I don't have the link, but I read a study a couple of years ago that actually found the SCVTalk model was the best for open discussion: not fully anonymous, but where people used the same name consistently - real names or not. Some people use quasi-anonymity to attack, but others have different reasons, and they wouldn't participate otherwise.
But of course, it is more civil on facebook, which I like. It's also less interesting, which is too bad. It involves more people in the conversation, but I also feel that I learn less from the conversation. A few years back, the comments here were often "the best part," but I never took that as a put-down (and I don't think anyone else did, either)
For what it's worth, our readership is up, and the bigger stories spike like we wouldn't have imagined a few years ago.
But oh man, I used to be so tough on you in those comment threads, TimBen. I've come around, quite a bit