Oh hell to the fucking no

[jdotmi]

WoW's official forums are going to start showing your REAL NAME in your posts when Cataclysm launches.

Predictably, the internet is not having any of this fucking shit.

Comments

[mat-t.livejournal.com]

Eh. I'll be optimistic...maybe they're right and it will cut down on asshole trolls and flamers. I mean, it's not like having your name attached to a WoW forum post is going to let someone steal your identity.

[jdotmi.livejournal.com]

within one hour of putting it out there, a CM posted their real name on the forum in a "see, it's not so bad" kind of way.

The dozens of phone calls to his home and posts on his facebook wall that happened within two hours may have been a clue otherwise.

Plus, see the wow_ladies post especially in regards to stalking issues.

[mat-t.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. I guess I see your point. Though I guess it depends on how unique or not one's name is. *grin*

[jdotmi.livejournal.com]

Finding me based on my actual first name/last name is tricky, but if you search that with any of my character names you're likely to find me.

Ugh...

[urban-bohemian.livejournal.com]

I appreciate their intent, because I am really tired of seeing the G.I.F.T. in action, but I hope they temper this decision by looking at what's happened with Google and Facebook in terms of privacy and access.

Wow, bad move. (No pun intended)

Re: Ugh...

[jdotmi.livejournal.com]

They're doing this because they are becoming all buddy buddy with Facebook. Which means it will blow up in their faces (and has already started to), so who knows.

[celtcub.livejournal.com]

Yeah, not to be snarky or anything but I left Facebook over that shit. Glad WoW is already gone from my life.

These companies NEED to understand that Internet Security isn't a joke for some of us.

[jdotmi.livejournal.com]

Exactly. I have my Facebook pretty locked down because, seriously, it so doesn't need to be linked to all that.

[badbob.livejournal.com]

The whole thing sounds like so much good intentions, not so much thought out on the consequences side. Giving one of the worst forums in existence my actual name sounds like such a monumentally stupid idea, I have trouble coming up with any person who would think that is a Good Idea™, it's immediately obvious what will happen given the internet and how people behave behind the veil of anonymity.

This isn't even mentioning the apparent disregard for their customers privacy Blizzard is showing. I'm not at all comfortable with the ease they feel they should be able to release my personal information to the general public.

[jdotmi.livejournal.com]

From the sounds of it, this is just a lawsuit waiting to happen. People are already sending letters to the ESRB, amongst other places.