Agreed entirely; it seems like a bad idea, but the flip side is that anything they do feel comfortable sharing with you can be readily shared with others. That

Agreed entirely; it seems like a bad idea, but the flip side is that anything they do feel comfortable sharing with you can be readily shared with others. That second fact, coupled with the reality that many people like to tell their own stories, at least in part, is more powerful than anything learned through anonymity. Viewed another way, if the goal is to get to the truth and share it, it is useless to learn an unshareable truth.