Anonymity represents a more radical decentering of the subject, where the student sheds not only physical elements of identity, but even the signification inherent in a name. In communicating anonymously, students may switch personas at will without concern for consistency or consequence. Though Faigley argues that “It is also difficult for teachers to maintain a notion of students discovering their authentic selves through writing when student writers try on and exchange identities in electronic discussions” (191), I would argue that this opportunity to “try on” different personae in the context of rhetorical analysis will allow them to see the commonalities between their different personae and perhaps gain a better sense of themselves and of their peers. On the more practical level, this freedom will also create ample opportunity for students to experiment with a variety of different voices and tones in their writing in a manner similar to the classic writing exercise of drafting a note for three different audiences (a friend, a family member, an employer). Unlike that exercise, though, the freedom of anonymity will allow deeper exploration; a letter drafted for a friend to be read and graded by a teacher is likely to be sanitized and inauthentic. In an anonymous space, however, the student may feel less inhibited to write as he or she actually would when addressing an informal acquaintance, and can focus his or her energy on evaluating and discussing the product rather than trying to compose a “correct” draft. Other students may then freely comment on one another’s work without fear of repercussions, allowing for more frank critical discourse. The benefit of the anonymous classroom is that it creates a low-stakes environment for the exploration of disparate identities. Where in a physical classroom students act in a way befitting the decorum of the setting, working to appease the teacher or impress their peers. Online, however, students are free to switch personas as many times as they please until they settle on the one that they are most comfortable with. In a study conducted by Patrick Sullivan on online classrooms, one subject commented that “I think the anonymity of the online classroom makes it more comfortable than a traditional classroom setting…I really think that it boils down to the simple fact that it’s easier to be yourself if you’re ‘invisible’” (139).