Question

what is your opinion on soviet democracy?

Comments

without tags, elaboration, or anything other than these seven words, my answer is:

not positive.

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these recent bunch of questions are like being hit over the head.

this is a conversational site with real humans, not a search engine.

jeez.

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[off topic]  hey dot, not sure if it would make much difference, but what if you didn't allow anonymous questions?

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i am pro-anonymity.

also i don't think it would matter.

but mostly the first. :)

always good to consider options though.

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i had the same thought, funky.

in the end, most of us posting here do so anonymously (we don't know each other's names or faces or whereabouts) anyway, but something about having a name associated with the question makes me much more inclined to engage than the "anonymous" label does. perhaps seeing the little spark of creativity it takes to make up a name does it for me....versus the feeling of a generic label - i see enough of those every day already. :)

and maybe when i see a moniker it makes me feel the presence of another person (which i like) more than the anonymous tag....although i can see how some people might prefer it the other way around.

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as ba@ said, we are all essentially anonymous on here. so i should have been more clear, and said something like "make folks sign up to ask a question". they'd still be anonymous, but:

a) having to take the time to sign up might weed out some of the less thoughtful questions (though i realize that is some seriously wishful thinking)

b) having an anonymous handle associated with what folks say makes it easier to know where someone is coming from (since we can correlate all the things they say) and easier to follow a thread of discussion.

but i know, internet breeds anonymity.  hahahahahaha.....

 

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I personally think the anonymity is more beneficial than not. I have been known to post questions anonymously from time to time just to separate the answers to my question from any pre-existing baggage that goes with the persona ingrate. I also suspect it creates a space that maybe feels safer to newcomers who are hesitant to put their name to a question.

On the other hand, I also think the opposite is true, it is sometimes easier to answer questions if I have some understanding of where the poster is coming from that helps me to be more in conversation (or conflict) with them through my answers.

It is an interesting thing to think about...

Answer 1

Negative. Sure, it had many positive socialist characteristics, but it was a highly oppressive police state.