've said previously, pseudonymity is a reasonable Middle Way.
I've been down the Real Names path. It's not a bad one. But my next-door neighbor in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, was one of several hundred Tom Johnsons in the area, and my next-door neighbor in Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota, was one of several hundred Richard Johnsons. Sometimes handles can be more precise.
Comments
Couldn't you have a hybrid system
Steve,
I see the issue with similar and exactly the same names but shouldn't it be possible to create a system that links back to the true identity as default even if you used a pseudonym or handle?
Eoin
Another way to handle it
At my day-job in Denver we just upgraded the forum software that powers our article comments. Before we had asked for people's real names when they signed up -- most people gave them. A handful were surprised that their full names were published alongside their comments.
With the upgrade I added functionality so that people can decide whether to display their full name, or just their initials. Most people are choosing initials. I don't have the numbers on how many more people are giving (what appears to be) their real name, but I think it's a pretty good way to handle identity.