I've actually commented on the original post you've mentioned, but I'll put it here again.
I am not playing the devil's advocate here, but I think that as the internet matures it is the way to go.
Imagine buying groceries on Safeway. People does not seem to have trouble with that. However if a PE/police/ex-GF/stalker come there and wanted to track you down, they could. The cashier would remembered what you are like. The security would point out what you wore. Fellow shoppers can be interogated for your presence. And people do not have any problem with that.
Now, why can't I track a flamer on the message board, neo-nazis on twitter, hate-sayers on IRCs, perverts on dating sites, and paedophiles on MMORPGs?
Animosity does make the internet go round, but it also encourages stupid and illegal behaviour. It also destroys the credibility of the web as a trusted source of information, which is why you can't quote random sites or rants for an academic paper.
I believe the future of the internet is one which identity is not publicly shown, but publicly managed. We'll finally be able to find out which company edited their own Wikipedia article.