Blizzard - makers of World of Warcraft - goes off the deep end!?!
- Thread starter sojourner
- Start date
Wait till the dust settles, people forget about it, trolls get out of hand again, and then "WHAM! ReadID in your face!" with the excuse of "we had to do it, there was not other option."
Why, though? I mean, the Real ID stuff currently can be disabled with parental controls, and they're not going to do real names on the forums (which you were in no danger of accidentally using, anyway). I can understand being wary of their practices and I think it's a good idea to stay on top of the changes they make, but I don't see anything that warrants a "I will never play a Blizzard game again." If anything, it shows that they listened to their user base and may do so again in the future.
But how many times did Blizzard NOT listen to their user base when making implementation changes to their games? Answer: too many to count. While I will admit that some of the changes have been to the improvement of the game, but making changes that threaten the public safety of the user is crossing the line and that is why I will never play a Blizzard game again.
Rii
Rear Admiral
Most of the time, for good reason. Players and designers have different goals, and most players are either unable or unwilling to see more than an inch in front of their faces and as such make terrible designers.
Not really, no. So far as I'm aware the current thing whereby one has to specifically opt-out of RealID (via Parental Controls) to prevent addons from being able to sniff personal data is an unanticipated flaw that will be fixed, so as to make the system entirely opt-in as was intended. And as for the forums, you don't have to post there. You're only at risk if you choose to place yourself at risk.
Think realistically for a second. How many parents would buy Halo for their 10 year old even though it is a "M" rated game? Too many times to count. Assume that people are dumb. This "force in" into their RealID system really isn't smart as it puts the safety of their users at risk. Sure you can use parental controls, but how many people would actually use them? Far too few.
Sort of like Facebook: they change their privacy settings on a pretty regular basis and-- on average-- most folks wouldn't even notice if it hadn't made it onto CNN or Fox news.
Same here: the average parent-- that isn't game savvy or heard about the issue-- will not even think about it, much less think to check the settings for privacy and opting out of anything that doesn't cost money.
Same here: the average parent-- that isn't game savvy or heard about the issue-- will not even think about it, much less think to check the settings for privacy and opting out of anything that doesn't cost money.
Rii
Rear Admiral
Not Bungie's problem.
Like I said, the ability for addons to sniff personal data unless you've activated Parental Controls is not intended functionality. It's obviously not intended because it's (1) nonsensical and (2) you don't actually opt-out of Real ID by using Parental Controls, you merely place a lock on the ability of the account to opt-in. The flaw at the moment which makes what it is meant to be an opt-in system partially opt-out is entirely theoretical in nature. Someone has to code an addon to sniff the data, you have to download and install it - whilst not having Parental Controls activated - and then the addon authors have to get that data back somehow.
It's definitely an issue and should be addressed with haste, but it is disingenuous to suggest that Real ID is anything but opt-in; and unfair to suggest that Blizzard should be held accountable for parents' failure to act like parents despite providing them with all necessary tools to regulate their child's access to the game.
Rii
Rear Admiral
It's like I'm in some kind of giant echo chamber here.
Real ID is not opt-out. There is a security flaw in the service which allows malicious addons to sniff your data if you download them and install them and then send the data back to their authors. Frankly, if you're stupid enough to do this, you're also stupid enough to have had your account hacked by now and probably have dozens of viruses on your PC. It's a flaw in the service, and it'll be fixed. That does not make it anything other than an opt-in service.
Here's how to avoid being shanked in any way by Real ID: Don't be stupid.
Real ID is not opt-out. There is a security flaw in the service which allows malicious addons to sniff your data if you download them and install them and then send the data back to their authors. Frankly, if you're stupid enough to do this, you're also stupid enough to have had your account hacked by now and probably have dozens of viruses on your PC. It's a flaw in the service, and it'll be fixed. That does not make it anything other than an opt-in service.
Here's how to avoid being shanked in any way by Real ID: Don't be stupid.
RealID is Opt-out. You have to turn it off. IT IS ON BY DEFAULT. Here's how to really be secure from it: go into parental controls and turn it off. It really doesn't matter if there is a security flaw in the service.
And do you really think those malicious addons tell you up front that they are taking your data?
And do you really think those malicious addons tell you up front that they are taking your data?
Rii
Rear Admiral
Jesus fucking Christ. Real ID does absolutely fucking nothing unless you become Real ID friends with someone, which involves you making a number of keystrokes to the effect of 'I wish to become Real ID friends with this person'. Do you know what this kind of system is called? It's called opt-in.
Enabling Parental Controls prevents the account user from opting in to Real ID (unless the Parental Controls account holder has allowed it) because the assumption is that the account user is a child.
In addition to this, there is a security flaw whereby all non-Parental Control accounts have their own data (i.e. the name under which the account is registered) accessible to malicious addons which the user themselves downloads and installs. To make use of this data, the (stupid) user must then be even more stupid and upload it back to author of the malicious addon, there being no LUA support for such functionality within addons themselves.
Anyone who is stupid enough to do this unquestionably has their personal info (most likely far more of it than their first/last name) available to any other malicious program they might decide to download to make their penis larger or whatever it is stupid people do on the internets. That Blizzard's system functions as it does is regrettable and should (and almost certainly will) be changed, but data compromised in this manner is absolutely not their fucking problem, any more than players getting keylogged is Blizzard's problem. Nobody's privacy is compromised unless they either (1) make it so of their own free will or (2) are certifiably retarded, and unlucky on top of it.
I'm beginning to understand why Blizzard was of a mind to dump 90% of its forum community. This bullshit is ridiculous.
Enabling Parental Controls prevents the account user from opting in to Real ID (unless the Parental Controls account holder has allowed it) because the assumption is that the account user is a child.
In addition to this, there is a security flaw whereby all non-Parental Control accounts have their own data (i.e. the name under which the account is registered) accessible to malicious addons which the user themselves downloads and installs. To make use of this data, the (stupid) user must then be even more stupid and upload it back to author of the malicious addon, there being no LUA support for such functionality within addons themselves.
Anyone who is stupid enough to do this unquestionably has their personal info (most likely far more of it than their first/last name) available to any other malicious program they might decide to download to make their penis larger or whatever it is stupid people do on the internets. That Blizzard's system functions as it does is regrettable and should (and almost certainly will) be changed, but data compromised in this manner is absolutely not their fucking problem, any more than players getting keylogged is Blizzard's problem. Nobody's privacy is compromised unless they either (1) make it so of their own free will or (2) are certifiably retarded, and unlucky on top of it.
I'm beginning to understand why Blizzard was of a mind to dump 90% of its forum community. This bullshit is ridiculous.
RealID is on unless you disable it in parental controls. Anything that is on be default is by de facto OPT-OUT. The use of the friends functionality portion of RealID is Opt-in.
The security flaw is neither here nor there in this regard.
If you bought a car and the maker told you it the headlights come on automatically but you could disable them if you wanted, would you call that opt-in or opt-out?
The very definition of opt-out is to have to make a choice NOT to use something.
The security flaw is neither here nor there in this regard.
If you bought a car and the maker told you it the headlights come on automatically but you could disable them if you wanted, would you call that opt-in or opt-out?
The very definition of opt-out is to have to make a choice NOT to use something.
Rii
Rear Admiral
There is no other fucking portion of Real ID. I hate to break it to you, but you've had a first and last name since birth, and a first and last name associated with your account from the day it was registered.
The only reason the Parental Controls thing came up in the first place is because of the security flaw.
If you're sitting in a car with the key in the ignition, do you have to make a decision to start the car, or does it just drive off by itself? Enabling Parental Controls merely removes the key from the ignition and hides it. Regardless of whether the key is in the ignition or not, the car isn't going anywhere without someone opting in to the role of driver. You don't opt-out of Real ID by enabling Parental Controls, rather you block the account holder from opting-in.
And now with RealID, I suddenly have to opt-out of having my real first and last name in the game by using the parental controls.
There is no other fucking portion of Real ID. I hate to break it to you, but you've had a first and last name since birth, and a first and last name associated with your account from the day it was registered.
To quote the article you posted:The only reason the Parental Controls thing came up in the first place is because of the security flaw.
If you're sitting in a car with the key in the ignition, do you have to make a decision to start the car, or does it just drive off by itself? Enabling Parental Controls merely removes the key from the ignition and hides it. Regardless of whether the key is in the ignition or not, the car isn't going anywhere without someone opting in to the role of driver. You don't opt-out of Real ID by enabling Parental Controls, rather you block the account holder from opting-in.
In order to actually opt out, you need to set up parental controls on your account. This is not an easy task. Previous to the Battle.net merge, you could just go to a page and set them up. Done. Now, you must set up an account as one that is under parental control. Once your account is that of a child's (a several-step process), your settings default to Real ID-disabled. Any Real ID friends you have will no longer be friends. In order to enable it, you need to check the Enable Real ID box.
And you didn't answer the question from the headlight example.
I do think the Real ID feature is stupid, but even without using parental controls, no one is accessing my real name right now. I haven't added any Real ID friends, and I haven't downloaded any add-ons. Of course my information is still linked to my account and someone could gain access to it, but that's kind of the nature of things online, isn't it?
I'm not saying it's a non-issue, but it's hardly like they've defaulted to making my personal identification open to everyone.
I'm not saying it's a non-issue, but it's hardly like they've defaulted to making my personal identification open to everyone.
And now with RealID, I suddenly have to opt-out of having my real first and last name in the game by using the parental controls.
There is no other fucking portion of Real ID. I hate to break it to you, but you've had a first and last name since birth, and a first and last name associated with your account from the day it was registered.To quote the article you posted:The only reason the Parental Controls thing came up in the first place is because of the security flaw.
If you're sitting in a car with the key in the ignition, do you have to make a decision to start the car, or does it just drive off by itself? Enabling Parental Controls merely removes the key from the ignition and hides it. Regardless of whether the key is in the ignition or not, the car isn't going anywhere without someone opting in to the role of driver. You don't opt-out of Real ID by enabling Parental Controls, rather you block the account holder from opting-in.
In order to actually opt out, you need to set up parental controls on your account. This is not an easy task. Previous to the Battle.net merge, you could just go to a page and set them up. Done. Now, you must set up an account as one that is under parental control. Once your account is that of a child's (a several-step process), your settings default to Real ID-disabled. Any Real ID friends you have will no longer be friends. In order to enable it, you need to check the Enable Real ID box.
And you didn't answer the question from the headlight example.
And in the same article, earlier on:
The only reason it is opt-out is because of a security flaw. When that flaw is fixed, it will no longer be opt-out. If you don't install any untrustworthy addons, then the security flaw is unexposed and it is properly opt-in.
I don't see how that could be any clearer. Currently under certain conditions it is opt-out, but that is only because the system is not working as intended. If you don't install any addons, mucking around in the parental controls will in fact do nothing.
Not sure why everyone keeps coming back to this security flaw. Yes, there is one. Move along. My only argument has been that RealID is actually Opt-out right now, not Opt-in.
I also haven't seen anything where they say Opt-out will be removed when the security flaw is fixed. Why would they remove the ability for parents to prevent kids from using the friends feature?
I also haven't seen anything where they say Opt-out will be removed when the security flaw is fixed. Why would they remove the ability for parents to prevent kids from using the friends feature?
I gotta agree with Rii here. If you don't add anyone as a RealID friend, no one knows your name. That's pretty much as opt-in as it gets. Locking out your own ability to add a RealID friend is pointless if you weren't going to add anyone anyway.
I think it's a pretty cool freature...it saves me from having to add every one of my sister's alts on every single one of my characters.
I think it's a pretty cool freature...it saves me from having to add every one of my sister's alts on every single one of my characters.