The document discusses the acceptability of anonymity in research from different perspectives. It presents quotes arguing that anonymity allows ideas to be judged solely on their content rather than on attributes of the author. It also notes that anonymity can counter vanity by treating all information equally. The document concludes that anonymity can be an acceptable and even desirable approach in research by eliminating factors like leadership, representation, and status that are associated with identifying authors.
3. IS IT EVER ACCEPTABLE,
FROM A RESEARCH
PERSPECTIVE, TO KEEP A
TEXT ANONYMOUS?
6. “Anonymity counters vanity. On a forum where
[names are required] … posts deal as much with
who you are as what you are posting. On an
anonymous forum, if you can't tell who posts what,
logic will overrule vanity. … Under a perfectly
anonymous system, you can say, “it's boring,” if it
is actually boring. All information is treated
equally; only an accurate argument will work.”
SHII, ‘SHIICHAN ANONYMOUS BBS’, (2004)
7. ANONYMOUS, QUOTED IN COLEMAN (2013:47)
“The posts on 4chan have no names or any
identifiable marker attached to them. The only
thing you are able to judge a post by is its
content and nothing else. This elimination of the
persona, and by extension everything associated
with it, such as leadership, representation, and
status, is the primary ideal of Anonymous.”