Sometimes preserving the anonymity of an idea’s instigator can allow the thought to be assessed on its own merits rather than being dismissed or ridiculed should, say, that person be considered persona non grata, says Bill Wasik.
Anonymity can be useful not just to cloak your identity or to try to fool people. It allows people who might pass something along to not be too caught up in the question of “who’s behind this?”. Instead, the idea exists on its own terms, which makes people a little more inclined to actually press Forward on the email.
