Tale Seventy Six: Why Blizzard is being put DOWN.

So…. Wow.

Blogsphere has exploded with the RealID on the forums.

I’m getting more and more pissed off at the game, at Blizzard, at some stupid choices they’re making and as a result, they’re going to lose customers. Not smart, especially in the middle of a lull before of an expansion.

Like I said on Twitter, the whole RealID showing the friends of my friends my real name isn’t too big of a deal. All my friends are taking breaks or quit the game, my guild is no more to me and Littlebark is homeless. So that change hasn’t impacted me that much.

But this? I do post on the forums from time to time and it really pisses me off that my name will be popping up. Online, I am Littlebark. In fact, the few people I’ve met in game –via guild- have my number and they call me LB when they text me. It’s who I am when I switch on WoW. I’m under no illusion that it’s my alter ego and that it’s going to help me un-blur the lines. No. I know Littlebark is my online persona and the real me is different than when I go to work or school or whatever.

I find it funny that even Littlebark has a “real name” (for RP purposes) but most people don’t know it because her persona is LB or Cuddlebug or Lovebug or Bark. If you’ve read this blog for awhile, you know my first name. It’s literally a unique name in North America, and combined with my last name? I’m the only one of me in my city with that combination. Only one person in game knows my full name, and that is Grimmstone, whom I trust completely with it.

Blizzard, I am not comfortable with sharing my private and confidential details in-game, where literally every peeper and weirdo can see me.

I am tired of changes. Catalysm and druid changes aside, this is one too far. My family emigrated from my home country when I was a youngster for political reasons. When I started WoW, I was weary of it but Mr. Littlebark assured me that my name would not ever show up online. And I felt safe because of it. With this, I’m afraid that I won’t be able to post on the forums for fear of not only myself but my family.

Another thing that pops to mind is famous people that play WoW. I bet they play under an alias, happily hiding behind a character and not having to worry about the “OHMYGOD ITS THAT

FAMOUS PERSON! AHHHHH” kind of fans.

Not too long ago, after I left Lords, I joined an Alliance progression guild on a different server with my priest. And one of the first things they told me is that they used their first names instead of avatar names. *blink* Ooookaaaay, I guess that’s fine. But after a few days of seeing my first name in my guild note, I /gquit. I didn’t like blurring my RL with my toons. I feel that it’s okay to use RL names in a guild where it’s a family or close friends. But strangers like this…. It felt strange.

In short, I’m giving you the big WTF STAMP, Blizzard. You’ve received a failing grade on this one.

/end tree rage.