[LINK] "CBC to require online commenters to use real names"

[rfmcdonald]

CBC's Nicole Ireland reports about CBC's abandonment of pseudonyms, requiring real names for commenters in the hope of elevating dialogue. I suspect, alas, that some people will not be deterred by this.

CBC will ban the use of pseudonyms for readers commenting on stories on the CBC.ca website, the corporation announced Thursday.

All commenters will be required to use their real names, Emma Bedard, spokeswoman for CBC English Services, told CBC News.

The move is a "request for transparency on the part of [online] users," Bedard said.

The decision was a result of a review of CBC's commenting policy that began in January, she said, after audience members expressed concerns about the content of comments appearing online.

Thursday's announcement was spurred by a complaint from a group of prominent New Brunswick francophones over what they considered hateful attacks on the province's French-speaking community.

"CBC has heard from a number of Canadians concerned about our commenting space, the use of pseudonyms, and some audience submissions that violated our guidelines around hate speech, particularly with respect to the francophone community in New Brunswick," said Jennifer McGuire, general manager and editor in chief of CBC News, in an Editor's Blog published on the website Thursday afternoon.