Ramba"m among others, state that Yom Kippur does not atone for sins committed between a person and his neighbor until a person personally asks the other for forgiveness.
Mi Yodeya is an example of meeting people anonymously. With, perhaps, a few exceptions, no one personally knows anyone behind the user ID. (I sometimes don't know myself :-)
If someone offended someone else on a web forum such as this one, or a blog post or comment, where s/he doesn't know who read his/her posts, what would be the proper or best halachich way to ask for teshuva? Can a generic "I'm sorry to whomever I offended" be used, or is there some other preferred method?
Answer
Chovos Halevavos - #7 - Shaar Teshuva ch.10
ch.9
But for the sins towards G-d and man, it will be difficult to repent for several reasons: He may not be able to find the person he oppressed, or the person died or moved far away...
Perhaps the oppressed will not forgive him for what he oppressed him or hurt him physically, or spoke badly of him.
The oppressor may not know whom he oppressed, or he does not know the amount of money involved. For example, if he oppressed the people of a city or a province, and he does not know them, and he does not know the amount of money he took from them wrongfully...
ch.10
...Whatever category it belongs to, if the repentance is difficult due to one of the factors we previously mentioned (last chapter) which cause repentance to be difficult, then if the person takes on himself to fulfill the requirements of repentance with all its conditions to the utmost extent that is in his power and ability to do, then the Creator will make his repentance easier, and will pardon what is hidden from him and not in his ability to do, and will give him an opportunity approximately close to his sin and allow him to absolve himself in this way (as will be explained)...
...If the oppressed is far away, the Creator will arrange their meeting, and the oppressor will submit before the oppressed and will be forgiven by him.
If he doesn't know the number of people he oppressed and the amount of money he took, the Creator will give him the opportunity to spend his money in some kind of public project, such as building a bridge, digging a well to benefit the public, or digging water pits in roads where water is scarce, or other similar things to benefit the masses, until the benefit will serve the one he oppressed and also the one he did not oppress...
...Repentance is not withheld from a sinner, rather the obstruction comes from his own wickedness and deceitful heart. But if he sincerely wants to draw near to G-d, the gate of repentance will not be closed before him, and no obstacle will prevent him from reaching it. Rather, G-d will open for him the gate of the just, and teach him the good path in His mercy and in His goodness, as written "Good and upright is the L-ord: therefore will he teach sinners in the way" (Tehilim 25:8)
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