On Internet Discussion Boards And Referencing Slashdot

Sir Joltalot asks: "I'm writing an essay about the role of Internet discussion boards in our society. I'd like to quote some comments I've found in various Slashdot discussions that have occurred, and I'm just wondering if any of you have suggestions or have devised methods for referencing such quotes (giving full credit to the author, if non-anonymous) in a formal way." We have such things for formal printed publications, why not Internet publications? Have such things been determined yet or not?