Identity matters in online conversation

I have debated the issue of anonymous comments with some of the editors who receive my leadership tips before. I too often sound like the troglodyte trying to hold back the tide of change. Howard Owens makes a more timely case for requiring identity in today's entry on his blog.

If you're wrestling with behavior issues in your comments, note his link to a detailed explanation of how they linked comments to registration at the Ventura County Star.

Another excellent recent Howard Owens post talks about the mindset journalists need to keep pace with change.
My favorite line: "You don't make 'quality' a religion and refuse to try new forms of reporting because it doesn't immediately meet your quality standards. You are willing to try and fail, and keep trying until you get it right, and you don't resent others doing the same."

In another blog, Steve Yelvington has some thoughtful observations about the difference between newspapers and their web sites and how to write headlines for each.