In the second half of the 1930s, a small group of alcoholics got together to confront a problem no one else had managed to solve: how to get rid of their own alcoholism. What is the purpose of anonymity in Alcoholics Anonymous? • At the personal level, anonymity provides protection for all members from identification as alcoholics, a safeguard often of special importance to newcomers. • At the public level of press, radio, TV, films and other media technologies such as the Internet, anonymity stresses the equality in the Fellowship of all members by putting the brake on those who might otherwise exploit their A.A. affiliation to achieve recognition, power, or personal gain. Since the Twelve Steps have been successfully adapted for use in situations other than alcoholism, there is an important possibility that they may have a yet more general use, and they can indeed be used by anyone who needs a boost to his or her spiritual life. Fellowships that focus on gambling,