Post-secret differs in a few important respects I think.
1) Its curated. There is someone to separate out the drivel. And because its curated and people know that, they're less likely to send in complete crap.
2) It relies on physical media. It takes some level of effort to make a card and send it in not to mention a small but non-zero cost. It also means that its not instantaneous like most things online.
3) There is no real feedback. There is no direct comment system, so theres no way to feed the trolls.
Hi, I'm one of the founders. Secret also has some important aspects worth discussing:
1) It's curated. By your friends. The posts you see are things that your friends are sharing.
2) Conversations are all within your circle of friends. As a result, we don't see much real trolling at all. The communities that are forming have been remarkably interesting and kind.
3) The penny arcade example is also not entirely applicable here. Again, because it's within your circle of friends. The equation is different.
You're probably noticing a recurring theme: We believe that by scoping anonymous sharing to your friends, the content will be much more positive and helpful. So far, this has remained true, and we're inspired to see the good come out in people when they're given the privilege of anonymity.
I think it would be extremely easy for me to identify my friends or for them to identify me based on writing style.
One of my closest friends is dyslexic, several others are in separate countries, and we've all got various tics and tells we might not even be aware of.
I've been beta testing the app for awhile now. At first there was a strong curiosity to know who posted what. It turned out to be harder than I thought (and even then, it was only ever a guess). Over time, I found myself not wondering anymore.
Didn't the PostSecret guy lend his name to an app, only to discover that the interaction aspect wound up being used for bullying (and he therefore got it shut down)?
Hmm, I didn't think about that. That's probably likely. It's one thing to make a statement and leave it there, another to see how people react to your deep secrets. They are secrets for a reason I suppose and society may not welcome it.
On the other hand, if this is with 'friends' and not completely random audience things may manifest quite differently.
Anonymity + Audience = http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19