Should Sites Like Patch Ban Anonymous Comments?

News came this week from the Huffington Post, a sister publication of Patch, that founder Arianna Huffington would start banning the use of anonymous comments on articles posted to the publication.

According to a report by CNN, Huffington made the statement in "off-the-cuff" remarks at a conference where she was speaking in Boston last week. The policy is expected to kick in next month.

"Freedom of expression is given to people who stand up for what they're saying and who are not hiding behind anonymity," Huffington told the audience, according to the CNN report. "Maintaining a civil environment for real conversation and community has always been key to the Huffington Post."

Patch's policy has been to allow users to post comments after they register on the site. While we have encouraged the use of real names, we have no mechanism to enforce it. Users frequently uses pseudonyms when they register on the site — so while they're not posting as "anonymous" users, they are effectively anonymous based on their pseudonyms.

Huffington's comments quickly became a Cause célèbre among bloggers and news organizations around the web, as sites have long grappled with the issue of troll-like comments, insensitivity and outrageous statements, with commenters having virtually no accountability because they're anonymous.

At the same time, anonymity has a long tradition in the United States, allowing people to make statements that, perhaps, need to be made, without fear of retribution.

Would you be more or less inclined to comment if we required real names? Do you agree with the idea of requiring real names, or do you think sites should allow "pseudonymity," but with strong moderation?