The right to post anonymously is a contentious one, made that much more difficult by the low-life scum whose entire purpose it to sow discord. They are a pox on the Internet and they are, as Rick Mercer rightly points out, ruining it for the rest of us. However, I can understand, and appreciate, that for some people, posting anonymously can be a matter of life and death.

That fact makes RIck's rant on the Rick Mercer Report (scroll down for the video) more complicated than it might otherwise be. I do tend to believe that people should be accountable for the comments they make online, and so I tend to lean toward the "use your real name" solution. But for the times when that isn't possible, as in those life and death situations, the real solution may require something more dramatic.

Yes, I'm talking about actually paying people to curate the comment sections, pulling out the grossly immature "You suck!" comments, and making an actual attempt to keep the petulant children out of adult discussions. I'm not suggesting that we limit free speech, but if you want to get your troll on and rant madly for the sheer personal thrill of leaving your mark like a mongrel dog that needs to pee on every post he passes, then do it on your own Website. And if you are going to piss on other people's work, then the owners of those sites can, and should, exercise the right to scoop your poop.