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cpugeek13: Though, I do understand how some safety issues could involved. Still, I would have loved to see this integrated. It would have been a great experiment with internet social culture. Oh well, maybe in the future they will bring it back.

While they are no longer intergrating the names they are tieing all your forum posts to your starcraft 2 character name and starcraft code(whatever that means). So no one will beable to make use another name just for trolling.
I'm not sure how they will manage it for wow but I imagine they will also tie that to a single character, possibly your main.
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Siannah: Well let's see: if Blizzard enables a feature that allows something like this, then it's cool. If it's used by users with a Blizzard employees reviled name, then it's cyber-terrorism. Wait... did something just struck me?
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PoSSeSSeDCoW: They dug up info on Blizzard employees with the sole intent of harassing them. Blizzard was not displaying names so that people would get harassed. I think you can figure out the difference.

That's true, but their decision to display names was almost certain to result in some people being harassed. They would have indirectly responsible if some crazy guy used the name on the Blizzard forums to track down someone who, say, beat him in Starcraft 2, and killed him.
I'm actually rather surprised their lawyers didn't tell them what a stupid idea it was, because I can see someone successfully suing them over it (you never know with some judges), especially in the US.
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PoSSeSSeDCoW: They dug up info on Blizzard employees with the sole intent of harassing them. Blizzard was not displaying names so that people would get harassed. I think you can figure out the difference.
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mystral: That's true, but their decision to display names was almost certain to result in some people being harassed. They would have indirectly responsible if some crazy guy used the name on the Blizzard forums to track down someone who, say, beat him in Starcraft 2, and killed him.
I'm actually rather surprised their lawyers didn't tell them what a stupid idea it was, because I can see someone successfully suing them over it (you never know with some judges), especially in the US.

Only to the extent that Facebook is responsible for all harassment and stalking. And that is probably what the lawyers pointed out.
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PoSSeSSeDCoW: They dug up info on Blizzard employees with the sole intent of harassing them. Blizzard was not displaying names so that people would get harassed. I think you can figure out the difference.

What's the difference if the end result is the same? Blizzard can claim that this isn't their intention but when e-stalkers become real stalkers and end up killing somebody I bet you that a giant lawsuit will come.
I think this post details all the problems with this.
Post edited July 09, 2010 by OmegaX
Blizzard have backtracked. Evidently someone higher up the food chain has realized what a monumentally stupid idea it was. Link
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Gundato: Who is more important, the customers or the janitor? Neither. They should both be treated with respect; respect for personal privacy that the company and fools posting personal info are denying them.
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EndlessKnight: So you ARE saying that it is okay for the janitors at a company to suffer because upper management made a decision?
And you are also saying that the potential for a wrong makes other wrongs "rights", correct?

I would say Bobby Kotick's personal information should be available too. ; )
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cpugeek13: Also, I heard about some incredibly extreme responses to this controversy, like people digging up personal information about Blizzard employees and their families and posting it on forums. I see this almost as a mild form of cyber-terrorism, and am kind of sad to see that Blizzard dropped the idea entirely.
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Siannah: Well let's see: if Blizzard enables a feature that allows something like this, then it's cool. If it's used by users with a Blizzard employees reviled name, then it's cyber-terrorism. Wait... was that George Orwell laughing?

There's a big difference between showing your real name and posting the addresses and phone numbers of all your relatives on a forum.
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Delixe: Blizzard have backtracked. Evidently someone higher up the food chain has realized what a monumentally stupid idea it was. Link

That's classy. Feedback within the week, straight from the CEO. I love Blizzard.
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cpugeek13: There's a big difference between showing your real name and posting the addresses and phone numbers of all your relatives on a forum.

It is, no doubt about it. But showing that exactly THAT is possible and just how much data can get gathered and linked back to one specific person, should be prove enough that it wasn't a bright idea in the first place.
I'm well aware that it isn't Blizzards fault on what a person reveals on Facebook, over Twitter and what not. But frankly, defending a system by exposing himself and then actually feeling the backlash that is possible because of that system, is simple priceless.
Actually, I think this should get added to every IT / Internet lesson as a textbook example on why you should take care about what and where you reveal online.
Post edited July 09, 2010 by Siannah
[Speaking about Blizzard]
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Aliasalpha: ...but everything else I've played of theirs seemed to be an incredibly polished exercise in tedium

This is an excellent observation, almost sig worthy.
Post edited July 09, 2010 by irongamer
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Delixe: Blizzard have backtracked. Evidently someone higher up the food chain has realized what a monumentally stupid idea it was. Link
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stonebro: That's classy. Feedback within the week, straight from the CEO. I love Blizzard.

It was probably because of that stupid Facebook - Activision deal, meaning the whole thing is Activision's doing. I love how Mike stepped in to clear the situation. I don't want to look like an extreme Blizzard fanboy, but thats how I see the situation.
This was a really stupid idea in the first place, and even more stupider are the people who supported it. But then even the Nazis had collaborators so its not such a surprise.
Its like people didnt realize why most nations in the world have Privacy Laws and that its the right of people to want to not share their life with the entire world. Joining Facebook isnt a law, its a choice, if people want to broadcast their lives to the world, it is their choice to do so, its stupid but freedom is making stupid choices as well as smart ones.
Its a good thing Blizzard stood down and didnt force this on everyone, but I still dont know why they are pushing so hard for people to hook up.
I care nothing about social networking BS, and I dont plan to be connected to Battle.net all the time with Starcraft 2, if ever or play any Multiplayer. Blizzard is going to have to learn to accept there are alot of people out there who are anti social people haters (who hate all humanity ;) ) like me, and want nothing to do with all this social networking garbage and stop trying to shove it down peoples throats.
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cpugeek13: The most funny part of this whole fiasco was the huge outcry from people who were "afraid" of others to know that they play WoW. Its like, its shameful or something. I never realized there were that many in the closet geeks out there. Theres nothing wrong with playing computer games, people, just like there is nothing wrong with watching movies or collecting stamps.

You wouldn't believe how many people are in the closet about their gaming. This is specially true about "popular" people, the ones that care the most about their self-perceived image. You know that well-groomed, fashionable, muscular guy that every office has? Well, he probably turns into a pretty, scantily clad night elf hottie when at home.
One of my employees is a huge WOW freak, to the point that when The Burning Crusade came out she skipped work with some half-assed pretext. Instead of giving her hell like i would usually do i had the print shop downstairs make a big-ass banner with "WELCOME BACK, ALLIANCE SCUM." in glittering letters and everything and we hanged it right across her door. That was a great day.
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Menelkir: Instead of giving her hell like i would usually do i had the print shop downstairs make a big-ass banner with "WELCOME BACK, ALLIANCE SCUM." in glittering letters and everything and we hanged it right across her door. That was a great day.

As it should be. Silly vanilla humanistic, surface beauty appreciating addicts. :P
You are my hero.
I think they should make you use a webcam pick of your real face on your avatar. :P
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