Why not. Do you really think the site improves if every Anonymous Monk post has JimDDDD (with DDDD the node-id) as an author instead?

Actually no one has suggested doing that. My hunch is most of us are adults here and can come up with good solutions to the issue.

  Right. It's so much better if everyone on this planet can pick any name they want, as many times as they want. Then we all know instantly who everyone is. "Jim" can only be one person.

Who says that can't be done now.

You're JavaFan. That's ALL I know about you. For all I know you could also be Jim, having a great time playing games with all the Monks by posting a 'hot button' issue under one user name then coming in a day later completely against it under another name. That option wouldn't change if you were Anonymous Monk, Jim or Guest198.

Sophisticated voting system? Where? There's a voting system here, but I wouldn't call that sophisticated. And isn't the official standpoint that XP is a game?

You seem to enjoy it. You should. Why not? It's fun and keeps people more engaged. But don't come out and poo poo it for cheap votes. (again because deep down you really like them :) )

Besides, Anonymous Monks don't get to vote. If you're forcing people to use throw away accounts, they'll get votes. So they can vote on posts make with their previous throw away account. Really think that's a good idea?

Again, no one has suggested doing that. There have been several ideas proposed and would imagine other Monks have more to share. Blowing it off like this isn't really constructive.

I've no problem with anonymous monks. But you're free to not read their posts (and specially, to not answer them). If this were usenet, your reader could automatically filter out posts made by people you don't want to read (except that usenet doesn't have a marked anonymous user).

You realize this is a big part of the OP's whole point — right? Anonymous Monk can't be filtered out and many times becomes a major part of a thread (let alone the originator).

I've never really liked the idea of Anonymous Monk since I joined the site. It's probably what I like least about the site. As you suggest, I rarely, if ever, answer and/or vote on posts by Anonymous Monk. I would imagine their are a few others who have similar practices.

I understand some of the previously stated reasons given for having Anonymous Monk:

1. Someone has a question they'd rather not ask under their user name in order to avoid possible riddicule.
2. Someone is well known in the community and would rather have a post stand on it's own merits.
3. Creates a low barrier to entry on the site.

However, at least in the short time I've been here, I feel it's often used as a cover to say something — "less positive" — that a user wouldn't say under thier signed name.

I know we probably wont get rid of Anonymous Monk altogether but it would be great if we could address some of the issues I think a number of us have with it.