Blizzard RealID and Steam: Why we cant "trust"

[TheDS]

Whoa dude, Greg and Elizabeth didn't come up with the policy. You don't like it when people unfairly target you? Don't do it to other people. Find the actual people responsible and post THEIR public information. Name, address, phone number, health information, shopping habits, and anything else they think WE should be making accessible. Do that for any of those companies trying to expose us. Get their CEOs out in public, and see how they like it. And when Congress supports them, post their info too, especially their arrest records. That's the closest thing you're gonna get to fixing this situation.

 

[Genocidicbunny]

Why not just put in a fake last name? For a while I put in Wilbury in the last name field everywhere (I like the Traveling Wilburys). Sometimes I just put in my last initial.

I believe you can no longer change that info on their system.

Really, the whole thing is a clusterfrack. People don't realize just how much someone can do with just their name. Having been a /b/tard at one point, I can tell with some certainty that this will cause a lot of problems. There was a reason I avoided facebook -- to not have my personal info, my name, tied to anything that could be used against me. Now I will avoid the battle.net forums as well.

It's only a matter of time before someone is hurt by this and brings suit against blizzard/acti.

 

[deanej]

You wrote a good analysis yet you seemingly hope that the majority of the gaming industry customers care about privacy? I'm afraid it's the other way around. The new generation doesn't give a damn about privacy and actually longs for everything you are afraid of. They sign up on facebook and other social networks writing everything (true, not fake as we used to do) about themselves, they take pics of them half naked and share them with people that are unknown even "digitally", they "make friends" with unknown people. These are our teenagers, and they are currently a big slice of the games market, plus the biggest slice of this market for the future, so I am really afraid that your shouldn't hold your breath hoping to hold the line against the changes you are witnessing. Not saying that I don't dislike them as much as you do or that I wouldn't want to hold that line (I doubt I will buy a game from Steam, anyways, even if it's Civ), I'm just being a little bit more realist.

It's not that young people don't want privacy, it's that young people are so naive that they think what they post on Facebook is completely private.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I believe you can no longer change that info on their system.

I was talking more of a preventive mesure.

 

[Genocidicbunny]

I was talking more of a preventive mesure.

And I meant from here on you can't change your info. So even though the RealID system hasnt gone into effect on the forums yet, its already too late.

 

[Turner]

She's not disputing what you're saying, but start out the registration with a false name. Usually on an online form my first name is No, and my last name is Way....

 

[PeteAtoms]

Besides being a privacy issue, I would consider it a safety issue for the players. Wasn't there an incident a while ago were a counter-strike gamer plotted to kill a rival from his online play? Seeing how obsessed some are with WoW, I'd be worried about someone I pissed off coming to get me

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

For phone numbers I always put a bunch of 0's if its required.

 

[PeteAtoms]

You can get a free Google Voice phone number

 

[Genocidicbunny]

She's not disputing what you're saying, but start out the registration with a false name. Usually on an online form my first name is No, and my last name is Way....

Wont work with something like WoW where your forum account is tied to your ingame account which is tied to a credit card.

Besides being a privacy issue, I would consider it a safety issue for the players. Wasn't there an incident a while ago were a counter-strike gamer plotted to kill a rival from his online play? Seeing how obsessed some are with WoW, I'd be worried about someone I pissed off coming to get me

That is one of the primary reasons people are against it. I have seen firsthand what can be done with just a name. Finding an address tied to the name and trolling people in real life becomes very likely, and very easy too. You really piss someone off or just get plain unlucky and that person can ruin your life. By ruin I mean make you lose your job, your family, friends and etc...

This is dangerous stuff Blizzard (and Acti since they're probably behind this) are playing with. Its no longer just an online persona that gets damaged, its people's real lives. Even if no one picks on you, now your forum posts are tied to your real name. How many of us work where if our employers knew that we play games they would look down on us? It probably wont get many people fired, but future employers could certainly use this information against you. It's why I dont have a facebook and try to use as little identifiable info as possible. I dont want my life screwed up by associations I make online.

 

[deanej]

It's not just Blizzard, either. The US government wants to tie your real name to EVERY account you have on the Internet.

 

[Zelig]

Employers might assume you've got something hide, GB.

 

[evrett37]

My understanding is the info comes from your billing method aka the name on the credit card

 

[Aeon221]

I think the name I signed up for Blizznet with was Alotta Fagina. So, I'm really in favor of this change. I think it's extremely positive.

I'm fairly certain I signed up for Steam as Donkay Punchere, so I hope they go forward with a similar initiative.

And if the government does indeed go through with the REAL NAMES ONLINE thing, well, I'm sure there's a Department of Redundancy Department somewhere that can change my name to Umongous Dyk.

 

[Zelig]

My understanding is the info comes from your billing method aka the name on the credit card

I have credit cards in 3 different names.

 

[Genocidicbunny]

Employers might assume you've got something hide, GB.

If they assume that, I dont want to work for them.

 

[civ_king]

I have credit cards in 3 different names.

that's impressive tinfoil hattery

 

[cardgame]

in WoW, you pay monthly subscription fees.

Using a credit card.

Which, for verification, means you disclose your FULL NAME

edit - sorry, didn't see the second page this was a reply to aimee on page 1.

 

[Grisu]

I have credit cards in 3 different names.

Banks/CreditCard companies don't verify your identity when you sign up in Canada?

 

[Genocidicbunny]

He could have changed his name, used a different middle initial or not even used one.

The point is moot though. All those credit cards are tied to the same info somewhere.