News Blizzard forums will require real names

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/gaming/2010/07/07/blizzard-forums-will-require-real-names/1

 

That sounds like a terrible, terrible idea. It just seems like its open to a whole host of problems.

(not to mention the names i use in games sound more cool and interesting than my real name)

 

Personally I think it's a good idea. People need to understand that they can't just sit there and throw racist, abusive or whatever other category of comments at other people and not feel that they should be held responsible for it.

I have no qualms with giving my name out on forums. I do it every day. I stand by the comments I make, and if I'm wrong, I apologise and state so. People need to wake up and realise that the internet is not anonymous.

 

So how are they going to know if its somebodies real name? Whats to stop 1000 'john smiths' signing up?

 

Won't this just be another thing that employers can potentially judge you on. Surely a server ban for shouting racist abuse at the admin shouldn't have anything to do with your employablility... oh wait...

 

When I dabbled in WoW a few years ago, all I remember about the forums is it being a massive mess full of trolls hiding behind level 1 characters.

While using full real names does seem a little extreme (are WoW forum posts something you want popping up when somebody googles your name?), I see their thinking. The forums might actually become somewhat readable!

Saying that, I definitely think they should consider some sort of compromise as people have already pointed out many valid concerns (including female gamers saying they get enough hassle as it is and making their gender public could increase the harassment). Obviously they don't want to use your login name (account hacker's wet dream), but maybe they should allow each account to choose 1 permanent forum name that can never be changed. Or, if they want to stick with real names, have it be your full first name and only the first letter of your surname? Or viceversa?

Either way, moderating huge communities is a nightmare and there isn't really a perfect solution.

Good point. It's currently free to create a Battle.net account. What's to stop everyone making a second account just for forum posting? Will they require you to have a recent Blizzard game attached to that account before you can post? Or first verify it with a credit card or similar?

Edit: NVM, Blizzard requires a CD-key attached to your account of the game you wish to discuss on their forums.

 

Sounds a bad idea to me. You even mildly annoy someone on the forums and it makes it incredibly easy for them to find out where you actually live...

 

Greetings!

Yep. In the other side of the world...

 

Yeah.

Personally, though, people knowing who I am has never stopped me "trolling".

It does make, as Joe so rightly points out, it a hell of a lot easier to find addresses etc - Though, I would suggest that everyones online tags (Liratheal, Nirach, for me) are tied somewhere to an address, that could be found by someone with a little patience, and a handful of hours.

 

Forget about anoying someone on the forums.

Gank someone too much in the game, they spot your name linked to your character on the forum.
They look up your name using public records and maybe something you let slip about where you live (or hey your entire failbook page).
They show up at your house with a knife and stab you in the face.

Far fetched?

Remember this? http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wor...illed_his_online_counterstrike_character.html

 

Remember, you don't want this guy coming after you because you once told him he couldn't tank his way out of a teapot.

 

http://www.cad-comic.com/cad/20100707

 

Would make more sense for Blizzard to hold on to the real names in case of people being abusive. But I don't think it's a good idea for everyone to be able to see the real names of everyone else.

 

not sure I approve... a comment made in anger on a forum is a lot more permanent than a remark made in a pub.

 

This reminds me of my infancy on the internet. Open the phone book, select somebodies name, somebody else' address and sign up.

 

I've heard it happen before. People get on these things called aeroplanes and travel through the sky...

Spoiler

Because, in the modern day, if you decide you're going to hurt someone over something so little then something as small as a plane ride isn't going to stop you...

 

People get stabbed in real life over games (there are dangerous unstable people out there) having our real names out there may not be the cleverest thing to do.

 

I would much rather them use an account name. As it is now, you can log into the WoW forums with any of the characters you have on your account. If they forced players to use only one name that followed them around and kept the rating changes they're going to allow on forum posts, I think that would be enough to combat the flaming they're trying to address. Forcing their subscribers to use real names is going too far, I think.

 

Stupidest thing I've ever heard.