I also deleted the app pretty quickly .. but mainly because of its annoying push notifications sent every time "someone I knew" posted something. There was only

I also deleted the app pretty quickly .. but mainly because of its annoying push notifications sent every time "someone I knew" posted something. There was only one nasty personal attack that I saw during my brief use, and it was about a fairly well known CEO by a putative (and potentially disgruntled) employee. As to Sam's argument, it's certainly important to consider the ramifications of anonymity on civility: as users of HN we know how quickly things can degenerate. In an app like Secret, it could get even worse. Since the posts you see are from either contacts or contacts of contacts, it's not hard to deduce whether a scandalous rumor is realistic. Thus, revelations can be much more damaging and with the attendant network effects, function like high school bullying. We shouldn't forget, however, that anonymity has great benefits as well: the ability to say things you really think without the fear of social & political persecution, similarly whistleblowing. Confessing your mistakes anonymously may take a load of your back and let you move on to better things. Ideally, I want to live in a society where people say what they mean, and mean what they say. Where free speech is not merely theory but practice. I also want to live in a society where we treat each other with the respect that human beings deserve. Part of the respect that human beings deserve is the respect for their right to speak freely without threat of persecution. As a practical matter, this means the right to speak under their own name as well as the right to speak anonymously.