Another gem from the VQR’s newly opened archives in defense of anonymity:
In some writing, to establish authority, a byline is necessary. But in many cases, if writers were anonymous, writing would be cut down to submissions by people who were impelled to write because they felt they had something important to say.
One thing has struck me editing the Dish for nine years. The readiness of many readers to take real care in writing without any hope of recognition – or surety of publication – puts the lie to those who believe civic culture is dead. Anonymity can be a means for irresponsibility, but it can also be a tool for real contributions of private people to public debate. It turns out, of course, that selection and editing matters – even in the age of Twitter.
Thanks for making the Dish better than any one blogger could make it, and wiser than any single source could muster.