Spouse Aggro

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BLEEPED, BUT EXPLICIT ALL THE SAME

Today we rant and rant about LiveID. Blizzard’s attempt to put real life first and last names on message boards. Optional message boards.

Optional.

Warning, while we bleepped the naughtiest (and LOUD) stuff in the show, you will hear the S word. Still, bleeps are funny. Let me use these show notes to finalize a few points:

There is a difference between caution and paranoia.

Cautious Bob: “Maybe I should not give Billy my real life address, just yet. After all, he is new to the scene, uses no real life photo and I have never heard his voice. He provides very little real life information, and is a little creepy anyway.”

Paranoid Billy: “If Blizzard were to have it’s way, posting on the technical support forums would lead to some crazy guy showing up to my house. Oh, wait a second, I need to post new baby pics on Facebook and update my Foursquare!”

Also, I want to challenge the listeners, or the person that is reading this now: Using your real life first and last name, go find your name, address and phone number online. It’s out there, but you try to find it. Use Google to find services that locate people. Search until you either find your real life information or until you find nothing.

Then, take stock of your online security. Go look at all of the sites you have signed up for; the forums, the websites, the services, the game accounts. Keep digging.

Then, take stock of your real life security. Do you know your neighbors? Is your phone number listed? Is your address known? When was the last time you talked to your neighbors?

After all this, you will more-than-likely have a better idea as to how secure you really are, and how or why you have avoided any issues so far.

Remember, caution is smart. Paranoia is unrealistic, paralyzing and often makes your forget that you are probably already making poor security decisions, like continuing to be in a guild full of crazy people, or telling us all where you are using Twitter.

Beau

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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

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