The Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory. First given a name by the boys at Penny Arcade, it is a theory that seeks to illuminate why so many people seem to degenerate into antisocial Jerkasses online, when they might only be mildly unpleasant or even polite in-person.
The equation is "Normal Person + Anonymity + Audience = Total Fuckwad"
This phenomenon has been studied in an academic setting, and by [...] [tvtropes.org]