WoW Insider Show Episode 147: Worst. ID. Ever.
by Adam Holisky 
Jul 9th 2010 at 9:00AM
Every week, we present you with the WoW Insider Show podcast -- an hour's worth of WoW community discussion, covering everything from the week's top stories here on WoW.com to emails from our readers to what's been going on with our particular characters in Azeroth.
Along with your hosts, WoW.com Senior Editor Michael Sacco and Contributing Editor Matthew Rossi, we also feature rotating guest hosts, whether regular WoW.com contributors or personalities from other sites.
Want to have your question answered on the air? Email theshow@wow.com!
Get the podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the WoW Insider Show directly in iTunes.
[RSS] Add the WoW Insider Show to your RSS aggregator.
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly.
This podcast was about... well, take a guess what it was about.
Along with your hosts, WoW.com Senior Editor Michael Sacco and Contributing Editor Matthew Rossi, we also feature rotating guest hosts, whether regular WoW.com contributors or personalities from other sites.
Want to have your question answered on the air? Email theshow@wow.com!
Get the podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the WoW Insider Show directly in iTunes.
[RSS] Add the WoW Insider Show to your RSS aggregator.
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly.
This podcast was about... well, take a guess what it was about.
- Guest hosts: Addon/UI columnist Mat McCurley, and Senior Editor Adam Holisky.
- Top stories:
Filed under: Podcasts, WoW Insider Show
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
PJ Jul 9th 2010 9:07AM
Episdoe eh? Is this some new cool lingo I'm not up on? :)
Mathew Jul 9th 2010 9:23AM
It's a regional dialect.
Mitch Jul 9th 2010 12:46PM
Kudos guys, great conversation.
SarahTheGnome Jul 9th 2010 9:22AM
Thank you wowinsider! I can not wait to hear your views on this.
SarahTheGnome Jul 9th 2010 9:36AM
YAY! You said f*ck :)
Thank you, I have been waiting for this since the announcement appeared, and yes, I have been impatient in the comment section, and yes, my rage over this does sadly come across in other posts and comments when it should not, but that is just how much I feel this affects the playerbase, and the FUTURE of the game we play.
Any way, thanks for this, and thanks for mentioning the RP part. I am a part of the active Roleplaying community. And no, I don't want people to know about my WoW life. I have no shame, I talk about it, I wear my Jinx shirts outside, but I also work in an industry riddled with NDA's and seriousness. This would not be welcomed.
I've been stalked in WoW, at the time, I was absolutely petrified that it would spill over to my real life, and now, that fear becomes very very real.
Necrotica Jul 9th 2010 10:00AM
Nice open letter about Real ID:
http://greyshades.wordpress.com/2010/07/08/an-open-letter-to-blizzard/
Tim Jul 9th 2010 10:13AM
First time listening to the podcast and really enjoy hearing nerds like myself talking about a game I love. I hang on every word. You guys are great! Thanks for a cool podcast. Will be listening in the future. (Even though we love this game, I'm glad you guys aren't Blizzard ass kissers when they do stupid crap.)
Dominic Hobbs Jul 9th 2010 10:21AM
I still say a more open society is a more healthy society. Just me I guess.
Gizen Jul 9th 2010 10:44AM
Oh yeah, definitely. When that man just got beaten to death by religious fanatics because he was open about his homosexuality, that was real healthy for society.
blissfire Jul 9th 2010 10:54AM
In theory I could agree with you, however, I don't think that forced openness and the stripping of individual choice makes for a very healthy society.
talkingmike Jul 9th 2010 11:23AM
Wow, I think you're the first Wow.com columnist I've seen the doesn't seem to be waving your arms in the air and hollering hysterics about this.
N-train Jul 9th 2010 11:54AM
I know this is just the guys who usually run these Podcasts and their opinions, but I really would have liked to see someone come in the defense of this, there are some people who think this isn't the end of the world.
Possum Jul 9th 2010 12:01PM
Yeah Communism works in theory too.
It's human nature that is the problem.
Dominic Hobbs Jul 9th 2010 12:12PM
@Gizen
Are you saying he should not have been gay, or that he should not have come out about it or that he should not have been beaten?
Closing sown society induces further prejudice and bigotry, it doesn't prevent it.
Kar On E Jul 9th 2010 12:57PM
@Dominic Hobbs I would guess that what he is saying is that no matter how nice a truly open society would be, it requires everyone to have a level of human understanding and compassion that is just not possible at this point. In cases like the one he mentioned, someone dies simply because a group of other people believes homosexuality is wrong. This world is filled with people like that, and WoW players are generally not thought of out of game as the upper pinnacle of society. Employers discriminate against MMO players, stalkers exist using the game, people try to steal identities and money using in-game methods. Why would anyone in their right mind make that easier.
An entirely open society is a utopian ideal that is near impossible until we eliminate human hatred, which will sadly never happen. The best we can hope for IMHO is to eliminate the ideals that cause the hatred to the point where it is generally safe to be open about it. Until then, forcing people to be open about such things and give their identities additionally is generally placing a Scarlet Letter on their collective chests.
Lute Jul 9th 2010 1:22PM
Here here, Dominic! I guess the world's not ready for it yet.
Hollow Leviathan Jul 9th 2010 3:19PM
A more open society is a more healthy society, which is why we have guaranteed freedom of speech and guaranteed anonymous speech from the highest courts in the land, to ensure that unpopular or condemned information can still travel freely. If we had to reveal the "Real ID" of whistleblowers, we would lose a lot of corporate/governmental accountability.
That may seem unrelated to a game forum, but the exposure of your name to international scrutiny is similar. All of my characters are already attached to an account, and Blizzard knows my name. Real ID on the forums would only increase accountability via fear of abuse and harassment from other players.
Hollow Leviathan Jul 9th 2010 3:20PM
PS: Of course the warlock columnist is playing the heel of this argument.
Gizen Jul 9th 2010 5:48PM
@Dominic Hobbs
What should and shouldn't happen is irrelevant to the discussion (though obviously the man shouldn't be being attacked simply for being gay). What's relevant is that being open and honest in public has very real consequences. It can result in the loss of your job, a criminal charge, harassment, or even physical bodily harm. And quite frankly, sometimes, my personal information just isn't anybody else's business but mine.
Hell, if I was to go out, and troll somebody in real life, pick some random guy off the street and start being a complete and utter asshole to him for no reason, and he turned to me and demanded I tell him my name, would I have to tell him? No, because he doesn't have the right to that information. Not that he needs it to make me stop trolling, that's what the police are for. And on the forums, that's what the blues are for.
Just knowing somebody's identity doesn't stop them from being a dick. If it did, then bullies wouldn't exist in the real world.
bonse Jul 9th 2010 10:25AM
I find it hard to believe that this realId business is really about troll control, in europe, removing internet anonymity from the 12-16 age group would be commercial suicide with the current feelings on internet predators, that then leaves the demographic most typically accused of trolling unaffected by the change.
I'm more interested in whether or not its a reaction to South Korea forcing all citizens to only post in forums with their names, something youtube got around by blocking South Korea IP's, now, with the continual muck ups with the chinese and other asia server providers i know a large part of that continent go through another country's servers, is that country Korea? it vaguely rings a bell, if so IP blocking would cut off a significant number of established customers.
Anyway, enough of that, I had intended to post just to say that that was the first time i had listened to your podcasts and I'm glad i didnt just skip to the end for the bit i initially got it for, the whole thing was top quality