Do you agree with Quora’s decision to disallow all anonymous comments, including comments from the askers or writers themselves? Why?

Blocking anonymous comments other than OP? I mildly approve of.

Blocking anonymous comments by OP themselves? Ludicrous, and likely done because it’s been too hard to implement a better alternative. If a writer is allowed to write, they should be allowed to further their argument and negotiate clarification with readers through comments. If the OP’s comments is taken to be a cesspool, then so is the OP’s original writing: a distinction between the two is artificial. Removing the ability to follow up on your writing is a disincentive to writing anonymously at all. (Something I’m sure Quora didn’t mind.)

For those who say “Yeah, and that’s a good thing”, I can only say, well, why not remove anonymous answers too?

And for those who say “Yeah, how about we do!!!”, I say, there but for the grace of God go you.

Removing anonymous comments were not the real issue to be fixed; comments are a secondary part of people’s experience of Quora anyway. The real issue to be fixed was the careful vetting of anonymous content we were promised by Riley Patterson’s announcement, which clearly has not materialised. Quora should be careful about making public undertakings they can’t follow through on.

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