Great post Dan! More courtesy and respect would be a wonderful thing to see. There are, however, some very good reasons why requiring real names and pictures wouldn't be in the best interests of many of our members.
For openers, it would seriously impact on legitimate needs for anonymity such as stalking and competitors taking advantage of some members. We've had one member stalked and shot. He has since changed his user name. There have been several lesser stalkings reported as well. One popular member had his business and name defamed by a competitor who read his posts here. These incidents may be exceptions to the general rule but they are a serious enough threat that they trump any benefits this community might reap by requiring real names and faces.
Then there's the benefit of high traffic and activity. Not only does that attract advertisers ... but it also makes Signs 101 attractive to participate in. Start doing things that cut into traffic and before long Signs 101 is a ghost town and no one benefits.
There is no doubt that there is truth in the observation that some members leave because of disrespect that happens here. But that is often in the eye of the beholder. We had an old, old member leave here last week because I deleted a political thread he posted. He did this without any consideration for the friendships he had here nor the generous help he received from this community. So perceived disrespect comes in many forms. It is also true that generally allowing members to speak their minds is a heavy contributor to our popularity.
Also worth noting, we get a fair amount of complaints from new members as well as outright lying regarding the basic information we require on our registration form. There's also a fair amount of deletion of information from member profiles of non-displayed but editable information by members after they are approved. That to me demonstrates a widespread concern about internet privacy.
I submit that the level of courtesy and respect in any community is largely governed by peer group pressure and individual behavior. If members start responding to rudeness and undeserved disrespect by calling people out on it, it will be reduced. But if someone treats the community with deceit and disrespect, it's hard to fault members who react to that as well.
When I first took control of Signs 101, one of my first thoughts was to require real names. Rick suggested that I instead not jump too fast and to go with the flow. I still follow his advice and it has served us well.
So for those who would like to see a kinder, gentler Signs 101, I say don't sit silent when you encounter rudeness and disrespect. And avoid the piling on that all too often happens here as well. Lead or follow by example of how you would like to see others act.