World of Warcraft maker to end anonymous forum logins

[Aunt Spiker]

This is where we fundamentally disagree. The Internet is part of real life, not some imaginary domain where a person's words and actions don't have consequences. The more time people spend on the Internet, the more of their lives they've invested in it, the more true this is. People should not be able to hide behind false personas to engage in antisocial behavior.

I like the anonymity of the web so much that I dare not taint it with my name - it's pure without it.

I did that once for business purposes and fully regretted it when my ex husband's wife found me and used that to stalk me online, an issue which I actually had to take to court.

Thus - no real names, EVER, not for myself and definately not for my children. No pictures, either - I've violated this once with a vacation photo and that was it. No duplication of my name on the net, either - I don't use "Aunt Spiker" anywhere else but here. . . and names left where it requires 'real name' - nope - not my real name there, either.

Phone number, address - unless I'm ordering something to be shipped to my door it ain't happenin.

Because it's my RIGHT to not have my REAL life mixed up with the online world and I like to keep it that way. This might be your reality and it intermingles with your real life, but it doesn't for me.

If people want to be freaking stupid and put their real-selves out there to be hunted and stalked then go ahead - but no one should make that decision for anyone - especially not when we're discussing a GAME.

 

[Jerry]

I like the anonymity of the web so much that I dare not taint it with my name - it's pure without it.

I did that once for business purposes and fully regretted it when my ex husband's wife found me and used that to stalk me online, an issue which I actually had to take to court.

Thus - no real names, EVER, not for myself and definately not for my children. No pictures, either - I've violated this once with a vacation photo and that was it. No duplication of my name on the net, either - I don't use "Aunt Spiker" anywhere else but here. . . and names left where it requires 'real name' - nope - not my real name there, either.

Phone number, address - unless I'm ordering something to be shipped to my door it ain't happenin.

Because it's my RIGHT to not have my REAL life mixed up with the online world and I like to keep it that way. This might be your reality and it intermingles with your real life, but it doesn't for me.

If people want to be freaking stupid and put their real-selves out there to be hunted and stalked then go ahead - but no one should make that decision for anyone - especially not when we're discussing a GAME.

IMO this has little to do with curbing trolls through names and everything to do with using more direct control over your access.

They do this for buying/selling gold, also. It used to be that if WoW cough you buying gold, that particular account would be punished. Now that everyone is on BattleNet, every game account you posses is punished.

I'm positive there are other marketing forces at play, but there's my opinion on how trolls enter into the picture.

 

[Aunt Spiker]

IMO this has little to do with curbing trolls through names and everything to do with using more direct control over your access.

They do this for buying/selling gold, also. It used to be that if WoW cough you buying gold, that particular account would be punished. Now that everyone is on BattleNet, every game account you posses is punished.

I'm positive there are other marketing forces at play, but there's my opinion on how trolls enter into the picture.

Now you've lost me.
Other than paying for access to the game there's money involved in it?

I'm not a gamer - I don't grasp that.

 

[Jerry]

Now you've lost me.
Other than paying for access to the game there's money involved in it?

I'm not a gamer - I don't grasp that.

K, no problem.

The games have a currency in them, which of course your character uses in-game to buy and sell items and services.

There are organizations such as MMOstreet.com where you can pay real money for an in-game character to send your in-game character game currency, whereby your character can then buy items and services without having to work for the game cash to do it.

Doing this gives you an unfair advantage over others, ruins the game economy (which damages the game's appeal and Blizzards bottom line), and can also get your account hacked; which in turn can result in stolen credit card, e-mail, etc.

 

[Fiddytree]

Is ebay still a good place? I remember my friends using it to sell Everquest accounts for hundreds of dollars.

 

[Aunt Spiker]

K, no problem.

The games have a currency in them, which of course your character uses in-game to buy and sell items and services.

There are organizations such as MMOstreet.com where you can pay real money for an in-game character to send your in-game character game currency, whereby your character can then buy items and services without having to work for the game cash to do it.

Doing this gives you an unfair advantage over others, ruins the game economy (which damages the game's appeal and Blizzards bottom line), and can also get your account hacked; which in turn can result in stolen credit card, e-mail, etc.

Ahhhh . . . I think my hope for humanity was just flushed a little.

People actually pay REAL money to have FAKE money in a game? I hope, while they're being fleeced and someone's pockets are getting fat with REAL MONEY that they're at least not paying 1:1

 

[Jerry]

Is ebay still a good place? I remember my friends using it to sell Everquest accounts for hundreds of dollars.

Never was one for account buying, I couldn't tell you.

 

[Fiddytree]

I was jealous of my friends, because they had the balls to play a game for that long and make dough doing it. Those were the days when @ Home was still going strong as a company. Sigh.

 

[Jerry]

Ahhhh . . . I think my hope for humanity was just flushed a little.

People actually pay REAL money to have FAKE money in a game? I hope, while they're being fleeced and someone's pockets are getting fat with REAL MONEY that they're at least not paying 1:1

People pay real money for Wii games, Xboxes, even for a single viewing of a fiction movie (Shrek 4 is good, btw). Yeah people spend real cash on all kinds of fake things, it's crazy.

Last I knew one could buy 5,000 WoW gold for about $45, or sell 5,000 gold for about $20.

 

[Fiddytree]

Ahhhh . . . I think my hope for humanity was just flushed a little.

People actually pay REAL money to have FAKE money in a game? I hope, while they're being fleeced and someone's pockets are getting fat with REAL MONEY that they're at least not paying 1:1

Psst..Facebook games and console games are bringing the love back.

 

[Aunt Spiker]

Psst..Facebook games and console games are bringing the love back.

Facebook does games?
What what?

<--- showing some age and disconnect worse than Henry Rollins

 

[bicycleman]

So you have to post your name, what's to prevent you from posting under a phony name when you register? I do that all the time when I get on sites that just have to have my name.

Regarding WOW, I don't play it and have only played Left 4 Dead 2 on line. I didn't like it because the players I was teamed up with had no clue how to play the game and wouldn't back me up against the zombies. Instead, they kept shooting me, of which I returned the favor.:mrgreen:

 

[samsmart]

I can't say this is a concern. At all.

Given the existing level of identity exposure I can't see how this policy makes the situation any worse than it is.

So what if you have to show your real name?

It's not only a matter of a person showing their real name. It's also a matter of having to show the real name of your children and teenagers who play. I think for that reason alone, many parents will no longer allow their children and teenagers to play.

 

[samsmart]

On the other side, consider this. People will say things on an ANONYMOUS forum that they would never DARE say to someone's face. With real names being used, I wonder if this could curtail this and create a bit more civility.

Yeah, but it also prevents the free flow of information. If someone takes a position unpopular with their friends, then that person may be less likely to speak freely. "More civility" could be a mask for "more fear" in talking with each other.

Besides, a better way to deal with trolls is to simply ignore them and refuse to engage them. Stop feeding into them and they either starve or go to different hunting grounds.

 

[Zyphlin]

On the other side, consider this. People will say things on an ANONYMOUS forum that they would never DARE say to someone's face. With real names being used, I wonder if this could curtail this and create a bit more civility.

Perhaps it will bring a bit more civility to the forums. However the negatives are likely far greater. Its not uncommon for perspective employers to google names. With the common misconceptions many have in regards to video games, and fantasy games specifically, having your name linked to a bunch of posts on a fantasy MMO board is probably already a mark against you. Doubly so if you're participating in one of the roleplaying boards, which would look insane to someone not understanding what it is.

What about the natural tendancy for WOW and other games like it to attract some individuals who are a bit more socially ackward or disconnected. Do you think its worth some civility for every female gamer to have their names readily available for whatever akward guy wants to use it to their advantage. Female gamers already suffer from harassment and abuse often in games with lurid suggestions and propositions for cyberlovin. Why assume that once its easy enough, using the name, to find their phone number or facebook or email or AIM name that they're not going to have that same kind of thing translating out of game?

You have instances elsewhere in other games where individuals find out the name of someone that wronged them and tracked them down. There's a story from a Counter-Strike person in recent years who was killed repeatedly in knife fights and, having found out the real name of the player, found out he lived in a nearby town and found him and stabbed him nearly killing the person. Is such extreme actions common? Absolutely not. However, in the above case there was some work to be done to get the users real name to allow for the situation to happen. Why give people access to this important information freely and simply allowing the likelihood of such an event happening to increase. Is any real increase of something like, even if its a small one, worth adding some "civility" that could be achieved nearly as well doing a different and less privacy infringing method?

IMO this has little to do with curbing trolls through names and everything to do with using more direct control over your access.

I'm positive there are other marketing forces at play, but there's my opinion on how trolls enter into the picture.

The suspision is three fold in regards to the REAL reasons behind this:

1. Their recent agreement with facebook allows for a great deal of information sharing with regards to RealID, with the thought being that through RealID plus facebook a profile on you in regards to what kind of advertisers would be best for you and then sell targeted ad space

2. The popularity of Starcraft in Korea and the new laws there requiring full names to be displayed in web communities of over 100,000.

3. The size of the Chinese population with the Chinese planning on implimenting a similar law.

Essentially it appears in all honesty that the American and European players safety and privacy is being put on the line to increase their asian reach.

In part, I can't fault them for making a business decision. On the other hand, this is far and away from the Blizzard that gamers have known for almost 2 decades now.

So you have to post your name, what's to prevent you from posting under a phony name when you register? I do that all the time when I get on sites that just have to have my name.

I imagine with regards to WOW having account information that is wholey different than your CC information could be problematic. I'm unsure however.

 

[Laila]

On the other side, consider this. People will say things on an ANONYMOUS forum that they would never DARE say to someone's face. With real names being used, I wonder if this could curtail this and create a bit more civility.

This is not for trolls. Nothing will change, people will just open new battlenet accounts with fake first names. This will not increase civility, just bring down the forums visitors and make it a wasteland and open up those who have female/minority/unique names up for abuse and ridicule most likely.

This is a business decision to slowly suck away our privacy and a warning of what is to come in Cataclysm which is 'in game' RealID and a FB merger.

 

[Redress]

The suspision is three fold in regards to the REAL reasons behind this:

1. Their recent agreement with facebook allows for a great deal of information sharing with regards to RealID, with the thought being that through RealID plus facebook a profile on you in regards to what kind of advertisers would be best for you and then sell targeted ad space

2. The popularity of Starcraft in Korea and the new laws there requiring full names to be displayed in web communities of over 100,000.

3. The size of the Chinese population with the Chinese planning on implimenting a similar law.

Essentially it appears in all honesty that the American and European players safety and privacy is being put on the line to increase their asian reach.

In part, I can't fault them for making a business decision. On the other hand, this is far and away from the Blizzard that gamers have known for almost 2 decades now.



I imagine with regards to WOW having account information that is wholey different than your CC information could be problematic. I'm unsure however.

I linked to the Brokentoys blog earlier, and am going to do it again, since it's writter(Scott Jennings (game designer) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia goes fairly indepth in this, is both well known, and well respected for his knowledge on game issues, and he really hits this all well.

RealID For Your FakeOrc

Blizzard is embracing the Facebook model of social networking. Specifically, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s view that you should be you, and that the idea that you should ever choose to present something other than you is fundamentally flawed.

[Zuckerberg] disagrees with the notion that people have different identities. To him, the idea that someone is different at work than at home, than at a rock concert, is dishonest. Says Kirkpatrick, “He believes that he will live a better life personally, and all of us will be more honest, and ultimately it will be better for the world if we dispense with that belief.”

...

But anyway, when you have as a core belief that people who want to be anonymous, for whatever reason, are lying liars, then providing opt-out features seems kind of beside the point, doesn’t it? And Blizzard really, really, really, for whatever reason, dislikes opt-out features of any sort. The only way you can opt-out of the RealID in-game system, for example, is through a “Parental Control” system that is intended for children. And, not coincidentally, required by law. The features of RealID chat in-game that arouse the most ire – the inability to set an alias for one’s real name, the inability to flag alt characters out of visibility, and above all, the inability to block people from browsing your friends list – are all easily fixed via code. Yet Blizzard won’t do it.

Al little over the top, but basically, Blizzard is just becoming Facebook, and following Facebooks model.

By the way, for those who do not understand why this is so bad: 16 year-old girl stalked from WoW to her high school

 

[Zyphlin]

Al little over the top, but basically, Blizzard is just becoming Facebook, and following Facebooks model.

That's the thing. Facebook is a social networking program that's meant to be that. WOW is a game, specifically a ROLEplaying game, that's purpose is to be a video game not a social network.

I want to play a Massively Multiplayer Online ROLEplaying game not be part of a Massively Multiplayer Online Social Networking Game.

I'm just waiting until we get to a point where characters are no longer named, your different toons just have "[first, last]" above their heads.

Part of me hopes WOW has jumped the shark with this, part of me thinks that its too big of a juggernaut at this point to go down.

Gaming in general, and SPECIFICALLY fantasy gaming, has always and will always be a culture that generally attracts those that are not the most socially adept or socially accepted. Its counter culture. Its outside of the norm. The kids in school reading Lord of the Rings and playing D&D are NOT generally your popular crowd or jocks (normally at least which I learned in college, as for some reason my high school had some what of an anomoly). The nature of the hobby is escapism and generally something that many...especially as they enter into adulthood...don't advertise they're actively indulging in. I don't see this as dishonest and don't understand this ridiculous notion that everything in ones life must be open and obvious to everyone.

 

[Redress]

That's the thing. Facebook is a social networking program that's meant to be that. WOW is a game, specifically a ROLEplaying game, that's purpose is to be a video game not a social network.

I want to play a Massively Multiplayer Online ROLEplaying game not be part of a Massively Multiplayer Online Social Networking Game.

I'm just waiting until we get to a point where characters are no longer named, your different toons just have "[first, last]" above their heads.

Part of me hopes WOW has jumped the shark with this, part of me thinks that its too big of a juggernaut at this point to go down.

Gaming in general, and SPECIFICALLY fantasy gaming, has always and will always be a culture that generally attracts those that are not the most socially adept or socially accepted. Its counter culture. Its outside of the norm. The kids in school reading Lord of the Rings and playing D&D are NOT generally your popular crowd or jocks (normally at least which I learned in college, as for some reason my high school had some what of an anomoly). The nature of the hobby is escapism and generally something that many...especially as they enter into adulthood...don't advertise they're actively indulging in. I don't see this as dishonest and don't understand this ridiculous notion that everything in ones life must be open and obvious to everyone.

I am not defending Blizzard. I think this is awful. But understand that Facebook is big(biggar than Blizzard), Facebook games are the fastest rising gaming market right now, and you can understand why Blizzard is doing this. RealID in it's whole is very Facebooklike, and they are simply following Facebooks model to the hilt.

 

[Gray_Fox_86]

You know Mila Kunis plays WoW. If she has to post her real name people will find out who she is and they can trace her down.....i am going to go buy WoW right now.

 

[Gray_Fox_86]

So you have to post your name, what's to prevent you from posting under a phony name when you register? I do that all the time when I get on sites that just have to have my name.

Regarding WOW, I don't play it and have only played Left 4 Dead 2 on line. I didn't like it because the players I was teamed up with had no clue how to play the game and wouldn't back me up against the zombies. Instead, they kept shooting me, of which I returned the favor.:mrgreen:

lol I play MW2 online and I can't stop shooting my own teammates or following them around and knifing them. It drives them crazy cus they won't die and they can't get rid of me. Sometimes they get mad or sometimes they return the favor and we spend all the game time going after one another. Its great.

 

[texmaster]

I am not defending Blizzard. I think this is awful. But understand that Facebook is big(biggar than Blizzard), Facebook games are the fastest rising gaming market right now, and you can understand why Blizzard is doing this. RealID in it's whole is very Facebooklike, and they are simply following Facebooks model to the hilt.

You would agree however that even with facebook you can pick who sees your details. If you play online, its a free for all. Unless they change that as well where you can limit who sees your online name to just facebook friends but that would fly in the face of gaming for the last decade.

I beleve they are asking for trouble with this policy.

 

[rivrrat]

I don't see the big deal. But then again, I don't have an issue giving personal information online. I'm not afeared of internet geeks. :lol:

I just don't see what the big deal is with people knowing your name. If anyone on the street asked you your name, you'd likely tell them. You'd tell some stranger on a bus, in a bar, in a restaurant. Our names are not some double top secret piece of information that will bring our worlds crashing down if someone knows them. We use and give them freely, everyday, in many different venues.

 

[Redress]

You would agree however that even with facebook you can pick who sees your details. If you play online, its a free for all. Unless they change that as well where you can limit who sees your online name to just facebook friends but that would fly in the face of gaming for the last decade.

I beleve they are asking for trouble with this policy.

Oh, I agree. This is a horrible move. I am not defending it in the least, just trying to understand why. The kind of thing like the link I provided about the 16 year old girl being stalked by a WoW guildmate is a good example of why this is so bad.

 

[ReverendHellh0und]

If DP required us to use our real names, I bet the trolling would drop. :shrug: