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Blizzard Changing Forum Policy: Real Names Will be Shown
by Brian Leahy, Jul 06, 2010 11:27am PDTBlizzard Entertainment will be making a major change to its forums, with the largest change being "anyone posting or replying to a post on official Blizzard forums will be doing so using their Real ID -- that is, their real-life first and last name."
"These changes will go into effect on all StarCraft II forums with the launch of the new community site prior to the July 27 release of the game," reads an official posting by Blizzard. "with the World of Warcraft site and forums following suit near the launch of Cataclysm. Certain classic forums, including the classic Battle.net forums, will remain unchanged."
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.
Blizzard has clarified in another post that this will not apply retroactively to any posts made before the change. It will only apply to the new StarCraft II forums and new World of Warcraft forums before the launch of Catalcysm. "All posts here on the current World of Warcraft forums, or any of our classic Battle.net forums, will remain as-is. They won't (and can't) automatically switch to showing a real first and last name."
Along with this, Blizzard will be improving the forums with post rating, threaded responses to help track conversations, and the ability to broadcast news across the forums to assist in spreading breaking news.
StarCraft II will be released on July 27. The second phase of the beta test is scheduled to begin soon prior to the game's launch. World of Warcraft: Cataclsym will be released later this year and the closed beta is already underway.
Comments
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The people who are interested in privacy (for good or for ill) will either find ways to use fake names, or they will not use the forums at all.
I think tying a player to a permanent account that can be easily identified is a fine idea for online games. It's just that there's absolutely no justification for real names to be required in public. None. The trolls will get around the requirement or just continue not caring what people think of them.
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I respect the idea that it might reduce meanie trolling, but the reality is that some people really are nuts, and I'm not inclined to have people able to track me down by my real name. "Oh, John Jones? He's on an East Coast server, so let's see... hmmm only 2 John Jones's on the east coast, alright... and one has lived in his house for 50 years so I bet it's the other one... let's just go to his house and shoot him because he was happy Rogues got nerfed."
Ok, what I'm really worried about is that you guys will then know my real name is Weeble McGillicutty the 3rd. It would be so embarrassing if that got out.
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This isn't about protecting trolls, this is about privacy.
What if any one of us gets in to a deep and passionate debate (within guidelines) about some rule in SC2 or War 3 or WoW and a future employer googles us? Would you hire a WoW junky for a job on night shift? Bam instant bias.
I'm ... wow - just wow..
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Is there any doubt a huge percentage of people out there don't really want it possible for employers, schools, and what not to know they play video games and post on video game forums? Even if it's not in a trolling fashion?
You'll see a massive reduction in board posting/questions and general community interaction on the official boards if this goes live.
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And as for worrying if some insane person is going to find you on google earth and shoot you in the face like GTA, the chances are so slim a lightning bolt is more likely to hit you, and a role playing lightning bolt is REALLY more likely to hit you.
Lastly, if a business is going to hire you and finds out you play WoW excessively at home, first of all, the person being hired shouldn't be as stupid as to play online when they are sitting at their desk. They might as well be unemployed, because ultimately it's the individual's responsibility for something like that.
I personally think this is a intriguing idea by Blizzard. Honestly I think the worst thing that will come out of it will be someone saying "OH YEAH JOHN DOE?!! Well I happen to know your phone number is XXX-XXXX, and everyone should call it," or "Hey, John Doe lives at this address: everyone go there and flame him!"
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On the other hands privacy has a lot of meaning and I personally think it outweighs this change. The real ID system for user accounts is one thing as users can pick who they want to add, using it on a public forum is a very, very, bad idea.
People can still be anonymous in real life, not necessarily by using a fake name, but after the first few Blizzard employees get death threats or other shenanigans people will start to realize what a bad idea this is when dealing with such a bitter and jaded community. That generally happens when you focus a game entirely around the acquisition of material items to brag that you're better then other people.
Blizzard needs to change the motivation behind WoW before going so far as to having everyone shake hands and be friends.
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This makes it really easy to be a total internet creep so hats off to Blizzard. I really hope more people implement this policy. If I just knew who the girls were I wouldn't have to worry about who was worth talking to anymore.
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Showing respect to everyone will never get old. Hiding behind a keyboard and treating everyone like trash isn't the way to go. When people are held accountable for their nonsense actions they tend to do things a little differently. It's like when anyone proposes the question "if you could commit a crime and know you wouldn't get caught...would you?". Most people would.
Google my name, and good luck. Even my e-mail address you'll find very little. You can piece a lot together about someone through Google. Not everyone is captured in their brightest moment, but the type of behaviour exhibited online (I've even been guilty of this...I grew up :P) is appalling sometimes.
See the following:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/
Normal people can go back to being normal again. Nothing to see here guys :)
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People can choose to use it, or not.
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Funny how publishers/developers seem to be doing whatever they can to alienate their consumers.
But this is a bad idea if its optional fair enough...
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At least with providers like Steam, they'll hold my personally identifiable information confidential, or preferably, ask for as little of it as possible, and divulge none of it. This puts my chances of buying a Blizzard game from "slim due to lack of interest in the genre and game features" to "none due to fears of identity theft".
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FFFFFFFFFF-
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If anything this is a hugely ballsy move from Blizzard and it'll be extremely instructive to see how this all turns out. Once the huge shitstorm has passed.
I have only posted on their forums a few times (Mostly with SC2 related beta feedback) but when this is introduced I won't be posting there at all. I'd rather suffer the trolls and remain Nehvrook thank you :)
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"Man shot in movie theater for talking during “The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttonâ€"
http://www.emulsioncompulsion.com/2008/12/26/rants/man-shot-in-movie-theater-for-talking-during-the-curious-case-of-benjamin-button
This was just talking during a movie. Now imagine someone cheesing another person across the internet, and to make matters worse talking shit while they are doing it. Yeah...Someone is going to either die or be badly hurt.
2¢ Deposited!
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Check out this article on the Internet real name concept:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-04/24/content_8039953.htm
I thought I was reading an article about China or even North Korea, but no. When the government gets involved with speech, it's a bad sign.
I can understand sites by themselves choosing to do it, but when it is by government law and includes fines...
It's a sneaky thing. It will introduce self-censorship.
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Way to be censoring blizzard.
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