In a move that rocked the world of online gaming today, Blizzard announced that they would soon be displaying a user’s real first and last name in their forums. They hope this will cut down on the flame wars and insults that their forums have become known for.
For those of you who don’t quite get what that means, here’s a sample of what might go on:
BGB008s
Druids totally suck! They’re totally overpowered and only noobs play them!
URM0M
Hah! U suck, BGB008s.
ARtHass
Lol! Ur jast mAdd cus druids own u!
URMOM
Yah! LOL@ARtHass!
BGBOO8s
Sut up! You bth suck! F#()^*! U!
URMOM
U gona cry? ? I bet ur cryin r8t now!
ARtHass
Cryb8be!
However, if the users have to use their real names, things would change radically.
Billy Smith
Druids totally suck! They’re totally overpowered and only noobs play them!
Martha Smith
Hah! U suck, Billy Smith!
Dr. Phillip W. Jones
Lol! Ur jast mAdd cus druids own u!
Martha Smith
Yah! LOL@Dr. Phillip W. Jones!
Billy Smith
Wait, Martha Smith? Do you live on Green Street in Pittsburg?
Martha Smith
Actually, I do.
Billy Smith
Mom?
Martha Smith
Billy, is that you?
Billy Smith
Mom! What the hell?
Martha Smith
You watch your language! And no, druids don’t suck!
Billy Smith
But, you’re my mom! You’re supposed to support me!
Martha Smith
Not when you’re being a suckhole, dear.
Dr. Phillip W. Jones
Lollz!
As you can see, interactions on the Blizzard forums would be greatly changed. The user base, as you can well imagine, is not happy about this. Last I checked, there was a new post every 3 minutes on how much this would suck. Posters cite that marketing people could glean data on them, spammers and hackers could target Blizzard customers specifically, and those with odd or unusual names would be mocked relentlessly.
Honestly, I’m of two minds about it. Anonymity on the Internet can be a hassle, as some people use the lack of accountability to be jerks. A real name might very well curb a lot of that behavior.
On the one hand, I wouldn’t want my real name on a public forum like that. I mean, if people knew who I was, I could be the target of all sorts of insidious plots . . .
Oh, wait.
My name’s already all over the webcomic and our forum. You know, that might very well explain the increase in ninja attacks. Hmmm, and here I thought I was being targeted because of my rugged good looks and frighteningly advanced intellect.
I guess that’s only part of it, then.
Cheers,
-Jason
9 comments:
And of course, some of us need an alter-ego, a patsy so to speak, so that the agents of the New World Order cannot track us down while we plan to take over the universem one forum at a time....
..but I've said too much. Move along, citizens and minions, nothing to see here......
At last! Wayfarer's Moon is alive again! I'd been patiently visiting the comic page ever since it stopped in hopes that it would start again.
Thanks Jason and Leigh!
glad to see the strip back, and "moving right along". abuot the "flame wars" i've been most pleased, both here and the forum, to see that our ladies and gentlemen do not go in for that sort of thing. joking and teasing, yes, just good fun between friends, but no flame wars.
They should make the real names only show if the user posts something using a word not in their dictionary. This would include any swear words, and any words with embedded punctuation.
Also, give moderators the ability to reveal the name of a poster if the post is judged to be inflammatory.
On a completely separate note, I've not once sent ninjas after you due to your rugged good looks. No comment about the number of ninjas I've sent your way because I didn't like them, however.
I said a while back that you'd lost me due to lack of posts and that was the ONLY reason. I love what you're doing and the characters are great. As long as I don't have to wait months for a new update, I'm back. And quite happy to be. I don't even mind hiatus but there had been nothing said about yours for some time and frustration got the better of me. Sorry, but too many good comics were doing this at the time and I was wasting a lot of time checking for updates that never came. Anyway, I agree that flame wars are a problem. The reason I don't play online is exactly that sort of thing. I think using actual names will cut down on it because some of the people out there would be embaressed, if not ashamed of themselves if people knew who they were. The other problem I have with online play is those who take the game way too seriously. It's a game and it's no fun having anyone, especially someone who's apparently 11 years old with a shrill voice, sreaming unintelligable profanities in my ear. Kinda a buzzkill, y'know. Welcome back. I'll try to be more patient in the future because Wayfarers moon is too good to miss.
Everyone ignore the kitten in the corner. There is no kitten. That is all.
Thanks Anon!
Yeah, we have a good group of people on the forums. In all honesty, we've never had to ban or even admonish anyone for bad behavior, something I've always been pleased about :)
Good idea, Ed. And thanks for not sending ninjas. I've got more than enough :)
No problem, Don B, glad to have you back. We hit a rough patch there, but we've ironed things out and we're back. I've lost a number of favorite webcomics due to hiatuses (hiatesees?), so I can understand the frustration. I also agree with you about the online thing. I don't play shooters online anymore because I got tired of exactly what you said: kids with no manners screaming non-stop obscenities.
Thanks for the post!
try this game,
http://politesociety.com/binladenliquors_ol10%5B1%5D.swf
i just read somewhere that blizzard is backing down in that "real nomes only policy. sounds like the paying customers weren't happy about it,
Apparently, a Blizzard employee put his name up to demonstrate that it wasn't dangerous. Within a couple minutes, someone posted his home address.
I think that convinced them that it was a bad idea ;)
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