Radiant Dark

Seems to be the hot topic of the day. They're going to start showing your real name in the forums instead of your character name. Basically, this is in an effort to combat the flame wars and trolling that happens on web forums. Not sure what the risks are from a security standpoint, but it sounds like a bad idea wrapped in good intentions.

Thread here: http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=25626109041

The official forums have always been a great place to discuss the latest info on our games, offer ideas and suggestions, and share experiences with other players -- however, the forums have also earned a reputation as a place where flame wars, trolling, and other unpleasantness run wild. Removing the veil of anonymity typical to online dialogue will contribute to a more positive forum environment, promote constructive conversations, and connect the Blizzard community in ways they haven’t been connected before. With this change, you’ll see blue posters (i.e. Blizzard employees) posting by their real first and last names on our forums as well.

As I've mentioned before, I'm all for the RealID feature in-game. It allows me to communicate with my friends when we're on different servers (and soon, in different games). But I think this might be taking it one step a bit too far.

Interesting...or does it work just like it works in game. If you are Real ID friends then you will see the real ID name?

But that is definately not what this post feels like.

Ack! I'm not sure I want the whole WoW community to know my real name. I'm having a slight issue with Real ID as it is. It's not that I want to be 100% anonymous, but we all know there are some strange people that play WoW.

#2847201 Cyntaria wrote:

Ack! I'm not sure I want the whole WoW community to know my real name. I'm having a slight issue with Real ID as it is. It's not that I want to be 100% anonymous, but we all know there are some strange people that play WoW.

As a strange person that plays WoW........hehe

Actually, this is probably going to make it so I never post on the forums again. How the hell are you supposed to tell who is who? Your guild knowing your name is one thing, but not everyone on the server would, or in a beta, or in a class forum. Kaz Parker gives advice, well who the hell cares. Chaosforge, known to have played Fury for five years on multiple warriors........the pyro is talking crazy again. Sometimes the charactor defines you BETTER in the forums than your actual name. It isn't the same as online annonymity, this is who you ARE in the game. Like I was going to answer random General Chat 'Is Kaz Parker around? I want to ask him something about his forum post!' Yeah, not happening. 'Is Chaosforge around?' "Yes, and I just burned down your flag room!" 'NOOOOOOOO!'

yeah, I am crazy. If they wanted to make a difference in the stupid troll posts, they would just put a minimum level on the charactors you can post on. That's the way to go. Like.......minimum level 60. That was the original max level. It shows you have been there and done that. Post on your main......WHICH ONE? Not some level one char that was just made to make noise. Cause guess what. Put the account name on there, everyone is an annoying level one making noise. Because you don't know who the hell their charactor is or why you should CARE. Kaz says something, people laugh. Chaosforge says something........everyone dives for the fire extinguishers. Because they KNOW.

If this is correct I will not be posting on the WoW forums. (Not like I do much now anyways.) Like everyone has said it's one thing for your guildies and RL friends to have your real name.... completely different for absolute strangers. There's a reason I have my Facebook set to COMPLETELY private, deleted my MySpace, and don't have a twitter. There are CRAZY people out there! And they will find you! As it is I've already gotten friend requests/messages from fans of the teams I dance for, I do not need to give them another way of contacting me. No thank you! I like my privacy.

I wonder how this is going to effect the play accounts for Blizzard employess/GMs?

#2847201 Cyntaria wrote:

Ack! I'm not sure I want the whole WoW community to know my real name. I'm having a slight issue with Real ID as it is. It's not that I want to be 100% anonymous, but we all know there are some strange people that play WoW.

Then don't give any of those wierdos your Real ID

#2847688 Jayd wrote:

#2847201 Cyntaria wrote:

Ack! I'm not sure I want the whole WoW community to know my real name. I'm having a slight issue with Real ID as it is. It's not that I want to be 100% anonymous, but we all know there are some strange people that play WoW.

Then don't give any of those wierdos your Real ID

At least according to the post, you also can't ever use the forums.

Oh, and apparently... you can't use any mods either (99% sure this is just a bug): http://www.wow.com/2010/07/06/security-flaw-allows-addons-to-expose-full-real-life-names-witho/

#2847934 Scuta wrote:

At least according to the post, you also can't ever use the forums.

Fortunately I rarely post on the Blizzard Forums. Also fortunate is that (for now anyway) RealID is "a completely voluntary and optional level of identity". So we at least have a choice about whether or not we use it (and whether or not we choose to post on the Blizzard Forums.

#2847934 Scuta wrote:

Oh, and apparently... you can't use any mods either (99% sure this is just a bug): http://www.wow.com/2010/07/06/security-flaw-allows-addons-to-expose-full-real-life-names-witho/

This kind of thing is the main reason I decided to stay the hell away from RealID. Not convinced there's any kind of real privacy involved with it. Mods should not have access to that information in my opinion.

hehe, no one in my guild uses my real name. If y'all did, I probably would not recognize that you were talking to me, because not even my *family* uses my real name in real life. So there, RealID. How real is it to make me use a name I never use?

Fortunately, the WoW forums and I have had a long-standing disagreement over whether I'm "properly registered" to post there or not. I gave it up about three years ago, in fact, after spending a whole afternoon following their registration for the forums advice to the letter, only to be told I was not properly registered and thus could not post. Also, fortunately, my opinions are worth zilch anyway, so I shall continue to abstain from inflicting them on the WoW forums (which I read as infrequently as possible because it's way scary in there, lol!)

Shay

not sure how much I trust anything coming out of WoW.com these days. There have been a LOT of BS articles lately. Enough to make me think, perhaps, some of their staff got the account ban hammer of doom for breach of NDA on the Cata Alpha.

Interesting article from World of Matticus. Be sure to read the comments at the end.


http://www.worldofmatticus.com/2010/07/06/real-id-on-blizzard-forums-the-good-and-the-bad/

IF the folks making the decisions about this at Bliz have any sense they'll be actively searching for the reactions like the comments on the article Cyn posted and take them to heart. We'll see.

Another interesting tidbit from Wow.com

http://www.wow.com/2010/07/07/rumor-blizzard-employees-real-life-names-will-not-appear-on-th/

Rumor: Blizzard employees' real life names will not appear on the Real ID forums [Updated]

by Adam Holisky Jul 7th 2010 at 4:00PM


Recently a few forum goers have posted that they've been in touch with Blizzard phone representatives and have heard from them that Blizzard employee's real-life names will actually not be appearing on the new Real ID forums.

So here's what we know:

~ Bashiok / Drysc posted his real life name yesterday and had his privacy violated by people posting maps to his house, his parents' names and (potentially incorrect) cell phone numbers.

~ We have seen multiple reports of WoW players who have called up Blizzard's support line and spoken with representatives who've told them blues will no longer be using their real names in the new forums.

~ Josh, a Blizzard phone rep, said that Blizzard employees "cannot risk having their personal lives compromised by in-game issues."
Blizzard blue representative Rygarius locked, but did not delete nor deny, a thread on this.


WoW.com has emailed PR contacts within Blizzard for comment, and has not heard anything back. So there you have it. It's a pretty solid rumor at this point. The known facts speak for themselves.

Update: Wryxian is referring people back to the original blue post language about the change. However, we're still hearing from phone bank representatives that Blizzard has changed its mind about blue posters.

Update #2: According to Nethaera, they're going to stick with their original plan and have blue posters use their real names. As to why other parts of Blizzard are saying something different (WoW.com has verified what other parts of Blizzard has said), it appears they're having some internal communication issues.

This whole affair makes me facepalm hardcore. I feel bad for Bashiok / Drysc who was trying to act in good faith to a monumentally stupid idea. I seriously hope Blizzard considers something else because revealing real names on the forums isn't going to stop the forum problems. In fact they'd be better off in getting a dedicated team for dealing with their forums. As for myself I doubt I'll be opting in for RealID anytime soon. There may be a day when I have to be more public than I am now, but at least it'll be on my own terms then.