[uberman]

Part of the reason for IRBs is of course to protect the institution. The other is to protect the subjects. I also don't recall saying that IRB review was some sort of "panacea". Please don't present clearly false claims like that.

Any real IRB board would see that this research clearly contains potential harmful outcomes to participants as a result of making public examples of them for the researcher's amusement. No ethical researcher "publishes" results without some attempt to shield the identities of the subjects. Sure, sometimes they screw that up, but revealing the identities of "researched stooges" seems to have been the primary intent here.

I must obtain IRB approval to conduct any research, even show people simple web/social content. Sometimes it is fast tracked for sure, but EVERYTHING that involves human subjects goes through IRB review at every institute/university I have ever worked with.