My MMO-Champion account disapeared?????

[Deleted]

Lets ignore the fact that every person who is working on this site as a tech, somehow didnt know that people use addons to block adds/popups and that many people use old and useless emails to register on sites like these because of multitudes of occurences that sites like these have been hacked, account information stolen and site users get viagra on hooker trashmail spammed on their inboxes. Fine that could happen.

But tell me why it didnt occur to them to make a post about this on the front page. One simple post detailing this change would have been enough to avoid all of this. Im baffled why they didnt do that.

Yap, a post on the front page explaining what "Fandom" is (i still don't know). I get now that info has to be transfered for legal reasons but... I guess i'll just let it rot and if my account no longer works i'll just make a new one, whatever... I would prefer not to lose the post history for sentimental reasons though

[Mehrunes]

If you weren't paying attention to your e-mail and were blocking the pop-ups, well, that's your error, not Curse/MMO-C's.

Yeah, no. People change their mails over the years and some people here have been users for over a decade, making it very likely the above has happened to them in the meantime.

As for pop-ups, MMO-C has multiple threads a year on the topic of adblock and the majority opinion of the majority of adblock using posters is that they won't ever stop using adblock on MMO-C in particular due to past fuckups and sheer amount of crap it has per one page. Many even cite MMO-C as the reason for starting to use an adblock in the first place.

Chaud said something about "some" adblockers blocking that pop-up. Personally I use ABP, one of the most popular ones. The choice of a pop-up as the way to announce this from site's side is already idiotic. But why was it not tested against at least more popular ad and script blockers? And then adjusted?

But since you can't feasibly test for all ad and script blockers on all browsers in all combinations, in light of adblock usage and MMO-C's forum posters dislike of this site's ad habits specifically, the popup would have been missed by some users anyway, which means the choice of a pop-up remains moronic.

ScrapBot is an automatic PM bot. That cannot be put on ignore by users. Nor would it get blocked by adblocks. Site PMs show in notifications by defeault. Each individual aspect above already makes PMs a better option than pop-ups.

Certain news pieces had been stickied to the top of the main page before. Including some bigger WoW related news, which are kinda less important than this.

MMO-C uses a kind of an adblock detecter that makes a picture promoting MMO-C premium appear to the right of most recent threats section of the main page where ads usually are. At least if you don't use a script blocker on top of an adblock. If MMO-C was really keen on pop-ups for some godforsaken reason, they could have had changed that adblock detection picture to one informing of the change in some way to account for adblock-using posters.

Finally, when a user gets banned, they get a huge-ass yellow banner between the main menu bar at the top of the screen and the "most recent threads" section (it also shows in forum subpage, also under the main menu bar) informing in detail about the ban and the steps available to a user under those circumstances. Making a similar announcement like that about the consent would be pretty much impossible to miss because it'd appear pretty much dead center on the screen upon opening the page.

MMO-C chose the single worst possible way of presenting the information on the site itself, knowing full well mails may not be sufficient in all cases, and introduced it in the worst possible manner. Despite other options being at their disposal from the get go. Which is a blatant oversight.

A news post about it that was stickied would have been good. There could have been a sticky in this forum as well. I don't know much about the particulars of it except that EU site users had a completely different set of hoops to go through than everyone else due to the legal stuff that's in place there now.

I approve of default opting out of changes myself. It's annoying to be defaulted into something that you never intended to agree to. I wish opt-out were the norm everywhere.

The hoops are caused by the GDRP EU legislation from last May. The opt out default is a part of that. As far as Internet services-specific changes, it's pretty much they key one.

[PosPosPos]

It's hilarious because quite a few mods are affected by this, too.

[Harry Botter]

The avatar is the least likely element to contain personal information although I suppose anyone could post a real picture of themselves. Plenty of signatures link to blogs and other things that can expose personal information. No one is going to examine each individual sig to see whether it needs to go or not.

As for those that want to get back to something like their former names, do something like "real" or "formerly" as a prefix until a fix can be provided.

I had to do that on Twitch. My account got all messed up and my username went bye bye. Now I am Original Harry Botter and that just bothers me.

[Blueobelisk]

Feels pretty good that my government doesn't care about my data being sold. I didn't have to do a thing. EZ

[khazlol]

Feels pretty good that my government doesn't care about my data being sold. I didn't have to do a thing. EZ

yea that is tottaly unfair, i wanted my personal data sold too :P

[Blueobelisk]

I really don't get why people are whining that the email looked shady and so that they didn't open it. Do you know what you don't believe an email actually came from who it says it did? You ask that person if they sent an email to you.

These people were smart enough to just make a thread and ask if it was legit.

You really can't blame MMO-C here.

[Aggrophobic]

I don't even know how to process the idiocy in this thread. People arguing that they weren't notified and MMOC screwed them over when they went to every effort to avoid or ignore the communications being sent their way.

Some go a bit too far but they actually didn't do that good of a job with the information. Having the info removed with an adblocker is kinda silly. Why not just add some actual posts when they KNOW that many people use adblockers?

- - - Updated - - -

Yeah, no. People change their mails over the years and some people here have been users for over a decade, making it very likely the above has happened to them in the meantime.

As for pop-ups, MMO-C has multiple threads a year on the topic of adblock and the majority opinion of the majority of adblock using posters is that they won't ever stop using adblock on MMO-C in particular due to past fuckups and sheer amount of crap it has per one page. Many even cite MMO-C as the reason for starting to use an adblock in the first place.

Yeap. MMO-C was the reason I started using adblock.

[Endus]

Some go a bit too far but they actually didn't do that good of a job with the information. Having the info removed with an adblocker is kinda silly. Why not just add some actual posts when they KNOW that many people use adblockers?

A reason, I imagine, is that this was a regional thing. Posting to the front page or the like would have confused users outside the EU, making them think they needed to consent, and then panicking because there were no e-mails or whatever to do so. The method used was able to be targeted only at those with EU IP addresses, so it only showed up for those who needed to see it.

[Matchu]

an adblocker is kinda silly. Why not just add some actual posts when they KNOW that many people use adblockers?

The likely reason is because they couldn't figure out a simple way to geoblock the front page posts (which're actual forum threads) and didn't want to deal with a bunch of non-EU members asking why they can't consent, or why they've not being asked to consent or in fact saying they don't consent but it doesn't matter because their local law doesn't care.

The emails and popups were targeted at a specific user group, a post would've been aimed at everyone and no amount of 'EU only' would've stopped people posting "where do i do this".

[Gorsameth]

The likely reason is because they couldn't figure out a simple way to geoblock the front page posts (which're actual forum threads) and didn't want to deal with a bunch of non-EU members asking why they can't consent, or why they've not being asked to consent or in fact saying they don't consent but it doesn't matter because their local law doesn't care.

The emails and popups were targeted at a specific user group, a post would've been aimed at everyone and no amount of 'EU only' would've stopped people posting "where do i do this".

A bunch of people going "Why dont I need to do this in the US" is better then not reaching a bunch of EU people.

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

The likely reason is because they couldn't figure out a simple way to geoblock the front page posts (which're actual forum threads) and didn't want to deal with a bunch of non-EU members asking why they can't consent, or why they've not being asked to consent or in fact saying they don't consent but it doesn't matter because their local law doesn't care.

The emails and popups were targeted at a specific user group, a post would've been aimed at everyone and no amount of 'EU only' would've stopped people posting "where do i do this".

Or you could just treat all users of the forum the same as a matter of common courtesy Just because it is only the EEA that has GDPR, doesn't mean you're banned from giving non-EEA residents the same choice. Would probably have been cheaper and easier to implement too (no need to figure out who was an EEA resident for the email messages and code a pop-up that only showed up for them).

[Deleted]

Seeing how so many people were affected by this (including at least 2-3 mods) I suspect they will come up with a solution soon.

[Matchu]

A bunch of people going "Why dont I need to do this in the US" is better then not reaching a bunch of EU people.

Is an opinion I agree with, but unlikely to be shared by corporate.

Or you could just treat all users of the forum the same as a matter of common courtesy Just because it is only the EEA that has GDPR, doesn't mean you're banned from giving non-EEA residents the same choice. Would probably have been cheaper and easier to implement too (no need to figure out who was an EEA resident for the email messages and code a pop-up that only showed up for them).

Curse/Fandom/whoever aren't doing any of this because of courtesy, they're doing it because they're legally required to. I don't see any world where a company willingly divests its info unless it's forced to by local law. If you're a non EU person, complain to your local politician about lack of data protection, because the company doesn't want it's non-EU members trying to remove their data. Fandom likely bought things like MMO champ because of its userbase, having that userbase suddenly shrink cheapens the deal.

[Endus]

Curse/Fandom/whoever aren't doing any of this because of courtesy, they're doing it because they're legally required to. I don't see any world where a company willingly divests its info unless it's forced to by local law. If you're a non EU person, complain to your local politician about lack of data protection, because the company doesn't want it's non-EU members trying to remove their data. Fandom likely bought things like MMO champ because of its userbase, having that userbase suddenly shrink cheapens the deal.

This is all pretty damn standard procedure. If you have an apartment you rent, and the owner sells the building to a new owner, that new owner is gonna have access to your banking info and your personal info. And they don't need your direct permission, even in the EU.

This wasn't a case where the data was sold to a third party.

[Matchu]

This is all pretty damn standard procedure. If you have an apartment you rent, and the owner sells the building to a new owner, that new owner is gonna have access to your banking info and your personal info. And they don't need your direct permission, even in the EU.

This wasn't a case where the data was sold to a third party.

With your example, that's different. Under GDPR a landlord would be be considered to have and keep your data under a lawful basis, because they have a legitimate interest in processing your rent, ensuring they know who exactly is renting from them and fulfilling the contract you both signed. They can also pass along that into to another party if, again, there's a legitimate reason to. So if your...boiler blows up, you don't want to spend time waiting for forms to be filled in for GDPR so that an engineer can come, you want your landlord to say "This is Mr Smith, he lives here, here's his number, go fix his stuff".

There's zero chance Curse/Fandom could claim that they have a legitimate reason to retain your data without consultation anymore than a...recruitment firm could.

[Psygon]

Did I just read aother “yeah, no” post?

Wahahaha! Make up your little mind.

[Endus]

With your example, that's different. Under GDPR a landlord would be be considered to have and keep your data under a lawful basis, because they have a legitimate interest in processing your rent, ensuring they know who exactly is renting from them and fulfilling the contract you both signed. They can also pass along that into to another party if, again, there's a legitimate reason to. So if your...boiler blows up, you don't want to spend time waiting for forms to be filled in for GDPR so that an engineer can come, you want your landlord to say "This is Mr Smith, he lives here, here's his number, go fix his stuff".

There's zero chance Curse/Fandom could claim that they have a legitimate reason to retain your data without consultation anymore than a...recruitment firm could.

Except that the only personal data we're talking about is contact information (email specifically), IP address, your username, and the possibility you have any links to anything personal in your signature.

And they've got legitimate reasons for all that stuff. They need a contact e-mail and IP address to contact you and identify you, and just by connecting to the site, you give them your IP address. Your username is a fundamentally necessary item for your participation in the forums. And your signature is something you posted publicly to the site to begin with; it's not private information, by definition.

It's all stuff that is their business with you, as a customer. In exactly the same way that your physical address and identity are with your landlord.

And besides; the point I was making is that these transfers of information with transfers of ownership are totally normal and this isn't new or unique with the Internet and website traffic.

[Aggrophobic]

A reason, I imagine, is that this was a regional thing. Posting to the front page or the like would have confused users outside the EU, making them think they needed to consent, and then panicking because there were no e-mails or whatever to do so. The method used was able to be targeted only at those with EU IP addresses, so it only showed up for those who needed to see it.

Well, it clearly didn't work out well.

- - - Updated - - -

The likely reason is because they couldn't figure out a simple way to geoblock the front page posts (which're actual forum threads) and didn't want to deal with a bunch of non-EU members asking why they can't consent, or why they've not being asked to consent or in fact saying they don't consent but it doesn't matter because their local law doesn't care.

The emails and popups were targeted at a specific user group, a post would've been aimed at everyone and no amount of 'EU only' would've stopped people posting "where do i do this".

yes, but gain, that did not work out very well, did it. It would be crazy not to block ads on MMO-C after how they handled that in the past.

[Matchu]

It's all stuff that is their business with you, as a customer. In exactly the same way that your physical address and identity are with your landlord.

And besides; the point I was making is that these transfers of information with transfers of ownership are totally normal and this isn't new or unique with the Internet and website traffic.

Sorry but no, under GDPR they're not the same thing. Your landlord has a legitimate reason for it, most random companies do not. That's why, if you're in the EU, you'll have been bombarded with emails and letters asking for consent to retain your data, while your landlord or GP or whoever won't have. Curse's need for your data would not be considered 'legitimate' in this instance, which is why they issued these notices.

I agree, transfer of ownership is the new normal. But now there's specific laws in place that need to be noted when those take place.