2) ANONYMITY FOSTERS EQUALITY

"At its widest scope, anonymity/psedonymity.is an aspect of American ideals of equality, social mobility, self-transformation and self-creation, free from the confinements of tradition, prejudice, pedigree and personal history."

AND

"Anonymity serves to netraluze bias, class privilege, predjudice and assumed authority on the one hand, and discrimination on the other. It may leave us wondering about the commenter’s identity, but absent any basis for judging him/her we are forced to confront their ideas strictly on the merits.

"Such was the case in the US revolution, and it is the case in the small, incestuous and class-based community we live in here.

"Anonymity may be unwelcome to those who have power, privilege and deference, but for others it is a breath of fresh air to be able to speak frrely without fear of retaliation or class-based limits. This is why many women authors used (male) psudonyms to evade Victorian limits."