Board Thread:Administrators Discussion/@comment-4811793-20130620225343/@comment-4811793-20130624014925

There's been a lot of great discussion here.

To reiterate one thing: whether anonymous accounts vandalize isn't really the point. We know many anonymous users make fine contributions. This is about complying with a federal law.

We looked at many alternatives, both technical and policy-based. Ultimately, this is the best way for us to comply at this time.

Creating a username for anons wouldn't create a much bigger burden on them than creating  regular account, but would require significant architecture on the back end. We looked long and hard at the issue, but at the end of the day we hope that most formerly anonymous editors will become full users. There are things this community can do to aid the transition, like helping anons with the registration process and making it easier for those who are eligible to sign up.