Patchwork enforcement on the naming policy
by Mike Schramm 
Apr 6th 2007 at 3:55PM
Pepe has done an informal but (as he says) "real FREAKIN interesting" little study of supposedly inappropriate names via the Armory. Blizzard's naming policy, as you'll know if you've ever run afoul of it, is pretty stringent-- you're not allowed to create obscene names at all (obviously), names based on real-life or well-known sources (so no trademarks or references to celebrities or Blizzard employees-- Legolas is completely out), harassing words or phrases, or "partial or complete sentences."Now, you can't really argue with most of that. The obscene stuff is a given, of course, though where Blizzard gets their criteria for obscene is anyone's guess-- one of my guildies had an undead warrior named "Skinflayer" that Blizz forced him to rename (he renamed it to Tenderheart, actually). And the copyright and famous names seems a little silly, but it's most likely just Blizzard covering their backside-- you never know what copyright holders will do when it comes to user-created content. But harassing phrases? No l33tsp33k? How can Blizzard possibly track this stuff?
The fact is, as Pepe points out very effectively, that they can't (except on Blizzard employees, strangely enough). Reported names, of course, will probably get a message that they must be changed, but there's no way that Blizzard actually examines the rolls name by name to figure out which are compliant with the ToS and which aren't. The problem, then, becomes who gets punished and who doesn't, and what whims that comes by. While I'm with Blizzard on the player bans, I'm not with them on this one-- either they need to stick to their naming policy or change it. As Pepe shows, just a few minutes of Armory browsing yields hundreds of "violations." I've included all of Pepe's links after the break-- be warned that some of the names are in fact obscene according to Blizzard's policy, and thus might be offensive to some of our readers.
These are the categories under which names are inappropriate:
Racial/Ethnic/National
172 characters named Chinese*
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#search.xml?searchQuery=chinese&searchType=characters
55 characters named Azn
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#search.xml?searchQuery=chinese&searchType=characters
Extreme Sexuality/Violence
40 characters named Labia
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#search.xml?searchQuery=labia&searchType=characters
45 characters named Tigolebitties
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#search.xml?searchQuery=tigole&searchType=characters
41 characters named Nambla
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#search.xml?searchQuery=nambla&searchType=characters
Sexual Orientation
89 Fruitcakes
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#search.xml?searchQuery=fruitcake&searchType=characters
62 Fairys
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#search.xml?searchQuery=fairy&searchType=characters
Obscene/Vulgar
54 Sineps
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#search.xml?searchQuery=sinep&searchType=characters
95 Anigavs
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#search.xml?searchQuery=anigav&searchType=characters
Harassing or Defamatory
97 Yousucks
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#search.xml?searchQuery=yousuck&searchType=characters
Blizzard Employees
Blizz seems to do a STELLAR job w/ this one. Couldn't find one Mikemorhaime, Robpardo or Chrismetzen! Thanks for protecting us from those, Blizz!
Trademarks
81 Scopes
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#search.xml?searchQuery=scope&searchType=characters
29 Microsoft*s
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#search.xml?searchQuery=microsoft&searchType=characters
341 Googles
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#search.xml?searchQuery=google&searchType=characters
Pure Gibberish
127 Asdfghs
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#search.xml?searchQuery=asdfgh&searchType=characters
433 Qwertys
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#search.xml?searchQuery=qwerty&searchType=characters
Leet or Dudespeak
39 Lollerskates
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#search.xml?searchQuery=lollerskates&searchType=characters
173 Roflcopters
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#search.xml?searchQuery=roflcopter&searchType=characters
Titles
659 Knight*s
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#search.xml?searchQuery=knight&searchType=characters
Real World References
79 Parishilton*s
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#search.xml?searchQuery=parishilton&searchType=characters
43 Tyrabanks
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#search.xml?searchQuery=tyrabanks&searchType=characters
53 Keanureeves
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#search.xml?searchQuery=keanureeves&searchType=characters
Partial or Complete Sentences
135 Johnthe*s
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#search.xml?searchQuery=anigav&searchType=characters
178 Mikethe*s
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#search.xml?searchQuery=mikethe&searchType=characters
42 Mikeis*s
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#search.xml?searchQuery=mikeis&searchType=characters
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Virtual selves, Blizzard
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
icow Apr 6th 2007 4:09PM
What's particularly bizarre is that it seems *really easy* to solve. If one Blizz employee took half an hour a week to browse the armory, they could compile an ever-growing database of regular expressions matching invalid names. They could even ship this out into the clients at patch time, so that you'd be notified when you try to sign up as "Legolas" that this name is in violation of the Blizzard policy. Is it harder than this or is it just not a priority for them?
Tim Apr 6th 2007 4:15PM
How about Nazi stuff?
Hitler
(e.g. Arena team "Maybe Hitler Was Right")
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#search.xml?searchQuery=hitler&searchType=all
Himmler (famous Nazi head of the SS)
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#search.xml?searchQuery=himmler&searchType=all
Goering (Luftwaffe boss)
http://armory.worldofwarcraft.com/#search.xml?searchQuery=goering&searchType=all
Auschwitz and WaffenSS also generate results
Gitr Apr 6th 2007 4:18PM
Hasn't it already been covered somewhere that toons are only updated in the Armory when you log in? If they are banned or removed from the game, they may still appear in the Armory if this is the case.
Any devs out there to clear this up?
Halicante Apr 6th 2007 4:24PM
My name violates the naming policy. It was made as a joke and I never thought that I would actually level the toon, much less make it my main. I've tried numerous times to have it changed, with no success - they say they won't change it even though it violates policy. I actually have in screenshotted in a jpg at my house. I've had quite a few people report it as well. I wish they'd stand by their naming rules because my name is just that bad lol
Flit Apr 6th 2007 4:26PM
Nice ss of the forum post by "gnomechompsky" and "Chronick" about appropriate names.
Mike Schramm Apr 6th 2007 4:26PM
icow, yeah I think it is easy to deal with, but it's not a priority for Blizzard. And maybe the reason is because it's not a priority for most players-- how many of you would really report someone for an offensive name? Unless the name was extremely racist or obscene, I wouldn't bother.
By my point here is that they need to make their naming policy reflect their behavior. Either you deal with everyone who breaks the policy, or you make a really loose policy-- you can't just pick and choose whoever you want, and that's what they're doing.
Venetia of Silver Hand Apr 9th 2007 1:17PM
Amen to this post. When a few of my friends and I first started we had a group of gnomes named Peppermint, Spearmint, Cinnamint and Wintergreen. We all had back stories for our characters but myself (Cinnamint) and my friend (Wintergreen) were both forced to change our names. They were not offensive nor obscene. Over the next few weeks I saw several completely inappropriate names of characters running around Silver Hand. It still burns me thinking about it over 2 years later.
Lori Apr 6th 2007 4:32PM
Are Hunter pets included in banned names? I once saw a Hunter's pig named JenniferLopez.
Couldn't they maintain a list of banned names to check when characters are created.
Scruffy Apr 6th 2007 4:44PM
@8 I lol'd.
Oh, and I saw some warrior running around Goldshire last night with the name Analfist.
RogueJedi86 Apr 6th 2007 5:03PM
I wish I even knew how to report players. An Orc hunter killed me in STV, and he had a pet named shthead.
Seriously, how do you report players? I haven't been able to figure it out yet.
dakotareese Apr 6th 2007 5:16PM
"Qwerty" isn't gibberish. Qwerty is the standard keyboard layout and is often cited as the most commonly password used in software.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QWERTY
euphorion Apr 6th 2007 8:00PM
I once saw a troll priest running around Durotar named Abortion. I reported them, got a GM response, and saw him at level 60 a few months later. Seems inappropriate and/or offensive to me, but no dice.
Quoi Apr 7th 2007 2:19PM
@ 7
Cinnamint and Wintergreen are trademarks, I believe.
There have been a few on my server that have had to change (Ookronikoo was one). The worst was a paladin named Thalord (a randomly generated name). He was forced by a GM to change it. There is now another Thalord on my server, IIRC.
Yippster Apr 6th 2007 5:37PM
@10 you should be able to do that in the help section (the little question mark there next to your quest log, spellbook, etc).
I've never actually tried but I have gone there to submit a ticket and that's the first place I would try.
@4, try reporting yourself?
I agree with the OP that selective enforcement is lame, but I can understand why they do it.
Think about all the characters that are out there, 8.5 million subscribers.... I alone have like 10 characters, and I think 50 is the max, that's at millions upon millions of character names, easily in the hundreds of millions, and even if you were to do that, characters are created and deleted every day so that would make it even harder.
Ok lets even say that you found a way to do it, you have to have a person to do it. Would you want be the one to go to work every day for 8 hours a day where you and your team's sole responsibility is to look at lists of character names and identify which one's violate the TOS? I know I sure wouldn't.
Ok even still, lets say you find an employee that is willing to do it, I'm sure there are plenty of other more cost effective things Blizzard would rather be paying them to do, like helping them improve the game or whatnot.
So for these reasons I would not expect blizzard to do a thorough check of all character names.
On the other hand, if they do recieve a complaint about an offensive name, they can't do nothing, as it would be horrible customer service, and could even possibly leave them open to getting sued.
The TOS I think is there to give them the leverage they need when trying to persuade a player to change their character names, as opposed to just saying "someone finds your name offensive, please change it", and protects them from rebuttals like "if they are offended by my name that's their problem not mine" or "you are violating my first amendment rights"
V3T_TOO Apr 6th 2007 6:07PM
I had an issue with the naming policy. I use to go by the name Dragônhunter. The ô is made with the ALT+147. I had it for about 1 year 3 months. I had talked to GM because of some glitches with BC and no one ever had a problem with it. Then one day I get an email saying I have to change my name because my name violates the naming policy. After 2 months nothing happened. Then it did happen. When I logged on to my hunter it asked me to change my name. Vet is my new name. I am just wondering why the 10-15 GM I talked to before never said anything. Some of them must be more strict about it than others.
Pronoiac Apr 6th 2007 6:16PM
This is ridiculous...with all of the pop culture references in WoW (especially TBC) how can blizzard be banning people or forcing them to change their names?
Krianna Apr 6th 2007 6:16PM
I know that the main way of enforcing that they have is player reports-- open a trouble call and report the dang things, takes maybe thirty seconds.
Some things that *look* like they should be reportable aren't-- Link the elf wasn't in violation because it's an old german name, or some such. >.<
I usually report names when A) the person is being a jerk or B) it's just really bad. Jdahmer? That's just... disterbing.
Lori Apr 7th 2007 2:58PM
I had a HUGE issue recently with this naming policy deal. My partner's real life name is Sharon Lee (I won't tell you the last name). This is her first MMO, and she didn't really think long on naming her toon, because she didn't THINK she would keep playing. Well..she's lvl 70 now.
Upon reaching lvl 70 someone reported her for her name and she was instantly forced to change it. Know what her name was? Moolee. She plays a female Tauren (moo), her middle name is Lee (lee).
Come to find out that "moolie" in the urban dictionary means the "N-word." Go figure.
Now do an armory search on the REAL spelling of the offensive term, "moolie." Yeah, uh huh. So why did Sharon have to change HER name, which wasn't meant to be offensive, NOR is it even SPELLED the same way. Grrrr.
It really disgusts us that Blizzard did this. It is not consistent, AT ALL, nor is it fair.
Milkstar Apr 6th 2007 6:37PM
It's the arbitrary nature of their policy that I find ridiculous.
One of my guildmates built a druid named Mashedtaters. Sure enough, he was told he had to change it... NOT because of possible sexual innuendo but because "it's not an RP name and you are playing on an RP-PVP server".
So bizarre. Something tells me there's no consolidated policy that GMs keep to.
Cupio Apr 6th 2007 7:28PM
I'm actually glad that Blizzard is not more consistent with their naming policy. As has been mentioned, the official rules are probably just there so that Blizzard is legally covered, in case someone wants to sue them. If you really want to be upset with someone about this, then direct your anger towards the disturbed individuals who actually go around and report people, because they feel "offended" by names. I've never understood how people can make such a fuss about words. If you don't like it, then just ignore it. Then again, I think this is mostly a problem on the American servers, and this behaviour shoudn't come as a surprise from people who felt deeply offened by seeing a nipple on TV.