Anonymous Coward

On some weblogs that allow posting by people without registering for accounts, anonymous posts are attributed to a dummy name such as "Anonymous Coward". The practice originated on Slashdot, where the mildly derogatory term is meant to chide anonymous contributors into logging in. Scoop, another weblog system, uses the term "Anonymous Hero" instead, perhaps to avoid a confrontational atmosphere.

On systems where all users who are not logged in share one such account name, confusion may often result in discussions. It is also notable that in Slashdot's moderation system, "anonymous cowards" post at a basic score of zero, which means that their posts are hidden from the default view unless they are moderated up.

Both Slashdot and Scoop (when so configured) allow even logged in users to post anonymously, thereby providing selective anonymity e.g. to avoid embarrassment.

Variations on the name "Anonymous Coward" also sometimes used by trolls.