How about allowing anonymous questions on AskMe?

December 15, 2003 4:34 AM

Posting something in Blue or here should have a definite link to a persona set up here. But a question? There are some questions we want asked but not have anyone know we asked them. What about an anonymous possibility?
posted by Dagobert to Feature Requests at 4:34 AM (9 comments total)

Not willy nilly posting. You have to be logged in in order to post but the possibly of not having your name directly attached.

Obviously, Matt would, as usual, know all and see all. I have no problem with that.....but I can foresee the possibility of someone wanting info but not having everyone know they asked it.
posted by Dagobert at 4:37 AM on December 15, 2003

Thus far it seems that people are perfectly happy to share all manner of personal information at ask.metafilter, from nasty rashes to security clearance issues, but in cases where a poster wants to shield themselves they could always use the old chestnut from real life:

'A friend of mine wants to know...'
posted by jack_mo at 5:14 AM on December 15, 2003

Anonymous posts, and anonymous replies to those posts as well? Seems like a can of worms, an invitation for cheaper cheapshots, and then a burder for Matt when someone goes too far and he has to lay down the law. If I was Quonsar, right now I'd have a link to Maxwell Smart's Cone of Silence handy.

I'm probably focused too much on the sniping here, which surely wasn't your intent. Got a hypothetical?
posted by planetkyoto at 7:12 AM on December 15, 2003

A question so sensitive, the asker does not want their name attached, but not so sensitive that they post the question on a publicly viewable and heavily trafficed website? Not to be inconsiderate or unfeeling, but frankly any question you don't want your name attached to probably needs to be asked of your doctor, lawyer, therapist, or priest.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 7:27 AM on December 15, 2003

XQUZ sorta made my point (but like that's going to stop me from commenting).

While I am totally for the availability of anonymous posting on websites, that ability should be implemented when the site debuts so that anonymity can become a part of the culture (see Plastic). MeFi (and as extensions, MeTalk and now AskMe) has always had a culture of usernames. Such a drastic change as introducting anonymity could very well bring the disruption all the doom-and-gloomers have been forecasting for the last couple years.
posted by mischief at 7:50 AM on December 15, 2003

Dear AskMe,

What is this [annoying rash/strange compulsion/small furry woodland creature] that has infested my [sensitive area/psychological processes/nether regions of house or, um, someplace] and how can I [get rid of it/understand and live with it/feed it and attract more]?

Sincerely,

"Anonymous"
posted by Shane at 8:15 AM on December 15, 2003

part of why the site works is that people's names are attached to the posts, so there will not ever be an anonymous option.

I'll work the questions/comments into user profiles over the next couple of weeks.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 10:19 AM on December 15, 2003 [1 favorite]

XQUZ: don't bogart that enamel.
posted by quonsar at 1:18 PM on December 15, 2003

OK, thanks for the concise answers. I understand the logic now.
posted by Dagobert at 5:50 AM on December 18, 2003