Battle.net Update: Upcoming Changes to the Official Forums

Originally Posted by Endus

Well, for one, how many people honestly don't have SOMETHING going on that's a bit risque? While the coming world will expose your proclivities, it'll expose everyone else's, too. This is a GOOD thing; nothing positive comes about by hiding who we are. Heck, in a couple years, if they confront you about something like this, you can just pull out your phone, type a quick Google of your interviewer's name, and ask them if their enjoyment of spanking their wife is a drawback to their job, too.

It's "just" your name. First and last. This is not a specially protected piece of information. This is why half the telemarketers or more already have your name when they call you. I worked at a disreputable call center shortly after high school, and they had names with unlisted numbers, because phone companies WILL sell those numbers. And if it's not unlisted, it's freely provided to anyone who asks along with address and phone number, yet nobody thinks this is a privacy issue.



Sorry, jumped off your post to talk about more than just your post. That wasn't a direct reference, it was a response to the other comments I'd seen about fear of being stalked.

You're right, of course. There isn't anything especially protected about my name. But, when it's posted ONLINE, do you admit the possibility that my name then can become a more visible target?

A lone zebra becomes a much larger target - and a web-crawler sucking info out of a forum page becomes a much bigger danger to anyone identified than their names in anonymity would be.

Your real name will be displayed on the official forums now

I welcome this. Trolls and other random retards be gone!

Great, so if you post in the wow forums you are risking your job now.
Brilliant move blizzard.
It is not uncommon to check possible employes with google, in most cases playing online games is not considered a plus. High Forum activity will be even worse. Great blizzard. I could bite into my arse for giving blizzard correct information 5 years ago. Worse enough that they are selling my date … (Facebook Connection).

Originally Posted by TheDevilTree

I think this is the wrong move, but I will assert that it is all dependent on why this change is occurring. First of all I have no qualms about this happening if this is Blizzard's intentions of being a sort of facebook-like application. As facebook is a large social networking site that benefits for people to supply their real identities for the purpose of presenting themselves to others. Though the information that is released doesn't seem to support this sort of intention.

What exactly is being achieved when people are force to supply their real identities to post of their forums? Is it to solely deter trolls, spammers, etc. from overflowing their forums? If that was the case and this is the main reasoning behind implementing this upcoming new feature then I would say that is not enough to justify this. The best case imo would have been to allow people to see all the alts a posters has. So their characters could be examine. I think this would be better. Since most people who post on the forums who are truly contributing to good information would not mind being inspected by others. Trolls that tend to hide behind level 1's would not like for others to see all of their characters and I think that would be a better way to prevent trolling and continue good information being produce.

What I see is people will become very uneasy to use their forums. I know some of it is cause by people's ignorance and fear of having any sort of real information posted on the internet. Regardless I see people not using the forums as much making this implementation a lose-lose.

Anonymity on the internet has been apart of public discourse for a while now. I will always support people's freedom on the internet. To be able to not give any real information if they choose not to. Anonymity is not a bad thing and shouldn't be seen as one.

Who knows what blizzard true intention is for this. Since there could be another bigger reason not yet mention. Like a potential facebook-like site in the future or something to that favor. I can say that this change doesn't do much for me since the last time I have ever posted on the official WoW site was probably about 3 years ago.

As long as there is an opt-out, I agree. At the point that Blizzard insists that their game IS Facebook and that my only opt-out is to discontinue the service, I will exercise that freedom immediately.

P.S. Interestingly, I was banned from the WoW forum because I allegedly "Posted personal information about another player", which is completely untrue. And immensely hypocritical. LOL.

Terrible idea. I will never use the offical forums after this change.. Now that I think of it, I don't even use them now. Meh, no change. MMO Champion FTW!

To Quote the best comment on the forum:

"I just got off the phone with Blizzard's Technical Support (nice gentleman who helped answer my questions by the way) so now I feel a bit more secure about making this post. Also the 30 minute hold time gave me a few moments to gather my thoughts so I can speak thoughtfully without fear or anger leaking through.

Before I voice my opinion I will state that I have a recorded converstion from a Blizzard employee saying that the posts made today and before the new Real ID system goes into place on these forums WILL NOT show our information. Only posts made after Real ID is put into the forums will have this information.

This new system is a horrible idea. There are already well over 80 pages of people stating their ideas on this subject so I doubt what I say will be heared but I will try to present my arguments against Real ID in the hopes that someone will listen.

1. UNIQUE NAMES: Some people (including my husband for one) have very unique names. The linking of a person's real name if you have a common name is less troublesome because that person would be hard to track with a name alone, but if you have a name that is very uncommon linking it to a public forum is very invasive to that person. It could lead to that person being harrassed or annoyed (I will not overreact and use the word stalked) while trying to interact with their hobby.

People play this game for relaxation on their off time. But, for example, if you had a unique name and applied for a job and the potential employer googled your name and found posts on a gaming forum they may not hire you because they have ill conceved notions about gamers. In this exaple the employer may be working off an unfair stereotype but it still would hinder that person getting a job. And FYI without a job that person wouldn't be able to have the money to play WoW. Just a thought Blizzard.


2. COMMON NAMES: For those on the other side of the fence having a fairly common name can also lead to harrassment in a different way. You could be mistaken for someone else entirely and that can lead to confusion not only on the forums themselves but also outside of them.

The last thing I need is someone tracking me down via a google search of my fairly common name, getting my WoW info because I asked a question on a forum about a game I paly for fun, and contacting my character in game, or on the forums to yell at me about alamony payments when I dont have a ex-husband.


3. GENDER: As a female this one bothers me a lot. Not only do I not want to be petitioned by random people for cyberlovin while I am playing a game, but more importantly I do not want to be a target offline. Most males my not understand the fear women have in today's world about this but it is a real and genuine threat that does, sadly, happen. Women are stalked, hurt, even killed every day and we are taught from a young age to be careful and cautious when dealing with the unknown (aka strangers and the internet). It is a terrible reality about our society and I wish it wasn't so but fact is it happens.

I have been occasionaly harrassed while in game for cyberlovin (can not use the real words they use due to being banned on the forums if I do) and I have reported it when it does and Blizzard has never done a thing about it (repeat violations in some cases and their toons are still in the game with no reprocussions). I can't imagine what would happen if more of these perverts knew I was an actual girl. I shudder the think about it.

4. MINORS: Similar to the gender issue. There are minors that play this game and giving out their information to the general public is a bad idea. Even people who are 'adults' aka 18, 19, 20 can still be very impressionable and giving out their real names to the world wide web can only lead to trouble.

5. IDENTITY THIEFT: I know you can't steal a persons ID with ONLY their name but hainvg someone's full name is a great place to start.

6. WoW CRAZIES: Most people who paly this game are what would be classified as 'casuals'. But some people take this game way to seriously. I have been shocked and even fealful of a few of the players I have come across and giving them the ability to track me down and potentally harm me because I beat them in a duel frightens me.

7. INTERNET CRAZIES: Even worse these are the stalkers and child molesters that pray on people on the internet. I dont want then to have access to my full name!

8. SPAMMERS: Giving the internet as a whole your information can lead to spamming and flooding of your e-mail.facebook, exc even more then it is already. Gold sellers are going to have a hayday with this one.

If your name was Jerry Sienfled and you had a wow forum post I bet you ever single variation of your name at most popular e-mail hosters is going to be flooded with fake Blizzard emails. JerrySiefeld@hotmail, @gmail, @yahoo, exc. and now the gold sellers and hackers will have a way to customize those fake mails to your real name! Dear Jerry, We at Blizzard are please to announce you are in the beta! Please visit our fakelink to get your account hacked.

9. SAFETY OF BLIZZARD: Just like giving out a real name to fellow players is a bad idea, giving out the names of all your forum moderators is just as bad or worse! Your poilcy now is to have your phone representatives only use their first names for thier own safety (remember I recorded the conversation) and now you are going to change that! You could have an employee tracked down this way and come to serious harm. Not safe or smart.

So what can you do instead of using a person's full name? How aobut only being allowed to post on one toon? You have to pick a toon and that is that. Or using a set handle? Set up Real ID with this and I would use it in game as well.

And for all the people who say the forums are optional I will remind you that I pay the same subscripion fee that you do and so limiting what I can do with it doesn't seem like the most fair solution. I feel I should be able to use the forums to get information and to share ideas. I agree the trolls are a pain but there has to be a better more secure way then this."


Also:
Are they liable if someone steals my identity form them using my real name on the forum?

The tears...

they make Blizzard grow.

Originally Posted by pVVn3c|

I thought the argument here was that someone could track ME down with my name and use it against ME. You havn't done that, you just want to say you have done something significant when you really havn't. You found a myspace that I don't use, and had no personal information regarding my location other than state and town (which are on my MMO champion profile openly viewable to the public already).

You tell me how you could use the information that you DID find to harm me, and I will say you are right.

Don't take the bait Knirps. I've been taking it, but at this point it's not even amusing anymore. He's been given several scenarios on how the information can be used to hurt him as well as had it pointed out that all this we obtained in minutes while someone really looking to hurt him might spend days, weeks, or months.

He also admitted that it is actually his parent's house that was found. I'm sure he never goes to visit (bad son!) and I'm sure he never leaves there again so that he could be followed.

As folk may have gathered I think theres a lot of hysteria going on here but the one angle I do get is the whole "I'm a female, I don't want the forum to know I'm a female" angle. Sad truth is females are treated differently to guys in online game communities. It's getting better as time goes on but the problem is still there. I'm sure some will argue that isn't the case but I fear it's true.

Your first is last name aren't special. there are alot of people in the world with that name

Originally Posted by my ledge ends

Your name is not unique. You are not a special snowflake.

Actually I seems my name IS unique. Or everyone else with this name is a shadow in google ;-)

Originally Posted by Nyn

Don't take the bait Knirps. I've been taking it, but at this point it's not even amusing anymore. He's been given several scenarios on how the information can be used to hurt him as well as had it pointed out that all this we obtained in minutes while someone really looking to hurt him might spend days, weeks, or months.

He also admitted that it is actually his parent's house that was found. I'm sure he never goes to visit (bad son!) and I'm sure he never leaves there again so that he could be followed.

I don't know what kind of person he has to be to think that harming his family, friends, car, or job doesn't harm him. I agree, he's just out to troll at this point.

All great apart from the real names on a public forum. I think a lot of people who would have a lot to contribute on the forums will stop using the official forums because of this, for one.

A lot of vindictive, immature and socially inept people play WoW. Additionally, a lot of my female friends, irl and in game, have mentioned having had troubles with strange/desperate men online and through WoW. Displaying real names on posts on a public forum can only need to trouble. Seems Blizzard is trying to make WoW into something it isn't and never will be (a social communication medium).

I'm all for the removal of the anonymity on the forums (the trolling on alts kind), and the rating system sounds good, but I can't think of any other public forum that I've ever been on that displays your real name *without your consent*. What is Blizzard trying to do here?

Originally Posted by Astrocanis

You're right, of course. There isn't anything especially protected about my name. But, when it's posted ONLINE, do you admit the possibility that my name then can become a more visible target?

A lone zebra becomes a much larger target - and a web-crawler sucking info out of a forum page becomes a much bigger danger to anyone identified than their names in anonymity would be.

But you aren't a lone zebra.

Imagine you're in a herd in the wilds of Ghana. I have no clue if zebra live in Ghana, but they did well in the World Cup and they're in Africa, so there we go. So, a herd in Ghana. You're comfortable in your herd. Then, some scientists tag you with a radio transmitter tag. And not just you, they're tagging millions of other zebra throughout Africa. So now you're worried that you're somehow going to be easier to find due to this transmitter, despite there being millions of other zebra out there.


For there to be a risk, someone would have to have reason to target you already. If it's an offline reason, your forum posts give them absolutely no greater info; they needed your name to find them, and that's all that's listed there. If it's online, then IF you post your character name, they could potentially track you back to your real name. And then, possibly, your address. Which is probably thousands of miles away from wherever they live. Even given all that, the chance that this is actually a stalker type who's picked you to stalk is ridiculously small. Does it happen? Sure. People also get bitten by sharks. That doesn't mean you should be afraid of the sight of a beach, and never swim in the ocean ever again. That's paranoia.

You aren't a lone zebra. You're in a sea of millions of other zebra. Your name is also posted in the phone book. Is this a security risk? Why don't people sue the phone company for putting identity theft manuals in every phone booth?

Because stalking and identity theft don't work that way.

God forbid if a Girl post anything on the Blizz forums.

Psycopats on Facebook, get ready.

Originally Posted by carlos5577

Your first is last name aren't special. there are alot of people in the world with that name

Maybe if you live in the states.. Both my first and last name are unique to the country I live in, and with only 17 million inhabiting it, chances are that most people in here have unique combinations of first and last names (and so is mine).

and byebye official forums

People who are defending this rights insulting system clearly do not see anything beyond anti troll pros. With this system, all fanbois who don't agree with my opinion can dig up my facebook and spam it, or even find out where I live. The world is full of sick people, and I dont want to have my personal info handed out to them.

Most retarded move by Blizzard, ever. They could just have made so you can view all the characters on the posters account, to avoid people trolling on alts. But that would be way to logical..

Originally Posted by Invi

..
They said when the feature became available that that would be how it works. You had plenty of warning and the ability to not use the feature at all. This is quite a bit different.

the thing most of these fanboy's don't get is they are going from RealID being "optional" if you want to know what your friends are doing at all hours of the day. to "required" if you want to be any part of the WoW community. i mean if you guys want someone that you won a roll over a piece of loot to be able to find your real name by looking on the forums, then finding where you live on google maps, then driving to your house to stab you to death because they thought you cheated to win the roll... then by all means go ahead. for the rest of us they should give us an option to still be a part of the in game, and forum community without forcibly compromising our privacy.

next thing you know they will require web-cams that will show a video feed of you 24 hours a day in any forum post in order to post on the forums.

Because leaving your real name for such places as 4chan to see so they can even find out where you live is a great idea.. most stupid move by Blizzard, ever. This world is full of sick people.