RealID to come to the Official Blizzard Forums

[Fat Tire]

Bashiok added some clarification

SRC: http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/th...&pageNo=34#667

This is insane!

Wonder what would happen when an account gets hacked and John Smith is plastered all over the boards linking to gold/porn, whatever. If the original owner didnt want his name lambasted in public could he/she have a defamation suit? Now a days most employers also include a 'google' facebook,myspace etc. background search on you when you apply for a job.

[Aenar]

I understand that statement "Opt-In", but there is no clarity to what access players have if they don't Opt-In. Are we restricted from posting on the forums, or even reading them? If this becomes mandatory and spills over into my identity being released against my wishes in any form (in game, armory, etc), I will resign Warcraft. No game is worth the hassle of potential stalkers, hackers (more than just robbing gold), and future first impressions that then get googled. It wouldn't surprise me if some people who start dating secretly google their date for background information.

This isn't a threat toward blizzard that "omgz, five accounts canceled, suck on it"... I understand they couldn't care less in that regard. As long as I'm not publicy identified, I'll keep playing. F*#% the idea of social networking while gaming. I never used my full name when networking "Doom", "Quake", & "Unreal". I don't PVP in WoW, but god damn someone who's epeen gets stepped on might well find out who did it and take it too far.

[Fat Tire]

Its kinda Orwellian really and has a huge chance of unintended consequences.