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I can understand that Salon wants to avoid the spam, rants and personal attacks that are common on many parts of the web. It's probably easier for someone to post those kinds of things if they can do so anonymously.
But I think there are also good reasons to avoid posting one's real first and last name. I don't always share my political and social views with my co-workers, sometimes with good reasons. I've lived and worked in places where admitting your views might not get you fired, but would definitely make you unwelcome in the lunch room. Therefore, I'm cautious about what I post under my real name (and since I have an uncommon name, I have to be more cautious than someone named John Smith). There are things that I've posted online that I wish I could take back - not because I regret my beliefs, but because I'm not sure an employer would think the same way.
Maybe that's cowardly. But I'm not a political activist, and my ability to get a job in the future is more important to me than my ability to post letters at Salon. I realize that people who post anonymously or use "handles" will still be able to post, but I think Salon will lose more than the rants and attacks by making this change.
