Sac Bee will require real names for comments

am paper

There is growing debate whether newspapers should require people to use their real names when they comment on articles on the papers’ websites. The Sacramento Bee has decided to require real names. Here is an column on their decision: Requiring names with online comments

…. too often, the comments descend into the depths of vitriol, characterized by racism, sexism and the like. By eliminating anonymity, the thinking goes, the amount of online bile will diminish, perhaps at the cost of fewer overall comments.

What are your thoughts on requiring real names?

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Author: Rick Outzen

Rick Outzen is the publisher/owner of Pensacola Inweekly. He has been profiled in The New York Times and featured in several True Crime documentaries. Rick also is the author of the award-winning Walker Holmes thrillers. His latest nonfiction book is “Right Idea, Right Time: The Fight for Pensacola’s Maritime Park.”