World of Warcraft/Blizzard Privacy Issue

[zappaDPJ]

If you have a WoW account or have an account that allows you to post on any of Blizzard's forums, beware!

The first and most significant change is that in the near future, anyone posting or replying to a post on official Blizzard forums will be doing so using their Real ID -- that is, their real-life first and last name -- with the option to also display the name of their primary in-game character alongside it. These changes will go into effect on all StarCraft II forums with the launch of the new community site prior to the July 27 release of the game, with the World of Warcraft site and forums following suit near the launch of Cataclysm. The classic Battle.net forums, including those for Diablo II and Warcraft III, will be moving to a new legacy forum section with the release of the StarCraft II community site and at that time will also transition to using Real ID for posting.

Source: http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=25626109041&sid=3000

I'm gob smacked, almost lost for words. How can anybody in their right mind think this is a good idea. Perhaps they should finish the job and place the poster's age, address and preferred route to school. This is a complete betrayal of trust, against their own posting rules, potentially very dangerous and almost certainly in breach of the UK Data protection Act 1998.

[Simon]

I'd be very surprised if that is legal.

[zappaDPJ]

This is becoming quite a major worldwide news story.

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

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/10543100.stm

[pctech]

Makes me glad in a way that I never got involved in the whole WOW thing.

What a stupid thing for a company like Blizzard to do particularly when its raking it in.

Think its just loaded it's cash cow onto the truck bound for the abattoir.

[zappaDPJ]

To be fair it's probably more an Activision inspired move because I hear on the grapevine that Blizzard employees who also have to adhere to this policy are not at all happy about it (I have Blizzard employees in my Guild).

This is certainly the beginning of the end for what has been without a doubt the biggest on-line game in history.

[Inkblot]

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=25712374892&sid=1&pageNo=1

Check post #16

....now see what happened afterwards, Blizzard were apparently deleting tons of posts on the official forums but once it went offsite they were powerless

http://wowriot.gameriot.com/blogs/Americans-are-bad-at-games/Real-Names-on-the-Official-Forums-New-REAL-ID-function

Edit: Just found this as well: http://asnowstormbyanyothername.blogspot.com/

[pctech]

To be fair it's probably more an Activision inspired move because I hear on the grapevine that Blizzard employees who also have to adhere to this policy are not at all happy about it (I have Blizzard employees in my Guild).

This is certainly the beginning of the end for what has been without a doubt the biggest on-line game in history.

All good things have to come to an end.

I went to Top Gear Live last year with a friend and another of their friends who is a WOW addict, he kept moaning yhat he was likely to miss a raid as were going to get back late in the evening.

How sad is that.

[zappaDPJ]

That's worse than sad, that's terrible, did his Guild manage to raid without him? 

I know what you are saying though, we have one or two players who should take more time away from the game.

[zappaDPJ]

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=25712374892&sid=1&pageNo=1

Check post #16

....now see what happened afterwards, Blizzard were apparently deleting tons of posts on the official forums but once it went offsite they were powerless

http://wowriot.gameriot.com/blogs/Americans-are-bad-at-games/Real-Names-on-the-Official-Forums-New-REAL-ID-function

Edit: Just found this as well: http://asnowstormbyanyothername.blogspot.com/

Yeah, it didn't take long for that particular rather reckless employee to make an attempt at covering his tracks, Facebook account deleted etc. But the damage is done, one careless act and everyone in the world knows who he really is, who he lives with and what he was doing at 10.00am on 5th May last summer. Under his alias he's somebody known to millions and now that he's revealed his real self he's loaded the gun that was already pointing his way.

If Activision/Blizzard go through with this all their employees posting on the forums will be placed in danger, this can only end in real tears 

[pctech]

That's worse than sad, that's terrible, did his Guild manage to raid without him? 

I know what you are saying though, we have one or two players who should take more time away from the game.

No idea Zap, not seen him since, as I say it was a friend of a friend.

[zappaDPJ]

I was kidding around 

Anyway, it seems the Activision finally woke up to how potentially dangerous this move could prove and have canned it for the time being.

[pctech]

I know, my sense of humour sometimes needs a reboot at work