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So a friend invite discloses your real name?


Valhingen

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This thread has made my LOL-Thread list. It's a friend invite. Friends know each other. If it's an "on-line" friend that you are totally anonymous with you have other social issues to be concerned with other than BW given out your real name.
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I understand the OP's concerns; knowing a real name is a piece to the puzzle for finding more information.

 

However, the chances of someone going to take the time and try to find your address, and then go as far to hunt you down, is probably just as likely as getting into a plane crash, surviving the first one, and then crashing the next time.

 

Do you ever see on the news or anywhere where someone has been hunted down because someone found their real name on the internet? I don't think so.

 

I do understand the OP's concerns, however I'm taking Bioware and EA's side on this. Giving friend invites to people you don't know so well is your own fault. I wouldn't be bothered with it anyway. What it comes down to is really nit-picking arbitrary things.

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OMG calm the **** $%?$ **** seriously, no one is gonna steal you nidentity if you reveal your entire name. No matter what your name is, there are most likely about 1000 person around the world with the same name.

 

Mine is Samuel Marchand, try to search on google all the Samuel Marchand and have fun finding the good one (me).

Edited by crazysam
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I understand the OP's concerns; knowing a real name is a piece to the puzzle for finding more information.

 

However, the chances of someone going to take the time and try to find your address, and then go as far to hunt you down, is probably just as likely as getting into a plane crash, surviving the first one, and then crashing the next time.

 

Do you ever see on the news or anywhere where someone has been hunted down because someone found their real name on the internet? I don't think so.

 

I do understand the OP's concerns, however I'm taking Bioware and EA's side on this. Giving friend invites to people you don't know so well is your own fault. I wouldn't be bothered with it anyway. What it comes down to is really nit-picking arbitrary things.

 

absolutely, but it's not BW's fault someone a) invited someone they shouldn't trust and b) leaving their internet footprint behind. if you google my name you will find a few entries, including someone with my name in Florida owning a cat sanctuary and someone in Bavaria (Germany) being member of a choir. I'm neither of those persons. even if someone knows my real name (including second name, which bioware doesn't know) and my hometown, all they will find out is that I won some band t-shirt years ago... wow. :rolleyes:

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Thats simply your point of view. I did not choose to give out my full name that now makes it rather easy to actually find my address too (I tried).

It's not about what they (probably) will or wont do, its what they could do.

 

Really, if you don't get the basics of privacy on this subject its stupid to talk to you about it because it leads nowhere. Just because you dont care does not mean its the same for everybody else.

 

Believe it or not... if you're not valuable, wealthy or famous, no one cares.

Edited by BlazingShadow
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Friends are for life, not just for mmo's.

 

I have no problems with people knowing my real name, even if it was Reginald Archibald jester tamsin George The 3rd.

 

Funny how a name is name, and those insecure about a name feel well, insecure about telling people it lol.

 

Seek help is my advice :)

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Im outraged,

 

I have the same name as the OP, so not only have BW given out this mans name to his "friend" they have also given out MY name too, this blatant disregard to MY privacy will not go unpunished and has violated one of my amendments or something.

 

Ill be seeking legal advice.

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When Blizzard proposed linking real names to their Real ID account, there was an outrage. A Blizzard employee, trying to cool things down, and prove it was no big deal, posted his real name on the forums. Minutes later, a poster posted the guys address, pictures of his kids, the address of the school they went to, the location of a summer home, wedding photos, and miscellaneous other info garnered by a simple Google search.

 

A counterstrike player was stabbed in the chest by a guy who was pissed simply because he lost an online match.

 

You can find a lot about someone with merely a name.

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I found this rather shocking actually.

 

So I asked a lot of online friends who would want an invite to the 7 day trial (I have 3 real life friends who basically let me tell them whom to invite aswell) and when I get the first few replies back its basically goes:

 

<real name> (Valhingen) has invited you to...

 

Now what makes you think that anyone I get along with online is supposed to know my real name that I trusted you with in my details?

Oh, and very clever that you cannot change your name in the settings either.

 

Personally I regret having sent out invitations (though my 3 I dont consider critical) but can only advise my friends not to use this.

 

Online friends are not real friends. This system was meant to be used with people you know, not random pixels around the Web.

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I can see where this would be a really sensitive issue, and Bioware SHOULD do one of two things:

 

A) Obscure the 'real name' and instead provide the account name (same as what's on the forums). The sender has the option of putting their real name in the enclosed note.

 

B) Add "This will disclose your real name to the recipient" in Bright Bold Letters with "Acknowledge" and "Cancel" buttons.

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I can see where this would be a really sensitive issue, and Bioware SHOULD do one of two things:

 

A) Obscure the 'real name' and instead provide the account name (same as what's on the forums). The sender has the option of putting their real name in the enclosed note.

 

B) Add "This will disclose your real name to the recipient" in Bright Bold Letters with "Acknowledge" and "Cancel" buttons.

 

It's called "Invite a Friend" for a reason. It's supposed that you trust the people you call friends enough to let them know who you really are. Otherwise it would be called "Guest Pass".

Edited by Orisai
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I have to wonder how you ever have managed to get a job. You give them your Social Security number, for gods' sake!

 

Sure, they haven't done anything with it. But they could! :eek:

 

Seriously, get over your paranoia. I have a rather unique name, but even with that, I'm pretty sure no one is gonna bother finding me, even though they could. Why? Because there is ABSOLUTELY no point. But, my ego isn't so bloated that I think I'm more important than I really am.

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I have to wonder how you ever have managed to get a job. You give them your Social Security number, for gods' sake!

 

Sure, they haven't done anything with it. But they could! :eek:

 

Seriously, get over your paranoia. I have a rather unique name, but even with that, I'm pretty sure no one is gonna bother finding me, even though they could. Why? Because there is ABSOLUTELY no point. But, my ego isn't so bloated that I think I'm more important than I really am.

 

I found you Heratio, I knew I would eventually :)

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Why would Bioware even think of doing this, those goshdang s--ts! I'm sure glad I did not send any invites out - would not want anyone to know that my real name is Rush Lim ... oh wait, almost slipped there. Welllllll, it's not like I got any friends left anyway ... Edited by Ayela
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It's called "Invite a Friend" for a reason. It's supposed that you trust the people you call friends enough to let them know who you really are. Otherwise it would be called "Guest Pass".

 

Of course it's called "Invite a Friend".

 

However, there are people (myself included) that I have been online associations with, where 'names' never really came up.

 

The only time I insist on real names is when money is involved (I'm paying for artwork, usually). I want a legal record of the transaction. Plus, while I don't mind giving my name to these folks, I value their privacy and expect them to value mine.

 

By doing this, Bioware has stepped in the middle of that sense of privacy. It isn't their call to reveal this info, not without my approval, semantics of the word "Friend" notwithstanding.

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