Real Names on Official Forums cancelled

[Metallikiddd]

thats fucking terrorism to scare people to do what you want

thats more like communism to me....acting like a dictator or tyrant. terrorists just kill alot of people over a bs movement.

[Elica]

It is highly unlikely, does that mean you should expose yourself to an unnecessary risk? Also inb4 a fallacy involving cars and accidents.

I don't see how referring to the every day risk of driving can be considered a fallacy, when compared to the risks of getting tracked down and hurt by some nut on the internet. Perhaps you could explain what you mean.

[gamz247]

Not really. You see... it removes the little cowards who are afraid to say to your face what they freely and so willingly will say to you over some internet forum. I strongly agree that people do need to have some type of fear over what they say to one another over the internet. I know it is just words... but words can make an impact. If words were not designed to hurt... then there would be no use of the plethora of vulgar words in our languages.

So basically you advocate violence against mean people. Nice. Real nice.

[Herecius]

You are greatly over exaggerating what actually happened in those threads, and no your argument is not strengthened by pairing it with assumptions and flat out lies. I have already argued the unlikelihood that anyone would even bother trying to track someone down. I could also argue the resources necessary, and consequences following tracking someone down just to hurt them in some way, but I don't enjoy soothing the hands of paranoid self-proclaimed internet detectives.

Like I've said, I have no doubt that it's possible, but the paranoid crowd that seems to have gathered around me just can't fathom how unlikely a scenario it is. Soon I'll feel forced to bring up statistics involving freak accidents, just to put things into perspective.

You're being naive. I just responded to you using my own identity as an example, and how I managed to find not only an... embarrassing secret about myself that I wish wasn't on the internet at all, but my address, my phone number, even the schools I went to. I even found my mom and a couple of my coworkers just via my real name along with information readily available through my posts on MMO-Champ. I am NOT a private investigator and have never really done anything like this before. Imagine how much a person with any amount of determination could have done?

[PBitt]

WELL, who saw that coming? everyone?

Nope. I did, but I'd imagine a few hundred losers deleted their toons as soon as they saw it.

[dvn123]

I don't see how referring to the every day risk of driving can be considered a fallacy, when compared to the risks of getting tracked down and hurt by some nut on the internet. Perhaps you could explain why.

If you want to live a normal you have to drive a car and take the risk. The forums were a safe place and they wouldn't be if this change was implemented (I don't care if the chances are 1/10000000000), the difference is one risk is necessary and unavoidable, the other is simply the result of a bad idea against forum trolls.

[Crosis]

thats more like communism to me....acting like a dictator or tyrant. terrorists just kill alot of people over a bs movement.

No because some kids rage so hard over not getting a loot they hold grudges for years, trust me i have been a victim of this, while i dont think i would have any physical harm done to me. That doesnt say someone else might not, for example kids get into a fight on the server some kid is borderline pyschotic finds out Phil's name and facebooks him, and finds out Phil is really excited to go to blizzcon so he buys a ticket for blizzcon to confront Phil for taking his thunderfury (even though Phil earned it) and decides hes gonna get a few friends together and mug Phil at blizzcon in the parking lot or further?

RL threats could come from this alot easier then before and it would SCARE people into not posting etc which as i said is terrorism.

[videotape]

I don't see how referring to the every day risk of driving can be considered a fallacy, when compared to the risks of getting tracked down and hurt by some nut on the internet. Perhaps you could explain what you mean.

The value of privacy extends far beyond one's own physical safety, so your entire argument is moot anyway. If you refuse to accept that basic fact though, which I have no doubt you will, I would also point out that car/accident statistics are completely irrelevant since it is a fallacy to equate the motivation to drive a car with the motivation to participate in an Internet forum community, and thus it is a fallacy to equate the opportunity cost, or relative risk associated with each of the two actions.

There are plenty of bad reasons to be against forced real name exposure on the official WoW forums, but there are plenty of good reasons too. In the end, I think Blizzard is wise to recognize that such a change would actually do more harm than good to the community -- it would stop trolling and bullying, but it is very likely that a vast majority of players would altogether cease participation anyway.

Adults (you know, the big people around you) actually tend to prefer having some modicum of control over their outward-facing associations. Something about perception and influence and assumptions and needing other people to get what you want, yadda yadda. You're not expected to understand.

[Deleted]

To those who say that those who won are crybabies and QQers, I am honestly sorry for you.
If you are at the point where you can't distinguish between a childish outcry about some videogame mechanic and a legitimate, due protest about how a fundamental right of a citizen is treated by a major company, then I am afraid you still have a lot to learn in life...

[Elica]

You're being naive. I just responded to you using my own identity as an example, and how I managed to find not only an... embarrassing secret about myself that I wish wasn't on the internet at all, but my address, my phone number, even the schools I went to. I even found my mom and a couple of my coworkers just via my real name along with information readily available through my posts on MMO-Champ. I am NOT a private investigator and have never really done anything like this before. Imagine how much a person with any amount of determination could have done?

I disagree with your definition of naive. Yes, it is easier to track some names than others, and yours is obviously one of them. Does the fact that you managed to track yourself down (using more than just your name, like you said) mean that the average John Smith is in immediate danger of getting tracked down too? There will always be exceptions, and it seems that the people who are exceptions are the ones scared shitless over using their name on the internet.

So some guy managed to find your information. He somehow found a site which has your personal information, such as your address and telephone number. Now what? Please tell me what you think such a person could and would do to hurt you. Afterwards, tell me what kind of dedication his actions would require, and then tell me, with said amount of dedication, if he'd not manage to find a way to find your name regardless of it being on some forum.

[dvn123]

I disagree with your definition of naive. Yes, it is easier to track some names than others, and yours is obviously one of them. Does the fact that you managed to track yourself down (using more than just your name, like you said) mean that the average John Smith is in immediate danger of getting tracked down too? There will always be exceptions, and it seems that the people who are exceptions are the ones scared shitless over using their name on the internet.

So some guy managed to find your information. He somehow found a site which has your personal information, such as your address and telephone number. Now what? Please tell me what you think such a person could do to hurt you.

Order pizzas to my house, call me at 3am, throw eggs. People that agree with real-id seem to think that the only form of harassment is going to your house and stab you.

[Tablemaker]

So basically you advocate violence against mean people. Nice. Real nice.

I have no idea where you got the idea that I was saying that violence should be taken. You can take actions on someone harassing you that has nothing to do with violence. I assure you, 90% of what is said in a flame war on the WoW forums would never be said face to face. The things people say to one another on forums while masked behind some fake alias would hardly, if ever, see the light of day in a more personal setting. In the rare cases that they are said then there is the possibility of that person becoming liable for their words/actions... if that means a fist in the face or a day in court.

I have no idea where "mean people" come into it. Just because you're a coward hiding behind an alias does not make you mean. It just gives you a big yellow streak down your back. The internet allows people to "act mean" because they know there is a 0.0001% chance that anything they do or say will come back to bite them.

[Bottosai]

i like the idea they are atleast still attaching your account info to the user name, this way they can bann cross game for those who insist on harrasing people

[Kabasue]

Order pizzas to my house, call me at 3am, throw eggs. People that agree with real-id seem to think that the only form of harassment is going to your house and stab you.

Get signed up for the Nambla news letter and have it sent to your work place.

[videotape]

I disagree with your definition of naive.

Elica, I'm afraid that Herecius' usage of naive is spot on. The word perfectly describes you and your world view, whose lack of depth and breadth is painfully obvious.

[WaitingforSWTOR]

I really would know the amount of cancelled subscriptions wich made them cancel the RealID on forums

[Herecius]

I disagree with your definition of naive. Yes, it is easier to track some names than others, and yours is obviously one of them. Does the fact that you managed to track yourself down (using more than just your name, like you said) mean that the average John Smith is in immediate danger of getting tracked down too? There will always be exceptions, and it seems that the people who are exceptions are the ones scared shitless over using their name on the internet.

So some guy managed to find your information. He somehow found a site which has your personal information, such as your address and telephone number. Now what? Please tell me what you think such a person could and would do to hurt you. Afterwards, tell me what kind of dedication his actions would require, and then tell me, with said amount of dedication, if he'd not manage to find a way to find your name regardless of it being on some forum.

Are you honestly asking me 'what could somebody with ill intent' do with information such as my address and telephone number? Is this a serious question? Are you serious? Are you trolling?
My name is not easy to find on the internet, and the whole crux of my argument relies on the idea of somebody obtaining my real name, but the problem is, this system that Blizzard thankfully canceled would have given it out freely if I chose to post on the forums, so I would have been forced to never post on the forums if I wanted to remain secure. The info I talked about can't really be found without having my real name as a jumping point for beginning a search on the net, so I feel pretty secure right now.

Here's an example: I once pissed somebody off when I left an old guild. I didn't DO anything to him at all, he just took my leaving the guild as an extremely dire personal insult, and pretty much totally flipped his shit at me. I don't want to think what he could have done in the heat of that moment if he had my address and/or phone number. Perhaps not physical harm, I don't think he would have gone so far, but he probably could have made my life, however temporarily, a living hell if he wanted.

[Panoramixe]

At least I'll still be able to post on the official forums if I were ever going to participate in a beta test again. In wrath beta I made a few "huge" suggestions threads for moonkins (little success in the end, the stuff we predicted still happened. A bit pathetic we can predict the faults in beta, post them in threads with 100+ pages of support and some blue answers and they still don't get fixed.)

Never mind the above rambling. It's a breach of privacy and I'm sure it would have solved all forum problems, since they'd be as barren as the Barrens themselves. Seriously I don't need a guy googling my name to find the odd drunken picture or discuss my personal history in a thread about moonkin mechanics. It's irrelevant and really annoying. On top of that nearly every employer (with a brain) will check your online identity, being 'passionate' about a game might actually prove to be a disadvantage for your career.

ps. Never underestimate what annoying people with too much time can accomplish. There are quite a lot of people who enjoy camping lowbies on pvp servers, I'm sure there's even more internet detectives itching to find that drunken picture with you wearing a dress and make-up (being a guy of course, I'm sure they'll photoshop a nice lesbian picture for all you girls out there (that what bored teens do right?))

pps. In no way, shape or form am I admitting such pictures of me exist. I've never worn both a dress and make-up at the same time, I'm not a trollop.

[gnoop]

Resources necessary? Once you have a person's name, you simply have to go online, plug their name into any one of many sites happy to pull up their address, phone number, etc. for $2 or so. Once you have their address and phone number, you can simply do as you please. Nearby and want to stop by and say hi? You can! Want to make phone calls? Go for it since there's still a few pay phones to be found still.

Sure, we can say that it's unlikely that anything bad will happen. It's easy to say that when you've never been the victim of harassment. I'm sure that will console someone's parents when their kid gets killed for stealing a trinket someone else wanted. Or the parents whose teenage daughter just got raped.

[killaklown]

aww i was looking forward to some extra cash from a class action lawsuit.