I Challenge all Real ID Supporters

[Memory]

And by the way, that comes from someone who has made some of his best friends over the net along the past years (not in WoW) and who has even met some WoW friends from other European countries.
I'm far from being afraid or unable to use the good of internet for social relations as well, nevertheless I'm not stupid nor blind, nor I'm unaware of privacy-related issues.

[sabredragon]

And by the way, that comes from someone who has made some of his best friends over the net along the past years (not in WoW) and who has even met some WoW friends from other European countries.
I'm far from being afraid or unable to use the good of internet for social relations as well, nevertheless I'm not stupid nor blind, nor I'm unaware of privacy-related issues.

Understandable. I too have met many of my friends (and my current boyfriend, who I've known for three years) on the internet. It can be a decent enough place. It's just that I trust those people, who I had known for months before giving my name. I do not want total strangers getting my name. Sometimes, forum visits are necessary...in situations such as no phone-access and whatnot. I often do not have access to the phone because there's only one in the house, and it's often being used. So I'd have to use the forums, in the case of needing tech help.

[Fallacy]

So if someone rapes someone based on their Real ID, you're suggested Blizzard is somehow morally responsible for this? Are you this outraged at Myspace or Facebook or twitter?

This might be the stupidest outrage ever.

[Fateq]

So if someone rapes someone based on their Real ID, you're suggested Blizzard is somehow morally responsible for this? Are you this outraged at Myspace or Facebook or twitter?

This might be the stupidest outrage ever.

You're obviously dumb. On social networking sites you have the option to put as much or as little info you want and you choose who sees it.

[Danur]

So if someone rapes someone based on their Real ID, you're suggested Blizzard is somehow morally responsible for this? Are you this outraged at Myspace or Facebook or twitter?

This might be the stupidest outrage ever.

Facebook and Myspace have already had countless lawsuits placed against them, that have forced more stringent privacy protection. Blizzard is making the same mistakes only 2 years or so late. I suppose hindsight isn't 20/20 :P

[Trollsmasher]

I'll just copy-paste what i already copy-pasted in another thread:

Counter-Strike Gamer Hunts Down, Stabs Man
May 28, 2010
News of this sort was bound to surface. After all, who hasn't felt a little fear when other players take the game too far and threaten to show up on your doorstep? That's apparently what has happened over in France: a Counter-Strike in-game fight led to real-world bloodshed, not virtual globs of violet and red.

Twenty-year-old Counter-Strike gamer Julien Barreaux got into a virtual knife fight with another player known only as "Mikhael," The fight came to an abrupt end with Barreaux's character hitting the floor dead. Enraged, Barreaux spent the next six months tracking down Mikhael. He eventually discovered his nemesis living only a couple of miles away in Cambrai, a town two hours north of Paris.

As if mirroring the virtual knife fight, Barreaux armed himself with a real-life kitchen knife and went to the man's house. Once the door was opened, Barreaux whipped out the knife and plunged it into Mikhael's chest. The victim survived, escaping death by less than an inch as the knife passed next to his heart, missing its target.

Local police arrived an hour later and apprehended the irate gamer. Officials said that Barreaux admitted to his game-related motives behind the attack, saying that he "wanted to see his rival wiped out for killing off his character." Needless to say, Barreaux is now behind bars, serving a two-year sentence and forced into anger management therapy.

The judge behind his sentencing was mortified. "You are a menace to society," Judge Alexiane Potel said. "I am frankly terrified of the disproportionate reaction you could have if someone looked at you the wrong way in the street."

There was no indication of any smack-talk taking place during the Counter-Strike interaction.

Source

I don't want to sound paranoid, but knowing how people react in some aspects of the game like pvp, given the right circumstances, it could make it easier if someone wanted to do something like this, maybe it could never happens too, but who knows.

[zeal]

Are you dense? I didn't say Blizzard was legally liable. I am saying their encouragement of using these services is morally reprehensible, and forcing us to avoid them rather than opt-into them is a terrible business model in terms of privacy protection.

Not at all. I don't believe i mentioned legality, just fault and blame.

There's nothing morally wrong with Blizzard requiring you to use your real name to post; they have no duty to protect you from blindly opening yourself up to an attack. Only people with questionable morals are the people who will act upon those names in order to victimise other people.

Your name is your indentification, there's nothing special there, but if you foolishly parade around publically with linking it up to other information and actions that could cause you harm, then thats your problem.

The theoretical rape victim/pictured person/kidnap victim was susceptible to that attack with or without knowing their name, you risk as much just by living. Blizzard's role would be negligable at best, and certainly having done nothing morally or legally wrong.

[Knighthonor]

will info be listed in armory?

[iceberg265]

File complaints here: https://www.esrb.org/about/contact.jsp

[Danur]

Not at all. I don't believe i mentioned legality, just fault and blame.

There's nothing morally wrong with Blizzard requiring you to use your real name to post; they have no duty to protect you from blindly opening yourself up to an attack. Only people with questionable morals are the people who will act upon those names in order to victimise other people.

Your name is your indentification, there's nothing special there, but if you foolishly parade around publically with linking it up to other information and actions that could cause you harm, then thats your problem.

The theoretical rape victim/pictured person/kidnap victim was susceptible to that attack with or without knowing their name, you risk as much just by living. Blizzard's role would be negligable at best, and certainly having done nothing morally or legally wrong.

Blizzard is openly encouraging people to take their in-game relationships outside of the game using real names. That is wrong
Blizzard is forcing people who wish to converse or ask questions on their forums to use their real names. That is wrong
Blizzard encouraging children and women to expose themselves on the internet (a name is far more info than most would need to find out everything they need to know) is irresponsible. That is wrong.

If you do not understand this, I don't know what more there is to say to you. You are either very naive, or are just trolling.

[Garekh]

will info be listed in armory?

Not yet, but it really wouldn't surprise me if it was in the future.

[Cainoftheturks]

Dear lord, please let this die! If you do not wish to have your name displayed do not use the service! It is like McDonalds making you have tomatoes on your sandwich at all time and you have no choice to ever take them off? What do you do? Eat Burger king! AKA, if you need the wow forums so much, come here and post! It is that simple. Why do people assume A) People are going to go around raping and eating children because their name are displayed on a forum they probably don't use and B) Think that eventually your real name is going to replace your character's name in game.

[Deleted]

File complaints here: https://www.esrb.org/about/contact.jsp

I feel sorry for the ESRB reps. All these uninformed people who seriously believe it's against their rules or any law.

Look, I understand no one will ever be able to kill this whole debate through words and arguments alone (as in, only time can lay this crap to rest), and I understand there will ALWAYS be people who refuse to agree that there's nothing wrong with the RealID forums...

But can we PLEASE just let the false accusations stop? It's no one's opinion whether or not Blizzard are breaking laws or the ESRB guidelines. It's a fact that they DON'T.
To post on the forums and publish your name, you have to agree to rules. Anyone over 18 can agree to them legally. People under 18 are legally bound to ask their guardians to do it for them. If they agree without their guardians' consent, they're the ones breaking rules. Parents even have an option to PREVENT children from posting by settings.

So, no. All you will do by going on with this godawful lawsuit/esrb crusade is annoy a lot of people in charge. So can it please, for the sake of people who don't NEED to be involved in this debate, just stop? Thank you.