Blizzard’s new policy is about personal responsibility.
We all have heard the news: Blizzard is going to use your account name (not the name on your credit card from what I know, but will have to learn first-hand) to be displayed when you make a forum post on their official forums. A few points:
1) The name that you set as your “account name” will still be what is displayed. In my case, it is not my real name. I can post and be a jerk and no one can find me and beat me up or steal my credit card.Well, you can, because Beau Turkey in Google brings up my entire life story, but you get the idea.
2) We all know, as of right now. IF YOU POST ON THE WOW OFFICIAL FORUMS, THE NAME YOU CHOSE TO REPRESENT YOUR ACCOUNT WILL BE DISPLAYED. There, now be careful, both you GOOD and EVIL people.
3) None of us posted on those pieces of shit anyway. Be honest.
4) No website, forum, or any single area of the internet is hidden, private or under the “free speech” rule. If you want free speech, step away from your PC. You are allowed to speak on the internet, it is not your right. The cables and energy to power those servers is not free. You might pay for it, but the cable company does not have to allow you to be their customer. PLEASE stop disillusioning yourself that the internet will ever be “private.”
5) Point number 4 is simply the truth, not an attempt to say that it is fair or good or nice or pretty or rainbows. But, it IS the truth. Blizzard’s forums are something that you can easily avoid, and probably already do. If you do not like the fact that the name you signed up with is displayed, do not post there. Go on and post somewhere else, like Massively.com! (TM) DING!
6) We all must be more responsible with our information. Whether or not it is a good idea, or good practice, to do what Blizzard has done does not matter. JUST BE AWARE. Where ever you go on the internet, it is on someone elses server and someone else could be watching you.
Look, we all take chances online. All of us. Some of us, like me, take even more chances by having to use our real names online AND by liking FTP! (Luckily, raiders are generally too busy to come get me.) But, this is not a case that is more far-reaching than the WoW forums. Yes, a lot of people play the game, but I assure you that most people online do not. Even if this were to spread throughout the entire internet, then so be it.
The only way to show your displeasure is to stop using the services that do not meet your criteria.
Beau
I’m afraid I’ve got nothing to add beyond hearty agreement.
The nerd rage on the Blizzard forums (at least what I’ve indirectly seen through Blue trackers, since I don’t frequent the place) has been predictably vast. In fact, those responses sum up exactly why removing the veil of anonymity from on-line discussion forums may not be such a bad thing. Perhaps it may dissuade people from posting something that they wouldn’t say to the intended recipient face-to-face? Perhaps it could even lead to some degree of civility in on-line discourse.
It’s a bold, innovative move that possibly only a company like Blizzard could take the first step on. If nothing else, the quantity of posts in the Blizzard forums will drop sharply, but the average quality will improve. We will see!
Thank you, Mr. Bob Smithers of Portland, Oregon. I will add your Social Security number to our database.
I’m sorry, Beau, but I completely disagree.
This post summed up all my concerns rather nicely: http://tagn.wordpress.com/2010/07/07/as-real-id-oozes-forward-more-people-lose/
And yes, I have been stalked before because of revealing my identity through gaming. I did have to call the police.
I’ve had my problems with crazies, too.
If you notice, though, I am not saying that they are “good” or “right” in doing what they are doing. I am just reinforcing what has been an issue with the internet from the very beginning of it. Remember, they have announced it, and it will not be retroactive (unless someone has read something different) so do not go to those forums anymore.
They didn’t post your ID without you knowing: they are warning you now. Again, I do not think it is a brilliant move or is probably completely needed. But that has nothing to do with anything. They are doing it, and now we all know.
Beau
If this rumor is true: http://www.wow.com/2010/07/07/rumor-blizzard-employees-real-life-names-will-not-appear-on-th/
Then Blizzard seriously needs to take a hard look at itself. It doesn’t look good for them to say folks shouldn’t be worried about this change while making sure their own staff is ‘safe’ from it at the same time.
And Beau, the account name they’re using isn’t your login name (which is now simply your email address since the Battle.net merge). It’s your ACTUAL first and last name.
It is the name that appears on your account, not the name that appears on your credit card, is my point. I used a fake name for my account name, and a different name for my CC. Are you saying that the CC card name is what they use?
As far as their employees being “safe,” of course they should worry about that. They are the ones making the game, and (I think it’s safe to say) more than likely going to have more players hate pointed directly at them than at some other stranger online. They don’t have to prove anything, all they have to do is warn you about what they are doing, and they have done that. You have a choice as to whether you want to participate or not. That’s the difference.
Beau
My WoW account hasn’t been active for a long time, but I heard there was a bug with *all* accounts leaking information.
Also, I am worried that this is simply the beginning. If we don’t complain about it now, we *will* see it happen in other games. I am not just going to roll over and let it happen.
My prediction however, is that some teenager is going to get stalked and/or killed because of this, and Blizzard is going to rightfully get their asses sued for violating privacy laws.
Blizzard has already made a partnership with Facebook to share user info across platforms. I doubt they will back out of this, since their goal is to integrate into the social networking platform and get a piece of the ‘social gamer’ pie.
See Cryptic for the proper way of handling and encouraging player responsibility of forum and in game behavior without putting the customer base at risk.
Blizzard’s attempt, while admirable, is heavy handed and puts the majority of innocent people at risk in the name of curtailing the behavior of a boorish minority. Not acceptable.
I generally lurk rather than post on the forums, I’ll admit. But, what I’ll really miss is the ability to post on their *tech support* forums. Unlike the rest of the crapfest, those weren’t half bad and were the most likely place to get a Blizzard response.
I dont use the forums anyway. I get all my advice from Elitist Jerks.