Activision-Blizzard's New Real-Name Forum Policy

Source

This sounds pretty gay... although my real name is well known by many people on the internet. However, I wouldn't want it plastered all over Blizzard's forums, and I feel for players who don't want it known at all.

Though, from what it says on the RealID page ( http://www.battle.net/realid/ ), it would seem that RealID is entirely optional. However, I suspect it will be made a requirement for anyone who wishes to post on the forums, so your only opt-out is to not post on the forums. I probably won't anyway, as I have never participated on Blizzard's forums for any game, not even during the days of the original Warcraft & Starcraft & Diablo franchises.

Just thought I'd share. /discuss

 

Doubt this will actually happen

 

Imagine if we all called each other by their real names, it would lose the anonymity, and violates our privacy. There are people that got problems on the internet, I'd rather they didn't search up my last name in a phone book.

 

hi ricky how are you today

 

:tinfoilhat:

 

You are going to have to show them your ID card, to purchase any game.

 

Hrm. think blizzard is going for a suicidal update with the new WoW and fucking up their own forums. This should be interesting.

 

Can parents manage whether their children are able to use Real ID?
Yes. Parents are able to enable or disable Real ID for their children through Battle.net Parental Controls. Visit eu.battle.net/parents for more information.

http://eu.battle.net/realid/faq.html

 

I don't think this is accurate at all. While they might create such a requirement on the Blizzard store, other retailers (Amazon, GameStop, et al.) don't. I've already pre-ordered StarCraft II - once it hits its release date, my debit card will be charged and I will be sent a copy of the game - and while the debit card is a subtle form of identification, it is not a photo ID and only provides limited information (and is only known to Amazon, not Blizzard). I'm not a tin-foil-hat privacy crank though, so it doesn't really bother me even if they were asking for more identification. I welcome the day that someone attempts to stalk me - i'll mine the entrance to my home and i'll prepare the soundclip of "You came this far, to die like that?" to play after I imprint their face into the ground.

While a culture of accountability is optimal, I think it's important to keep in mind that many people enjoy the internet and indeed thrive on it for exactly one reason: anonymity. The anonymity and freedom we feel when on the internet is quite grand, even if taken for granted.

I think there is sufficient accountability in terms of being able to identify users without being able to identify the people that sit behind accounts. (Of course, often times you can identify the people, but not in all cases.) As much as we can discount them, there still exist a sizable number of cases in which people have been stalked, attacked (in some cases harmed, raped, even killed), or have experienced defamation of their professional lives or had their careers destroyed - or were perhaps passed up for a job opportunity. The cases are relatively small, but sizable nonetheless.

Having options is best, I think. I have a domain name that is my first and last name, and I use my full name on professional networking and social networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook, without worry. However, those sites offer sufficient features for protecting reasonable privacies and only showcase information that you provide at your discretion. Those who wish to come forth and bridge their real lives with their online personas, can and will. Those who wish not to should be allowed the ability to abstain.

Either way, this policy at Blizzard doesn't really bother me and won't deter me from enjoying StarCraft II - I don't much care to participate on Blizzard's forums as-is. I just thought this was an interesting issue, as it has stirred up quite the debate on Blizzard's forums.

 

Of course we know you don't care if anyone finds out your real name, because obviously its your screen name around the internet. Being anonymous is what gives people that feeling that they can do what they want without punishment. Yes that means that they have the power to flame others, but if you were a shit team member, or a shit player, or just don't get along with others, you'd feel better that they blame it on your internet screen name than they do if they blamed it on your real name. Hell it could lead to harrasment where they start pelting you with hateful messages on facebook. Anonymity is bliss in the internet.

 

Oh...

 

Damn I just don't think I could take being called a dickhead under my real name. It makes it so much more personal than when I am called it under one of the several other names people know me by.

 

I believe their next step is to require your home address, phone number, and credit card number to be displayed next to your real name. How else will I know which John Smith I'm trolling?

 

Where I live everyone is called Micheal.

 

um, it's not about being called a dickhead under your real name, it's about having a thousand pizzas ordered in your name and delivered to your house by someone who thinks you're a dickhead.

(they're all pizzas you hate, and they're unpaid for)