WoW players - Real ID

wadingmoose · July 2010

I think when it comes to children posting, that is as it is anywhere else on the web - it isn't up to the forums to police that, it's up to the parents so that isn't a valid argument to me.

Also, my most recent google search for my name resulted in an actress.

I am NOT responsible for the actions someone else chooses to take. If someone else decides that some random actress won an epic in the game and they need to go take it out on her in real life, that is THEIR decision. Not mine.

I do take internet privacy quite seriously and after reading more about it I'm a bit more concerned, but again, I don't post on the forums because it's always been a bit of a cesspool of the lowest common denominator in the game. I see no reason to give people on an internet forum the ability to stalk me in game - which is what posting on the forums can create. I know, it happened to a guildy of mine. Someone didn't like something he posted on our realm forum and they took it in game which is also rather unpleasant.

I rarely PUG anything of value. I refuse to PUG anything with drops I want because it's such a shiit show. I do guild runs or just go without gear so my behaviour in game isn't really likely to result in a stalking, unless from my guildies and, again, they know me in real life at this point so it's much easier for them to stalk me already.

I've always taken internet security fairly seriously, including in the game.

The only thing this does is ensure I won't post on the forums at all. No big change.

wadingmoose · July 2010

Slippery slope arguments really have little place here.

The people hacking accounts want your gold and your gear. They aren't in it to spread your name all over. They're in it to use the account for as long as they can before they get shut down. Then they move on to the next account.

I'll worry about ramifications of it moving in game to when it moves in game. Until then, it's a moot point.

damaless · July 2010

I wasn't implying that it was YOUR responsibility what happens to people who share your name who might be mistakenly targeted. I was implying it is Activision-Blizzard's responsibility (at least in part) for enabling this.

I think slippery-slope discussion is very relevant because when real ID was first introduced it was described as being completely optional in all ways and just for people you explicitly wanted to share it with. However, now they are describing the upcoming changes to the forums as something they have been planning for a very long time. Many things about this whole situation are very fishy.

wadingmoose · July 2010

The forums are optional.

It'd be no different than if someone googled any one of my character names and found someone using those names as a screen name. Or if someone googled wadingmoose, found someone else using that name with real information included.

In most cases, unless you have an actual location for people, just knowing their names is not going to get you very far.

damaless · July 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_wow-players-real-id?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:6a7bbc5b-3516-4ed4-a40b-c7c511791fecPost:76d4a7d9-3ea6-4950-b41d-4eb99350823c">Re: WoW players - Real ID</a>:
[QUOTE]The forums are optional. It'd be no different than if someone googled any one of my character names and found someone using those names as a screen name. Or if someone googled wadingmoose, found someone else using that name with real information included. In most cases, unless you have an actual location for people, just knowing their names is not going to get you very far.
Posted by wadingmoose[/QUOTE]

<div>It's also not just about internet security. What about potential employers googling your name to find posts from you on the WoW forums?</div><div>
</div><div>The forums are "optional" but a lot of the time when you call or email tech support they tell you to post your issue on the forums.</div>

wadingmoose · July 2010

I don't post on the forums. Again, they are optional.

Also, there is nothing to link ME to that forum post. I wouldn't want to work for a company that googled John Smith, found a John Smith posting on a forum and assumed it was the one applying for a job. It'll be different if they link it to FB, but even then, my FB profile is devoid of any information that would be a hinderance to employment for me. As for my FB profile, I typically have it showing a picture that isn't me - usually something taken on vacation so that it isn't easily identified with me either.

I've never, ever had any of my requests in game email or on the phone redirected to the forums. Unless it was a serious issue, I would just drop it. They'll find that it reduces the number of suggestions they receive for the game which is counterproductive for them, not me. Issues in game can be answered through other resources, not the forums. I've managed to get this far in the game without posting on there. I don't see any need for me to start now.

Everything you're arguing comes down to internet security.

damaless · July 2010

Imagine the following:

Suppose theknot.com offered enough wedding-related services that you felt it was worth paying a monthly subscription fee, which also allowed you to post on the forums. Now imagine they made a change that made it mandatory to post on the forums with your real first and last name. Maybe the number of people who spend time posting on the forums on theknot.com are a minority, so this change doesn't actually affect most of the people who are just using the other features. Imagine you have a more unique name, or have given enough details in your posts that, paired with your real name, someone reading those details could be reasonably sure that the posts were from you. Oh, no problem, you can just stop posting on the forums, right? Except, wait, a lot of people really enjoy being active community members here. Now that's being taken away from them unless they are alright with revealing their real names. Except that isn't the case, many people who come on here with screen names that are too close to real names are often warned that they should change them or else face real consequences.

Maybe your opinion of the WoW forums is that they aren't worth it for anyone to post on, but some people really do enjoy being active community members on there, and not just trolls. All I am trying to get across is that even though maybe these changes don't affect you, personally, they are still really sketchy and unethical and I'm having a hard time justifying giving money to a company who would support these changes.

wadingmoose · July 2010

If the knot changed their policy such that my name would be required to post, I would stop posting. There are many other communities that respect my privacy. I would go there.

If I felt that I'd made connections here that were important to me, I'd create an offboard to maintain that community, without the privacy invasion.

Just as if my city were to suddenly declare martial law, I would leave, regardless of the neighbors I love and friendships I've made.

If WoW makes changes to how RealID works in game (I'm already iffy on this because it's a friends of friends situation), then I'll discontinue playing the game, but maintain the friendships I've made through it.

I lived just fine before WoW and it's forums and the Knot and it's forums. While I like the community here, I'm not adverse to change or moving on if the environment becomes one that makes me uncomfortable.

damaless · July 2010

Regarding the current implementation of Real ID in-game, you should probably read this. Not sure if you care about it, but it's still relevant knowledge.

http://www.wow.com/2010/07/06/security-flaw-allows-addons-to-expose-full-real-life-names-witho/

wadingmoose · July 2010

You're going to hate me, but...

I use VERY few add ons. As that article suggests, they're ones I trust.

I was hacked a long time ago. It happened because of an add-on I installed. Because of that I run minimum add-ons.

I work in IT and I used to be a member of our IT security council. There is little I do online without seriously thinking about it first.

damaless · July 2010

I'm not going to hate you just because you don't use addons, I was just trying to be helpful in case that article was applicable to your situation and the opinion you would form about the current in-game implementation of Real ID.

wadingmoose · July 2010

Yeah, I'd read about that earlier while trying to follow the million threads on the subject. I'm not through reading, but right now I'm afraid that the people resorting to hyperbole and slippery slope arguments are probably not helping the people with real, rational concerns about the implementation.

And, what if I don't want to be my own friend. I don't really like me THAT much.

There are issues around this and I'm shocked that ANY company thinks it's ok to publish their users personal information online. To be honest, the best way to show Blizzard how you feel about the decision is to cancel your subscription and indicate that as a reason why when you do so.

I'm debating doing it myself, not really because of this but because it's summer, I don't have the time to stay on top of decisions around this and I'm not really playing anyway. I was already tossing around the idea to bail until Cataclysm, an inability to keep on top of security issues like this one is just one more feather on the scale tipping it over to "why am I spending this money,"

On the other side is, "But I really like the guild and it won't be the same to just log into TS to chat with them!" and, "But my Hunter and my rogue are SO close to 80. And my mage is at 40!!!"

Privacy vs level 80s. What have my priorites come to?

damaless · July 2010

I did cancel my subscription (for the first time since I started playing at the beginning of 2006). My account doesn't expire until the end of November, though. One thing you could do is check out when your account is set to expire and if it's past the date that they are intending on implementing this change, cancel your subscription just to see what happens. Maybe they will back out of this, maybe not. But at least this way you get to make your small part of the statement of the sheer number of players canceling over this, without actually necessarily giving up anything.

Some people on the forums are suggesting something more:

"If you feel strongly about this, enough to cancel your account, let me tell you how to really get Blizzard's attention. They don't really care if you cancel your account. They still have the rest of your subscription money, and they anticipate that your lost business will be made up with their new plans. However, I can tell you what they will pay attention to. Cancel your subscription, inform Blizzard that you consider your account inactive effective immediately and that you will be filing a chargeback for your current billing period. Then do so. Contact your bank. Explain your situation. You paid a company for a service, they have changed the terms of the agreement in a way which is unethical, you wish to have your money back.

If you don't have any experience with business accounting, I can't begin to tell you how big a deal chargebacks are. As little as a few hundred chargebacks over this will really hurt Blizzard, because that is money Blizzard already accounted for, and because businesses suffer penalties from financial institutions when they have a record of having a significant number of chargebacks. This is how to let your opinion be known to the executives at Activision-Blizzard. "

I'm not sure if I'm going to go so far as to do this (or if it even actually works this way), but it's something to think about anyway.

wadingmoose · July 2010

That's a good plan. I'm still on the month to month payment. I know it's more expensive, but when I got hacked, I canceled my account and had to wait the extended length of time because I was paying 3 months at a time. So I didn't do it this time, thankfully.

Thanks for that information though. It's good to know.

damaless · July 2010

They backpedaled, woo!

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=25968987278

pnutkitten · July 2010

I do think that its a bad idea. I do however like the way you can add a friends email and can chat with them no matter what toon your playing.

damaless · July 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_wow-players-real-id?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:6a7bbc5b-3516-4ed4-a40b-c7c511791fecPost:4c06f65d-b7e9-448d-8e4d-1fab2b720df2">Re: WoW players - Real ID</a>:
[QUOTE]I do think that its a bad idea. I do however like the way you can add a friends email and can chat with them no matter what toon your playing.
Posted by pnutkitten[/QUOTE]

<div>Just so you know, this also means that anyone your friend adds as a friend can see your full name as well, even if you don't have that other person friended.</div>

WoW players - Real ID

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