Fans rage over Blizzard forum plans

[Blackride]

Wait you mean kids will have to be responsible for what they say? That's a concept!!!!

This is one of the things I do not like about the interweb thing. People can hide and spew whatever they want.

[cosmonaut]

As if anyone needs his/her boss to know what exactly you're doing in your free time.

It's a loss of privacy and that's bad. Yes, some use their anonymity to say some things they would otherwise keep to themselves, but if you think people would behave if you'd know their real name you never watched daytime television.

[Blackride]

If you want privacy I suggest not posting or doing anything on the internet :)

[Blackride]

It seems from the article that this change is only in regards to posting on the Forums. If that's the case, those that don't want to be known has the option of not posting. Better some order than them shutting the boards down completely due to flame wars.

Exactly! The internet is not a private place. The best thing to do is to avoid posting if you want more privacy.

I am also afraid to tell people that its very easy to get all your info from your ISP through a lawyer. The govt can do it anytime they want and not inform you.

[cosmonaut]

If you want privacy I suggest not posting or doing anything on the internet :)

That's true, but I believe avoiding social media and posting under your real name still makes a difference.
I'm sure an expert could learn a lot about me, but I don't want any noob to be able to just google my name and know everything there is about me.

[Rico]

Oh, Blizzard backed down on this shortly after it all blew up.  So, no real names needed.  At least for now.  I think what they didn't realize was that this all worked both ways.  I guess when some Blizzard folks listed their real names that caused them to get harassed in real life.  So, it's back to avatars for all again. 

[KingIsaacLinksr]

I heavily disagreed with this move, as Facebook was already in hot water for pulling something of similar vein.  If I WANT people to know my real name, I will select that option.  But what Blizzard did was forcibly tell everyone what our names are.  Some are cool with that, others are not.  I am in the mid-area of people knowing who I am.  I use a global Nickname now, but don't reveal my true name, even though some (in this forum particularly :P) have failed to keep it a secret.  Not that I mind, but it's something I don't just throw out there every time. 

Blizzard didn't give us a choice, and that was a terrible idea in the Facebook rage-wake. 

King

[Blackride]

I heavily disagreed with this move, as Facebook was already in hot water for pulling something of similar vein.  If I WANT people to know my real name, I will select that option.  But what Blizzard did was forcibly tell everyone what our names are.  Some are cool with that, others are not.  I am in the mid-area of people knowing who I am.  I use a global Nickname now, but don't reveal my true name, even though some (in this forum particularly :P) have failed to keep it a secret.  Not that I mind, but it's something I don't just throw out there every time. 

Blizzard didn't give us a choice, and that was a terrible idea in the Facebook rage-wake. 

King

Don't they give you a choice by not playing the game?

[X]

I heavily disagreed with this move, as Facebook was already in hot water for pulling something of similar vein.  If I WANT people to know my real name, I will select that option.  But what Blizzard did was forcibly tell everyone what our names are.  Some are cool with that, others are not.  I am in the mid-area of people knowing who I am.  I use a global Nickname now, but don't reveal my true name, even though some (in this forum particularly :P) have failed to keep it a secret.  Not that I mind, but it's something I don't just throw out there every time. 

Blizzard didn't give us a choice, and that was a terrible idea in the Facebook rage-wake. 

King

Don't they give you a choice by not playing the game?

Or by not posting on the forums?

I don't see how it is forcing anything unless someone places a gun to your head to make you type.

[Blackride]

I heavily disagreed with this move, as Facebook was already in hot water for pulling something of similar vein.  If I WANT people to know my real name, I will select that option.  But what Blizzard did was forcibly tell everyone what our names are.  Some are cool with that, others are not.  I am in the mid-area of people knowing who I am.  I use a global Nickname now, but don't reveal my true name, even though some (in this forum particularly :P) have failed to keep it a secret.  Not that I mind, but it's something I don't just throw out there every time. 

Blizzard didn't give us a choice, and that was a terrible idea in the Facebook rage-wake. 

King

Don't they give you a choice by not playing the game?

Or by not posting on the forums?

I don't see how it is forcing anything unless someone places a gun to your head to make you type.

That's what I don't get either. If they changed this one day without warning people I can see why people may be upset, but if the warned you then stop paying them. Make yourself be heard by not paying them.

[Rico]

Yes, of course no one is FORCING anyone.  But here is the key thing here.  Blizzard wants to make money.  They want to keep making a LOT of money.  So, if they want to do this they will have to put up with some issues on their forums.  And if there is enough of a problem with any choice they make with regards to WOW, they are in a hard position of having to cave or lose players.  This is not like on this forum, where if someone were a problem I just boot them off.  I'm not in this to make a profit.  But Blizzard is.  Really, as simple as that.

[KingIsaacLinksr]

Yeah, and my attitude reflects a lot of gamers with similar views.  And your right, we can leave and will leave (I'm actually not playing WoW right now anyway, but it still annoys me).  Right now, Blizzard cannot really start forcing their heavy weight around, what with Eve Online, Star Trek Online and so many other MMOs starting to take hold on the market.  We do have options to change who we pay $$ to.  

Also, the "don't post" method doesn't work as well as everyone says it does.  Anyone take in the forum Tech Support?  What if we don't want everyone knowing who we are when we're filling out petitions for help there.  This is where it's forced upon us (until Blizzard backed off). 

Again, just reminding everyone, I'm not playing any MMOs right now.  But the Forced RealID system was a bad move and could possibly have led to Blizzard getting a suit.  Heck, we're willing to sue Apple for "bad products" I can imagine there would be enough ppl willing to sue Blizzard over privacy rights.  I'd be interested in seeing just how many ppl would have quit over the forced ID system.  If I had been playing, I probably would have. 

King

[Blackride]

Yeah, and my attitude reflects a lot of gamers with similar views.  And your right, we can leave and will leave (I'm actually not playing WoW right now anyway, but it still annoys me).  Right now, Blizzard cannot really start forcing their heavy weight around, what with Eve Online, Star Trek Online and so many other MMOs starting to take hold on the market.  We do have options to change who we pay $$ to. 

Also, the "don't post" method doesn't work as well as everyone says it does.  Anyone take in the forum Tech Support?  What if we don't want everyone knowing who we are when we're filling out petitions for help there.  This is where it's forced upon us (until Blizzard backed off). 

Again, just reminding everyone, I'm not playing any MMOs right now.  But the Forced RealID system was a bad move and could possibly have led to Blizzard getting a suit.  Heck, we're willing to sue Apple for "bad products" I can imagine there would be enough ppl willing to sue Blizzard over privacy rights.  I'd be interested in seeing just how many ppl would have quit over the forced ID system.  If I had been playing, I probably would have. 

King

I agree it may be a bad decision but I would also be curious how many people would leave. Sadly I doubt it would make a dent. I think people talk big but are hooked to these games and would not leave.

I do hope Blizzard gets taken down a notch here though. I want to play a good fantasy MMO but they pretty much killed them all with WoW.

If I was still playing STO and they said they were going to do it , I would just drop it. Too many other things in life to do :) .

[KingIsaacLinksr]

I myself am really pursuing a fantasy game.  I miss my Paladin and wish to play a game that has one.  but the only thing that comes close, is the terrible game of Oblivion.  WoW has indeed killed fantasy genre for the time being.

I'd like to think more ppl would have quit, I certainly can drop Blizzard.  But not many can. 

King

[X]

I know dozens of people that I played with and none of them including myself ever visited the forums. I wonder how many active players actually visit the forums and what percentage that it.

The it makes me wonder if they would be so quick to give up the game when you can play it without ever having to post on the forums. I wonder if those that get into the forums might be a little more attached to the game than those that don't.