Public Editor Timothy J. McNulty: "Earlier this week, the Tribune shut down comment boards on its Web site for all political news stories" …

"Again and again we hear the suggestion that if only people would use their "real" names when commenting on blogs and sites such as the Guardian’s, everything would be sweetness and light. Wouldn’t it? New research suggests not"

Miami Herald Ombudsman Edward Schumacher-Matos: "[I]f news is moving from being a lecture to a conversation with readers, then readers must be as transparent and play by the same ethical rules as the media."

"The Sacramento Bee now requires commenters to comment with real names. Look for this to become the norm MSM news sites."

Two Yale law students are suing an operator and several anonymous users of AutoAdmit.com for psychological and economic injury including the loss of a job due to defamtory comments left by the anonymous users.