Personally, I tend to prefer forums (Forae?) where people post under their own ID's, as the discussion tends to remain more civilised; I generally take the view that you should never say something to someone on a forum that you wouldn't be happy to say face-to-face over a drink in a bar.
Anonymity tends to allow the uncensored 'ID' to surface, with associated trollery, and also the thoroughly unpleasant flamings for which Pprune has become known. Hence, I post under my own name, and IMHE generally find that the most productive conversations come with people who do similarly. Conversely, those who go to the greatest lengths to conceal their identities, tend to talk the most vituperative, verbose rubbish - Snsguppy and Sternone, where are you now...?
However, there are circumstances when the ability to pose a question on a forum under a 'nom-de-plume' is very valuable - and, for the OP, might be damned essential; airworthiness, medical and possible enfringement posts are all such circumstances where the originator of the post may want to ask a question of other forumites, without being instantly fingered as the pilot with potential problems - where there maybe none!
Similarly, if I was wealthy or in the public eye, I'd want to be able to ask the normal questions that anyone would want to, without the baggage that goes with wealth or celebrity. If, say, Katie Price, wanted to be able to ask straightforward questions about aircraft, it would be nice to do so without collecting loads of replies concerning baloons.
I seriously question as to why that facility should be considered so worrying by the LAA and, if the origin of that censorship is an intollerance of criticism of the forum parent company, that is the WRONG motivation.
Last edited by wsmempson; 5th Apr 2012 at 11:41.
Reason: shocking standards of illiteracy