TechCrunch explains why they are reintroducing some anonymity into their commenting platform:
[W]e eventually discovered that our anti-troll tactic worked too well; The bullies and asshats left our comments sections, but so did everyone else.
Jeff Sonderman points to data from commenting platform Disqus that indicates this might be a wise move:
[Disqus] says those with pseudonyms post the best comments, while anonymous comments are lower quality. One theory: People don’t mind being accountable online, but they don’t want it to blow back on their work or personal lives by using a real identity. A pseudonym protects them while providing a measure of accountability.
The Dish 