Online anonymity increases number of hate comments: Study

Mashable Business WASHINGTON: Anonymity makes a difference online, with a number of anonymous comments containing vulgar, racist, profane or hateful language, a new study has found. In a study titled, 'Virtuous or Vitriolic: The Effect of Anonymity on Civility in Online Newspaper Reader Comment Boards,' University of Houston assistant professor Arthur D Santana at the Jack J Valenti School of Communication found a significant correlation between anonymity and civility. Comparing the tone of thousands of online comments posted by anonymous and non-anonymous users following online newspaper stories, Santana found .. Read More