Will The Real xxx Please Stand Up

[woodchip]

With Blizzard mandating forum users to use their real names due to flame wars and trolling I have to wonder at how well the moderators are doing their job. I especially liked this:

\"A post, by Vaneras - one of the site community managers - said that the forums had become \" a place where flame wars, trolling and other unpleasantness run wild\".

\"Removing the veil of anonymity typical to online dialogue will contribute to a more positive forum environment, promote constructive conversations, and connect the Blizzard community in ways they haven't been connected before,\" the post continued.\"

And then:

\"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\"

Heh.

[CDN_Merlin]

I think it's as stupid idea and they will lose a good portion of their forum users.

[Isaac]

Why would someone flame another person in their online community? There are some real crazies on the net...

[Nightshade]

I'm guessing chip is a WoW player?

[Gooberman]

I don't have a dog in the fight, but I do find what they are trying to do pretty interesting.

[snoopy]

I'd immediately cease posting on the forums.

That's an identity-theft liability, if you ask me. I try to avoid having anything publicly available on the net with my full name on it.

Here's my take on it: Us forum-ers, and people involved in other online communities, have generally moved into said communities in small enough numbers that our noobish-ness has been educated via peer interaction, and when necessary moderator intervention.

Blizzard has pulled literally millions of people into the wow \"community\" that have never been in online community before. That creates a moderator nightmare. First, the peer education isn't nearly as strong. Second, there's sheer volume difficulties. Third, the average user is more of a target for spammers/etc., so the malicious, savvy user is attracted.

I don't know that having to reveal your real name is the answer, but I'll give them that they're in a uniquely difficult position.

[Isaac]

IDEA: How about a self-moderating forum that allows any user to vote for the banning of another. After ten votes has been accumulated towards one member a perm-ban is implemented. It would be like give knives to everyone in prison and unlocking all the cells.

[Grendel]

I think it's as stupid idea and they will lose a good portion of their forum users.

Good riddance I say

Why would someone flame another person in their online community? There are some real crazies on the net...

Look who's throwing stones while sitting in the glashouse..

[Spidey]

I would just give them a fake real name.

[snoopy]

I would just give them a fake real name.

Except that your forum name is tied to your account, which requires a current credit card since it's monthly-billed.

[Spidey]

Information on your credit card cannot be used without your permission, so if they don’t take what I give them when they ask me for my “real name” then I would opt out of the real name thing. But, I would never belong to such a forum in the first place.

Letting any internet company automatically debit a credit card or bank account is just crazy.

[AlphaDoG]

Seems to me the admins over there are just too lazy to cross reference forum names against the credit card/membership database?

Couldn't they simply require a real name that isn't seen by anyone but the forum admins and moderators?

edit: http://content.usatoday.com/communities ... s-forums/1

[Spidey]

When you use a credit card, you in no way shape or form authorize the payee to use that information for any other purpose other than payment for the services/product. (it is NOT an ID card)

If you sign a contract that allows otherwise, you need to have your head examined.

And, there are ways to use a credit card anonymously on line…

And JFTR that payment source could be your grandmother, a friend or a sponsor. If that particular forum/game company requires that it must be “your” credit card…just one more reason to say no.

[woodchip]

I'm guessing chip is a WoW player?

You'd be guessing wrong. I might look into a Starcraft forum use if they ever get the damn thing released.

[Isaac]

Why would someone flame another person in their online community? There are some real crazies on the net...

Look who's throwing stones while sitting in the glashouse..

lol They say kids don't get sarcasm until they reach a certain age.

[Will Robinson]

Why would someone flame another person in their online community? There are some real crazies on the net...

Look who's throwing stones while sitting in the glashouse..

lol They say kids don't get sarcasm until they reach a certain age.

And after a certain age past learning to use this new form of expression the kids even learn that thinking sarcasm in the head as you type doesn't automatically translate into the plain text on the screen....so the smarter kids invented and started using emoticons

[Isaac]

Why would someone flame another person in their online community? There are some real crazies on the net...

Look who's throwing stones while sitting in the glashouse..

lol They say kids don't get sarcasm until they reach a certain age.

And after a certain age past learning to use this new form of expression the kids even learn that thinking sarcasm in the head as you type doesn't automatically translate into the plain text on the screen....so the smarter kids invented and started using emoticons

Exactly, like Jonathan Swift.

[Xamindar]

Just so you all know, Blizzard has now decided NOT to force real names in the forums.

[Gooberman]

Just so you all know, Blizzard has now decided NOT to force real names in the forums.

Thats a shame. If this BB required real names, I would stop posting (despite the fact that many of you here know it). That being said, I was generally interested in seeing if Blizzard could pull off "online civility."

But I think in the end it would have failed. The main people whom it would filter are those who care about their reputations. Who I suspect is generally more tame online then someone who doesn't.

But it would have been interesting.

[Nightshade]

That's right. We all know it's \"Barry Sotero.\"

[Isaac]

Mine is \"Not Sure\".