I think those proposing a "Real Name" policy seem to be confused that having such a policy confers trust. Similarly, being anonymous does not automatically mean

I think those proposing a "Real Name" policy seem to be confused that having such a policy confers trust. Similarly, being anonymous does not automatically mean trolls everywhere. The fact is that even for sites with no RealName(tm) policy today, most of them have a ratio where normal conversation greatly outweighs trolls. So for the most part, the current model works. I think we need to disassociate name => trust as a start and really start exploring how to cultivate a culture of expression without trying to force the whole name thing as a solution. As a small example, given the recent storm around Airbnb and "EJ", can anyone (including Randi Zuckerberg) really advocate that EJ absolutely had to be using a real name in order to gain credibility?