WoW killer = Real ID?

**Blakeman** · 07-07-10, 10:25 AM

http://www.massively.com/2010/07/07/...ller/#comments

I can see folks being upset with this, especially those who want to keep their anonymous status because of fame or other issues.

**Thorsen** · 07-07-10, 10:35 AM

Wait... they're making it so everyone's REAL first and last name will be their public display name? WHAT THE FUCK!?

Do you know how easy it is to track someone down with a real first and last name? Do you know how much I would NOT want some psycho WoW kid to know that info? What a terrible idea.

**Blakeman** · 07-07-10, 11:30 AM

Originally Posted by Thorsen

Wait... they're making it so everyone's REAL first and last name will be their public display name? WHAT THE FUCK!?

Do you know how easy it is to track someone down with a real first and last name? Do you know how much I would NOT want some psycho WoW kid to know that info? What a terrible idea.

Add the fact that several minors play the game and they will have lawsuits all over the place if something happens.

It will be on the forums, not in game, but there have been many times I've not posted in a games forum in discussion but have in technical support or the like. This was a horrible move and will lose them players I think.

**Cojiro** · 07-07-10, 11:35 AM

they may lose players but lets be honest. people will continue to play this game even if blizzard comes to your house and installs a steel toed boot to kick you in the nuts everytime you logon.

**Keiron** · 07-07-10, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by Cojiro

they may lose players but lets be honest. people will continue to play this game even if blizzard comes to your house and installs a steel toed boot to kick you in the nuts everytime you logon.

I think I'd have to agree with that.

If anything though, they'll be at risk of lawsuits because of the number of minors that play the game. They'll have to implement something to protect the minors then or just not do it at all.

**Langrad** · 07-07-10, 01:58 PM

Of course you could just you know... Not post in the WoW forums.

**Cojiro** · 07-07-10, 02:01 PM

They also show your full name when you add them to your friends list or message them

**Keiron** · 07-07-10, 02:01 PM

A little kid won't think like that. I think that is part of their intent though to clean up their forums and reduce some of the content so it is mostly useful information.

However as i said, most minors that play won't think of that and how often do you think their parents will actually check to see what they are doing?

**Alundil** · 07-07-10, 03:17 PM

I think that this is a bad idea from a privacy, crazy threat standpoint. But, I can see the attempt to clean up their forums. This will probably go poorly though at the outset (and I believe that Blizzard has some liability if something goes awry).

**Alundil** · 07-07-10, 03:34 PM

What could go wrong?

From the Article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/10543100.stm

.....
Mr Brand said that one Blizzard employee posted his real name on the forums, saying that there was no risk to users, and the experiment went drastically wrong.

"Within five minutes, users had got hold of his telephone number, home address, photographs of him and a ton of other information," said Mr Brand

The post and topic has since been removed from the Blizzard forum.