While I agree with you, I think there's a better solution to allowing these kinds of comments in than to open the floodgates and allow any number of people to post under any name they wish. The thought is noble, and as you point out, the potential is very rewarding in terms of insight.

That said I've seen pseudonyms used far, far more to disparage and to make cheap, hurtful points that can't be backed up. I don't think anybody thinks that what Techcrunch had before is the best we can do in commenting systems.