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"Anonymous Coward" is a term applied within some online communities to describe users who post without a screen name; it is a dummy name attributed to anonymous posts used by some weblogs that allow posting by people without registering for accounts. The practice, which had its roots in BBS and USENET culture, was made especially popular on Slashdot, where the mildly derogatory term is meant to chide anonymous contributors into logging in.^{[1] [2]} Some weblog engines such as Scoop use the term "Anonymous Hero" instead, perhaps to avoid the name's confrontational nature. Others use stronger varieties, like Plastic.com's "Anonymous Idiot", and SuicideGirls' "Random Fuckbag". Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... Slashdot, often abbreviated as /.[1], is a science, science fiction, and technology-related news website owned by SourceForge, Inc. ... Rob Malda Rob Malda (born May 10, 1976), also known as CmdrTaco, is the founder of the website Slashdot. ... The Slashdot effect is the term given to the phenomenon of a popular website linking to a smaller site, causing the smaller site to slow down or even temporarily close due to the increased traffic. ... Slash (a backronym for Slashdot-Like Automated Storytelling Homepage) is the open source collection of Perl modules and stand-alone programs which runs Slashdot, one of the oldest and most popular collaborative weblogs in existence. ... Geeks in Space was a semi-weekly Internet audio show produced from June 1999 to June 2001. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Look up anonymous in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A weblog (now more commonly known as a blog) is a web-based publication consisting primarily of periodic articles (normally, but not always, in reverse chronological order). ... A bulletin board system or BBS is a computer system running software that allows users to dial into the system over a phone line and, using a terminal program, perform functions such as downloading software and data, uploading data, playing games, reading news, and exchanging messages with other users. ... Usenet (USEr NETwork) is a global, decentralized, distributed Internet discussion system that evolved from a general purpose UUCP architecture of the same name. ... Slashdot, often abbreviated as /.[1], is a science, science fiction, and technology-related news website owned by SourceForge, Inc. ... Scoop is a content management system originally developed by Rusty Foster. ... In computing, plastic or plastic. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

On systems where all users who are not logged in share one such account name, confusion may often result in discussions. It is also notable that in Slashdot's moderation system, "Anonymous Cowards" post at a default score of zero, which means that their posts are hidden from the default view unless they are moderated up by other users. On Internet websites which invite users to post comments, a moderation system is the method the webmaster chooses to sort contributions which are irrelevant, obscene, illegal or insulting from contributions which are useful or informative. ...

Slashdot, Scoop and Plastic (when so configured) allow even logged in users to post anonymously, thereby providing selective anonymity (e.g. to avoid embarrassment, or legal repercussions). On Slashdot and Scoop these posts are still associated with the user (so that they can't moderate their own posts), and might not be safe if the site receives a subpoena. A subpoena is a command to appear at a certain time and place to give testimony upon a certain matter. ...

Variations on the name "Anonymous Coward" are also sometimes used by trolls to mock the dummy name and/or confuse other users into thinking that they are posting as Anonymous Coward. A Do not feed the troll image In Internet terminology, a troll is someone who comes into an established community such as an online discussion forum, and posts inflammatory, rude, repetitive or offensive messages designed intentionally to annoy or antagonize the existing members or disrupt the flow of discussion, including...

In Barrapunto, a Spanish-language clone of Slashdot, the anonymous user was Pendejo sin nombre, "nameless asshole". The editors later thought it was too offensive and changed it to Pobrecito Hablador, literally "poor little talker", that was also one of the pseudonyms used by Mariano José de Larra, a Spanish journalist in the 19th century. In Bandaancha.st, a Spanish-language page about DSL, cable, satellite etc, the anonymous user is called BocaDePez which stands for "FishMouth". Pendejo is a vulgar Spanish-language term of abuse. ... Mariano José de Larra (24 March 1809 - 13 February 1837) was a Spanish writer noted for satire and perhaps the best prose writer of 19th-century Spain. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Online communities vary with their stances on anonymous postings. Wikipedia allows anonymous editing in most cases, but does not label users "Anonymous Cowards" (users who are not signed in are identified with their IP addresses in order to distinguish one anonymous user from another); Slashdot permits the practice and employs the label;^[3] Meatball Wiki permits the practice but discourages it. Many online bulletin boards require users to be signed in to write (and, in some cases, even to read) posts by others. 4chan and other Futaba-based image boards take an opposite stance, encouraging the anonymity, and calling those who use usernames and tripcodes "namefags" and "tripfags," respectively. "Anonymous" in many of these communities is not merely the characteristic of being without identity, but the very personification of anonymity. Here, Anonymous has developed into a being collectively defined by anonymous users as a utility to communicate anything otherwise radical, unacceptable, socially incorrect, or offensive ideas that an identifiable user would be held responsible for. By nature, Anonymous is therefore often seen simultaneously as barbaric and progressive, base and socially revolutionary. Wikipedia (IPA: , or ( ) is a multilingual, web-based, free content encyclopedia project, operated by the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit organization. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Slashdot, often abbreviated as /.[1], is a science, science fiction, and technology-related news website owned by SourceForge, Inc. ... MeatballWiki is a wiki dedicated to online communities, culture and hypermedia. ... This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

References

1. ^ "Andover.Net scoops up seminal Slashdot site", C|Net News.com article by Stephen Shankland, dated June 29, 1999. (Stating that the term "Anonymous Coward" was popularized by Slashdot.)
2. ^ "Looking through a Window on Open Source Culture," by Sanjay Gosain. Systèmes d'Information et Management 2003, volume 8, issue 1 at page 22. (Stating that "Anonymous Coward" was popularized by Slashdot.)
3. ^ "What's Online" by Dwight Silverman, Houston Chronicle, July 7, 2000, Technology, page 2. (Noting that anonymous postings on Slashdot are credited to "Anonymous Coward.")

by:Cici Grant

Comes from a French word for TAIL.