Ok, sometimes it is the equipment. But not always.

David Burnett (30-year photojournalist) has been covering the 2004 Presidential campaign with a 4x5 Speed Graphic press camera and a Holga.

The former, a camera as old as (or older than) anyone on my friends list, and the latter a $15 plastic-lensed wonder.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/essays/vanRiper/040226.htm

A previous essay on David Burnett's award-winning Holga shot of Al Gore on the campaign trail:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/photo/essays/vanRiper/010706.htm

A larger version of the Al Gore shot from davidburnett.com:
http://www.davidburnett.com/gallery.html?gallery=Politics&skipno=0¤tIndex=2

I missed last Friday's Penny Arcade. It's a riot:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/view.php3?date=2004-03-19


http://www.msu.edu/user/trescami/thesis.htm
The Impact of Anonymity on Disinhibitive Behavior Through Computer-Mediated Communication
(the masters thesis that addresses this topic with words more flowery than "fuckwad") :)