Blizzard Forums To Display Real Name

[Joey]

No, not at all it has nothing to do with that actually. I don't troll forums or spend all day posting shit all over the internet, but when I do post something I shouldn't be giving every single person who looks at it my personal information. You have an option, a choice to give someone your facebook or your real name so they can find you, and have the option of accepting it or not. You don't have any choice in this and it's just given to everyone. Why should everyone have access to my name and be able to find other information from it?

Also, if you even bothered to actually read it, previous posts made on Blizzard forums will not display peoples real names, so even if I had posted a bunch of garbage as you'd like to assume, none would be "associated with me". Thanks though.

Once again, you DO have a choice. It's called not posting on Blizzard's forums.

I have to ask again, why do you think your name is so damned valuable? You've met literally THOUSANDS of people in your life. They all know your name. You're still alive.

I think your anger is misguided. If you're concerned about Blizzard just associating your name with your WoW account, then you probably have a larger issue. Why are you making so much of your information available on the internet? Information you apparently want to be less public than it is? If you're concerned about people finding your Facebook, then edit the info you don't want out there, make it private, or delete the account.

Blizzard is telling you, "If you don't want your name out there, don't participate". So don't.

Also, if these changes aren't retroactive, then this decision is even more benign.

---------- Post added at 02:22 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:18 AM ----------

:cry:

I'm Brian! I'm 19, live near Philadelphia, my username is satirical, I have lots of allergies, and I like music. Can we be friends ?

But yeah I agree with everything you said, the guise of anonymity breeds more distrust than honesty.

I'm Joey, I'm 22, I'm a vagabond, I'm a Vegan, and I also loves me some music.

There this earth is healed

 

[FrozenIpaq]

Joey's got a very good point and as many of you know, it's easy to find out my name - although my middle name still remains a mystery after all these years

 

[slicer4ever]

@frozen, random guess.....jacob?

just wondering, well it displays your real name on all previous posts you've ever made, or only new posts made from the day they start doing it, if it's the latter, i can understand where joey is coming from, but if it's the former, then it's defiantly not something u agreed to in the ToS(more likly the ToS say's that they won't go selling or posting your private info).

 

[Dan]

No, the forums previous post names will be changed too. I assume it's the same as this, or any other forum.

Like Joey said, if you're so worried, only make the data you don't want to share available to people you've added. It's common sense.

 

[FrozenIpaq]

No, the forums previous post names will be changed too. I assume it's the same as this, or any other forum.

Like Joey said, if you're so worried, only make the data you don't want to share available to people you've added. It's common sense.

They should at least have the option to not have old post names revealed, that's my only concern. People, at the time, were posting under the assumption they would maintain some sort of anonymity which is all within reason.

 

[x3sphere]

I think it's a smart move. Kudos to Blizzard for stepping up to the plate. Should cut down on trolling and flamebait posts. That said, I doubt this will completely weed out the idiots. Chances are it will change things for the better, though.

I can understand how those that try to conceal their WoW addiction from others might be against this. In that case, though, just stay away from the forums.

Also, I believe it only applies to posts going forward (once the system is implemented).

 

[Dan]

Ah, I see where you're coming from. Maybe the boards will start afresh and wipe the older posts. There should be an FAQ soon though, right?

 

[Abe Froeman]

This will go over swimmingly until some nutjob sends a letter bomb or stabs some dude in the gut after getting a tongue-lashing on the forums.

 

[Joey]

This will go over swimmingly until some nutjob sends a letter bomb or stabs some dude in the gut after getting a tongue-lashing on the forums.

I think it's a worthy sacrifice.

 

[FrozenIpaq]

Someone already managed to do something similar over a game of Counter Strike, although he only had a username to go off of at first.

 

[Abe Froeman]

Someone already managed to do something similar over a game of Counter Strike, although he only had a username to go off of at first.

That's what prompted my post. It'll happen eventually.

I think it's a great social study, if nothing else. I know advertising firms will be watching this very closely.

 

[Joey]

That's what prompted my post. It'll happen eventually.

I think it's a great social study, if nothing else. I know advertising firms will be watching this very closely.

Well I think the fact that it's already happened makes this whole issue moot. Lunatics will do what lunatics do.

Here's the deal. For the most part people fear confrontation. Will this stop idiots from committing some heinous act when they get slighted? Absolutely not, but it may make people stop and think about what they're about to say.

I mean, let's think about this for second. If you saw a guy wreck his bike, would you run up in his face and laugh at him? Probably not. Now, through the veil of a username, would you make an abusive comment of a guy wrecking his bike on Youtube? Most would, and wouldn't think twice about it. Put the element of consequence back in, and people act more civil.

Remember, society has it's own way of keeping assholes in check. It's called getting knocked the fuck out. Don't want to get knocked the fuck out? Don't be a dick.

There will always be fringe examples, but those are just as unavoidable in real life as they are on the internet. You probably have a better chance of getting stabbed walking downtown than you do of getting attacked by some guy you said something to on the internet. Which is the irony. It's like people who wont ride in a plane for fear it might crash, yet they'll drive daily.

 

[slicer4ever]

the best example for how this system works is as simple as going to facebook discussion boards, everyone's names+profiles are openly linked to whatever you post, so w/e affect's facebook has with it's discussion boards, i'm sure you'll see as well here.

also, if this does apply to all prior posts before the new system takes place, i can see alot of people having problems with it, but if it doesn't, then yea, it's a use at your discression from now on.

 

[Adiuvo]

Facebook discussions typically only involve moms who love to TYPE IN CAPS to emphasize their points and occasionally have the person who thinks he's enigmatic by being excessively polite. I wouldn't say it's the ideal example, but it still is one nevertheless I suppose.

 

[MenaceInc]

Tim Buckley wrote up an excellent post in regards to being linked to your real name and such. It's over on the Ctrl+Alt+Del mainpage. I'm really not worried myself about people knowing my information just as long as it doesn't get to the likes of bank details and National Insurance numbers.

I'm John Murray, I'm 22 in 2 weeks, I currently live in Newry in the UK, I like rock/metal/electronic music, I like Tim Burton films and films with Christian Bale, I have two sisters, I have brown hair and blue eyes, my only allergy is pollen, I have 5 tattoos and 4 piercings, I like cake, I do some freelance computer repair in my spare time and I'm not concerned about people knowing all of the above.

 

[x3sphere]

I thought this was funny:

[YT]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLtFg65Sg50[/YT]