And why shouldn't I be able to do that? Would the emotional trauma prove too much for you?

I look at it differently. Why would you want to respond like that? Does it make you feel more like a man?

Persons purchasing products are entitled to certain things, things which include technical support.

Yeah, and how are you being deprived that because you have to use an actual name and not melikestheboobies2010 on their forum? Like I said, I think this is kind of stupid on Blizzard's part, but I'm not seeing the hysteria. I know I'll get endlessly flamed and called an advocate for censorship for saying this, but I really don't care. I think what it comes down to from my perspective is this: If people had more self-control and self-discipline to behave appropriately whether they are anonymous or not, they wouldn't have to be worried about watching what they say and how they say it. Man up, and stand by by what you say - don't hide behind some faceless avatar. That's called cowardice in my book.

By all means; say what you want to say - the internet is the last bastion of pure freedom. I'd never advocate censorship by legal mandate. Rather, I'm a proponent of self-censorship via civility and decency. At the very least say what you want and take personal responsibility and accountability for it.

Agent.X7 wrote on Jul 8, 2010, 19:52:

You do realize that Blizzard has phone support, email support, in-game support, and forum support, right? You can choose not to use the support forums and still get help. This is another non-reason that people keep giving for it being bad.

I haven't read all your posts in this thread but I've read the newest and second newest blogs of yours. It's so retardedly funny how you call other people ignorant while you completely and utterly fail to want to see the logic in the issues people have with Real ID.

Like I said in my earlier post -- and I understand why you didn't argue with me because of the epic sense it made -- is that when you type in my name in Google (Vincent Poppelier), the whole first page is a 100% hit. You can tell me I am the cause of this, which is true, and normally I wouldn't give a shit because I know people who don't know me won't just randomly type in my name in google. I've also said that people who play on the same servers tend to live relatively nearby one another (*THIS JUST IN*: APART FROM BIG HUGE AMERICA, THERE'S ALSO TINY EUROPE, etc). Still I realize it's not a big deal for me, since I'm a guy. What if I was a hot chick and some low-life fuck three streets away notices I'm that hot chick from his guild? No matter from what perspective you look at it: that downright SUCKS!

Now, cool guy (although I think I'm the cooler, comparing our pictures, and I'm not even trying), stop being a whore calling the bitch a slut.

*sigh*

Cheers.

Agent.X7 wrote on Jul 8, 2010, 17:18:
And if you think your government, or almost any other, respects your privacy, well, you truly are ignorant. Canada, hmmmm. Gun registry, yes, that's a deep respect for privacy.Hmmm, didn't your government sell health care records to private industry? Ooops. And most of Europe's idea of privacy consists of Big Brother watching your every step. Yeah, very private.

The gun registry is related to privacy how? Canada has been anti-gun in some form for the last 250 years. And what government? See in Canada, healthcare isn't controlled by the feds. Europe has two different sets of laws regarding privacy and data retention.

I know you're ignorant, but now you're just being dense in what you're writing.

PHJF wrote on Jul 8, 2010, 19:40:

I disagree. Total lack of rules on the net would likely have you calling me a stupid mother*****ng ********er ****er for disagreeing with you.

And why shouldn't I be able to do that? Would the emotional trauma prove too much for you? Is it the webmaster's job to protect your emotional integrity? We're talking about words here. Sticks and stones, the age old axiom. All I ask is that our fearless webmasters give us the tools to police the boards ourselves, which we have in the form of the ignore function. And that's what it all comes down to, ourselves. If we don't like one internet community or another we can always pack up and go somewhere else, somewhere with people more in line with our own views. I mean I don't go to 4chan but if that's what people want, let them have it.

In the end, it doesn't matter what I want because this isn't my website. Blue is free to do whatever he wants and I'd never argue he do otherwise. But the case of Blizzard is different because Blizzard sells products. Persons purchasing products are entitled to certain things, things which include technical support. Putting one's name out there for all to see is not an acceptable preface to receiving technical support. Why they don't simply adopt BioWare's method of tying a forum account to a game's cdkey, and then ban people who grossly disregard forum rules?

You do realize that Blizzard has phone support, email support, in-game support, and forum support, right? You can choose not to use the support forums and still get help. This is another non-reason that people keep giving for it being bad.

I disagree. Total lack of rules on the net would likely have you calling me a stupid mother*****ng ********er ****er for disagreeing with you.

And why shouldn't I be able to do that? Would the emotional trauma prove too much for you? Is it the webmaster's job to protect your emotional integrity? We're talking about words here. Sticks and stones, the age old axiom. All I ask is that our fearless webmasters give us the tools to police the boards ourselves, which we have in the form of the ignore function. And that's what it all comes down to, ourselves. If we don't like one internet community or another we can always pack up and go somewhere else, somewhere with people more in line with our own views. I mean I don't go to 4chan but if that's what people want, let them have it.

In the end, it doesn't matter what I want because this isn't my website. Blue is free to do whatever he wants and I'd never argue he do otherwise. But the case of Blizzard is different because Blizzard sells products. Persons purchasing products are entitled to certain things, things which include technical support. Putting one's name out there for all to see is not an acceptable preface to receiving technical support. Why they don't simply adopt BioWare's method of tying a forum account to a game's cdkey, and then ban people who grossly disregard forum rules?

I see this has a positive for Blizzard in that they are moving with the times. If they just made a PC game (Starcraft 2) and released it with just a CD check and LAN play ...... well I don't see that making them the kind of money that WoW does so why would they do it?

well starcraft 1 did good diablo1+2+exp did good so i see np there
its ok to look into the future hell they have to , but with this facebook shet and the info leak its a no go for me .Something has gone wrong with blizz they use to be the 1 and nearly only firm that did some good for the gamers , but with this new move.........

PHJF wrote on Jul 8, 2010, 17:57:

People need rules. People need boundaries.

Not on the internet, we don't. The near total lack of order and authority is what makes the internet so unique. It'd be a shame to diminish it.

I disagree. Total lack of rules on the net would likely have you calling me a stupid mother*****ng ********er ****er for disagreeing with you.

I know you're more mature than that, but the few rules here keep things fairly even keel compared to some other places. There are way fewer boundaries here than in the real world, but we still need them, even if some of them are self-imposed. It is said that a true test of character is what you do when no one's looking, and that extends to the net nicely I think. Can't it be said, to paraphrase, a true test of internet douchery is how you behave behind you wall of internet anonymity? Failing that, we have Blue's rules to keep things from going all 'Lord of the Flies'.

The PC Warrior wrote on Jul 8, 2010, 15:28:
all of the people who dont think this is a big deal please post your first and last names. funny so many of you named john smith. thats what i thought.

It's funny you should say that, because a Blizzard employee did exactly that in defense of the RealID thing.

Within a few hours he deleted his Facebook, and changed his home phone number.

Blizz Employee regrets releasing his first name

Kosumo wrote on Jul 8, 2010, 18:06:
I feel sorry for anyone who feels that gaming may have a effect on their employment - if that happened in anyway which you could prove, you most likely could sue your way to never doing anything but gaming again.

I couldn't agree more. Any employer that has this kind of attitude against their employees do in their spare time if is not worth working for. It's sad if this is the norm in the US, because in the rest of the civilised world, employers DON'T have the right to dictate to their employees how to run their lives. Work to live. Not live to work.

Luke wrote on Jul 8, 2010, 17:39:
the funny part after what happen to him is : now blizz employed don't have to show there true name , we do but not them

And there's the rub. Surly if THEY have a problem with it, then they can understand that THEIR CUSTOMERS have a problem with it. If there is any reason for it to be opt in, then that is it.

If they want people to use RealID, then use a carrot. Offer people something in return for opting into their scheme. But for those who don't want in ... don't force them.

Personally, I'm on the fence here. I see that it's going to cut down the zoo-like nature of the WoW forums. People will need to be careful what they say. But it's also going to fragment the community, as all sorts if "unofficial" forums will open up where people who want to can protect their anonymity. My concern is that the anti-RealID zealots will take the opportunity to seariously harrass people opting in and using official forums ... and you only need a couple of loony-toons to cause real trouble.

In-game, I don't see it as a major problem, as long as people are careful who they share their info with. I've chosen the people I share my ID with carefully; I only have done so with people I'm already on a first name basis with. But people need to be REALLY careful and not do it willy-nilly.

It's going to be intersting what happens in a couple of months after this has gone in. Interesting indeed.

Well, I have not brought any of there product since Diablo 2 so I'm not giving up nothing and If I did wish to play Starcraft 2, I still don't HAVE to give them my name, but hey, if you want feel all hurt about it, go for your life.

pff - "give up things" yeah, cos if you can't play the games you want the way you want, well you've given up things.

Draugr wrote on Jul 8, 2010, 18:09:

PHJF wrote on Jul 8, 2010, 17:57:

People need rules. People need boundaries.

Not on the internet, we don't. The near total lack of order and authority is what makes the internet so unique. It'd be a shame to diminish it.

Yeah, just like how you can post or say whatever you want in these forums right?
Don't be silly, there are rules all over the internet, especially when it comes to comments/forums.

actually blue is pretty open all things considered, there are few rules and the few that do exist are loosely enforced at best.

I feel sorry for anyone who feels that gaming may have a effect on their employment - if that happened in anyway which you could prove, you most likely could sue your way to never doing anything but gaming again.

I see this has a positive for Blizzard in that they are moving with the times. If they just made a PC game (Starcraft 2) and released it with just a CD check and LAN play ...... well I don't see that making them the kind of money that WoW does so why would they do it?

You guys do understand that Blizzard is most likely expected to make more money each year than the last, to grow.

All this is doing is moving them forward and maybe appealing to a market that is not Bluenews.

I'm sure that they plan for 5-8 years down the track not just for the here and now. And their are plenty of people who would be happy to game in a enviroment without anonymous players. And happy to pay for that.

yeah we should be happy to give up things for the sake of blizzards profit margins now you want to pay them for this too? lol can you even speak with your head so far up there?

PHJF wrote on Jul 8, 2010, 17:57:

People need rules. People need boundaries.

Not on the internet, we don't. The near total lack of order and authority is what makes the internet so unique. It'd be a shame to diminish it.

Yeah, just like how you can post or say whatever you want in these forums right?
Don't be silly, there are rules all over the internet, especially when it comes to comments/forums.

I feel sorry for anyone who feels that gaming may have a effect on their employment - if that happened in anyway which you could prove, you most likely could sue your way to never doing anything but gaming again.

I see this has a positive for Blizzard in that they are moving with the times. If they just made a PC game (Starcraft 2) and released it with just a CD check and LAN play ...... well I don't see that making them the kind of money that WoW does so why would they do it?

You guys do understand that Blizzard is most likely expected to make more money each year than the last, to grow.

All this is doing is moving them forward and maybe appealing to a market that is not Bluenews.

I'm sure that they plan for 5-8 years down the track not just for the here and now. And their are plenty of people who would be happy to game in a enviroment without anonymous players. And happy to pay for that.

People need rules. People need boundaries.

Not on the internet, we don't. The near total lack of order and authority is what makes the internet so unique. It'd be a shame to diminish it.

also comedy gold from earlier today, blizzard was so inundated with account cancellation requests that the web server went down and they were asking people to post on their forums. irony, you fickle woman.

The PC Warrior wrote on Jul 8, 2010, 17:20:
actually you can just cross reference known email addresses or avatar names to usually come up with something. someone did the exact same thing to a blizzard employee, finding out everything from where he want to high school to his sexual preferences. i just dont care to go to those lengths to make a point when its obvious that a simple google search turns up addresses, let alone concerted effort by some creep. thats just one possible situation even, there are literally dozens of reasons why this is bad. can you give me one why its good?

I have no reason to say it is good. I think it is a lame attempt to be "Facebook-like" as Verno and others have pointed out. I'm not saying it's a good idea - rather I'm just illustrating why I personally don't see it as a big deal. If others do, I respect that. I just disagree.

So, now based on this and our previous dealings, do you feel the urge to track me down? Of course not - I try to operate by a code online and off that gives no reason to a rational, right-minded individual to do so. There are crazies out there, sure. But should all of the people in the phone book be worried as well? Los Angeles has millions of people listed in the city and county phone book, and we all know the cross section of crazies in LA is higher than just about anywhere else. (Kidding... sort of...) In fact these people already have their city and address listed as well. I'm thinking that most of them aren't worrying about it too much.

The scene from Steve Martin's "The Jerk" where the crazy gun nut picks Navin R Johnson at random to kill comes to mind, but it makes me chuckle, not be afraid.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMJgC0ZidLg&feature=related

"DIE GAS PUMPER!"

the funny part after what happen to him is : now blizz employed don't have to show there true name , we do but not them

Draugr wrote on Jul 8, 2010, 17:28:
Yeah, they did that to a blizz employee, so while he already gave his name we know he lived in CA and worked for blizzard, thats 3 pieces of information they started with, not one.

people have done more with less and that blizzard employee felt so violated he changed his phone number and deleted his facebook account. one of the people responsible for the entire system, lol. youre just nitpicking and youre ignoring the many other reasons beyond stalking why people dont want their real name attached to a videogame community. still waiting on that beneficial reason by the way.

The PC Warrior wrote on Jul 8, 2010, 17:20:

Draugr wrote on Jul 8, 2010, 17:04:
Right, so you literally found no information on him to prove your point, you just linked us to a page that shows us how many john prezios you'd need to go through to potentially find him, if he is even on that list. You just help prove his point imo.

actually you can just cross reference known email addresses or avatar names to usually come up with something. someone did the exact same thing to a blizzard employee, finding out everything from where he want to high school to his sexual preferences. i just dont care to go to those lengths to make a point when its obvious that a simple google search turns up addresses, let alone concerted effort by some creep. thats just one possible situation even, there are literally dozens of reasons why this is bad. can you give me one why its good?

Yeah, they did that to a blizz employee, so while he already gave his name we know he lived in CA and worked for blizzard, thats 3 pieces of information they started with, not one.

Draugr wrote on Jul 8, 2010, 17:04:
Right, so you literally found no information on him to prove your point, you just linked us to a page that shows us how many john prezios you'd need to go through to potentially find him, if he is even on that list. You just help prove his point imo.

actually you can just cross reference known email addresses or avatar names to usually come up with something. someone did the exact same thing to a blizzard employee, finding out everything from where he want to high school to his sexual preferences. i just dont care to go to those lengths to make a point when its obvious that a simple google search turns up addresses, let alone concerted effort by some creep. thats just one possible situation even, there are literally dozens of reasons why this is bad. can you give me one why its good?