Not gonna buy another blizzard game after this

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Joined: 26 Nov 2009
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06 Jul 2010, 1:48 pm

http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?to ... 1&sid=3000

Was thinking of going back to WoW after they announced FF 14 was gonna be delayed until March 2011 for the PS3. Not after reading this though.

Thoughts?

Michael_Stuart
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06 Jul 2010, 2:56 pm

I am, to say the least, very surprised.

Now, while the solution to the problem is very simple (use a fake alias), I find this kind of move to be completely insane. Anonymity is a key part of privacy. Blizzard knows the owner of the account, and I trust them to moderate the forums and use their power responsibly. Some sort of social pressure for enforcement is unacceptable, especially when it concerns making the full names of their customers (and their locations are often traceable or listed) available, even it is with consent. (You voluntarily use the service, after all)

While I won't be boycotting Blizzard over this, I'll be sure to make attempts to keep my information private.

Chantico
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06 Jul 2010, 3:00 pm

That's creepy. But how will they know it's your real name? Could you give them a fake one?

Michael_Stuart
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06 Jul 2010, 3:05 pm

Chantico wrote:

That's creepy. But how will they know it's your real name? Could you give them a fake one?

Theoretically, sure you could. Unfortunately, I have my real name registered (it's usual for orderings and such), and I seem unable to change it. Making a new account under a new name is not possible (or rather, not practical, considering you lose all registered games and characters).

skafather84
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06 Jul 2010, 3:07 pm

Not even Diablo III?

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Chantico
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06 Jul 2010, 3:11 pm

Michael_Stuart wrote:

Chantico wrote:

That's creepy. But how will they know it's your real name? Could you give them a fake one?

true I guess. I don't play WoW, but I wouldn't want to see other companies follow suit. It's strange that its not illegal for them to suddenly turn around and do this.. after all, when you joined, was there not a little piece of blurb saying your real name and address wouldn't be public? Unless the new rule only applies to posts after a certain date....

Jono
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06 Jul 2010, 3:21 pm

The idea might of been to allow people, who became friends while competing with each other on Battlenet, to recognise them in forums as well. I would have a problem with it from privacy point of view though. I've never posted on any of the Blizzard forums before so I don't think this will affect me. Blizzard needs to think about a privacy policy before they implement something this. Maybe hiding the RealID from guests reading the forums but who don't have accounts, perhaps?

Michael_Stuart
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06 Jul 2010, 3:23 pm

Chantico wrote:

Michael_Stuart wrote:

Chantico wrote:

That's creepy. But how will they know it's your real name? Could you give them a fake one?

Actually, Blizzard's privacy policy is extremely lacking. Full of good words but no legal promises. However, I do hear that it won't apply retroactively, which means that people will be prompted to accept the new terms of service as happens commonly. It's not *as* much as a problem for me as I don't use the forums, but I find the concept revolting. I'd be fine with showing a RealID name or something of the sort, but the actual full name is off limits.

Chantico
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06 Jul 2010, 3:25 pm

Michael_Stuart wrote:

Chantico wrote:

Michael_Stuart wrote:

Chantico wrote:

That's creepy. But how will they know it's your real name? Could you give them a fake one?

Yeah, I agree with you 100% there.

Ravenitrius
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06 Jul 2010, 4:14 pm

I think Blizzard would find it unacceptable to use a fake name. If other players knows our first and last name and they know we pissed em off at some game. They could literally tried to track us down and kill us?

Oh yeah. Did you guys read the Battle.net Terms of Agreement? That of which encloses this part?

Quote:

User Content.
"User Content" means any communications, images, sounds, and all the material and information that you upload or transmit through a Game client or the Service, or that other users upload or transmit, including without limitation any chat text. You hereby grant Blizzard a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, paid-up, non-exclusive, license, including the right to sublicense to third parties, and right to reproduce, fix, adapt, modify, translate, reformat, create derivative works from, manufacture, introduce into circulation, publish, distribute, sell, license, sublicense, transfer, rent, lease, transmit, publicly display, publicly perform, or provide access to electronically, broadcast, communicate to the public by telecommunication, display, perform, enter into computer memory, and use and practice such User Content as well as all modified and derivative works thereof. To the extent permitted by applicable laws, you hereby waive any moral rights you may have in any User Content.

Michael_Stuart
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06 Jul 2010, 4:23 pm

Ravenitrius wrote:

Quote:

That's a very common term of such agreements, actually. It's partially necessary to be able to use chat logs for moderation and legal proceedings. Blizzard also reserves the right to terminate your account at any time for any or no reason, with or without notice. Actually, it's not your account, they own the account, the items, and anything related to it. Most MMOs work this way.

But as they say, with great power comes great responsibility.

DeaconBlues
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06 Jul 2010, 5:32 pm

Fortunately for me, if anyone Googles my name, they're going to get a lot of other people instead, most of whom are far more successful than I am (a sports columnist for a major magazine, a university regent, CEO of an internet company...). That said, while I have been known to post items to Blizzard's forums before, I don't think I'm going to be doing that any more. (The RealID thing as such doesn't bother me - the only people who want to know me online are the ones who live here anyway.)

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06 Jul 2010, 7:50 pm

I can understand the reasoning behind it. It is very frustrating when people spam replies on level one alts.

That said, this will just stop me using the forums as my real id is my real name and I've server transferred twice to avoid an online stalker.

I'm guessing that a lot of people will just move to alternate forums.

kriskarnage
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06 Jul 2010, 10:52 pm

What I'm afraid of is this might be the start of losing your anon identity any where you go on the internet. I hope there's a way someone with a legal background to stop this from happening. I also canceled my SC 2 pre-order as well in light of this.

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06 Jul 2010, 11:25 pm

Holy crap people. This is an alternative form of ID and a way for you to connect with your friends who also have Real IDs. Gees... Quit with the BIG BROTHER theories. If you really want to vent that much energy at least do it towards the government. It is clear to me now THEY are the ones who are stealing our identities.

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kriskarnage
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06 Jul 2010, 11:55 pm

kxmode wrote:

I don't think you read it well enough. Starting with SC2 your first and last name will be on display for other people if you wish to post on their forums. In an attempt that to ease fears about RealID, MichaW from the WoW forums gave out his name (Micha Whipple), and already 4chan users found out everything about him; his address, his phone number, his facebook, his age, and so on. They also got a lot of information on Belthisa (another blue poster on WoW) as well.

I think these fears are well deserved.

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