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You know: There are literally thousands of people in this office building - all of them could be .. weird!!
The moment they see you, they could follow you back to your home and then - who knows what!!!
They could make a photo of you and then post it all over the internet. They could make an ugly and silly youtube movie with your face!
Life is full of dangers. Scary!
And yet here you are: Giving all those freaks your business card.
A society where everybody had several separated identities were full of fear. If you like to play WoW stand up for it!
I don't want to live in a world where people try to hide all their potentially negative characteristics out of fear that somebody might find out. Problem is: If you hide, I have to do it, too. But if you stand up for the fact that you once were drunk, I can stand up for it, too.
Sunlight is the best disenfectant. In this case sunlight makes us more bold, more honest and more sympathetic. And it also allows us to be less fearful.
There are some issues, sure. But I welcome the general direction. The complete dispartment of our identity into several layers at a grand societal level was an anomaly introduced with the internet. It is becoming worse the more important the internet becomes.
Yeah, but everyone the office building is accountable to be themself.
ReplyDeleteA online stalker can hide behind a veil of anonymity while getting the real name and information of their prey or enemy through the forums or game.
Funnily enough the people in my office building are extremely polite and nice to me compared with the people on the WoW forums.
ReplyDeleteMaybe your lack of privacy concerns has to do with the fact that your first name is "Nils", and not "Mohamed".
And even if it was indeed possible to hide your name, would you want to live in a society that required it?
ReplyDeleteShould we also allow us to hide our race, our gender, everything about us that is not white, 1.90m with brown hair, brown eyes and has a perfect dialect?
To hide what makes us different from an arbitrary norm is the wrong way.
I really like seeing the other side of the argument. I wrote a post on the topic too, but I really like your idea that if everyone is out in the open then they all have to be accountable.
ReplyDeleteFunnily enough the people in my office building are extremely polite and nice to me compared with the people on the WoW forums.
ReplyDeleteAnd perhaps that is due to them not being faceless anonymous, untraceable indviduals...
I am Wyrm.
ReplyDeleteThat is all you need to know about.
"Wyrm" says more about who am I am than Peter, Paul, James or John could ever say.
I'm not asking for your trust or your money.
So, why do you need to know my name?
As you did, I posted my response to the Blizzard Shitstorm' on T's site.
ReplyDeleteYour argument is weak, flawed and egocentric - a view of your world alone and not of minors, private lives and those at risk.
Well said, Nils (or whatever your name is).
ReplyDeleteCould this Blogosphere backlash about RealID really be about fear that someone in our real lives will find out that we play an online video game?
Job loss? The disdain from our RL "friends"?
Are people really that ashamed of it?
Maybe gamers need a "Gamer Pride" day to feel more human. If only some sitcom would cast a likeable gamer character. And I'm up for a parade if anyone wants to organize one.
Bristal... is it unreasonable to want to play a game, especially one where you play against/with real people to want to be anonymous?
ReplyDeleteWould you allow your partner to have his/her name revealed to every Tom/Dick/Harriette?
Would you allow a minor (your son/daughter) to have his/her name made public?
Would you allow someone who has experienced a history of mental mental abuse from stalkers and mentally unbalanced people have their name released?
Would you be happy to have a random player contact you outside of the game at home because you have a very unique name?
I'm astonished that anyone could think Blizzard's actions are minimal, without concern or are trivial.