horrible idea. i shouldn't really have to explain.

Anonymity is needed between a player's identitiy in game and their identity in reality. As much as some people need a good smack in real life for being an idiot in a game, there are also really disturbed people who would do much worse to those or others, with little to no justification.

However, there should be no anonymity between a player's online identities. If someone is an idiot on a game's forum or in the game, I should be able to know who all of that person's characters are. Likewise if I ignore one of their characters, it should ignore all of their characters.

While I agree that taking away anonymity would be a huge violoation of privacy and create even more problems, something needs to be done to create a system that ties some form of responsibility to online actions.  As it is right now, MMOs and the internet in general are running rampant with so much hatred its disgusting.  People can get away with anything they want because they are protected by this veil shielding them from any consequences for their actions.

Did the OP ever post his real name?

Originally posted by thafireball

Take it away.  Make everyone play with their real names.  That should help cut down on the common "ninja" or the trade-chat-tough-guys!  Shitty community = shitty game.  Why you may ask?  Because I know of no one that wants to log into a game and see words like asshat, lolumadbro, l2pnoob and the many other derogitory comments and expressions used to start drama or arguments in games.  Then it would be more like...oh hey there Julio Rodriguez from TX you say you did what to my mom?  Well isn't that special.  Hey Julio don't you live at ***** *** street...I'll be right over with a msg from mom.

 

It may take several things in the news before people start realizing that talking to people like that only provokes hatred and negative feelings towards others.  You can't just walk down the street calling people asshats and then when they confront you about it saying "lolumadbro" like you're some kind of Mortal Kombat E-champ that could whip his ass.  You will eventually run into someone that will face stomp you.

 

Vote yes to real names

Vote no to anonymity

 Thefireball is your real name?  Lead by example they say.

Originally posted by thafireball

Take it away.  Make everyone play with their real names.  That should help cut down on the common "ninja" or the trade-chat-tough-guys!  Shitty community = shitty game.  Why you may ask?  Because I know of no one that wants to log into a game and see words like asshat, lolumadbro, l2pnoob and the many other derogitory comments and expressions used to start drama or arguments in games.  Then it would be more like...oh hey there Julio Rodriguez from TX you say you did what to my mom?  Well isn't that special.  Hey Julio don't you live at ***** *** street...I'll be right over with a msg from mom.

It may take several things in the news before people start realizing that talking to people like that only provokes hatred and negative feelings towards others.  You can't just walk down the street calling people asshats and then when they confront you about it saying "lolumadbro" like you're some kind of Mortal Kombat E-champ that could whip his ass.  You will eventually run into someone that will face stomp you.

 

Vote yes to real names

Vote no to anonymity

 The part I highlighted in Red is precisely why you need anonymity. Saying something about one's mother doesn't justify assault/homicide. We live in a civilized society remember? You can mouth off all you want to someone in chat or in game - nothing illegal about that. But when you try to start stalking the trash talkers in RL it becomes a crime. Remember "sticks & stones"?

Originally posted by jpnole

Originally posted by thafireball

Take it away.  Make everyone play with their real names.  That should help cut down on the common "ninja" or the trade-chat-tough-guys!  Shitty community = shitty game.  Why you may ask?  Because I know of no one that wants to log into a game and see words like asshat, lolumadbro, l2pnoob and the many other derogitory comments and expressions used to start drama or arguments in games.  Then it would be more like...oh hey there Julio Rodriguez from TX you say you did what to my mom?  Well isn't that special.  Hey Julio don't you live at ***** *** street...I'll be right over with a msg from mom.

It may take several things in the news before people start realizing that talking to people like that only provokes hatred and negative feelings towards others.  You can't just walk down the street calling people asshats and then when they confront you about it saying "lolumadbro" like you're some kind of Mortal Kombat E-champ that could whip his ass.  You will eventually run into someone that will face stomp you.

 

Vote yes to real names

Vote no to anonymity

 The part I highlighted in Red is precisely why you need anonymity. Saying something about one's mother doesn't justify assault/homicide. We live in a civilized society remember? You can mouth off all you want to someone in chat or in game - nothing illegal about that. But when you try to start stalking the trash talkers in RL it becomes a crime. Remember "sticks & stones"?

EXACTLY!

Ya know Blizzard had this idea.

Close to 50,000 forums posts later they threw it out.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20010022-1.html

Originally posted by Beanpuie

taking away Anonymity will do this:

 

get rid of the snot nose wannabe asshats, and have them be replaced with hardcore jackoffs that legitmately love to ruin other peoples lives, and do it for a living.

also sounds like a con artists wet dream unfortunately. and i wouldnt be surprise it spawns 1 or 2 video game serial killers (maybe Dexter style) to hunt down other players and kill them, only because they told him he's not dpsing hard enough in a raid.

 

[Dexter wannabe Killer]:  *cleaves hapless mmo victim with axe* HOW'S MY DPS NOW B**CH!??!!!!

Let me correct this for you.

1. Anonymity allows the stardaed wannabe asshat to become a no holds barred hardcore jack off. Not the other way around.

2. MMO's don't spawn serial killers. However, Genetic malformations of the human cerebral cortex and/or limbic system can as well as environmental stimuli that in most cases can tip the scales on such a person from functioning sociopath to crazed Serial Killer.

3. Anyone who decides to kill you will kill you. Your IP address or the supposed Anonymity you think you have will never protect you from someone like that. That being said. You are far more likely to be killed by someone you look at in the movie theater, cut line in front of, pass on the highway or buy the last pair of shoes he/she had their eye on at Foot Locker. On top of that, you are more likely to be killed by a friend or family member than any of the above.

Originally posted by Meowhead

Originally posted by tyrannis

Yes, I have a son, parents and a brother and sister.  That pedobear playing free realms with your kid can only do so becuase of the Anonymity that you allow him to have. I would consider it narrow mindend to settle for the easy way out, to brush away something new becuase it's all you know or the better solution might be a little scary to you.

Actually, there's a big disconnect that you're missing.

... no matter how many real names are involved, the person on the other side of the internet doesn't have to reveal their interest in you.

They dont' have to say 'Hey, I'm a socially maladapted loser who is going to do something horrible to you, so here's my real name, since I already know yours'

They just know yours.  They have your information, but while you have theirs, you don't know you NEED it.

Even when they stab you (Hey, it's happened over LIneage before) over the game, you still don't know who they are, because they went from online (With their name showing, but protected by the fact you don't realize knowing their name is important), to offline (Where they are effectively anonymous, since you can't connect them to their online identity, they're just 'that crazy guy who stabbed you in the liver')

I agree with both the above posts. The guy next to you in line at the grocery store could stab you for no reason at any time. Maybe he thought you cut ahead. Home invasions happen every day. I don't think that anonymity will protect people from violence or abuse. But at the same time, I don't want to take the risk if I have the choice. I could just leave my front door unlocked if I was a gambling man. On the other hand, that doesn't stop me from going to the grocery store.

Originally posted by astoria

Ya know Blizzard had this idea.

Close to 50,000 forums posts later they threw it out.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20010022-1.html

Actually it was more of a publicity stunt and also a way for Blizzard to send a message to everyone to "tone it down" in the forums. They never would have gone through with it - and didn't plan to.

It's part of the game. Get used to it.

Originally posted by jpnole

Originally posted by thafireball

Take it away.  Make everyone play with their real names.  That should help cut down on the common "ninja" or the trade-chat-tough-guys!  Shitty community = shitty game.  Why you may ask?  Because I know of no one that wants to log into a game and see words like asshat, lolumadbro, l2pnoob and the many other derogitory comments and expressions used to start drama or arguments in games.  Then it would be more like...oh hey there Julio Rodriguez from TX you say you did what to my mom?  Well isn't that special.  Hey Julio don't you live at ***** *** street...I'll be right over with a msg from mom.

It may take several things in the news before people start realizing that talking to people like that only provokes hatred and negative feelings towards others.  You can't just walk down the street calling people asshats and then when they confront you about it saying "lolumadbro" like you're some kind of Mortal Kombat E-champ that could whip his ass.  You will eventually run into someone that will face stomp you.

 

Vote yes to real names

Vote no to anonymity

 The part I highlighted in Red is precisely why you need anonymity. Saying something about one's mother doesn't justify assault/homicide. We live in a civilized society remember? You can mouth off all you want to someone in chat or in game - nothing illegal about that. But when you try to start stalking the trash talkers in RL it becomes a crime. Remember "sticks & stones"?

This is very true. Saying something about someone's mother shouldn't  get you killed. That would be a crime and just wrong on every human level.

So why is it t hat you don't just walk into your nearest Walmart and tell the greater that his mother is some expletive. Most likley it's because your a decent human being not out to harm anyone.

It's also because you fear the consequence of that action.  The consequence that this person may strandgle you to death right there in Walmart. 

People have to learn to do the right thing because it's the right thing, Any other choice you make only empowers those kinds of people to not have to and gives them even more power.

Peoples personal data, including their real names, are protected by by the laws of many countries for good and valid reasons, any game that required my real name in order to put it "out there" on the net in any form would

1. Not get my subscription/details.

2. Lay itself open to any amount of lawsuits in various countries.

If the OP's problem IS with forum annonymity promoting trolling, then it is up to the owners of that forum, which for games is usually the game owner, to police their own boards. That they seem perfectly competent to police mention of other products and complaints, yet are unable to do much about trolls speaks volumes for those companies.

Otherwise it could be thought that this is a renewal of Facebooks (and similar database holders) assault on personal privacy, so they can sell all that they know about you to anyone with the cash.

Originally posted by thafireball

Take it away.  Make everyone play with their real names.  That should help cut down on the common "ninja" or the trade-chat-tough-guys!  Shitty community = shitty game.  Why you may ask?  Because I know of no one that wants to log into a game and see words like asshat, lolumadbro, l2pnoob and the many other derogitory comments and expressions used to start drama or arguments in games.  Then it would be more like...oh hey there Julio Rodriguez from TX you say you did what to my mom?  Well isn't that special.  Hey Julio don't you live at ***** *** street...I'll be right over with a msg from mom.

 

It may take several things in the news before people start realizing that talking to people like that only provokes hatred and negative feelings towards others.  You can't just walk down the street calling people asshats and then when they confront you about it saying "lolumadbro" like you're some kind of Mortal Kombat E-champ that could whip his ass.  You will eventually run into someone that will face stomp you.

 

Vote yes to real names

Vote no to anonymity

right because the real ID was really a good idea... NO.

and what you gonna do with the info if you know somone? kill him? hit him? in anycase you are just  to make yourself look like a fool and spend some time in jail.

ps. U mad you suck? XD

Originally posted by tyrannis

This is very true. Saying something about someone's mother shouldn't  get you killed. That would be a crime and just wrong on every human level.

So why is it t hat you don't just walk into your nearest Walmart and tell the greater that his mother is some expletive. Most likley it's because your a decent human being not out to harm anyone.

It's a;sp because you fear the consequence of that action.  The consequence that this person may strandgle you to death right there in Walmart. 

People have to learn to do the right thing because it's the right thing, Any other choice you make only empowers those kinds of people to not have to and gives them even more power.

 

 

 

<generic mother insult>

I mean really, this is the most used insult ever that makes stupid ppl mad, i mean i have seen ppl get ridiculously mad because someone called their mother it was funny.

Why would some do it.

1)because is stupid and you killed him and he got mad(yes getting angry=stupid)

2)Because he is trolololing you and you are stupid and fall for it(falling for that+anger=stupid)

Stupid mad ppl are stupid so its not a good idea to let them know your home address

Result until this world has 0 stupidity( which will never happen) we ll need anonymity

Originally posted by Palebane

Originally posted by Meowhead

Originally posted by tyrannis

Yes, I have a son, parents and a brother and sister.  That pedobear playing free realms with your kid can only do so becuase of the Anonymity that you allow him to have. I would consider it narrow mindend to settle for the easy way out, to brush away something new becuase it's all you know or the better solution might be a little scary to you.

Actually, there's a big disconnect that you're missing.

... no matter how many real names are involved, the person on the other side of the internet doesn't have to reveal their interest in you.

They dont' have to say 'Hey, I'm a socially maladapted loser who is going to do something horrible to you, so here's my real name, since I already know yours'

They just know yours.  They have your information, but while you have theirs, you don't know you NEED it.

Even when they stab you (Hey, it's happened over LIneage before) over the game, you still don't know who they are, because they went from online (With their name showing, but protected by the fact you don't realize knowing their name is important), to offline (Where they are effectively anonymous, since you can't connect them to their online identity, they're just 'that crazy guy who stabbed you in the liver')

The guy next to you in line at the grocery store could stab you for no reason at any time. Maybe he thought you cut ahead. Home invasions happen every day. I don't think that anonymity will protect people from violence or abuse. But at the same time, I don't want to take the risk if I have the choice. I could just leave my front door unlocked if I was a gambling man. On the other hand, that doesn't stop me from going to the grocery store.

Exactly Palebane. Everytime your or I step outside we are vulnerable. They don't know your name or where you live they just want to make you pay and because of that they will get the information they need.

In the end there is no protection from that other than changing the way that people leaen to interact with one another.

The only way to do that is to actually change it. :)

Crazzy will still be crazzy. Nothing we can do about that. Not unless you want to live in a sci-fi movie.

Originally posted by thafireball

Take it away.  Make everyone play with their real names.  That should help cut down on the common "ninja" or the trade-chat-tough-guys!  Shitty community = shitty game.  Why you may ask?  Because I know of no one that wants to log into a game and see words like asshat, lolumadbro, l2pnoob and the many other derogitory comments and expressions used to start drama or arguments in games.  Then it would be more like...oh hey there Julio Rodriguez from TX you say you did what to my mom?  Well isn't that special.  Hey Julio don't you live at ***** *** street...I'll be right over with a msg from mom.

 

It may take several things in the news before people start realizing that talking to people like that only provokes hatred and negative feelings towards others.  You can't just walk down the street calling people asshats and then when they confront you about it saying "lolumadbro" like you're some kind of Mortal Kombat E-champ that could whip his ass.  You will eventually run into someone that will face stomp you.

 

Vote yes to real names

Vote no to anonymity

 Did someone say something unpleasant about your mom and now you're all butt-hurt?  Boo Hoo.

Couple of points:

A. Nobody talks smack to you.  They talk smack to ThaFireBall.  Stop taking this shit personal.

B.  So now you want to drag online kiddy drama into RL?  Let me understand:  I say something about your mom, you come to my house all butt-hurt and raging, then get carried home in a hearse.  Exactly how does that help anyone?

My God, grow up.  Or learn to talk smack better

I wouldn't suggest using your real name, but I would be up for some kind of overall "account name" that is associated with each character you make.

Not necissarily your actual log-in account name, but one that could show the fact that you are in control of "Asshat 1" character and "Asshat 2" character, so if people choose to ninja loot, or use slander over trade chat, everyone would know that the characters are one in the same and associated with said account.

Unlike where you can ninja loot on an alt, but be a "normal community player" on your main, hiding the fact that you are secretly a douchebag.

Then again, WoW goes the extra mile in allowing people to lie, cheat, steal, and be an all around douchebag by allowing people to change names, races, or even servers.

People should have to be held accountable to their actions in a MMO, but sadly the companies are more about making money than making their game a pleasurable place for people to enjoy their free time.

"Oh but Dragim, then they would have to police the chat!"

Well...these MMO companies make decent money (granted they don't make a crappy game that goes downhill within a few months)...so why don't they provide jobs and pay people to monitor the chat and take action against people who are using insulting text and spamming?  Sure, this is a little rediculous but would it be any different than a forum monitor?  As far as rules in place and how this would be done exactly is up in the air, but I believe it is something that should be looked at.

"Well Dragim, isn't that what the "spam" button is for?"

Yes, but do you really think that it accomplishes that much?  I don't.  In WoW where I have seen little 14 year olds berate and attack a grown 40 year old woman with slander that involves her real life and nothing was done and never did get done (despite screenshots and repetedly asking them to stop), is absolutely rediculous.

(Granted these 14 year old brats are probably 18 year old assholes now, and will progress into 30 year old douchebags who feels everyone owes them something for their crappy lives and it is everyone else's fault that their life is lackluster)

I doubt anything will ever be done about it until something extremely sever happens in which someone is killed or suicides over the constant harrassment in game.  (Just like the facebook, where a mom/coworker and daughter teased/lied/deceived a girl until she broke and killed herself).

Bully-ing in school is a huge issue right now in america, and I think bully-ing in general is a huge issue.  Whether at school, the workplace, the bar, or online, it needs to stop.  People putting others down to self-empower/satisfy themselves is pathetic.

Originally posted by markt50

Such a terrible idea (As Blizzard found out with Real ID) that would only hurt those who have a good reason for wanting to retain an element of anonymity. The asshats will always be asshats, removing the veil of anonymity would do nothing to stop that because they either don't care if they post and play with their real name, or they would just find ways to create fake ID's, spoof the system etc. But just think of the negatives.

^^^.

Also, I do wish more games would make friend/ignores account wide both ways.

BobMage adds FredWarrior to his friend list.

BobDruid, BobScholar, and all of Bob's alts can see FredWarrior, FredMage, FredPaladin on any of his alts.

The same is true for ignore.