Anonymity does not just feed malice

Gossip is defined as "rumors or reports of an intimate nature" and people have been gossiping away ever since they managed to string more than two words together. It's human nature. As suggested by the definition, gossip includes both information and misinformation. While most people welcome the former (unless they have something to hide) they are against the latter.

The thing with misinformation, or lies, is they are best served by anonymity, for the simple reason, that if a person is caught lying then he can be held accountable and/or not believed in the future. So on the face of it an elegant solution to the problem of lying would be to strip away anonymity.

Here, the government is working on an "identity authentication system for users of online bulletin board systems", which means netizens will no longer be able to hide behind their avatars. The announcement last week comes hot on the heels of an addition to the State Secrets law that requires Internet and mobile phone operators to cooperate with police demands for information on users.