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Blizzard Made Me Change My Name
First of all, the reason that my account is in violation is that my name contains a title prefix. It took dozens of inquiries to get that explained. 'Cmdr' is the problem. I'm told that since the game has an internal honor system with titles, my name is not allowed. Never mind the fact that 'Cmdr' is not one of their titles. Never mind that countless other titles abound in the game: Mr, Sir, Sensei. Am I in violation of their policy? Probably. Is the policy stupid, meaningless, or inconsistent? I think so, but that's not really why I'm writing this.
I've been using 'CmdrTaco' online for around a decade now. It predates the existence of this website. It has followed me from game to game, both local, networked, and massive. My only problem with it is that as Slashdot grew in popularity, I started finding places where an impostor has taken it. I was excited when I was able to get it in Warcraft. It's like a warm blanket. It's stupid I know, but it's mine.
But Blizzard chose to take it from me. Now let me be clear: this is certainly their right: They own the dice and the board and the rulebooks, and I only play in their world. But If the US Government told me to change my name... let's say Congress passed a law making it illegal to have a first name that is a verb (Don't laugh, the White House cease and desisted The Onion!) Well I guess 'Rob' would have to go. My friends would still recognize me: I'd still have the same face, address, and social security number. I'd just have a cool new name like "Captain Fantastic Malda". With a name like that, the auto mechanics would never try to rip me off!
In this virtual world, two levels gives me a couple new pieces of armor, and suddenly I am unrecognizable to anyone who may have run an instance with me. In guild chat, I am a total stranger to people I may have chatted with for months. My history with other players has been erased. It almost makes me wish that I spent my first 45 levels ninja looting!
It's not like Blizzard decided to change gameplay dynamics. I spend a lot of time working on the Slashdot moderation system, and I never have any problem changing any "Rule" in the system if I believe it will improve the overall functionality of the whole system. If blizzard wants to make my mace have 5 less DPS and 3 less stamina because it's unbalanced, well I can accept that. Balancing gameplay is really hard. But in a massive multiplayer game, your name is different- that isn't about balance, it's about identity.
A friend of mine actually quit Everquest over a forced name change. His name was Marilyn Hanson and while fighting something he was disconnected without warning. When he returned, his name had been changed to a randomly generated one. When he asked GM, he was told that he could not have celebrity name. When my friend asked who Marilyn Hanson was, the GM could not answer, but instead just said arguing wouldn't matter. My friend quit EQ that day.
I don't think I'll quit WoW over this, but I will take away some lessons. The GM I talked to had a nickname of something like Lathanian. I found this disconcerting. If you were arrested by Officer Snuggles or found guilty by the honorable Judge Lawtron, it's hard to take that seriously. In this case 'Punishment' is being dealt. A real human is wearing a shroud of anonymity and handing out the bitchslap to a total stranger. That really makes the whole experience even more dehumanizing. In a massive virtual world, we're still people.
You don't see names and faces, which is why you'll see a 60 corpse camp a 30. When you don't see the real person on the other side, the tendency is just to forget. You expect it from opposing factions- but it feels different when it's the GM. Personally this is something I struggle with in my work too. You deal with a hundred support requests and it starts becoming abstract. Unreal. Virtual. I doubt it's much different if you work at the support counter at a retail store, but I think it's easier to forget when the only communication is chat.
Second, the GMs at blizzard really have no power. I asked for contact information. For email information. For names. For an appeal. To talk to a supervisor. And the best they would give me was the generic help phone line or a mailing address. Like with a stamp! I was told that almost every question I asked was unanswerable in game. I gave an email address but they never emailed. They wouldn't even tell me what was wrong with my nickname until after a half dozen inquiries of why. You have really no recourse against a GM. That scares me.
Lastly, I didn't really realize that I was so attached to my nickname. It's not because I'm "Famous"- We have a lot of readers, but these days very few actually know who I am. And of those, the percentage of people who play warcraft, and are alliance, and on azgalor... well it is very tiny. As CmdrTaco I probably had a total of 5 people actually recognize my nickname (and nobody ever gave me gold because they read Slashdot!). As Violated, nobody ever will recognize me for my day job. But that's really not what bugs me. I was really attached to my name. This character bounded through Azgalor slaying monsters and meeting new people. Now that character is erased and another character stands in its place. Same armor. Same class. But different somehow. I like my nickname. I wish I had it on every system I used. I'm annoyed that someone else registered my nickname on gmail before I could. It's always the first name I try when a system asks me to create an account. I feel strangely possessive about it. I doubt I'm alone in being attached to a pseudonym. And I feel kind of stupid admitting it.
Anyway, I've said my piece on the subject. And just to be clear, I'm not really mad at Blizzard. I think what they did was needless and inconvenient, but not evil. Their policy may be silly, but I still was in violation of it, so I guess I got what I deserved. But I wonder about others. And not just in Warcraft, on any online forum. I wonder about our attachment to virtual names. And if nothing less, it will make me take changes in Slashdot a little more seriously next time.
This is all spelt and punctuated correctly, and contains no duplicated paragraphs!
Who are you, and what have you done with the real Taco?
interesting.. but front page?
Because of this rule, you need to remove the title from your name and go by just "Taco", or choose a completely different handle.
It sucks, but them's the breaks. If you don't like it, well, feel free to start a write-in/call-in/email-in/protest-march-in campaign to get them to change their rules. Here's their webform.
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
you deserve what you got for giving money to the DMCA-wielding jackbooted thugs. No sympathy here. You knew they were evil and bought from them anyway. A fool and his money and all that.
One CPU cycle wasted on digital restrictions management is ONE TOO MANY.
I'm not sure about names but the whole Warden issue made me rethink the whole Wow thing. The bottom line is that this game is Blizard's to create policy however they see fit. If you don't like it, talk about it. If the cons outweigh the pros -- it's a no brainer, but otherwise it makes for a good discussion about our online rights and who can control your online identity. Then again... I might go by God online. Does that mean people should worship me?
The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
I'm sorry to say this, but for the love of god, ITS JUST A FRIGGIN NAME.
Also, this entire post looks like an open letter form cmdr taco to get his account stats back.
Grow up dude.
perpetually dwelling in the -1 pits
A real human is wearing a shroud of anonymity and handing out the bitchslap to a total stranger.
When did the topic become the moderation system?
You could a) take your money elsewhere
b) keep giving them your money, and give them some publicity on /., too
With enemies like you, who needs friends?
Everybody's a libertarian 'till their neighbour's becomes a crack house.
...if you're playing a Paladin, you deserve everything you get.
"Nothing can shake my belief that this world is the fruit of a dark god whose shadow I extend." - Emil Michel Cioran
if you really want something done about it, why don't you link to their webform in the article. i think they may reconsider your case once they get slashdotted..
-- lol pwned
Geez - Get a job Taco.
Heck, I even registered it, defensively, at DKos.
Best Slashdot Co
"I need a handle. My handle is like my identity." - Hackers
Did he post this whole thing just so he could prove to the other kids playing some RPG that Violated was infact CmdrTaco?
I predict that by the end of the week our beloved CmdrTaco will have his identity in WoW back...
Be a real patriot: Question authority. Think for yourself. Formulate your own conclusions.
I'm surprised in your story that your friend on EQ was disconnected and had his name changed. I had a druid on EQ quite a while back named Girlon and everything was fine until I made the surname Girlaction. Anyway, they just sent me an in-game message saying my surname was going to be changed and asked what I'd like to to be. It was really pretty simple.
Finance tutorials and more! Understandfinance
I agree... this is a JE put on the front page.
I know its not intentional, but on the surface, this looks like:
They f*ck around with me? Do they know how I am? I'll show them!
I wouldn't be surprised if Blizzard decides to let him have the alias back, but I doubt it would happen (never back someone into a corner on a judgement call).
The call was a petty one... this article is doubly as petty.
Good quote, too many chars. Seriously, the slashdot 120 char limit sucks!
I wish the parent comment could be modded to +10. Well said.
... to my coworker. He had a game name which was pronounced like "car bomb" (He recounted this to me verbally, so I'm not sure how it was spelled) and was forced the change it. The irony? He actually used Blizzard's in-game random name generator to come up with the name. Oh well. I like WoW, so I'll still be playing.
when i did my phd in the US, the first thing my advisor asked me was. which username i wanted for my new account. since i could not come up with anything useful, he suggested 'dummkopf' (given my germanic roots...), which i gladly accepted. the name since has been used *everywhere*... until i got to zurich. everything went well for a while until i was asked to change the username or lose privileges on a local compute cluster. turns out one of the users felt addressed whenever he saw jobs which had a "dummkopf" in front of them... i know, makes one wonder. and no, i could not appeal. and yes, i still use it everywhere else...
I don't know who you are, but you might want to pick a different username. CmdrTaco is the guy who runs this website and he'll be mighty upset.
qntm.org
online protest
at [re arranged time have veryone change their name to a vriant of "i am commander taco"
oh and all your kirk douglas are belong to us.
Yeah - get this. My first ever user name (which I will refer to as Name1) was pretty original. My second username (Name2) was a temp name I used for people I didn't want to share my main user name with (like this one actually). Anyway, I went to name1.com & it was taken. When looking up the contact stuff (just out of interest), I found it was 'Name2@name1.com' ! Really freaked me out. Take solice in the knowledge that maybe someone came up with the name just as uniquely as you did, and maybe that's pretty cool..
"You know you don't act like a scientist, you're more like a game show host." Dana Barret
Get over it. (It is their policy. The time of finding out does not matter.) Just as much as we must get over you not accepting our submissions if they are not USA-centric enough.
I think this belongs in the www.slashdot.org/blog part of the website, right near the "my dad won't let me borrow the keys" post and under the "Favorite Music: Mega Man X Remix" line.
I reccommend changing from "Commander" (Cmdr) to "Commode" (Cmmd) because your true name has been flushed down the toilet
-- "At Microsoft, quality is job 1.1" -- PC Magazine, Nov. 1994
Dear Sir -
The blatant lack of spelling and grammatical errors in this post can only lead me to the conclusion that this story was posted using CmdrTaco's stolen identity. I beseech you to end your ironic postings with his account.
Thank you.
Seriously. I stopped playing Blizzard games 2 years ago because I was fed up with the mismanagement of their online games. I've since found other games that are amazingly fun. Check out S2 games. While Savage is somewhat old now it still has a loyal and active following. Their new game also looks promising.
Who cares?
its fine learn 2 play
If you're on someone else's site, especially one in which they have a TOS like Blizzard's, you know what to expect and you live within their rules. Nobody has a right to a user id/identity.
This space intentionally full of text.
"I've been using 'CmdrTaco' online for around a decade now. It predates the existence of this website. It has followed me from game to game, both local, networked, and massive. My only problem with it is that as Slashdot grew in popularity, I started finding places where an impostor has taken it. I was excited when I was able to get it in Warcraft. It's like a warm blanket. It's stupid I know, but it's mine."
So other people who use CmdTaco are imposters. And you go and use someone else's name according to Blizzard. However, you are no imposter because that name, well damn it, it's yours. The inherent contradictions in your entire rant are rather funny.
This is a pain I know all too well .
I have been kicked from chat rooms and had an account halted on UO for the same reason as the guy on EQ .
My name is satirical , not a troll and I am not pretending to be the president of Cuba
Fidel catsro comes from a sketch I was writing about turning Communist leaders of the 20th century into small fluffy animals who were trying to take over the world.
I had decided to go with catsro . I had the choice of Chairman Meow , Pol cat
I am very attached to this nick name , and really get annoyed if i am forced not to use it
(Though I very much doubt Casrto would ever use his real name whilst playing Ultima online)
on a total side note
I have had several questions posed to me about my Human rights record , these people were serious and got really angry.
The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
... CmdrTaco should understand that the second you go to a corporation you no longer have rights, feelings, or an identity.
You are a number! Not a free man!
I was playing some online games, but then they go and implement dumb rules, or change the game dynamics making it "suck".
So I complain, they say no, and I quit.
Your viewing (or payment) is the only thing they care about. As long as their power tripping GMs don't cost them customers, they don't care, and they shouldn't care because it obviously doesn't matter that much.
Reminds me of irc politics, everything was fine with abusive ops for years. Then people started complaining and actually leaving and changes came.
This is a blog entry.
.. but hey .. thats life .. it sucks .. deal with it.
Yes I agree that Blizards behaviour is bad
After all we have to deal with bad editing here.
I am Slashdot. Are you Slashdot as well?
Cry more, noob.
It's fine, learn2play.
Seriously. This belongs in the WoW forums, or in your journal, not on Slashdot as a legitimate article.
Maybe CmdrTaco melted too many faces in pvp?
Blizzard seems like an unbearable control freak. Someone is using "Craft" in their name, even though it gives people a reason to buy the otherwise dead Warcraft 2? Sue 'em! Someone made an Open Source clone of our battlenet servers which will give our customers more freedom to play online? Not in our control, sue 'em! Oh no, people are using names we don't like for some vague reasons on our online game. Can't have that, can we? Lots of silliness going on here..
I had my level 57 Shaman account disabled because someone complained about my in-game langauge. Can you believe that? Someone actually turned off their bad language filter, and then complained because they saw bad language.
The human races makes me cry sometimes. I never got a new account because of how idiotic their policies are.
"you sonofabitch i didn't know!"
While I too find this somewhat ironic, he does bring up a good point. In a virtual world where the only truly identifying characteristic is a character's name, how does a name change (forced or voluntary) impact relations with others in the game? A follow up question would be: how could developers, if they so chose, account for this to minimize any negative impact?
If the idea of MMORPG social circles seems trivial or unimportant to you, what about something like a seller's account on eBay? In a digital world when all someone has to go on is the reputation of your "unique ID," what happens when that ID changes such that it is no longer recognizable as you?
After the bnetd garbage, I've refused to purchase any new Blizzard titles. In my eyes, Blizzard has gone from one of the best video game makers in the world to pure evil, deserving nothing but derision. Perhaps you, armed with this fresh experience, will now agree?
Does anyone besides me find it hypocritical that CmdrTaco is such a Linux zealot and yet he plays a game that only officially runs on Windows?
I knew a guy named "Thatguythere". He was asked to have his name changed and Blizzard's GMs rejected 32 of his other choices and finally gave him the name "Thronwe". He said "WTF" and i said "WTF". I also saw a guild named "Fornicating Skulls" for a couple of months before they vanished.
Bottomline: The GMs usually don't care unless someone reports your name or your guild name. Then they become all gungho because some idiot is being offended by something really non-offensive. Someone reported your name Taco. Reporting for some people is their way of "griefing". F**kers.
Now we know why Taco has so many dupes. He's play WoW all the time!
If you regard this as petty, I understand, but I tried not to write in an agressive tone. My intentions are anything but petty.
Pants are still optional, but recommended for you.
Its a game. I get the impression that too many people that play in these 'virtual worlds' are losing touch with reality.
I see violations of the naming policy all the time on my "Normal" server, Eonar. Frankly, there are too many to realistically enforce on all servers everywhere. Those that do get picked out feel (rightly so) that they are being picked on.
IMHO, only Role-Playing servers should have a strict naming policy. The only enforcement on other servers should be for profanity/crudeness. No "IfckedUrMom" or somesuch.
[PowerPoint] is a tool for capitalist presentation
I find it's intersting to think about our connection to our virtual names as well. I don't fault Blizard for enforcing a naming policy at all. I find it highly disuptive to my immersion in a fantasy world to see silly or comical character names, but I've grown used to it. In fact I'm guilty of it as well. Roll up your tenth alt in EQ and your bound to seek solace in a funny name, or a desrcriptive one rather than a totally original word, or name. Like you say though Cmdr, you knew you were in violation when you used the name, you were surprised to find it available, so it's really just a delayed response to a rule violation. In a way the inability to apeal judgements provides a less biased approach to rule enforcement.
This name infringes upon Taco Bell's trademark. Blizzard is simply trying to avoid a lawsuit.
Maybe you should see if you can get something like "exCmdrTaco" through?
Maybe you should have read the naming guidelines before you named your character? They're right there when you choose a name. I have to agree with you that Blizzard reps are automatons with no clear hierarchy, but in this case they were right.
I think that the real meat of the issue got overshadowed by your commentary on your personal experience. What happens to our virtual identities? What happens when you can't have the name you've built? The same thing happens on AIM and other sites. When you are forced by circumstances to develop a new name, something changes. I'm hoping the discussion here will start to address issues like prospects for a global name registry or a solution to this issue.
It's just a game. Sometimes it scares me how immersed we've all become in the virtual world -- work, play, and entertainment all seem to intertwine into a tangled pile of bits. My advice might seem strange: Go find a real-world hobby instead. Woodworking, go-kart racing, flying, skiing, filmmaking, scuba diving. They won't give you carpel tunnel syndrome, you'll get your butt out of a chair, and you won't find yourself writing lengthy online editorials about how a game won't let you name yourself after a food. You'll live longer, trust me.
Speech is not an abuse of power and Slashdot is his journal.
I might also point out that he specifically said, more than once, that he was not complaining about an abuse of power.
Please keep the petty bitching confined to livejournal.
Et tu? Ahhhhh, the irony.
KFG
Maybe that's because many /. readers have never actually met the Taco...
Please feel free to read between the lines..
I too have had several poor experiences with GMs.
To be fair, every time I have actually msg'd with one, I have felt an undercurrent of frustration from them as if they are mostly powerless, and may even agree with my plea.
I am leaving the game, however, because there isn't a way to 'go up the chain' which is probably due to the scale of the game, but diminishes my enjoyment nevertheless.
I have one character who cannot train first aid with silk bandages, though she meets the requirements, and the GMs will only say that it _must_ be a mod. Funny thing is, with no mods I still have the same problem.
When client side lag issues rear an ugly head around the next corner, and issues abound, it's "unavoidable" -- truth? I think so, but it diminishes the fun factor.
I have had a character who lost 20g due to a glitch, and know others who have had similar problems, and the response from the GM was, "This is due to an installed mod. Disable all mods." No redress, no _possibility_ for redress, nothing.
The fact is that this is a huge game, and probably unmanageable in these terms. Fine. I accept that, but even the appearance of an appeal would help salve the sores of frustration.
Sad to say, much of the fun is gone for the frustration. I might have stayed but for this: every time there has been a GM problem, I have been given the same answer: we do not do X as a matter of policy.
Goodbye Stormwind.
-[joke removed for your safety]-
There is a "Commander" rank, and Cmdr is an obvious abbreviation of that rank name, so the change was in line with the policy.
About the name change policy, it is sometimes aggravating, but so would be seeing a number of people with stupid names running around. There's already too many who don't get changed, at least the worst of the lot we can do something about. I don't feel much immersion when I see 1337Dude rogue running around.
About the GMs, yes, Blizzard's customer service department in WoW totally and bluntly SUCKS. I've had good experiences with GMs in the past, and a couple bad ones, and I've read and been witness to a number of really bad experiences. When you get a bad GM, you can have to go through a harrowing experience, and the impossibility of escalating issues makes it worse. You feel like you were living in a totalitarian society.
About the recognition issue, it's a real problem. Some well-known ninjas have managed top get their names changed and started a new career of more bad behavior, and some really good players I've played with in the past vanished from the face of the game only to later inform me their name had been changed...
Morwen - lvl 60 hunter, Deathwing
If he explores all forms and substances Straight homeward to their symbol-essences; He shall not die.
I've always found blizzards name policies to be very annoying, once they tried to tell me I couldn't use the name bassgoonist cause it had ass in it. I then pointed out bassfisher, bassplayer etc. and they let me keep it. I know its no where near the same, but you could use TacoCmdr :-p
You can tell I'm an aries because of my ram.
Uhm, what "abuse of power"? Can you point to the clause in the Slashdot Constitution stating that editors can't editorialize?
-Stephen
I think you forgot to hit the "Post as JonKatz" checkbox before you submitted this one.
I've had enough abrasive sigs. Kittens are cute and fuzzy.
Sure it may be a good point, but its buried in an entire article ranting and bitching about losing his name, on the front page of Slashdot. And never mind he could have avoided losing the name by following the rules in the first place.
Hmm... I was going to post something about how he (along with other editors, to be fair) can't be bothered to verify the validity of submitted articles, but yet finds the time to something like this.
Then I realized, well... this is his website.
Then I realized there are actually people who pay real money for a subscription and are thanked with a handful of bogus articles, so the failure to verify sources and articles is nice smack in the face.
Then I realized that I am not one of those subscribers, so I don't feel I have a significant reason to complain, and that I'll just leave it up to someone else.
Of course, here I am... because I also realized that "leaving it up to someone else" has become the norm for the editors on Slashdot, and I didn't want to validate that stance.
People will pass up steak once a week, for crap every day.
To me this seems more like something that should end up in Taco's journal...not on the front page. This is a rant about why blizzard should be doing something different based on one WoW players experiences and opinion. I'm not trying to troll or anything, but this is not news/media in any way.
I've never stepped into the world of commercial online games, and this basically sums up the reason. A mud may not have some fancy 3d graphical interface, but it's run by regular people, not some faceless corporation. A good mud gives you the feeling that you're a part of the world you in, that in some sense it belongs to you. Commercial games are 100% the property of BigCorp, Inc.
I have seen the future, and it is inconvenient.
I thought it was "Commodore Taco."
Eloi are stupid, throw morlocks at them!
The erosion of civil liberties, DRM, software patents and Taco is whinging like a teen over being forced to change his name in some saddo RPG. Get some priorities!
I would have to say I agree with where you're coming from. I have been JML (some sites require a minimum 6 chars, so it's theJML) since I was like 10. Everyone knows me as that from as far back as I can remember and it's nice to know that. I can find my friends the same way, so why not them find me?
On the flip side you are a member in their arena, so you have to go by their rules and regulations and I know from running BBS's and websites, sometimes you have to draw the line somewhere as an admin. They chose the line and as a player in their world you have to follow it. If you don't like it, you can go play something else I suppose, afterall, you may think you have a name, but in a system that large, a name is really only a collection of characters following the [A-Z|a-z|0-9]* pattern.
-=JML=-
It disgusts me how little sense of real community /. folks have. CmdrTaco has been a major force in keeping this place together for years, and you constantly make use of the fruits of his labor. Now he wants to let off a little steam and all you can do is insult and yell at him? What's most interesting is that at least one of these posts are telling him he has no right to bitch, then in the same paragraph complaining about the quality of slashdot itself.
The "abuse of power" charge doesn't hold well, either. He's not asking for any action to be taken. We have plenty of basically editorial articles posted here every day, and many are much more trivial, biased, and/or political. If you can't stand it, maybe you should take your time and energy somewhere else instead of telling him what he can and can't post here.
Delete your paladin and roll a shaman. This is a little OT but seriously though, alliance are all pretty and stuff but they suck as a rule on most servers. This is because they are too busy admiring their female characters or because the horde are usually ex-alliance who know how to play the game.
/ducking
/running
If i was a paladin, i'd put my shield on against all those flames that are gonna hit me but since i am not,
First off, I don't see how /. is a personal forum for how someone was violated by a naming system and online personalities. Particularly when I've been the victim of NUMBEROUS post deletings, and even a couple of article submission rewrites (posted under anonymous). I've even posted articles as anon 2 days before someone else posts it and theirs gets accepted. So this whole thing is like
*ring ring* "hello? Mister Kettle, it's Mr. Pot on line 2!"
On the other hand, I understand what he's saying. I've used the netname Ozymandias for 15 years. I can't count how many times someone takes it. Particularly when it's someone using it on one of my game servers knowing full well that name is one of the administrators of the server. My name has been my identity online when someone else uses it...I feel violated in so many ways. Particularly when it turns out they're using the name maliciously.
It'll be a sad day when CmdrTaco is a celebrity name.
"Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past." -- George Orwell
sell your certainty and buy bewilderment
Sorry to hear about this, CmdrTaco. Maybe you can still use "Cmdr" as long as it's not at the beginning of the line -- as in: "TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsCmdrTaco"
Are you aware that slashdot is indeed a blog? It may be a big and recognized one, and it might be older than the slew of iname emo blogs, but it's still just a fucking blog! Calling slashdot "somewhat unbiased" doesn't quite cut it, either. Whether or not CmdrTaco is a crybaby doesn't matter, the article is one of the few first-hand items here, it's gaming related and it's about an issue relevant to some people.
So cry me a fucking river, too.
Fight hunger. Filet a politician and send him to a 3rd world country of your choice.
Don't you have enough worries in the real world, like running the crown of geekdom, a.k.a., slashdot, so that you are WASTING (with caps) time on a stupid game ? Moreover, you are wasting time crying over something stupid like moderation ? Do you see/read/hear people getting their articles rejected at /. even though most of them have more substance than the open source blabber some pundit spills out daily ?
To WoW, you are a customer. If you do not like how they run their system, you have the power to quit. If not, play by their rules. Not in many places, guests have much to say how the house gets run, as we, the peons, have not much to say what you publish here and what you reject.
As many people said, Grow Up !
__________
The more I know people, the more I love animals
So he broke the rules he agreed to multiple times by now. He gets caught with it and so complains on an on-line forum
Ayup he is a MMORPG'er alright
You didn't read the rules, you lose, too bad.
I've been repeatedly banned from Slashdot because our ISP uses a transparent proxy and it looks like we all use the same IP. Emails to peter@slashdot.org have never got me anywhere.
You even used a "famous" name in an MMORPG, you're own at that.
What do you think the R in RPG means ? In EQ you would have been named changed just for that.
There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
To everyone above me that flamed him for "bitching" you missed the big point.
Please keep the petty bitching confined to livejournal.
Isn't that exactly what Slashdot is? A blog site. Run by a guy called Taco and his friends. Albeit very popular, sold to a larger corporation and run as a business.
Is it his fault he came up with the idea and coded his own system long before Live Journal took off, copied the concept and then gave it to the masses? Does that suddenly invalidate his use of his own site for the purpose he came up with first?
I think we get proprietary about Slashdot. Because it's such a great service, we spend so much time with it, we forget it's someone else's and start to see it as our own. Thus, much like someone coming in and bitching all over our own blog, we take it personally. But, we forget, we're in his house. If we don't like it, we're welcome to leave. Hell, he even shares his code so we can make our own. But, no, we'd rather bitch about his use of his own site.
Damn fine time to start...
People will pass up steak once a week, for crap every day.
when did slashdot start having legitimate articles?
Woot, you play on my server. God I hope I've obliterated your bubbley paladin ass at least more than once :P
See you in game!
Quit. By using your site, you vent, try to get some sympathy and well, end up losing. Many people probably had the same problem you had, but no audience to hear their pleas. No amount of whining will amount to anything until you cancel your subscription. By continuing to give them your money after this speech, you admit that you're STILL willing to accept their policies and agree to their judgement. Do the right thing: cancel your subscription and give them bad publicity IMO
We should have been
So much more by now
Too dead inside
To even know the guilt
Slashdot used to run quite a few opinion and rant pieces written by the editors. Probably the most well-known of these is JonKatz's "Voices from the Hellmouth" series of essays on his thoughts on the whole high school shooting thing of the late 1990s.
Yeah, this hasn't happened on Slashdot in quite a while, but honestly, I'm glad to see it happen again, and I hope that this means it will happen more in the future.
Of course, I think the reason why it ended in the first place is that the comments section for every single opnion piece that Slashdot ran was filled to the brim with slashbots' knee-jerk rants and flaming of whichever editor wrote the article, to the point that the opinion pieces brought Slashdot comments sections to a new low in that absolutely no intelligent discourse would happen whatsoever.
Given that your flame of CmdrTaco hit "+5, Insightful" so quickly, I have a feeling that things haven't changed much since the first time the slashbot crowd killed opinion pieces on Slashdot. So yean, even if I want them back, I admit they probably shouldn't come back.
If something like this offends you so much personally that you consider it tech news for the rest of us, I would strongly suggest you reevaluate your committment to online gaming and your life in general.
I am sure Bliz knows that char is really you now and will not bug you about it any more, I would not be supprized if they appoligze.
Everyone, take a second to look past that the submitter is Taco...
This article fits the requirement to be on slashdot even had it not happened to Taco.
1.) It is about technology
2.) It fits into the Games category
3.) It is a legitimate technology concern as to what you can and cannot do on someone elses network
Abuse? Hardly, my friend. Rob created Slashdot. Rob feels personally maligned by a large corporation, and with no success in pleading his case with Blizzard, he's taking the next logical step: publicize the issue.
I respect that this is Rob's playground, and since the subject matter does fit within usual Slashdot fare I do not see how this is "abusing arbitrary power," no matter how livejournalish it may be.
Nathan
Isn't in Chinese culture when people get to have a public name, chosen by oneself, and a "family name" only known by your nearest ones (and given by your fathers)? I see online nicknames that way.
Singularity: a belief in the "God" idea with the "demiurge" relation inverted.
Don't worry about it, in 15 levels (25 if you want to buy in to the rumors), you will be faced with a dead end of many, many, many raids, and/or a pvp system that has no purpose, no goal, and no fun to it.
:)
Then you will join the others...those that canceled after they found out the light at the end of the tunnel was just a kobol...
why there are so many dupes, grammer (sic) mistakes, and dirth of quality articles: between Zonk and Taco all the slashdot editors are off playing. Maybe we should just "/join slashdot" in WoW to get our news for nerds.
Only the company exists.
WoW is like a scene from some dark science fiction work where the characters live, work, and die in a company town. Blizzard owns and controls WoW. They make the rules. They make the laws. *You* *have* *no* *rights*, except the ones they decide to allow you. You can buy citizenship in this world, but that only gets you so much. Even your very identity can be wiped away. CmdrTaco no longer exists. His history is gone. No one will remember what happened to him.
What can you do about it? I suppose you could start working on a revolution, but what happens when WoW Secret Police suddenly close your account down? And how do you riot against the Gods themselves, anyway? The best you can do is join a rival "state" - at least you can still defect. What happens when you can't even do that?
--LWM
They made me rename my character, originally named "AuralSecks". So I choose "Fylaechyau".
Journal has been deleted. If you are ndptal85, you have a period of 30 days to decide to undelete your journal.
Maybe it just proves your point that you CAN'T say anything you want, unless you're running your own server? That's what I read about it, and why I run Drupal and Typo on a homeserver behind a static IP via DSL (perhaps the last bastion of freedom left! (*tough firmly planted in cheek*)
fak3r.com
It seems like the real problem is that they should have told you there was a problem with the name when you first created the character. It seems like the worst part is losing the identity/reputation you created in the game, not the loss of a particular handle.
It's not an abuse of power, but it is BLOGesque whining, and is pretty lame to see here. Imagine if on CNN, Ted Turner came on and talked about how he had bad service at a restaurant. It'd just make you think, "man is that guy a loser". Who does CmdrTaco think he is, jwz? :)
For every problem, there is at least one solution that is simple, neat, and wrong.
... every time I register at some new webiste or game, and I cannot use "glengineer" because some usurper has take it. I am the original glengineer! Dammit! I've been glengineer on the Internet since my days at Delphi in 1992.
Evil Overlord Rule #86. I will make sure that my doomsday device is up to code and properly grounded.
Wow, now we get to share your helplessness.
If it wasn't a spitefull and small, I'd suggest booting anyone with any connection to Blizzard from slashdot. If anyone gripes, just add a new rule to the Eula that covers the situation.
Instead, do something nice for someone today. It won't make the dissapointment go away, but at least you'll have something to feel good about.
--
Evan
"$30 for the One True Ring. $10 each additional ring!" -- JRR "Bob" Tolkien
I had my name changed in beta, and I also felt the violation that CmdrTaco is describing. The reason for my name change was because it had been deemed 'dirty'. Just like CmdrTaco, I had been using Jackmaninov online for years. It had been formed as a play of my nickname Jack and one transliteration of the last name of Sergei Rachmaninoff. Apparently it had been interpreted by a GM as "jack man off" and was out.
:P
This was about the time that outcry over the newly instituted naming policy was peaking. I think I got a 35 page forum post over this
Sadly, I didn't quit in indignation over this, and wound up wasting another six months of my life on this game.
"The Editor I talked to had a nickname of something like 'CmdrTaco'. I found this disconcerting. If you were arrested by Officer ScuttleMonkey or found guilty by the honorable Judge CowboyNeal, it's hard to take that seriously."
/. staff go about their business in exactly the same fashion that the WoW staff do. Feels different when it's someone else with the pseudonym, eh?
I find it hard to take Taco's complaints seriously when he and the rest of the
Maybe you should've read the naming policy before you decided on your character name. It's pretty straightforward and there are always people that think it's funny to violate the policy or else think that they can fly beneath the radar, and when they do so long enough that it somehow gives them the right to have a "valid" complaint when they're told to change their name. You can't give yourself a title, so stop whining.
It's just a GAME! Pick up your toys and find a different sandbox to play in. And get a life!
Best Buy can have you arrested
You express your anger with abuse of arbitrary power in a virtual realm by abusing your own arbitrary power, in your own personal virtual realm?
The truth of the matter is that sometimes the little guys will get abused by authority until authority picks on a public figure in which uses his position to fix the problem and therefore no more little guys get abused.
I'd rather have Taco bitch about this in this venue then let it go silently. The problem is that GM systems for MMOGs should not be voluneteers but accountable employees. They should have supervisors that can be contacted in case they do abuse their power.
If not for the players themselves but for keeping customers for the benefit of Blizzard.
The higher ups in Blizzard would not like to find that their lower employees are driving away customers because they were over zealous.
"I am the king of the Romans, and am superior to rules of grammar!"
-Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor (1368-1437)
With few exceptions, I've been "Short Circuit" or "shortcircuit" or some variations thereof since the mid 80s, when I could first pick up a CB mic, and when I first logged into a dial-up BBS. Almost 20 years, and I'm only 22.
I like my name. It's been my identity. It's simultaneously an indicator of my taste in movies and what I do for hobbies. People still see me in public places and shout, "Hey, Short, how's it going?"
And I still get irritated whenever someone registers my name on an IRC network, or on a free email server, or whatever. I still get hung up when trying to log into a friend's machine where he had to truncate my username because it caused formatting issues with tabstops in the config files.
There's a lot in a name. Especially when you've spent years with it, not constantly nym-shifting whenever your inbox got filled with spam.
tasks(723) drafts(105) languages(484) examples(29106)
CapnMike was my name before they forced me to change it. Like you, various bits of data associated with my account vanished. Unlike you, I quit, and do not plan to return (which is a shame, because the game was kinda cool).
Feeling your pain,
M
I am the clit commander!
----- sXe
Some little b*tch may have cried to a GM that your nick was offensive, CuMDheRTACO. A friend of mine Kooner got his nick taken on EQ2, it seems in some BFE po-dunk POS town its slang for a snatch. So obviously everyone has to respect their po-dunk slang and not offend them.
I played Everquest for almost four years heavily. I really liked it, but I hated the GM's. Everyone I spoke to in the game had some crap thing happen to them because of a GM. Name change. Disconnect because you said "ass" in /ooc. There's nothing you can do about it.
They're not cheap either. Shit, you can get basic cable for almost the same money as some of these online games per month, and if you have a problem with your reception a cable guy comes to your house! In an MMORPG, you can't even get a name of a supervisor, let alone any actual help.
The customer service in online games is positioned in a way that the customer is always lying, cheating, and trying to pull a fast one. It's not true. The vast majority of players just want to play the game and have fun doing it, and the customer service people should be happy to make their customers happy.
So, I'm glad to see a gripe like this on a busy site like Slashdot. Maybe with more pressure from the actual players of the game, they'll start to pay attention.
- It's not the Macs I hate. It's Digg users. -
If you wanted people to think about the importance of virtual identity, you could have done so without making a personal rant. The fact of the matter is that it is a personal rant, it has no signs of trying to promote discussion about virtual identities, its certainly not news, and its on the front page of Slashdot. I know Slashdot isn't exactly a shining example of excellent or unbiased journalism, but this is a new low.
funny.. this is what I was getting at in the 2nd post on the thread, which was marked offtopic.
You definately said it more eloquently however. I am a slashdot subscriber, but choose to remain anonymous due to nature of post (eg, writing, 'bush sucks' on the whitehouse bulletin board).
"Speech is not an abuse of power and Slashdot is his journal."
Actually Slashdot is owned by VA Software Corporation.
They just keep Taco around to put a human face on the advertisements for Apple and Google that they post around here.
Try talking to most married women. Changing your name causes all kinds of problems. (But so does not changing your name. What a world.) However, they still manage it. When it comes to changing a psuedonym, it's almost a non-issue. You tell people the new name, and boom, everybody still knows who you are.
Plus I've found characters in World of Warcraft to be strangely visibly identifiable. Unless it's one of the countless night elf druids or rogues. Then they all look alike.
o rly?
For great justice.
I thought this was suppose to be a discussion on how we are attached to our virtual names and not a let us all bitch at Blizzard post but instead it seems to be a let us all Bitch at CmdrTaco for raising a serious question about online identities. Yes, WoW is just a game but just like everything else that is online there are people behind the characters we see on the screen and we sometimes forget that being used to doing what we will with the AI of non online games of the past. I am attached to certain nicknames I use in the virtual world and like CmdrTaco I do get bummed out if they are used by someone else. If there was such a problem with his name why did they not just make their software check some sort of rules for naming or in fact say something 5 months ago to him. It is sad that most GM's are not accountable for what they do. There is noone to turn to if they abuse their power. Blizzard would be wise to implement a supervisor GM model you could call to resolve some problems with GM's themselves. As far as using /. to bring up an interesting topic I say it's about time we discuss something other than the same old DMCA, MS vs Linux or BSD and how Google is taking over the world. Thanks CmdrTaco!
You express your anger with abuse of arbitrary power in a virtual realm by abusing your own arbitrary power, in your own personal virtual realm?
/., you deserve to use it to opine on topics. It's his work capital, if you will. Those complaining about abuse of power are just jealous of that power. And based on my short time (har har) on /. (look at my number) I'd say he rarely uses that capital so he has a lot saved up.
I am disappointed in you. Please keep the petty bitching confined to livejournal.
Wait - so he has spent time, probably a bit(or a lot) of his own money to build this site initially, and this is an abuse of power? That's bullshit. Mod me down if you must - I will not stand behind the cloak of anonymity to voice my disapproval of this rediculous statement. I won't even use my KB.
If you build a site from the ground like
You should have read the policies before agreeing to them. If you had, you would have seen that the naming restrictions have been there since day one. The fine print will get ya every time.
-Jayce
You're not the onlyone who is attached to his psuedonym. I'd be mad too. I'd prolly quit playing.
then why not change your name to "TacoCmdr"? You could be the Taco Commander!
That's one really frikkin long post! I stopped reading after the third paragraph :/
I've been Anonymous Coward forever. You can see my posts all over the internet (I am very prolific).
Wouldn't TacoCmdr be an option? Wait a second...
Yes, Mr. Malda? My name is Huey Louie Dewey with the law firm of Dewey Cheatum and Howe. I represent The Tricon Corporation. They are asking you to cease and desist your outrageous infringement on their trademarked intellectual property, namely Taco Bell.
The truth about Scientology, Xenu, and you: Operation Clambake
I quit WoW a few months back. I've heard lots of stories like this one from people on the WoW forums or elsewhere. A few of them really seemed unfair. This is not one of those. The name CmdrTaco does clearly violate their rules. Some of the more disturbing stories I heard were, for example, where some idiot GM would decide that someone's name was "unpronouncable" or that a certain gnome's name was just a little too cute. Those are really subjective. The fact that "Cmdr" is supposed to be a title is obvious, though.
-- dR.fuZZo
Personally this reminded me of years gone by when Slashdot had more CmdrTaco in it. I didn't think it was petty; you said clearly that you weren't mad at Blizzard, you were just writing a short essay on attachment to online identities. I enjoyed it. Keep up the good work.
In Dark Age of Camelot I had the name 'Tiggle Bitties' taken away from me. After becoming 'Tiggle Jardan' I promptly changed my last name do 'Tiggle Bytties' the next day. No problems since...
My troll is called "Slashdot" and I have had a couple of comments so far. But not from GMs as far as I know.
Any forced name changes should happen within a few weeks of signup, not months or years into it.
And to those complaining about the editorial, didn't you suspect it was an editorial from the icon and from the lack of a submitters' quoted blurb? Seemed pretty clear to me, which meant reading CmdrTaco's experience was a choice. If it was lame in your opinion, make better choices next time. Don't tell me you read all of Katz' stuff, for instance!
I for one have NO issues with CmdrTaco occasionally using it as a soapbox for personal yet Nerdly matters.
Been lurking in this place for years. Think its time to stop. When the board becomes the billboard for whining about WoW its time to stop reading. I don't need to see this crap here when I can get the same load of crap at the official WoW boards.
learn 2 play
He's not using his /. moderator status to bitchlap anybody. He is using it to attempt to correct a wrong, the same wrong that someone who has no such position may be suffering from.
It's no different than a black newspaper editor who experiences racism writing an editorial about it.
It's not an abuse, it's a valid use.
If I were Taco, I'd most likely quit. I dropped K5 when Jongular (an admin) launched a jihad against me for an article he didn't like. I was popular there; even Rusty was a fan. Was my bitching about it an abuse? Was my dropping the site publically an abuse?
I don't think so. And I don't think Taco is abusing his position here, either.
I also understand his position about the name, but it could be worse. It could be his REAL name he wasn't allowed to use.
-mcgrew (the mind-reading capcha guy who "crapflooded" K5's front page as well as section pages for two years)
coopers? what kind of mind reading is that?
i always thought it was 'Commodore Taco'.
hmm...learn something new everyday.
ds
Hmm, I think it's the title of the post that throws people off and think you're on a personal rant... I understand your intention, but I can see why others might not. Consider changing it to something more like a "newsworthy" title?
You may find my appearance and demeanor foolish, but it is you who plays the fool.
If you read the naming standard it basicly allows them to proclaim any name is in violation and it must be changed. They leave several very ambiguous and contradictary requirements in there just for that purpose. Anyway I realized long ago that Blizzard can't manage an MMO and while all their games are great, WoW is their worst. I only hope starcraft 2 and diablo 3 are not MMOs
Boo fuckin hoo. Your name is lame and I personally wouldn't care if you ever where able to login. You are an ass.
"I don't think I'll quit WoW over this, but I will take away some lessons."
If this is something that frustrates you so much, maybe you should quit WoW...$$$ is the only thing Blizzard cares about (like most other businesses). At some point you need to find your dealbreakers and breaking points and draw the line then and there. But that didn't happen here; otherwise *that* would have been a story!
Bill Clinton: Pimp we can believe in. - The Shirt!!!
real life goes on...
Slashdot is his journal.
:p
True that. This is one of my favorite entries.
We recently had heard in the office over one of the Yellow Machine that's made by Anthology Solutions.
Plus, it isn't like he does this ALL the time.
so I think I'll give him a pass on the occasional rant.
Not that Blizzard would ever be so smart as to apologize or anything. I wonder if they care? (not)
"It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
Wonder if this would have made front page on digg.com.
Common, belly aching over a game?
This is *not* why I come to Slashdot.
Pull yourself together man!
Thanks for saying it! Slashdot has always been my soapbox. It was my soapbox before any of you read it. And it still is. I just choose not to use it as often today as I did 8 years ago. But I felt that this was important enough to talk about.
Pants are still optional, but recommended for you.
I'm glad we (the collective mind of realjlowery) don't care about people's names or feelings (: We shall control the world, bitches!
Everyone--please see Digg.com where YOU vote for the stories. You actually get real news and info there, right when it happens.
I agree with you. I have started to read OSNews. I have a Slashdot RSS feedback and a OSSNews setup on my netvibes.com page and I have seen that usually all the news that I care for get on OSSnews before they get n slashdot. And there are also comments on OSSnews but without the 14 year old trolls.
Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
CmdrTaco, i agree wholeheartedly. I LOVE my nick. HaDAk. it's original. i designed it myself. it's my own. and i'm pissed when i can't register hadak.com, hadak.net, or hadak.org. i'm pissed when someone else has used it to register for a forum. maybe not pissed, but... i don't like it. i agree: it is like having a warm blanket. i agree with you, and i understand where you're coming from.
Rob,
I'm sure you have a blog somewhere. This is "News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters." Not "The Whiny Blog of Rob Malda." Seriously. Go post this somewhere else, and quit posting stories that serve no purpose other than to get pageviews for your ads.
Sincerely,
Everyone who saw through this article
I am scientifically inaccurate.
My nick online is usually 'Jonne' (because that's what people IRL call me), but because that's apparently a real name in some parts of the world, it's always taken when I want to register, forcing me to use 1337 sp34k to at least get something similar...
And it always turns out that the user that took the name never even uses his account, and was probably made up by the site creator to inflate member numbers (ok, that's not true).
Anyway, 1337 sp34k is always the solution, so just change your name to CmdrT4c0 and forget about it...
Not yet - but the UN wants to someday be in charge of "these here Internets".
Or, of course, posting about it on your website is another recourse. Negative public-relations for Blizzard might get the job done.
You could probably get the Council for American-Islamic Relations to declare Jihad on the company. It worked for animal-rights activists in Britain, forcing the company to relocate to the United States (investor privacy laws), so I'd imagine that a full-out declaration by Iran's president would deter investors and employees of Blizzard. CAIR is funded by all the feudal governments over there in the middle east, so they can certainly get help from the rulers.
Gotta get some deterrance in there, now, before Blizzard becomes as large as Microsoft. Declare Jihad Now! (DJN)
[My security word is "echelon". Which is actually kind of funny, because Echelon is probably flagging this post for human scrutiny, right now. It ends up working out for everyone. The NSA guys get to keep their jobs if there's plenty of "possible communication traffic".]
You've been treated very badly, yet you cannot put the game down? You should give that little tidbit more thought than why they forced a name change on you...
Have the unique ID be a number, and have any actual names just be aliases/labels on top of this number. That way the alias can change, but your identity is still intact.
What bugs me the most is the inconsistency in which they apply the rules. It seems like I run into dumbasses all the time with offending or lame names. Yet I always read the story about the GM who took someones name that was barely in violation of the name rule. Tehnically you don't have a title in your name. cmdr is not a title, it doesn't even contain any vouls. I also complete agree that with what little power a GM has they seem to wield is with impunity. You have no recourse what so ever. I enjoy WoW quite a bit, I'm even going to Blizcon Friday. Sometimes though they make me crazy :)
devmage
What a useless article to match a useless site.
What a useless post.
WasCmdrTaco
:-)
I don't think 'Was' is an honorific
Of course, I don't play WoW, so it may be
impossible to change your name now.
Peace & Blessings,
bmac
Well, I for one am glad that i'm not playing WoW and instead City of Heroes. At least there I can do a /petition if something like that happens and get a real answer, and some people have even gotten their names back. Plus they don't have anything preventing use of a title in the name.
Personally it sounds like support for the game is poor if they don't have an easy way for you to get in touch with them. Plus did you get an in game e-mail (if they have it) explaining why it happened. Sorry man, but thats typical big business for you.
Just realise the reality of the situation..... There is no reality.
Lol, now is your chance to reroll a real character.
members are seeing something, your seeing an ad
They gave me a random generated name, haven't changed it since, even though I had the option (couldn't think of a good nick, I have always been PPGMD). Thus I am Morna a Night Elf Hunter, at least in WoW.
I also found it funny, that the GMs were so worried about a name, but all they do is reply with form letters can any real problems with WoW. Not much I can do, and I have fun playing with my friends in game.
Cya in the Core.
It's nice to have a place where you can voice a complaint that might actually be read :)
The price is always right if someone else is paying.
Perhaps, in the future, you should simply read and follow the rules set forth upon the game-world? This is akin to saying, "Hey, I was suspended due to cursing in General Chat! WTF? There are rules against doing that?"
Don't mind the haters, Taco. (Though I did think the article was a bit long.)
Also, your name violation probably stood out because of its quasi-famousness. They probably would have left you alone if they new you were the real CmdrTaco, even if that isn't fair to other name violators.
[PowerPoint] is a tool for capitalist presentation
And no, this is not about RolePlaying. I am not suggesting that people run around speaking in "thees" and "thous" or taking on the personality of their characters. I'm just suggesting they take the time to come up with a name that is slightly better than Commander Taco.
Also, how did you not figure out what the problem with your name was? It is right smack in their naming policy. You should have just read it... instead of feigning ignorance.
As for your friend Marilyn Hanson. I know, you know, your friend knows, and the GM probably knew as well, what that name is an attempt to do. Stop playing dumb and stop trying to edge up as close to the polcies as possible, and maybe you wont lose your names.
Moral of the story seems to be, pick appropriate names to begin with and you wont have to vent on /.
From the "story":
A friend of mine actually quit Everquest over a forced name change. His name was Marilyn Hanson and while fighting something he was disconnected without warning. When he returned, his name had been changed to a randomly generated one. When he asked GM, he was told that he could not have celebrity name. When my friend asked who Marilyn Hanson was, the GM could not answer, but instead just said arguing wouldn't matter. My friend quit EQ that day.
Marilyn Hanson is an obvious reference to both Marilyn Manson and the group Hanson. Your friend OBVIOUSLY knew that. The GM didn't want to argue because he realized your friend is one of those hair-splitting assholes--"Marilyn Hanson isn't an actual person and you can't name him! Heavens no, who is Marilyn Manson? Who is Hanson? My name clearly had nothing to do with them whatsoever and I resent the accusation...*snicker*"
This is stupid. CmdrTaco has the "Cmdr" prefix, as in Commander. This is not that big a freakin' deal.
>I don't think I'll quit WoW over this, but I will take away some lessons.
If you are so upset over this, vote with you feet and wallet. There are plenty of MMORPGs out there, and I'm sure most of them won't have a problem with your name being 'Cmdr Taco'. If you're not willing to do the only thing you really can, it all comes off as whining.
-- Give me ambiguity or give me something else!
Well, after you stated your comment it was quickly at a +5 insightful moderation. Now I can see it with 20% troll and 10% Overrated (with just 4, Insighful). Lets see how the moderation system works here... maybe those "secret powers" make this comment go down to oblivion
Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
This is no different than Dvorak bitching about Photoshop, or MOG bitching about PJ, or PJ bitching about anyone she perceives as anti-FOSS. Taco has a platform, he'll use it to talk about whatever he wants to talk about, and you're free to stop listening if you want to. Furthermore, you didn't NEED to read the editorial, did you? It was perfectly obvious what he was going to say from the convenient summary on the front page.
Nonetheless, was this the place to post about it? You know what Slashdot's capable of. Hundreds of thousands of posters, countless lurkers, and even a small percentage taking it upon themselves to avenge a perceived wrong can cause havoc. Remember what happened to Alan Ralsky?
I strongly suspect Blizzard might be about to get some undeserved grief from the Slashdot Horde now. Not your intent, perhaps, to use Slashdot as a lever against them, but this is a very probable and predictable consequence. So: was this the place? Shouldn't this have gone on a personal blog, rather than the Slashdot front page?
This thing's a monster and you're Frankenstein. Careful whose village you point it at.
Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
It's your site. Rant if you want. It's your personality that built this place. It should show through at times.
Secession is the right of all sentient beings.
If you're playing WoW, you deserve everything you get.
The naming policy is really easy to read. You should try that out sometime.
Why didn't you just name yourself Taco and get promoted up to Commander? Then your name would look less stupid l33tkiddy.
In conclusion: Cry more, n00b.
This has also been a rule in EverQuest for a very, very long time.
In response to Taco's claim that "Cmdr" is not one of the PvP ranks, I would just mention that "Commander" is, in fact, such a rank - it's the third highest rank, and the server I play on only has five of them at the moment.
In other words, whine more, noob.
At least Taco didnt slashdot them into submission by linking to them.
Hats off to you, Supreme Commander of teh Legions of Slashbots!
Paladins are annoying for the Alliance too :)
It would be nice to be sure of anything the way some people are of everything.
Good question, bad example.
eBay's feedback system is an attempt to formalize the intangiable reputation-of-names system. It works well; I don't really care who I'm buying from, so long as they have decent positive feedback. If eBay assigned every seller a new random name with every auction, it wouldn't affect my use of the site.
A better example, in my opinion, is your URL. People spent quite a while building identity around their website, and if you have to change that URL then all that effort is lost.
- "I'll probably get modded down for this."
While it is horrible that the GM changed your name, and there is very little if any recourse other than posting on the blizzard main boards about it.
It is worse to realize that Blizzard doesn't actively go through the names.. Face it.. Someone reported you.
After their PR-type response to Slashdot's questions and CmdrTaco's run-in, it just seems that they will not extend any human intervention into what goes on behind the scenes or allow any insight to the people who can talk some sense about this.
They seem to increasingly distance themselves, whoever they are, from the game.
Oh Well, it will eventually turn on them. There will be a time when enough of the players will turn their back on it due to its lack of response to the customer. Arbitrary rulings by GM's, lloooonnngggg queue times, etc.
And Hotmail deleted my e-mail account without telling me, yahoo wont give me back my account that I've had for years (yes - craznar is me the world over).
:)
It comes down to a simple fact - did you break the rules that were there when you signed up, however stupid they were ?
If the answer is yes - then you are to blame for your loss of identity.
I think complaining about them taking the freakin' servers down once a week in peak time is something worth of headlines.
Anyway - when they ban brand names, then I'll be screwed
Signing off
Schwartzkopf@Proudmore.WoW
EMail: 0110001101100010010000000110001101110010 0110000101111010011011100110000101110010 0010111001100011011011110110
Rob,
You vote with your money. You say you disagree and don't like it, yet you continue giving them your money. Despite your big whiney complaint, you have OKed their policies. Your EQ quitting friend had it right. He took said "I don't agree so you don't get my money". You say "You get my money, so I agree.".
Sorry. Your complaint is lost on me, I have no sympathy for you.
** Martin
nuff said
All kings is mostly rapscallions. -Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
I'd write more, but I'm fairly busy these days. And honestly it's hard for me to write unless I feel something personally. I don't want to just phone it in.
Pants are still optional, but recommended for you.
"CDR" is the standard abbreviation for "Commander". "Cmdr" means nothing.
its fine, learn 2 play.
I started playing WoW when it first came out... and I would like to think I helped out Blizzard a lot by reporting numerous bugs and being as helpful as I could to the GMs that were trying to figure out what the cause was.
One such case, after reporting the bug and doing a few tests with the GM that were very annoying (deleting of WoW config files that forced me to redo my settings afterwards) the GM said "by the way, do you know your name violates our naming policy?" I knew I was in for it then, but I didn't know how bad.
The GM changed the name on my PC, from "TheCraiggers" to "Corona" or something like it. Also went through and changed the names of my other characters. He was quite rude in telling me to log out after his change. He told me all my friends and giuldmates would automagically convert to my new name... this was not the case... all my friends had to re-add me. He also said he would send an email with instructions on how to change my new name... this email never came.
A week went by, and I sent a letter of complaint to customer support asking where the email was. I was very tired of my new stupid name. I never got a reply.
A few more days went by, and I sent a letter of complaint to the customer support-support... the department that deals with complaints pertaining to GMs and Blizzard support explaining what happened and that I've been very disappointed in the service, and threatened to leave if I didn't get some resolution. Never got a reply to that, either.
So, I left the game, and sold my copy of WoW to somebody else (this was back when you couldn't find it in stores). I told them on the 'crying peon' page why I left and how cruddy their support was. I don't think I'll ever play WoW again.
I'm actually kinda happy Taco is posting this on a large public forum. I don't have enough clout to force blizzard to change their ways, but maybe he does.
How about: thecharacterformerlyknownasCMDRTACO or maybe you could just get the prince symbol.
If and when you decide to join any site that requires a user or screen name ensure that the name can be traced back to you eventually and for the purposes of legal action is not yours nor the name of someone else. When choosing a screen name ensuring that it is unpronoucable in english ensures that any titles are not recognized as such and that persons will be unable to refer to your screen name in the course of their daily audio conversation. My personal preference is \**/. If you must choose something pronouncable for *censored*'s sake make sure that it doesn't contain titles or refernces to any item of pop culture, history or other variable that would make your appearance to be lower than your current cognitive capacity. Happy identity creation.
"tried not to write in an aggressive tone"
I interpret this as you having to go against your instinct, which would have been in an aggressive tone. Which makes sense, I'm sure you were/are pissed off... no need to rationalize, emotions are the antipathy of rational.
And I'm right there with you... do you think my normal handle is TelevisioSledgicus? Hell no, I just got fed up trying to come up with something close to my original handle. I'm in the same boat with you regarding virtual aliases and identities, as I'm sure are many others that have been using the internet since the dark ages.
But what can you do, there is no patent system for online aliases to say who came up with the handle first, and I really don't think there should be. Even if we went to real names, there are a mass of John Smiths and John Lees on this planet, so there's no solution there.
Is there a solution? I don't know, but I do understand your "pain".
They've been known to force people to change their name.
Build it, and they will come^Hplain.
I've had my Name Wedge1212 for 10 years now. It was my first screen name back on AOHELL when I wasnt a full fledge geek. Now when I go places on the web and I cant use Wedge1212 I get pissed off too. But then I just pick something else and go about my business :) oh well.
See Sig! See Sig Zig! Zig Sig Zig!!!!!
I think you need to get a life.
Um... I was unaware Slashdot was a moderated forum sticking strictly to a set of germane topics. If Taco wants to publish complaints about an in-game problem, it's his forum and if you don't like it go read Digg, Technocrat, or Kuro5hin.
I had the exact same thing happen to me, I ran into the same bureaucracy trying to fix the problem, and it made me feel exactly the same way. While Taco's article is written from a personal perspective, this is more than just some cheap blog post. There is a faceless bittwiddler from Blizzard out there giving people a hard time for using names they have used everywhere else, and no way to reign him in.
M
It's not as if there's that many people called Silas in the real world anyway, but if I can't get silasthehobbit as my nick then I'll probably not join the channel\game\email. It may sound petty, but that's who I am online, and have been for about 12 years.
It's not who I am IRL (although I am planning on having just the name Silas - no surname whatsoever) but I kinda live most of my life online now, and if I couldn't be "me" then I probably would have the same reaction as you.
You have my sympathies.
--
silas
hobbit
london
Early in Taco's post:
First of all, the reason that my account is in violation is that my name contains a title prefix. It took dozens of inquiries to get that explained.
Later:
They wouldn't even tell me what was wrong with my nickname until after a half dozen inquiries of why.
(emphasis mine in both cases)
Sorry, but exaggerating the facts, and not being consistent about them, just makes it look like Taco is trolling for sympathy, and it makes me wonder what other "facts" in his story are unreliable.
Queens of the Stone Age - they rule
Please keep the petty bitching confined to livejournal.
Et tu? Ahhhhh, the irony.
The Fine Print:The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
Lord British wouldn't be able to use his name on WOW either.
No data, no cry
And explain that Cmdr is short for Commoder, and that it's just an adjective not a title.
"Who is the Journal of Quantum Physics going to believe?" --Stephen Hawking
C'mon guys - to whomever has it - let the Cmdr have his gmail already. Don't make him register DsplcedTaco@gmail.com.
Kudos to Blizzard for actually enforcing their policies. If you had a name like "Drunkenslut", "Heilhitler", or even "Goatfucker", I'd expect them to change those too. Obviously, "Cmdrtaco" is much less offensive as some, but it is just as much a violation of the policy. As an aside, anyone on your friendlist/guildlist still has you, albiet with your new name.
Well, there's more to identity than a unique identifying character string. I have used a nick (not this one) for BBS' and accounts for about 16 years now, one that was meaningful to me, yet fairly unique. But if I google it, I'll find it elsewhere now, and I sometimes find that string unavailable now when signing up a new account.
Just like my real name. I'm not the only person in the world with my first and last name. (I probably am the only person in the world with my first, middle and last name, but that's largely due to the cruelty^H^H^H^H^H^Hcreativity of my parents.)
And just like in the real world, we have to be creative about producing truly unique identities that transcend the name, that use a variety of cues to indicate who we are. Would a Taco, by any other name, smell just as... well, Taco-like?
blah blah blah... blah blah... blah blah!
. . . But wait, is 'Cowboy' considered a title? Because if Blizzard made CowboyNeal change his name, that would be something to get upset over.
I've noticed most of the people complaining in this forum about this editorial are those with higher uid numbers. Now, I'm sure many of them will claim they used to have really low numbers but "forgot their passwords" so they had to create a new account, but we all know that's bogus.
Taco has the right to post whatever articles he wants here. This one does bring up some interesting points for discussion, albeit points that have already been talked to death in other forums. However, he could have posted a long diatribe about the way the bagger at the grocery store put his canned peaches on top of his eggs in the same bag, and that would have also been a valid submission. If he replaced every article with that sort of thing, it would obviously change the whole character of Slashdot, but he (and his corporate parents) can go that direction if they so choose.
I also remember the JonKatz articles, and while Katz was a pompous blowhard who loved to hear himself type, it was a valiant effort at creating original content for Slashdot. It seems the editors have largely given up on that concept, probably due mostly to the slashbot issue you mentioned.
"I didn't think it was petty"
Indeed. If he wanted to be petty, he would have posted a bunch of links to Blizzard
and slashdotted their ass.
Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder.
To CmdrTaco: Cry more noob.
Slashdot isn't your blog. We don't care that your name got moderated. And your excuse for "thinking about the online whatever" is just crap. You wanted to cry and moan that your name got changed, so you did, on one of the highly visited geek websites. You're crying because you "lost your name". Wah.
as you say to all the people you have banned, kicked, and 'b*** slapped' out of slashdot, "they own it they can do what they want".
or would you like to rethink your own world view on cyberspace and users rights?
Oh, and don't listen to anyone who compares WoW's GMs with Slashdot's moderation system. Tell me, does WoW have meta-GMs??? If one GM slaps you down, can two more GMs bring you back up? Slashdot is really the only discussion site on the web worth looking at, despite the occasional misspelling or duplicate post, and it is all due to your moderation system.
Party on!
-Brian
Good God man...don't reply to the posters...and for sanity's sake don't try to defend yourself or be reasonable...do you know where you are...this is Slashdot. ;)
Your intentions are always petty, Malda. I suppose now the site's going to go from being a front-page advertisment organization for tech companies to a place for you to whine and moan about X game that you're playing today?
Taco, you've experienced what I like to call "poor customer service." For instance, just the other day I was calling the lighting company that is installing all the light fixtures in the house I'm currently building, and after numerous requests to get something changed (because they're idiots and can't seem to get my change-orders right), I got this response: "OK, can you hold on one minute?" - "Sure", I say to the receptionist for the 3rd time that day. About a minute goes by and all of the sudden a guy's voice says "What can I help you with?" ... "Who are you?" I say - I _thought_ I was talking to the girl receptionist, and now some dude is on the line. "I was told there was a manager call." he says. So now I get it: the receptionist just transferred me up the line without giving me the courtesy to even tell me she was doing so, which to someone like me who has already had real problems getting the order right with this company only served to aggravate me more.
I can see both sides of the argument for why you posted this article to Slashdot, and why it should be on a personal blog. I can also see both sides of the argument as to why you should or should not be allowed to have a handle in a game like WoW with a prefix of 'Cmdr'. Unfortunately, all these types of issues matter little when the primary issue is just poor customer service. Blizzard has always been bad with strong arming their most loyal customers like any other overly powerful company in an industry, *cough* Microsoft *cough*, and that's a shame, but get used to it.
I side with you though about online identities regardless of what type of company or service it is: I've been using 'cavemanf16' for the past ten years as well, and I'd hate to be forced to give it up just to be allowed to play in an online video game over some draconian measures to try and force the game to be a more pure "RPG" than other games. The game is what I make of it, not just what Blizzard tells me I can make of it. Otherwise, I'm just not going to enjoy it.
While I too find this somewhat ironic, he does bring up a good point. In a virtual world where the only truly identifying characteristic is a character's name, how does a name change (forced or voluntary) impact relations with others in the game? A follow up question would be: how could developers, if they so chose, account for this to minimize any negative impact?
This is a good point. For example my good friend AssFinger played World of Warcraft for 11 days reaching level 21 before his name was changed to something random by the GMs. Why can't Blizzard evaluate all names on creation time so that innocents, like AssFinger, will not form deep meaningful social relationships with people just to have their very identity stripped away. They could at least add a "display former name" option to the interface, so people who wanted to could choose to see "Pewpie, formerly known as AssFinger" to better recognize my friend. SHAME Blizzard SHAME.
---
I support spreading santorum
I had my name changed by a GM in EQ back in 2001. It used to be Unix and they changed it to another name (which will remain undisclosed).. There was no recourse, nothing I could do about it. Every second I spent in the game prior to that was a total waste as my best of friends in the game now looked at me as a total stranger until I explained the whole mess. I actually left EQ for a few months over it and started to play DAoC as it had just been released. After fuguring out DAoC sucked I came back and made that new name my own. I became well known on the server under that new name and to this day use it for all kinds of things.
I even got to help kill the gm that did it one day when he went LD (we were on a pvp server).
The funniest part of it was they changed my first name because it was a trademark. To this day I still have my original last name which is a word that describes a person who accepts money to do a certain thing.
WTG naming policy.
Second, the GMs at blizzard really have no power. I asked for contact information. For email information. For names. For an appeal. To talk to a supervisor. And the best they would give me was the generic help phone line or a mailing address. [...] You have really no recourse against a GM. That scares me.
This makes you appreciate how nice it is to live in a country that relatively has protective rights for its people. I think the reasons the things above stand out so much as being despicable is a direct reflection o the rights/privileges that we enjoy every day in a free country. Are there a lot of things that need improving in our government? Absolutely, but imagine living in a place or era where instead of them forcibly changing you screen name, they imprisoned a loved one or confiscated your house/property.
I almost forgot--it's a bloody screenname FFS--and it's messed up that you posted a
G-Force music visualization
Phbhbhbht!!! I'm still trying to figure out when it stopped.
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
Slashdot didn't invent the idea of a blog. LiveJournal didn't copy from Slashdot.
/. today.
It's not that easy to say "just leave," because Slashdot is for some reason treated as the top bastion of tech news, when it hardly posts tech news anymore. Just posting a link takes down a webserver. And the pseudo-science and half-baked commentary posted to this site as "news" gets adopted by newbies, and we end up with more misinformed assholes ruining the community.
Most of you don't even know what the OSS community used to really be like. It ain't what you see here on
"Sufferin' succotash."
But when I was asked in Dark Age to rename my Infiltrator ("Sofonda Cox"), my Cabalist ("Flaymin Nainus"), my Cleric ("Dawn Keebawlz"), and my Minstrel ("Grabbin Mcgroyn"), I wasn't really that put out. I drew the line when my Mercenary, "Meatmissile," was told that his name was inappropriate. That's when I bailed. I've since learned my lesson and my WoW Shaman is called "Jamin," which is actually just part of my real name ("Benjamin"). I only know one person in WoW whose name was changed, and it was done after he omgwtfpwned the hell out of Alliance in AB for a month and people got sick of it and reported him. His name was "Boodah" which was too close to "Buddha," a deity/religious figure, and thus a rule violation. He changed his name to "Dahboo" which I thought was rather clever.
"I have never won a debate with an ignorant person." -Ali ibn Abi Talib
I really understand about your online identity. I have two names that I use online. One is for gaming and the other is for everything else. I have been online using them since '91 and used them prior to that on BBS's. When I log into a new system, they are the first names I try to choose. In fact my name here is the one I use 'every where else.' If you google my name you find me. I have email addresses on several major mail servers just to keep other people from using that name. I am VERY attached to my names and do not want anyone else using them. Interestingly my gaming name, Babba Lou, would break WoW naming policy as well since Babba could be considered an honorific. Anyway, just my two cents.
Insert Generic Sig Here:
Not all players on RP servers are asshats, but the RP tag seems to draw asshats to them like moths to a lightbulb. I'm sure Blizzard gets flooded with GM Tickets from humorless and over-sensitive Comic Book Guy types over every other name they come across because it simply isn't medieval enough, and it's simply easier to force a name change on the player than continue to listen to the whining.
Oldie but goodie
I played it for about a month back in January as a Troll Priest called Harlet Jones. I disliked the game very much for various reasons, and sold my account. I heard about 2 weeks latter they forced a name change on my lovely Ms. Jones. If was still playing, I would have raised hell and cancel the account outright. I still think the name was one of the coolest sounding I had ever come up with for playing online, shame they don't see it the same way.
-Buddy of DoQ
Now that I think about it, maybe I shouldn't tell him he's wrong. . .he'll probably abuse his power some more and ban me or something. . .
** Martin
http://www.blizzard.com/support/wowgm/?id=agm01723 p#titles
Titles
Fantasy titles should be earned through the mechanics of the game, and should not be recreated through character naming. This category includes names which:
* Consist of any title prefix attached to a character's name be it fantasy-based or not (i.e. Kingmike, Presidentsanchez)
If a player is found to have such a name for their character he/she may:
* Be prompted to select a new name for the character upon next login
pooptruck
You of course realise that 99% of the time, it is not the GM's that scan people and try to disrupt your gameplay, but some idiotic kiddie that complained ?
So, I went and bought a copy. Of course, I had trouble right from the beginning (see http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/02/16/ 1855214 )
Once that got straightened out, I made the mistake of signing up for a 6-month subscription. After only two months, I wished I hadn't. I kept on playing until my subscription ended. I enjoyed the game, but not enough to renew my subscription.
Blizzard seems to be focused on making new content for high-level power-gamers, and shows little interest in fixing bugs, no matter how serious. For example, I had a problem where a quest NPC wouldn't talk to me. I searched the web and found comments 6 months old (3 or 4 patch levels old) describing the problem and saying to contact a GM to have the NPC "reset". The GM who responded to my ticket three hours later seemed to know exactly what was wrong and took 5 seconds to fix it.
Also, I despise Blizzard's concept of "honor". There is nothing honorable about the "honor" system. They should call it the "glory" system instead, though to be more accurate, maybe the "slaughter" system or the "genocide" system. And the token "dishonor" system doesn't even make any sense.
I really only have two regrets about my time playing WoW:
(1) I have never spent so much money on a single game. I can't believe I fell for the "purchase the game and also the continuing right to play it" trick, though I guess thatI shouldn't feel too bad since so many millions of other people have fallen for it, too.
(2) I wish I had started off playing a rogue instead of spending the first 4 months getting my paladin up to level 60 first. Those last two months playing a rogue were so much more fun than my paladin ever was.
Edward Burr
Having a smoking section in a restaurant is like having a peeing section in a swimming pool.
Why is Taco spending so much time in Ass Galore?
Cynicism is the natural defence of the romantic.
I can completely understand. I chose IkkonoIshi because it is a string of letters that is both easy to say, and not likely to be repeated. When I play games that let you have multiple characters; I always prefix the name with Ikko so anyone will know which characters are mine. Should someone decide that "Ikko" is some sort of title, and change it then I would find it very difficult to continue to identify with that character.
Also the whole idea of titles being banned is stupid. Who determines what is and is not a title? What if some obscure book had a title named "Ikko" for someone who placed books under furniture legs in order to level them? Would that make me in violation?
since we're on the topic og CmdrTaco's abuse of power, why is CmdtTaco starting out with a score of 2 on all posts? i see my starting score moving to -1 in the near future as well...
Wave upon wave of demented avengers March cheerfully out of obscurity into the dream
Believe me that was not my intent, nor do I want it to appear as such.
/.'ers (myself included) occasionally poke fun at you.
That's too bad, because I think this is a good use for your "fame", and your position in the community. You have a position of respect - regardless of how some
Blizzard has done some heinous things in the past, and they just don't care, because there is nobody they have to answer to. They make their customers (you know, their whole entire reason for being) feel powerless. Their attitude is "Don't like it? Tough. We have something you want, and we don't care about your feelings. Pay us and shut up."
There are (at least three) people here who are chasitsing you for this - but unlike most of the rest of us, you might actually have a chance of making Blizzard change for the better. I believe it would be a welcome change by everybody.
I'm glad you posted this "rant", and I respect the belief that using your position to affect change might be abuse of power, but I disagree with that view.
In the words of Uncle Ben: "with great power comes great responsibility." This doesn't mean "don't use your power", it means "use your power responsibly."
If you could change Blizzard so that they listened to their customers, would that change be for the greater good? I think so.
He should of thought of that before he picked the name. They don't make it a secret that you can't have titles in your name. People who violate naming policies are always at risk of having it changed and frankly, I don't care to hear them bitch about it when it happens. Of course, he plays the alliance side who generally feel priviledge anyway so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.
Any man who afflicts the human race with ideas must be prepared to see them misunderstood. -- H. L. Mencken
Straight from the WoW message boards...
-WoW Response Checklist-
[]Cry more noob/carebear
[]Learn2Play
[x]O RLY?
[]YA RLY!
[]zOMG NERF Paladins/Shamans/Druids/Warlocks/Whatever killed me in battlegrounds last and made me cry!!!!1
They guy on Blizzard jot mad because to many of his stories got rejected
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
Now, I recognize that the naming rules were already in place, or so we assume, when CmdrTaco signed up. But why couldn't it catch it in advance? I mean, to stop him when he makes the character in the first place, like Blizzard does with DiabloII? If they let him get away with it, and he pays for the game, and a lot of monthly fees with the name, I feel it is wrong to then take it away. I mean, this strikes me as the same issue as a EULA, where the company gets to make rules after you bought the product. I don't like that. I think that it should be minimized. I mean, CmdrTaco needs to start all over in a social sense with the game. Sure, he gets to start as "Violator" at like level 40 or whatever, he still loses his old name. I don't use a "handle" or "nickname" online, because I see no need to create another identity. But Blizzard let him use this identity, and it became his own, then changed it on him. This strikes me as a breach of contract, in a sense.
Now then, I can understand changing rules suddenly to stop some sort of destructive behavior, but that wasn't the case. Blizzard essentially flip-flopped on whether or not to allow his name. I've had groups suddenly change positions on things on me, and it once cost me $100. Needless to say, while it might have been legal, it was unethical.
When a name is all you know. I've got two perspectives on this. First, I a have had the same email address cross domain since my first in 1991. I Passed up on some services because my email name was not available and I was offered those annoying 'number+name' combinations. I value that name as a way for people to know I am me. As it stands now, I try to use Monkeyboy4 as my email name was a fairly common combination.
Second, I do research on virtual groups and social identity. Our names matter when we interact fora long time online. A name represents a person exclusively online. Even pictures are minimal in effect compared to names, because the name occrs every time you interact with the person. Psych research in onthis question is showing the importance of our online names both to us as individuals and to the smooth running of social structures.
Finally, to all those crapping on CmdrTaco for postin this, leave the discusion. If you don't think it is worth discussing, then DON'T. If you have aposition within the discussion that disagrees with his stance, byu all means chime in. But to dicuss about whether the post is worthy of being in discussion is ironic and a waste of time.
My character's names were Wonklit and Stonklit. I was playing Stonklit when I got bumped. They never did give me a reason other than "it's offensive to other players". Took me about 2 days to figure out they read it as "stone clit" or some shit like that. Fucking made up words that I used as my name in other games with no issues.
Pissed me off, but oh well, it IS their game, they make/break/change the rules when they want.
The social dynamics of, well, social groups are seldom thought of in advance - planned societies are hard work, and have to have room and workable, and non-bureaucratic process to allow change - they have to evolve, or they eventually die. A proper complaint system that actually considers and resolves people's actual concerns (hey, it's just a name, right?) doesn't exist at Blizzard, nor at Slashdot - and it should. The ability to address grievances, and get desired change, rather than to simply sit around and bitch with no productive visible path for change existant, is what makes a society, real or virtual, advance.
I'm sure that Blizzard can take a slashdotting, given their user base.
...the issue was my signature on the Apple forums. I've been on and off the forums for years, and only started using signatures the last year. I rotate thru whatever humors me, and landed on this one a few months ago:
'Technological hubris often results in retribution'
- no specific target or person in mind, I just liked the sound of those words. I'd been using it for approx. 3 months, when I finally got short on time to spend inside the forums, and short on patience with the high signal to noise ratio, and mentioned to a friend that I was abandoning my L4 status and forum account and not looking back. Three days later I get a stern email from Apple forum admins telling me to change those words or be banned.
I replied they were too late, too dumb and I'd banned them intead. I still have no idea why that sentence made them so uncomfortable. And now today we see a photo of Rosa Parks on the main page with the seemingly hollow tag line "Think Different". Me thinks Rosa wouldn't have found any issue at all with my forum sig.
It's my life, online or off, and no chump can tell me what to write, think or say.
Sure, the article was written from a personal standpoint. But the point of the article for the general community - how do we feel about our nicknames when, in a digital community, it's our only genuinely unique identifier is both interesting and relevant to as much of the Slashdot community as any other post.
You guys need to chill out. When CmdrTaco starts writing diatrabes about how much he hates the service at his local Taco Bell, then the integrity of slashdot is being challenged. But as long as what he posts is interesting and relevant who cares if it happens to come from an actual personal experience of his?
Good post Violated. I love my nickname - which I alternatively use in shortened form "stormin" or long-form "theStorminMormon". Sometimes in IRC chats I would be inundated with people who had never met me (in person or on line) but felt compelled to attack me because of my religion. Just to avoid unending debates I would use "stormin" sometimes. On the other hand, when I played Planetside I loved the varied reactions I got from people - positive and negative - to my nickname.
I feel very attached to my nickname, which some friends in college gave me. And more importantly - I think that as the numbers of online users swell this is increasingly going to become an issue. Part of what draws people into online communities of all sorts is the chance for reinvention. I know a lot of people that, like me and Taco here, take their names with them wherever the go online. They have the same name on messageboards, MMORPGs, and FPS's. But there's no guarnatee that they can take the name with them.
As the online community gains importance in our lives, so will the name we choose to assume in that world. And yet those names can be removed, destroyed, or stolen more easily than our birth names (which we don't choose). I don't know what all the implications of this are, but I'm curious to see what others think.
-stormin
The Southern Baptist Convention has creationism. On Slashdot, we have porn.
By your own reasoning, CmdrTaco should STFU and not even have posted this.
After all, it's Blizzard's "house," and they make the rules! He can leave! He doesn't own it!
"Sufferin' succotash."
Sounds funny to me.
I think it's $diety punishing you for making a Paladin.
You create a rant thread on your guild forums, or your blog (see above). You then have to explain it to everyone on your friends list, and in guild chat, you get a little bit of a ribbing (like calling you your new game name in vent), and life goes on.
"Welcome to level 60, you are hereby known as Cuthbert! Your old name, Lagfest, is leetspeek and i'm the lvl 58 dwarf you just ganked"
leetspeek? huh?
Welcome to Rob's new blog. Hey, it is his site, so yeah I guess he can take some liberties.
BUT, when you go to your preferences and can NOT choose to see "NONE" of the articles for the category "Editorials" on your home page when logged in, then the articles are no longer editorials but mandated lessons.
Seriously. This belongs in the WoW forums, or in your journal, not on Slashdot as a legitimate article.
Uhhhh you know this IS his journal, right? That thing you're reading now is his forum.
-Valiss
The story Taco tells is interesting, in terms of games, identity, and even how Slashdot's policies and rules work. If this story were submitted by someone else, it would still be consistent with other Slashdot front page stories. Perhaps a better format would indeed be Taco's posting to another page on the Web, then submitting the story to the queue (which he might have done, for all we know). I don't know if recusing himself from the decision to publish it would have been necessary, or even meaningful (given the power he has over the other editors). And I think that that alternative method would still have triggered your criticism. Especially the inappropriate depiction of his story as either petty or just bitching. We discuss these games/identity stories on Taco's site all the time. Why should Taco be prohibited on weighing in, when his personal experience is directly relevant, and clearly labeled, as well as his unique position also discussed in his story?
--
make install -not war
And 8 years is how far back you pushed your site with this one rant from your's truly.
Seems that WoW and Mr Slashdot have something in common after all...
If you wanted a WoW rant, maybe you should have started a more generic article, and post one or two times within it with your specifics.
EMail: 0110001101100010010000000110001101110010 0110000101111010011011100110000101110010 0010111001100011011011110110
Enough Said
The "no titles" rule is silly, but that "no celebrity names" rule (I know, from another game) is even sillier. I have personally known two guys named "Michael Jackson," and neither of them owned a monkey. Would they not be allowed to use their own name?
Personally, I share my name with an Olympic kayaker who won the gold medal in 1988. Would that be too much of a celebrity name for some games? Would I not be able to use my own name in some forums just because of that odd juxtaposition? Or, further still, could my own name be copyrighted and branded so that I couldn't use it for other purposes, say on my driver's license?
"Marilyn Hanson" is an obvious play on Marilyn Manson and the group Hanson. The GM didn't want to argue because it's bleeding obvious, and Taco's friend just wanted to be difficult for the sake of it to play martyr. "OMG, they took my name and couldn't find a specific celebrity with the actual name Marilyn Hanson! I'm being VIOLATED here!"
"Sufferin' succotash."
Having the same nick for different forums and even games is one thing, but if the game is a role-playing one, then the name is the name of the character surely? If you care about the RP in MMORPG then having some distinction between your character's persona and your regular online persona seems a good thing. Unless in real life you feel that you are a paladin. OMG you do don't you! ;)
Other way to think of it is to roleplay with the punches as it were. So the Alliance, the King, the Gods, whatever have made you change your name. Feel free to moan about it, but do it in character. Plus I think Violated is a cool name :)
I kinda suspect that the attachment to virtual names comes from the fact that, in most cases, our real names are given to us, and our virtual names, we choose ourselves. Then again, part of my attachment to my virtual name(s) comes from the fact that choosing them doesn't come easy to me (yeah, I know, my username makes that obvious).
Ever wonder why the Blizzard forums aren't filled with a million whining kids bitching about 'game balance' or how X job got nerfed in Y update? Well now you know.
How did I feel when the clerk at the airline check-in desk told me that I was on the "no fly" list? He then corrected himself and said someone with my _name_ was on the "no fly' list.
You have been using your online name for ten years. I have been using "Daniel P. Smith" for, uh, my whole life.
The airline ticket clerk takes my driver's license away from me, along with the driver's licenses of my wife, son, and daughter-in law, and he and another airline ticket clerk took them to some inner sanctum and did something mysterious, and after about five minutes came back and said we could be issued boarding passes.
On contacting the TSA I'm told that I can submit a form called a PVIF along with notarized copies of three forms of identification (driver's license, birth certificate, passport, etc.). This will accomplish... well, it's not exactly clear what it will accomplish. "Please understand that the TSA clearance process will not remove a name from the Watch Lists."
So what does it do? "Instead this process distinguishes passengers from persons who are in fact on the Watch Lists by placing their names and identifying information in a cleared portion of the Lists."
And what does THAT do? Well, here's what it doesn't do: "Clearance by TSA may not eliminate the need to go to the ticket counter in order to check-in. While TSA cannot ensure that this procedure will relieve all delays, we hope it will facilitate a more efficient check-in process for you."
You're upset because some online game doesn't like the name you've chosen for yourself? Please.
_I'm_ upset because my government doesn't like the name I was born with. And, yes, I'm upset because I can see the look in the clerk's eyes... and in the eyes of the notary at my local bank stamping the notarized copies (yes, of course I caved... what do you think I am, someone with principles?)... thinking "Well, he's probably OK but, gee, he's on the TSA's list..."
I think I'm going to get a court order to change my surname to Cmdrtaco. Hopefully there aren't too many people on the no-fly list named Daniel P. Cmrdtaco.
"How to Do Nothing," kids activities, back in print!
We can all agree that the policy is dumb, and we can also all agree that the previous clause of this sentence is highly irrelevant. The name is very clearly in violation of their naming policy, and therefore should have been changed. I think that the major lesson here is: If you care that much about your online persona, and realize that your online identity in these types of games is exclusively linked to your name: You might want to make a name that isn't against the rules. If you don't liek the rules, obviously, don't buy the game. I don't see the problem, really.
I learnt about that when I had a "free email address for life" and of course, after a couple of years of spreading it around, the hosts went belly-up and I had to rebuild my contacts. I was pretty annoyed, but after all, you don't really expect to have the same phone number or street address forever, so just keep your address book in your hands, and backup any important email (one reason I remain dubious of webmail; though GMail is probably a good bet to outlive me).
The one thing I can't get past in this, is why they "waited" (granted it was probably someone just scanning names one day and just happened to find that one) until level 45 to change it? Change my level 3's name and its not that big of a deal. I borrowed my character's name from an old fantasy novel, and it doesn't violate any of the ToS agreements, but I know I have made friends far and wide (I play a holy/disc priest, I get invites by the dozens daily) and I've even had experiences where someone I've never partied with has heard of me because their friend or guildmate partied with me weeks or months ago. Needless to say I'm always excited to hear that kind of thing, so I can see how a forced name change would be a really bad thing. All of a sudden my name wouldn't exist, and I would again be a stranger to all those people who have heard of me. How do you let those strangers know that you're not who you used to be? Run around Ironforge shouting about your name change?
Now on the flip side, I don't think that each name picked should have to be validated first, otherwise we couldn't make instant characters. I personally feel that Cmdr is hardly a designation of rank. Not to mention you can easily see rank (as its a separate word from your name.) If its in their policy, then I guess Taco is right, and they should have changed it, but I don't think GM WhatsHisFace really understands the impact of a namechange like that.
On a side note, I used to play SWG a while back, and there was a thread about stupidest names. Two that caught my eye were: Emperzizzle Palpazizzle, and one post that said 'I don't know about stupid names, but I just got my ass kicked by a wookie named Tony Danza'. I couldn't stop laughing out loud for at least 5 minutes. Taco, I think you could have done a lot worse than the guy who had all his characters named 'Steveswarrior, Stevespally, Stevesmage, Stevespriest'. (I think his real name was Chuck.)
And they said zombies weren't real!
oh, they were all bad. and you own this place. so its ok.
I made an alt character and wanted to play as a rogue. So I made it a female night elf and named her Backdoorbeth. Anybody that has played WoW knows that rogues like to stab people in the back. I think the name is open to a few different interpretations. So I got to lvl 12 and then some ransom person appears and asks people in my party for buffs. We ignored him and he just stood around asking over and over. I started to wave at him and slap him and spit on him with the built in enotes. He started getting mad and saying he was going to report me for being rude. I told him to shut up and report me. Later I ran into the same guy in goldshire. I waved at him again and he said if I didnt say I was sorry I was getting reported. A few hours later I got a message from a GM and he said my name was inappropriate and that I needed to log out and change it. I asked him why and he said I knew why. To me if any kids are playing and dont know what the meaning is from a sexual stand point arent going to learn it just by reading my name. They would probably just think attacking from behind like any other rogue does. They sent me an email saying i had to change my name it was in violation of the naming convention for characters. I was like whatever and changed it to Backstabbeth. Now they will probably tell me it is too close to Black Sabbeth and will have to change it again. It is just my alt character so I dont really care about it as it was still a new character and I havent really made new friends with that character. If it was my main I would probably feel similar since people know you by your name and guild. I can see if you are lvl 60 and have some ultra rare set of armor that people might still recognize you but they would read the name and think otherwise.
I'm not sure whether nicknames in WoW are separate from character names, but if they're not then CmdrTaco is not a very realistic name for a fantasy character anyways.
I've been using my HunterZ handle in a lot of places on the 'net for quite some time as well (as you can tell by my low-ish Slashdot ID), but being a Pen-and-Paper role-player in a addition to a video gamer, I decided I should make up some standard fantasy character names for use in MMORPGs and the like (because I felt that "HunterZ" would be too silly). As a result, I usually use "Hevin Moonhunter" in games like Guild Wars, Diablo 2, and probably WoW too if I ever play it.
You should try this; you'll find that a more realistic name helps you get more "in-character" when you're playing, and it will become just as familiar to you as CmdrTaco if you use it in all the fantasy games you play.
Arguing about vi versus Emacs is like arguing whether it's better to make fire by rubbing sticks or banging rocks.
This sort of thing goes on all the time. It's been happening on MUDs since day 1 and MMOGs are just the latest incarnation of it. You see it on message boards, too, and many other social groups where the rules are, essentially, arbitrary. Usually one person runs the place, with a small cadre of yes men. Sometimes, drama occurs where there is disputes among the elites, but generally speaking, the one person's word is law. And they have no qualms about being capricious and arbitrary.
There are virtually no artificial communities who have a concept of a "Constitution" or a "Bill of Rights" that protects potential members. Many do not even have an officla process for dealing with disputes/violations in a fair manner, like in a justice system. And since there's no voting, there's no accountability with the person in charges makes bad decisions. The only thing you can do is "vote with your feet", and leave. Reasoned debate rarely works, because if you're right, most people are too egotistical to admit it and it only makes them more disinclined to do anything for you. Meanwhile, "friends" get special treatment.
This happens even with commercial services. Even with corporations. And since your "feet" are the only power you have, PR becomes more important than "justice".
As someone who also has a title in their name, I feel your pain. In this case, the MMOG specifically fell down, not in their naming policy, but in how it was implemented.
1. If it was so important, they shouldn't have allowed Cmdr from the start. The fact they let you have the name for so long should give you some "grandfathered" consideration.
2. They felt it was so important that, once discovered, they had to act on it immediately. Again, this is simply incosiderate. A good support organization should have given you some more time, more notice, and a proper hearing with someone in charge who could review your case in a fair manner. Even if they felt the rules didn't give them many alternatives, merely the *opportunity* for you to be heard would have been of great value to you, and made you feel better.
3. Like nearly all MMOGs, as you discovered, the GMs have very little actual power, and there's virtually no end-to-end support system in place. I'm sure the lead developer or lead community relations manager probably wouldn't mind either removing Cmdr from the "bad" list, or at least, wouldn't mind making an exception in your case. But there's no way for you or even a GM to actually refer the matter through official channels in a speedy and satisfactory fashion.
Now, I'm not suggesting you get "special" treatment, but I do think that once the right people at Blizzard hear about this, there's a chance either the title will be "allowed" for everyone's name, or potentially only existing characters will be allowed to be "grandfathered" in. You have a chance through this article to actually get this matter the attention that ALL custoemrs should get when they have a dispute like this. But, if Blizzard doesn't resolve the issue to your satisfaction, you really should "vote with your feet" and move on to another game. And people who agree should have the character to do the same.
Anyway, this will certainly be a topic of conversation at the Austin Game Conference this week!
Bruce
MMOG Analyst
I've bitched about it on the forums over at worldofwarcraft.com since beta (when it was started)...
The policy is stupid, harmful to the overall community and just lame. It is one of the reasons I cancelled my WoW subscription.
You vote with your dollars, folks. If you find this policy stupid--or it has affected you in a negative way, VOTE. Stop paying Blizzard money to Violate you.
I currently have no clever signature witicism to add here.
The problem is that a) if you actually followed the Blizzard rules, pretty much every conceivable name is out, and b) the policy is imposed very hapharzardly. I see names every day that are blatant violations of the policy in that they encapsulate sexually suggestive phrases which are never forced to alter their name, but then they'll make someone like cmdrtaco or the guy who used Uranus change his name.
And except on RP servers, why? I can see them wanting to get rid of blatantly sexual names...no one wants to see FuckYou running around Azeroth, but if people come up with creative names, why punish them for it? Just doesn't make any sense.
I'm really curious to see if Blizzard will change its decision.. I believe in the power of the media (they did get Nixon..). When I have something that bothers me, I get on my soapbox (my blog) and I talk about it... And since very few people read it, it doesnt do much. When Taco gets on his big soapbox.. I'm sure his voice his heard like thunder at Blizzard.. and anywhere inside this industry. In every company where I worked, most techies read slashdot.. Because like it or not, hundreds of thousands of readers will read this, including many many of their customers.
I had a similar experience on a much smaller scale, with a paper RPG and a GM.
.45 magnums.
.45 magnums) and do to my agility and chameleon ability the dragon failed to hit me. The end result, my "paciful character" forced to be a gun-toting here slew the GM's "uber-dragon" in mere moments creating an extremely frustrated & pouty GM.
We were starting a campaign of "Heroes Unlimited" (a super-hero role-playing game). It was my first game and due to inexperience I was "assigned" my super-powers by the GM.
1. Elasticity (think plastic man)
2. Chameleon (think ability to change color and sticky ability that allows climbing walls and such)
At first I was like, these suck....I'd never pick such powers. Chameleon, perhaps but elasticity. "Plastic Fantastic Men" were always my least favorite super-heroes. But then I tried to think of a character. And I realized something. Chameleon was the power to change color, but it did not state you had to blend into your environment. This small little point opened up an entire new world of idea - and instantly a character formed and was born in my head! I would be... (in deep monotone Tick like style)
"Saltwater Taffy Man"
(think about it, colorful, sticky, and stretchty...it so fit)
Now, I wanted the character to be non-lethal (the children's super-hero) and to use non-lethal weapons. But the GM refused as they were too expensive. And gave me a list of weapons to choose from...all of which were lethal. So I could not afford a mere tranquilizer gun (due to an over inflated price) and had to suffice myself after much debate with two
Well, the campaign began and we were put up against this massive dragon. Which after a few rounds of combat lay slain at my hands. I simply had stretched my arms repeatedly to point blank range (earning quad damage with my two
My point, had the GM just bent a little in order to facilitate character development over hard fast rules things would have gone differently.
Its fine. Learn 2 play.
I've come to the conclusion that all online rpgs are, at their core and despite any appearances, dictatorships.
This is one of the reasons (besides the fees) why I don't play Everquest.
Compare this to e.g. the (now slightly old) game of "Neverwinter Nights". With this game every game CD also contains a server module, so that anyone who buys the game can also host it. Depending on the hardware specs of the server, such a gameworld will host 20-60 players, and depending on the quality of the Internet connection there will be noticeable lag or not.
Over the years a few hundred NWN servers have emerged throughout the world, each with its own game world. The vast majority of them run by enthousiasts and volunteers, although some ISP's run their own NWN server.
To me this has a number of advantages:
- choice (Game worlds vary from worlds with hardcore D&D rules, to more relaxed Roleplay worlds, to hack-and-slash worlds to tournament servers. If you don't like a server for whatever reason, other servers are just a mouseclick away.)
- fairly small community on the server (so people tend to know each other to some degree, and there is no basis for buying or selling gameworld stuff for real-life money)
- more intensive contact with Game Masters (on average 1 GM per 20 players)
- you can make your voice heard if necessary
- since the gameworld is "home-made", it can be customised and adapted and sometimes respond to In-Game events. Suppose e.g. that a battle for a city takes place. If the attackers win, the next version of the game world after a server reset can see the city reduced to ruins.
- no monthly fees (except for your own internet connection)
- people come online to have fun, not to make money.
Of course it may also have some disadvantages for you:
- the gameworlds tend to be smaller than Everquest worlds, so there will come a time when you have seen everything on the server.
- the number of people online is usually limited to 10-20 (although some worlds are exceptional and number 50 online players as average), so you have a more limited number of people to interact with
- you usually cannot transfer your character between servers.
To be fair, my main currently is a Horde Mage and azjol-nerub. I'd actually agree with your point about alliance- there are many similiarities between horde and alliance (each side thinks the other is unbalanced) but the alliance seems to feel it stronger.
Pants are still optional, but recommended for you.
Isn't the problem here that there was a delay between the creation of the identity and the refusal to allow it? If "inappropriate" names were to be notified within, say, a seven day period, and this was made very clear at registration, there would be far less irritation. The whole point of role playing games is to build up an existence in an imaginary world, and the longer the time that elapses, the greater the unfairness. At the same time, the naming policy does rather point to a fundamental flaw of the concept - who determines what is appropriate? I doubt that a committee of descendants of Inklings, medieval historians and Zen masters sits on the matter.
Pining for the fjords
SirLancelot was in violation due to the title pre-fix. Whatever.
We (my former guild) had this exact same problem. We are from shacknews.com and had the name Giant Communist Robots which obviously wasn't a serious name. After several months and an initial GM saying the name was fine at 1am a GM disbanded our guild saying it violated the naming policy.
At first they said it was because of the real world reference so we asked them about all of the real world references within WoW itself to which they backpedalled. After pushing the issue all the way up to the highest level the real reason was that "Communist" was deemed offensive.
The thing to remember here is that GMs don't go around looking for names to change, they only act when someone else reports you. Reporting people for "violations" is the new form of griefing in the game which is sad.
Indeed. Getting back to Taco's actual discussion topic, what is the nature of an online nickname? I think what we have to take from this is that people cannot, and should not, place such an emphasis on their online nickname. I look back on my IRC days and realize that we placed way too much emphasis on recognizing people based on their nick... Even though we all realized that anyone could use that nick if the original person wasn't logged in at that moment. Did we check the person's IP? Sometimes, not always.
I think it is natural to think that your name identifies you, and to be upset when it is changed (or "stolen" by another!). But the point is that the internet is too large to use those kinds of rules. You can't be John, or even John Smith, because there are too many more John Smith's on Earth, and too many of them are on the net. Even with the vast variety of nicknames you could invent, sooner or later someone else will "steal" it. But, no one can "own" a name (much as IP-advocates may say otherwise!).
Again the only conclusion I can draw from this is that we must (sadly) not put so much emphasis on nicknames. Instead we must look one level deeper. On slashdot, I barely even look at people's nicknames. If the comment is insightful, I mod it as such. In a way it's nice to be able to judge people without using their reputation... we can do it based on actual merit (and in a case-by-case sense) instead.
Besides, most of us have at least three or four different online nicknames. People who know us well will recognize all of them. I guess it's too bad that CmdrTaco doesn't have any other nicknames that he likes. I guess he'll have to get used to using "Violated" in all those instances when someone else already took "CmdrTaco."
Somehow my behaviour is quite the opposite: On Slashdot, I'm "maxwell demon", but that's the only place I use that nickname. Indeed, I usually don't use the same nickname on different places. I'm in another online forum as well, but with another nickname. My Wikipedia nickname is again different, and when I took place in a PBEM game some time ago, I again used a different nickname, and I used yet another nickname in a Web based chat. Should you ever find a "maxwell demon" anywhere else but on Slashdot, most likely it's not me. I also wouldn't care if someone took that name on any other online forum, game or whatever, as long as he didn't pretend he were the same person who uses that name on Slashdot (i.e. me).
However, if I were forced to substantially change my nickname on a certain place after using it for some time, I would probably also be pissed. If there's a validity check on nicknames, then do it at the very beginning. I wouldn't mind if e.g. on a new forum I'd try to register/log in as "Spock", and then got told that Star Trek names are not allowed in that forum (a rule which I'd consider pointless, but otherwise wouldn't care about). However, if after using the name "Spock" for some time, I suddenly got told that it's against the rules, and I should change it, then I'd be pissed unless they gave me a very convincing reason for that.
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
I can certainly understand the 'warm blanket' feeling of being able to get your own name. I've had mine shut out many times, most annoyingly on XBox Live where your name is quite literally your only identifying feature when searching for other players in the game lobbies.
Anyway, what bothers me about this is not that you were asked to change your name. This is typical Blizzard, and it is technically in violation of the policy, 'warm blanket' or not. The real question is, why did it take them 45 levels to call you on it? There was a player in my guild forced to change his name after he had been level 60 for almost 4 months.
Surely they can write a small routine to check for names for character strings with common prefixes (such as 'Cmdr') and flag them. You get the name, but a GM will check it out to see if it's in violation and if it is, ask you to change it when you're still less than level 10. It should be easy. What bothers me is that (I think) they only call players on the name issue if either another player complains or a GM sees you wandering and decides to make an issue of it.
The problem is that you had already established your identity when they took it from you.
Your nose is brown. Here's some piss to wash it off with.
"CmdrTaco," quasi-famous? Hahahahaahaaa...
We're not "haters" for pointing out that this is a silly journal entry that should have been in his journal where it belongs, not on the front page where more important news stories get bumped (WHERE IS CIV IV?! It came out yesterday to rave reviews! Oh, right, Zonk is making sure only he can post about it so we can get his crappy "review" two weeks from now).
"Sufferin' succotash."
Set aside from macro'd customer service, the GMs and CMs are essentially worthless. Their dis-customer service is a shameful waste of resources. Most of them lack a logical thought process, and the ability reason. One only need to browse their forums and absorb the malcontentness that vibes from the community. Of course, you always have naysayers, but set aside from the occasional 12yo troll, most are mature and state valid points that NEVER get addressed. For some apparent reason, the one company that makes arguably the greatest games ever conceived in the PC realm, has the most "PC", uninformative, "abuse of power" customer service systems in the universe. Kinda reminds me of Dell, and the United Nations.
All your aggro are belong to me
Erm, no offense, but his name clearly violates the policy, and even he admits that. The naming policy is clearly spelled out, and Blizzard was just enforcing it. I don't see how that qualifies as "heinous." I would have changed his name too. Being an editor for a large site doesn't give you a pass on the rules.
Oh dear, whatever you do, don't bring back Katz!!! Reading Taco's rant about Blizzard is one thing. Wading through the muck of an overly wordy rant on... well, everything! in each and every Katz article was an entirely unpleasant waste of bandwidth.
In reality, your life in an on-line game is considerably more monitored and considerably less free than your real life. How many of us would care to live in a country where there are no police, murder is discouraged but not usually punished, you can be convicted legally without trial and arguing about any of this will get you disintegrated?
Add to this ugly world the fact that the only authority of any kind that's real and present is "masters" who walk around observing what they want when they want (no privacy), change reality at will(you have less/more possessions or money, you are green instead of caucasian, your spouse is spontaneously sent across the world to live with a strange orc for a month), judge you or not as they like, and have the authority to kill you and destroy your body with all possessions arbitrarily.
Oh yes, and these same people aren't chosen by some god nor elected by the population, rather they are the only people who could be found who would do those jobs for the tiny reward the gods of this world would offer, and some of them aren't all that happy about it. The ones that are happy with absolute power as a reward in itself are even worse.
Always remember that in on-line RPGs, whatever amount of time and money and effort the authors make to convince you the game is fun and completely immersive, they're spending 3 or 4 times as much to hide the ugly truth behind the curtain - that it's not a real or even a working world, it's just a poor imitation of one that lets you pretend to be someone else. The GMs are poorly paid puppeteers with the responsibility to do anything necessary in their subjective, poorly trained and educated view to keep the world working and preserve the illusion of "freedom". It's a world with no justice, no rights, and no hope of change. And you're paying for it.
In online RPGs, we are all slaves.
Erik
PS: Some people condense this to "It's just a game" but that carries overtones of a lack of commitment to the (very cool) concept of a virtual fantasy world. It's probably more accurate to say "It's not a real world". As if riding around on Griffons weren't enough of a hint.
"I'm going to create myself a sweet paladin character, and roleplay the fuck out of it, but first he needs a name that fits the mood of this legendary world...hhmmm...I know! - Commander Taco! - That's a GREAT RP name!"
But the name 'CmdrTaco' seems horribly misplaced in a world like WoW.
.. Paladin?! You must have a masochistic personality to play a heal/cleansebot! :)
I'm well aware that it's been your nick for ages, but there's just something about a Paladin (fighter for justice, light, all that's good, yadda yadda) named 'CmdrTaco'. But it's no different from a hunter called 'SgtCheeseDoodles' or any other silly name, regardless of the history of the nick.
Having said that, I'm surprised that Blizzard took action at all.
I've been playing a Horde orc for over 6 months now and I've seen _a lot_ of stupid names. Names that makes 'CmdrTaco' seem like it's taken out of a Tolkien book and they're still around. You're most likely the victim of some arse that recognized the nickname and thought it'd be fun to annoy you, so he/her reported you to the GMs.
Oh and
Oh well, at least you can always shield + hearthstone out of harms way
Rob,
Don't let it get you down, man. I mean, c'mon, try living in the real world with a name like mine. I'll let you ponder that for a while. Ok, enough, you don't need to get any more images. Anyway, I'm rather attached to my real name. It is, after all, mine. But, when I tried to sign up to Orkut, they wouldn't let me use it. Nope. The username 'yocum' is verboten because of those last 3 letters, in that particular order. What's a guy to do? Move on, there's more important things in life than a stupid username.
Cheers,
Dan
A real human is wearing a shroud of anonymity and handing out the bitchslap to a total stranger.
/. crowd. Don't think this is ever going to be taken seriously by the powers on high either.
You mean like when people abuse the "over rated" mod on the moderating system? Hiding behind a mod that can not be meta moderated? Don't think this doesn't happen. Don't think this isn't much more of a concern to the
Dedicated Cthulhu Cultist since 4523 BC.
But this opens up gameplay that the GMs and designers didn't have in mind. How does a player explain their character's transformation? Perhaps, like in Tron, they become aware of their User; their personal God. Perhaps they become angry at the god of the game, or feel like they got a glimpse of "the real world", and that starts to seep into this fantasy world.
Could an organized in-game revolt of players who've been 'Violated' disrupt the game? If, say, all of those player's characters banded together and formed a religion around the experience of losing their identity?
I think with online games we need a second global ID tied to our account regardless of character. This would have no restrictions on name and once set could not be changed(perhaps have a check before hand for lewd names). This name would be visible from the character sheet or some other not so obvious method, no matter which character you were playing on which server. This way regardless of new characters or name changes, everyone could see it was you. This would also make reputation that more important, as people would blacklist the Global ID name, not a specific character name.
CmdrTaco raises an interesting question, on the flip side, what about the other way around?
I play WoW, and about 4 or 5 of the people I regularly interacted with in my circles, gave their accounts to a friend. The character is the same, same gear, same level, but the relationship SHOULD start over, right?
I find myself much more willing to let the person in raids, parties, even talk to them about who they "used to be".
On a more abstract level -- we obviously pick our own UIDs for people. It would be interesting to look at various games and environments to see what that unique ID is. Once I've chatted with people in voice chat on WoW I tend to use their voice, independent of their name. Beforehand -- I use their name and sometimes the way they type.
In "real life" do we establish these connections depending on the environment in which people meet? In long distance relationships is it the voice? How about by email chat, are you more connected emotionally to the email address than the name?
Just some interesting ideas...
This belongs in the WoW forums, or in your journal, not on Slashdot as a legitimate article.
He and the rest of the Slashdot crew built the single best tech news community on the web. Once in a while he editorializes, using the forum they built. He doesn't do it often (I can't remember the last time offhand). They have done more for the tech community than most people who earn 10X as much. While I completely agree that much or most of the value of Slashdot is created by the community, let's not forget who created the community. To say nothing of the fact that Blizz's heavy hand and WoW are frequent topics on this site, so it's not really offtopic at all.
Which is to say, give the man a little slack - he has clearly earned it.
Stop-Prism.org: Opt Out of Surveillance
I think they deserve the grief just for giving us those damn PR-type responses to our submitted questions.
re: the parent post - this seems like a cheap shot. You know you could get a free hit in here because if he retaliates against you, he'd be guilty of exactly the same thing Blizzard is.
Personally I understand Taco's point and also his use of the website he owns/created. It reminds me of the shit I used to go through in the web/gaming clan I created.
People don't want the creators/clan masters/icons of power to be human - they can't seem to handle it and I think to some extent it's ego-derived. All of the users of a website/community/mmorpg are subordinate to the admins and especially the master admin - people don't like symbols of greater power walking around, even in something so trivial as a website.
It would similar to if the Christians had their God or angels walking around taking a personal interest in their lives - they'd hate it - oh look here comes the almighty/or his agents compared to whom I am insignificant. As a symbol of their faith, fine - but a real, live symbol with things to say is a different manner.
I am not comparing Taco or the WOW admin to a God except in the facet where they are masters (or at least admins with some god-like powers) of these online communities.
In the end the mixture of a higher level of expectations (I was not allowed to become angry or take sides in disputes) and sickness with the politics of game clans drove me from my clan. The place where I put almost 2 years of hard work and a lot of my own money was no longer worth the stress. I exiled myself and never went back. It's finally clear to me why it was so hard to be with these people in real life and communicate with them as a person.
This sig contains a manual self-destruct. Kindly please put your foot through your monitor in 8 seconds.
What's the difference? Slashdot and the WoW Forums are both places where people bitch and moan about the service they are using and don't seem to understand that the only persons deciding what belongs into said service are the creators of it.
Hmmn, your last paragraph says that you are "Famous" and that probably "a total of 5 people" have recognized you.
Are you hinting that you are a member of the Famous Five? If so, wow!! I often wondered what happened to them after I stopped reading Enid Blyton several decades ago.
Why not stick to solid English fare like my nick? People know where you're coming from. None of this fancy foreign muck. If CmdrTaco is becoming a problemo and in some circles a no-no, I'd suggest switching to something you'll never need to change like BaconandEggs, SteakandKidneyPie, Kedgeree, MarmiteBap, JelliedEels, SaveloyandChips - the possibilities of English cuisine are almost endless.
Las qué passoun
tournoun pas maï
i've had this handle since they were called handles. i've also been watching you post under CmdrTaco for like 8 years on /. i'd be rather frustrated were your situation to happen to me anywhere.
Besides, when we see a 46th level paladin named CoyboyNeal running around, we'll know who you are.
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
I have used this name since right around the time Warcraft (the original RTS) was released. I have used it over many years in games, on forums, in Email addresses, and I was very sad when I found out I couldn't use it in WoW because they had named a monster "Firelord." But I guess what it really comes down to is the fact that I don't *own* the name Firelord; I just use it and most of the time it works out. I used another name on launch day and have become very attached to it over the months that I've played WoW. So, really CmdrTaco, I don't think you are really that upset about not getting to use CmdrTaco, but rather that the identity you had established in-game is now gone. It will get better with time, I promise.
Sadly this comes as no surprise to me. Due to a bug I was kicked from the server (while my net connection was fine), on immediately reconnecting I found my my WoW character lost tens of thousands of XP (de levelled!), lost gold and had the quests I'd done still marked as completed (so I couldn't repeat them to get back the XP).
I very politely contacted support 4 times over next week and a bit about this issue, including contacting GM's in game and via the site, pointing to there AUP/EULA agreement which explicitly says they will try to reinstate character data, items and gold in such an event (which was clearly due to a software fault) [ unless, it states, the rollback was part of a forced server roll back, which it was not. ].
Eventually, each time the GM responded with a poorly written reply which made no sense (as if he didn't speak English particularly well and / or hadn't read my ticket at all) saying they 'Don't reinstate characters when there has been a server roll back'. Though I got no response back from interim support query I had made via the web site. I indicated they hadn't done a server roll back at all of course, but they kept replying with the same old canned response.
Faced with the choice of grinding mobs for XP to re-level, re-rolling or quitting, I quit.
Bizzard, like SOE, employ some (not all, I'm sure) very poor quality support staff and GM's, that act seemingly randomly (enforcing rules on a whim, merrily ignoring some blatant abuse - even if it's reported multiple times by different players) and abuse customers in a way that, if they behaved like that in any other industry they'd be fined by watchdogs and/or have legal action taken against them by consumers and consumer groups.
Some of the customers are rude, abusive punk kids I'm sure (and I have very little sympathy for them should they get kicked off - which sadly they rarely seem to) but if you treat customers like scum by default, they will abandon you for the competition the first chance they get.
You'd think, given what we've seen happen to SOE, Blizzard would have noticed that (and how much gamers distrust and dislike SOE - the antics of some of the support staff there are legendary, with repeated tales of abuse by GM's and players calling for them to be sacked following repeated abuse).
You'd think, at the very least, they could employ support staff who can actually read and write English.
Of course the network performance (particularly for some of the servers, the ones in a separate data server in Paris) really, really sucks here in Europe - after ~6 months away I just rejoined so I could play with people I knew recently as that's what every one is playing and it's poor for everyone on our server (to the extent you just can't play sometimes - not helped by the fact that if it goes south on Friday afternoon, you're screwed till Monday morning). That's assuming you can log in (not due to server queues - due to the unreliable login system we seem to have).
I'm sure if the Penny Arcade or GU guys had a problem like this on the US servers there would be a huge stink about it, but the media don't cover it and we don't really have any gaming community representatives of our own to draw attention to it.
Given your reasoning, CmdrTaco should STFU.
It's Blizzard's servers, they make the rules. They could shut the servers down, tell everyone to go home.
Why would Blizzard be smart to apologize? They didn't do anything wrong, and it's quite a pedestal your placing Taco on to think Blizzard would suddenly care about his blog entry over on Slashdot. This place is a niche community.
"Sufferin' succotash."
The GM is probably mad because he can't get modded above -5 NutJob on Slashdot.
TheREALcmdrTaco (hey, it worked for the Ghostbusters!) :)
Slashd0t0v3rl0rd
T3hDup3r (I like this one
calm down.
I am the Alpha and the Omega-3
Just wait 'till it gets duped next week . . .
Ah, so he descends the throne to post among the proletariat. ;)
;)" In the case of "CmdrTaco", yeah, it's pretty much spelled out right there, and even though your online identity in general revolves around using that name, once you get into the game, that identity has to fit through the "Carry-On Baggage Size Checker of Justice". The GMs should try to help you maintain that identity while conforming to the rules (suggesting "Taco" as an alternative, for example, assuming you're not on a RP server), but they can't treat you any differently than anyone else whose name they've changed.
;)
I will say, though.... Back in the day, I was a senior guide in EverQuest. One of the things that senior guides did was enforce the naming policy. Mostly this consisted of changing obvious troll names containing misspelled profanity or an off-color reference. But it also included rules such as "no title prefixes" (this was long before EQ added AA and tradeskill titles, way back in 1999) and "no non-fantasy names". And yes, there were times that I changed character names despite the pleadings of their owners and their friends. Made me feel like a turd doing it, too. These characters had gotten well into the 30s or 40s (50 was the limit at the time) with no problem, and in a way, their being able to get to that point without having a GM or SG talk to them was almost tacit acceptance of their name - and by that point it had in some fashion become their identity.
However, I am lawful neutral at heart, and when a name fairly obviously violated a rule, I had no qualms about changing it - in many cases where the violation was obvious (even if it wasn't vulgar), the person would laugh and say, "You finally got me.
Of course, you probably already know all this, but I think it's important to drive home the point that the society of World of Warcraft or any other MMOG isn't the same as society IRL. There are different rules in this society that go right down to the essence of one's identity. But they're there at the outset, and the decision is ultimately up to the player as to whether they want to participate in a society where the rules might not grant them the freedom to choose or make use of a particular online identity.
On a side note, I don't know why you would want to name a character "CmdrTaco" anyway. Seems like an invitation for constant spam tells to me
Well, I did post it using the 'Editorial' topic icon, which I thought might subtly imply that I was editorializing ;)
Pants are still optional, but recommended for you.
I deleted my blog because I would go nearly a year between updates. My life just isn't interesting enough to warrant keeping one so I got rid of it.
I still don't see how CmdrTaco abused his power.
Mac OS X and Windows XP working side by side to fight back the night.
Problem #2: These games require naming policies of some kind that are non trivial to automate. Since they are non-trivial to automate, there will always be people who slip through. Even if you have a human monitoring each new name (Everquest used to do this), Borisyeltsin may slip through because the human monitoring name approval that day happened to not known who Boris Yeltsin is.
In this specific case the core issue wasn't that CmdrTaco was not a valid name, or even that it was changed, it's that it was changed at level 45, after 100s of hours were invested in the character. This makes the impact of #1 very real.
In WOW name petitioning is basically a form of griefing. There is no review process for names. I've seen people who have petitioned and spoken with GMs (who obviously saw their names) and then weeks later their names were changed because someone petitioned them, their name was reviewed, and then changed. All name petitions come from players essentially. Why did the other 10,000 people who saw Taco before not petition? Probably because they weren't jackasses, and the guy who petitioned was.
I don't have a perfect solution but it seems like the best one is a combination solution:
The grandfather-clause policy would apply to a player's name after some period of time (say 48 hours of play time and one week of real time have passed). It would basically say, by this point a number of humans have seen you and have not complained about your name. Your name was reviewed by customer service. At this point while we can still change your name, we recognize the social impact, and as thus will be more lax in applying the policy.
---
I support spreading santorum
I got modded down for posting a true but unpopular comment once. Now I have bad Karma and I'm sad about it. Maybe I'll make my own website and rant about it there. I can probably make it really popular if I grant virtual authority to a clique of small-minded proto-fashists thereby validating their oninistic dictator-fantasies.
Well, I can say that I feel quite the same as our chief, here. I have a name that I use for nearly everything online (Skudd), and it's been my pride and joy. I'm known by lots of people. I walk(read: log) into an IRC channel, and people know who I am, just by my name. Ive had people inquire me about the authenticity of my name when I register on a forum. It's one of those little things that makes you feel big.
I personally have used a different name for World of Warcraft for 2 reasons:
1. Anonymity - I really play to escape from the internet and world, not to be found by someone I know.
2. Authenticity - I'm not a big RPG'er, but a name like "Skudd" just doesn't fit in a game like that. Maybe for a pet name, but not for a primary character.
I do know that if I see someone else using my name, it will upset me, but I don't play the game for that kind of politics. If someone else wants to use that name, let 'em. Let them deal with the headache that goes along with being even slightly "popular".
All I can say is, "deal with it," which CmdrTaco is doing. This is his site, so he can rant about it. All the comments below, calling him a cry-baby, whiner, etc., are all uncalled for. You are on his turf here.
If you come into my home and call me a whiner because I say I don't like milk, I'll boot your ass out the door. Shut up and let the dude rant.
Note that in the U.S. Navy, the actual rank and name tends to be "Seaman".
Which, of course, never leads to embarassing and uncomfortable remarks.
Diane Simmons: And reports indicate she has also consumed a record amount of seamen.
zTom Tucker: That sounds like one powerful hurricane, Diane.
What would an EWOULDBLOCK block, if an EWOULDBLOCK could block would? -- me
Are you fucking kidding me? If that's how you feel you really don't understand this site. What would you have said if you were around back then. I wonder.
/. not being like a normal news site. About editoral control not being what it would/could be at CNN. Guess what, that's the point. This site still has character. It's still personable. And as much as I disagree with all the OSS crap, I still read it after years and years _because_ of it's quirky personality and distinct viewpoints from it's readers.
/. ten times a day.
Many people bitch about
The fact that Taco can get up on his little soap box and say "what do you guys think?" is the reason most people read
-Malakai
A Dragon Lives in my Garage
You're new here, right? When your karma is good enough you can opt to post with score 2 as standard.
What a surprise, Kentucky Fried Gayboy stands up for his favourite nerd-wank site.
Not to be an ass, but virtual identity is so 1999. Where were you during that period and why weren't you paying attention?
The experience you had is almost cliched in the blogging world where countless "injustices" such as this are enumerated.
CdmrTaco
If read it quickly it'll pass and most everyone who knows you will recognize it.
There is nothing so silly as other peoples traditions, and nothing so sacred as our own.
Impersonating an officer in the Mexican Army is probably a federal crime. Maybe the taco part was offensive to the enthnicity of the GM? I know CmdrWatermelon might equally offensive to some people. How about CmdrRaghead? That's probably just as bad. CmdrNonDancingWhiteGuy may also be taken as an insult in some quarters. And the new name - Violated- sounds kinda feminine. Are you making fun of women? or are just making light of people who are genuinely violated? It would almost appear that you are assuming some sort of victimhood - in spite of your unsavory choice in names. You've got issues. I suggest therapy to help with this unhealthy attachment to this unhealthy name. Pick a good name that's not sexist or racist, that exudes maculinity and rugged individualism... like CowboyNeal
On the topic of virtual identities, I can completely understand. The first ID I ever used on the net was Ship2c. At the time, I was in the Navy and liked it because besides from the obvious connection, it sounded like I was a revision of sorts which fits in well with the whole, "you are you, but in an internet sort of way" concept. Once I moved to Jacksonville, FL I tried using the Ship2c moniker with my ISP and was rebuffed, so I took the obvious (to me) route of place and initials. Despite the many confused people who thought I patterned myself after some fight game character (JAX is the airport code for Jacksonville International), it was simple enough to remember with little little typing required on my part. (jacksonvilletravisjames seemed a little cumbersome) It's not that weird that you are attached to CmdrTaco, in a virtual sense it's just who you know yourself to be. JaxTJ doesn't really fit anymore(living in Joisey), but what else am I going to be that's easy to remember that will be readily available on almost any site I have to register for?
For months my Orc Warrior on Archimonde was named Dg. About 2 weeks /played into level 60, while I'm busily grinding AV reputation, I get spontaneously booted from the server. I log back in to find a "change your name" dialogue. Not wanting to lose ALL the associations I had made over 60 levels and more I go with something similar: Dgwut.
This old name, it wasn't offensive. Never have I heard a single complaint about my name. The reasoning I get for my forced name change? "Gibberish." It wasn't pronouncable? Are you fucking KIDDING me? Why the hell is Blizzard forcing RP-esque naming conventions down the throats of players on PvP servers, who ARE NOT ROLE PLAYING.
Somebody I know was in a similar boat, name was Copyright. He got a forced name change, when there's a Alliance Paladin of some fame named Trademark that had been running around for quite a bit longer.
I really don't understand why you are not angry at Blizzard.
It doesn't matter how arbitrary or absurd the policy is as long as they apply it consistently.
But you'd been playing your character as CmdrTaco for 45 levels. I am no expert on MMORPGs, but that sounds like a long time to me. Retroactively applying a policy to an old character is way too brutal.
I think your friend that stopped playing Everquest had the right idea. I hope he wrote to the CEO to tell them why he wasn't playing there any more.
Dunx
Converting caffeine into code since 1982
>>It's like a warm blanket. It's stupid I know, but it's mine.
>So other people who use CmdTaco are imposters.
In no way the first implies the second. I myself like the TuringTest name to post everywhere, but that doesnt mean that every reference to tests designed by Turing should be a tribute to me.
"It's my name" means that I feel good with that name and I will try to use it wherever possible. Since we are entitled to unique names when we register to online forums, it pisses you off when someone tries to remove it from you.
Singularity: a belief in the "God" idea with the "demiurge" relation inverted.
I think things like camping people 30 lvls below you doesn't have anything to do with anonymity, it's all about someone being a total ass. If you're an ass in real life, you're gonna gutter fck lowbies in nessing's. It's what you do.
:D
Personally, most of my guild won't bother killing another player unless it yields honor. Once someone doesn't yield honor, you're gonna kick thier ass.
Lots of people are jerks and have no outlets for being jerks.
And on a side note...why a paladin? That's a class for total pussies. Plate, low mana costing heals, ability to use strong weapons and a shield that has NO DAMAGE LIMIT AND IS NON DISPELLABLE.... When I see a pala, I just walk away, not worth my effort.
maybe it's time to reroll a class that takes skill
Though I do agree with the "no titles in names" rule, it ought to only apply to titles that are actually used in the game.
And if the title is spelled differently (e.g. "Cap" or "Cmdr"), they ought to allow it.
Really annoying policy.
Shiny. Let's be bad guys.
Yeah but the only good that will come of it is *YOU* will get back your name. This wont help anyone else who is abused by the GM system or by Blizzard in general.
You obviously have the power to get your words out and you choose to complain about your name in an MMORPG?! Why not bring up the EULA changes which allow them to scan out of process memory? Thats an industry wide problem which might require legislation to fix and could use the publicity.
Rank 11 Alliance: Commander
Part of the naming policy is to prevent people from giving themselves the appearance of a PVP rank they don't actually have. Don't ask me how this could be exploited, but that's the justification for it. And in your case, you did have part of your name that might have been mistaken as identifying you as a badass pvp'er. There have been many worse forced naming changes, where there was no apparent logic in the change, but in this case it doesn't appear you have much of an argument. Cmdr is an abbreviation of Commander.
On the actual meat of your article though, I completely identify with the attachment one forms to ones name. I've used CheSera pretty much everywhere for the last few years, and luckily enough this name is unique enough to make this possible. One route WoW should IMHO take to help create stronger player identity in the game is to allow for customization of armor/appearance. At this point you can't change your appearance in any meaningful way. Sub 60 you get some uniqueness due to your armor, but in the end game every character starts to look the same based on class. I play a druid in an end game raiding guild, and with most of the druids in Cenarion gear, its pretty much impossible to tell us apart at a glance. Same goes for any class. If blizzard allowed for cosmetic alterations to armor, be it color, insignia, or something, you could create identity that way. Hell, make it a profession.
Hey, since this is totally on-topic, I'm going to ask any of you WoW players out there to go ahead and send me an invite. Um, yeah.
I can feel my karma burning already.
When you look at the state of the world, how can you not become a radical, liberal anarchist?
This Frankenstein of his is his blog.
/. horde.
Albeit a very popular blog and that should be considered in using restraint on deciding what to post and the potential impact.
Although, I'd be willing to wager that Blizzard has more than enough resources to cope wiht
Hmmm witty sig or funny sig? Maybe elitest techy sig!
So should slashdot and every other news outlet stop having editorials?
http://www.windmeadow.com/
The same thing happened to my guildmate about a month after game launch. He got banned for no reason and came to find out that his name had been reported as offensive. It was Kidkyler. Someone has decided this must mean he is a "kid killer", but of course nevermind trying to talk to him, just report him. The actual name comes from the name of his kid, which is Kyler. Well after a few weeks of trying to get anyone at blizzard to listen, going as far as sending in a copy of his kids birth certificate, he gave up and accepted the name change. This case seems even more extreme to me because there was no real rule violation, only a percieved one which was held even after being proven false. I quit wow for a multitude of reasons, (mainly MC raids were taking up way too much of my life), but it sure didn't help that the GM's were spending time banning people for nothing. Then everytime I've had a real problem and submitted a ticket or asked for help I get no response whatsoever.
Make the name field more sophiticated, add a space for a disused name, a timer on how long it would last, and lastly a way to differentiate between changes that were forced on a player, and those that were part of customer service. You wouldn't want the strings to be overly long, but if you made it display a little shorter there might well be a not so inconvienent way to squeeze them both into a single line of where the new name and disused name are over/under each other.
Especially with the organization taking responsability and owning up for the changes they mercurially force onto the players it would be more palatable. While the player will frequently have opportunities to recount what happened they won't be forced into doing so to resetablish old relationships. The transition will leave no doubt as to what was done, and by whom even if the Greek style powers that be are negligent in providing a why.
And for God's sake, the GMs should be telling people exactly which infraction they are breaking anytime the hammer falls.
I felt the same way when I accidently locked myself out of slashdot! I sure as hell didn't want to be "someone else." Luckily, CowboyNeal, took the time to read my e-mail, and make sure that I was the "real slim shady." I hope that this makes it to the blizzard front page, because I totally agree with you.
Two things I didn't like about the TOS regarding names:
1. no first & last names.
2. no numbers.
3. character limit
DRAGONWEEZEL... hmm. I have had this nick since 1996.
I relate with you totally.
Before HOTMAIL was owned by Micro$oft, I had this nick. (o.k. so I am dating myself here...)
It all started back in the BBS days, when once, I was the Flaming weasel (cause I blew fire, and could get my self out of tricky situations) (any INFRARED ROSE fans out there?)
Then flaming became a derogatory term, so I had to change that really quick 8')
anywho....
shout out to my favorite Nicks...
MATGUY!
RAMPRAT
LordShroom
Lednerg (write some time you bastard...)
JOWIE
TAZjr
JASONROCKS
RAEVESOR (Where the hell are you these days?)
EngleX
no i didn't forget you SHOWTIME...
I wish you luck, and thank you for keeping my identity here safe.. (until now...)
How much is your data worth? Back it up now.
In a virtual world where the only truly identifying characteristic is a character's name, how does a name change (forced or voluntary) impact relations with others in the game? A follow up question would be: how could developers, if they so chose, account for this to minimize any negative impact?"
They don't need to minimize the impact. For forced changes, people wouldn't bother following the name creation rules.
If a name change is voluntary, then the person who did it chose to face the consequences of the name change.
The thing is, CmdrTaco is upset because an identity he established outside the game is unusable inside the game. Yes, it took a while for enforcement to catch up to him. And yes, enforcement may seem arbitrary and sporadic, but I would think this more due to not enough GMs / rules lawyers / complainers to enforce every rule absolutely. But we don't have some inalienable right to have the same handle on every website we create an account on.
The fact of the matter is (apologies to Chuck Palahniuk & Jim Uhls) you are not a beautiful and unique snowflake. In WoW, you are as anonymous as the next guy... until you make a name for yourself in Wow.
CmdrTaco says it himself (though unintentionally, I believe): "This experience has brought up a host of feelings on matters of virtual identity and virtual worlds."
Virtual Worlds. That's plural. While we may grow attached to our handles (I use Red Flayer a variety of places), we should have no expectation that our identity in one 'world' should be valid in another 'world' -- that's the whole point of virtual worlds, no? I'm not an accountant in the World of Greyhawk, I'm a dwarven priest. And my name is not $Real_name, it's $Handle. But I'm not a dwarven priest named $Handle in the World of Warcraft...
Re: unique IDs such as seller numbers on eBay, those are used to represent us not in a virtual world, but in the real world. As such, there is an expectation that our unique ID should be non-transferable, non-spoofable, and unchangeable.
"Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
Subtlety? You must be new here...
Real Daleks don't climb stairs - they level the building.
I was going to post this anonymously, but at this point, I don't really care if it gets modded down, or if taco goes right in to the database and manually fries my karma, or if aliens from the nineth dimension steal my cornflakes and leave me in a bathtub full of ice missing a kidney.
a aaaaaah
... freaking ... deal. So what. So you can't use that name. Life goes on. This article doesn't make you come across as the great creator of slashdot, it makes you come across as a whining, sniveling kid who feels that people aren't respecting him when they should. It makes you come across like this: "Bow down before me, or I will freak out on my site and denounce you to the masses.". I remember when slashdot used to be a news repository, not a place to settle personal grudges.
This is what I see in this article:
-- snip
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah
*sniff*sniff*sniff*
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
-- snip
Honestly, big
BeauHD. Worst editor since kdawson.
Waah waah waah, the big mean admins won't post stories that you like? Take your ball and go home.
"CmdrTaco" certainly is quasi-famous, in the circles we're talking about.
And I merely pointed out that he could have received unfair preferential treatment, and may still get it yet.
[PowerPoint] is a tool for capitalist presentation
Because they don't actively search out name violations. There are too many characters being created to make it practical to do so. So what they do is they only change them when they notice it, or when someone complains about the name. If you want to keep your invalid name, better not submit any GM tickets.
I disagree. I think this is a valid argument to be posted on Slashdot. WoW forums are for bitchy noobs and complaining about downtime. This is a legitament complaint with logic and reasoning following. It brings up the issue of virtual identity (and virtual identity theft).
I play on Stormscale (as well as other servers) and would be very upset if someone too one of my many names or made me change my name. (My names vary from Wells, HealWells, GankWells, and SpankWells)
This also brings up the issue of GM/Blizzard abuse of power in their virtual world. They may own and control it, but ultimately we pay for it.
If your name had been CommanderTaco then I think Blizzard would be justified in following through on the rule they used on you. However Cmdr is not the same as Commander and I think you should be allowed to keep your name.
It is a shame you weren't a ganker or Ninja looter before your name was stolen.
Those communist bastards!
As Violated, nobody ever will recognize me for my day job. But that's really not what bugs me. I was really attached to my name. This character bounded through Azgalor slaying monsters and meeting new people. Now that character is erased and another character stands in its place. Same armor. Same class. But different somehow.
A hard pit began to form in the depth of my soul, and I began to realize that my life as I knew it was gone. I had been cut off from everyone who knew me, from who I was. I was faceless, nameless, alone in the world. Now I would wander the shadows of the worlds, a piercing invisible wind, striking terror in the hearts of the GMs. Not just for me but for all who are Violated.
Jeez, man! Should he have written "'''impostor'''" so you could see that the word "impostor" was meant to be ironically entitled?
Malda's is a good and interesting account (ok, maybe not front page material for some, but I liked some of Jon Katz's rants too), and this particular point is not as bad as you make it out to be. The feeling of attachment to a nickname is very common.
I know about this feeling firsthand: I have been using the aka 'Candyman' in offline life since co-workers gave it to me (with a name like "Candeira", I was also called all the variations of "Candy*" during the years before Barker's film). I too feel like anyone who gets "Candyman" before me is some kind of impostor, as I am sure anyone who has been using the nickname and finds I have taken it before them feels I am the impostor.
If anything, CmdrTaco was stating the obvious from a personal perspective, but he was definitely not being contradictory, using some other person's nickname, or mispelling "impostor" as "imposter". As to hypocritical, you can call him that when he starts changing people's nicknames at whimsy or enacting Blizzard's braindead policy. Last time I looked, the anonymous coward posse was still there, as were a bunch of priest impersonators and unlicensed quacks.
http://barrapunto.com/ - News for nerds, en español
Nooooo!!!
Oh please...you went from complaining about there being consequences to violating the rules to a comparison to the US government?!? I'm sorry to break it to you, but Blizzard can not infringe upon your civil rights. You however, have the right not to play World of Warcraft. I certainly hope that you choose to exercise that right in response to Blizzard's outrageous behavior of enforcing its rules and doing what it said it would do.
A real human is wearing a shroud of anonymity and handing out the bitchslap to a total stranger.
Run outside and punch a cop...they won't hide behind a shroud of anonymity when they bitchslap you.
* Si hoc legere scis numium eruditionis habes *
With an article of this level, and the recent dwindling content or lack/thereof at slashdot, I can safely say slashdot.org is being removed from my favorites. I play WoW, I am also in the tech industry. I fail to see how this reaches any sort of news worthy level, what's next... story on how you accidentally lost your 'purple' sword during a recent game update? And how it left you feeling? -1 slashdot reader. Goodbye.
> You have really no recourse against a GM. That scares me.
That's the golden rule!
.. was "Corona Sunburst" in eq1. "Because it was the name of a beer." nevermind the fact that obvious by combination of first name / last name he wasn't refering to the beer... or that the word corona isn't quite like coors or budweiser in that its a real word not just a brand... they forced a name change on him. He quit. MMO companies really don't care about small numbers of people they only care when slews of people quit over something. One account is a drop in the bucket.
Shadus
Thereby driving the last of the good readers over to Digg.com where they would be much happier.
Yes, do it, Taco. Let's hear ten paragraphs about how "violated" you are by Blizzard making you--gasp--change your videogame nickname on their servers.
"Sufferin' succotash."
The name of a character is just too important.
There was a guy on my server that screwed over a lot of people - ninja looting, threating guilds, a lot of childish nonsense. The server as a whole got sick of him, started blacklisting him from groups and raids (and for end-game content, this is a deathstroke).
The man goes to the server forum, makes a grandiose 'goodbye server, I'm never coming back' message, and disappears.
A couple weeks later, we find out that he requested a name change, and had been playing the entire time with the same character, screwing more people over. In a social game like WOW, names are really the only way to positively identify someone, and we need to be able to identify people, without chance of mistake.
Get a grip with life, cry baby.
My problem with that is that its not consistent. If they're going to enforce a rule about invalid names, then they need to do it 100% and not this spot-checking thing. I see tons of names that look like they don't belong, but I don't complain because I don't play on a RP server, where I hear that kind of thing is enforced a little more actively. It just annoys me when the enforcement of rules is relatively random. Taco didn't say anything about creating a ticket, but if thats the case, then I guess those with bad names know what to avoid. Otherwise it seems some GM was bored and just was browsing around for something to do. Who knows.
And they said zombies weren't real!
Just a quick side note, I think if you and the other editors participated more in the discussion, you would receive less criticism and seem more "part of the crowd" rather than above and beyond as some posters like to make you seem. It would be good to see someone such as yourself bicker back and forth with someone on the merits of say running a large clustered site or if a game is worth playing. Flame on! :-) Excellent essay by the way, its important that issues like these are verbalized so innocent gamers can see the problem is on a larger scale than just them being personally targeted and unable to do anything about it. Regardless of what others are posting, I think this was a responsible use of your position and abilities (the site is after all *yours*).
Regards,
Steve
No, no there isn't. The GMs in WoW don't proactively enforce the naming policy, they only do it reactively. If CmdrTaco had his name changed, that means someone reported him to a GM. Which probably means he did something to annoy someone, who decided to take revenge by doing the virtual equivilent of running to tell mommy on you for some minor thing you did.
Plus, "Cmdrtaco" is pretty blatantly against the naming policies you have to agree to when you sign up for the game. I dunno if CmdrTaco actually read them, but I did, they're not exactly secret. His name clearly violates the titles restriction. This isn't new, either, this is the same naming policy they had in open beta.
You are in a maze of twisty little relative jumps, all alike.
To be fair, I agree. At the time I didn't notice it was under editorial. I just saw games, so obviously I'm mistaken in my stance. However, I'm still not sure that it should belong on the front page.
I understand how tough it is to deal with the loss of an online identity. This is actually the third major identity I've had, and about the longest-lasting so far. Soon after I was able to get access to Gmail, I couldn't get this name, or any of my preferred variations, so I was rather dismayed. I've understood that since I take the name of a movie character, I'm going to get locked out of certain things, but it's still slightly painful when it happens. On occasion, I've stopped using a service for a while because of it, usually wandering back to it eventually when I get some time for it to settle in that it's really not that big a deal in this case. The next time it happens, though...
On the topic of the GM, a friend works at Blizzard, and was at one point one of the crew that oversees the GMs. This friend told me about the kinds of things that GMs would do that were within the letter of the rules, but violated the spirit, so could be hard to punish. There was also the issue of when to reverse judgement calls; overriding such things can cause problems down the line.
Of course, this doesn't cover the actual abuse issues. One GM lost a PvP match, and got so mad that he flipped to his GM account and teleported the winning player into some sure-death scenario (I want to say lava, but since I don't play the game and it was a while ago, I'm not quite sure). The GM was fired less than 30 minutes later, but the point is that there are plenty of petty people working things.
You can never go home again... but I guess you can shop there.
As it happens "Commander" is one of their titles, and a pretty high one at that. "Cmdr" is not only a string of consonants which makes native speakers of Slovenian give up all hope of pronouncing it, it is very similar to an in-game rank.
You violated the naming policy. It is unpronounceable, contains a masked title, and is even a clear reference to a well known person, character, place or icon.
You agreed to these rules before you ever created the character "Cmdrtaco" and broke all of them. What exactly is the lesson that needs to be learned here?
Heh, yet another example of someone who failed to read the terms of service. That particular clause has been in there since at least the release. I wouldn't know about the beta. Of course, if they'd make the TOS shorter and easier to read and didn't change them every patch, it'd be easier to follow.
Can you be Even More Awesome?!
Seriously it is an interesting question, I use this nick in at least 8 places. It's fairly unique, so anyone I know online from any one site has a reasonable chance of identifying the actual individual behind the nick. I have an extremely common name in my country of birth, one full page in the phone book for ~200k people, though at my current residence I can probably be sure I'm the only one in ~120K persons here in this city with this name. On the other hand with n million internet users there's probably only a small handfull of praedictii. In the late 80's, early 90's my customary nick was devoid, though soon appeared so many people using this I soon abandoned it, as it ceased to be a unique identifier. So I can understand CmdrTaco's feelings of betrayal at this somewhat arbitrary decision on a GM's part, ie why suddenly after 6 months is the name considered a violation of the "rules".
Watashi wa chikyubutsurigakusha desu.
Personally I like to see these kinds of articles. That was one of the main draws to Slashdot for me over the past years. I enjoyed visiting the site for news, but what I really liked was the personal interaction on the site. 'Hemos Gets Hitched' and the marriage proposal are some of the greatest memories I have of the Slashdot.
On another off topic related note: I miss Geeks in Space. It was something I really enjoyed listening to -- "podcasting" two years before the iPod was introduced. Self written articles and opinions add sugar (or splenda if that's your thing) to the top of the doughnut. Good websites need that personal touch in my opinion.
My 2 cents on the name change: I can understand both sides but as long as the name isn't offensive in any way I don't know why they'd really enforce something like that. I've played Final Fantasy XI since November of 2003 and have only seen two people forced to change their names personally: Teebaggins and Littleshyte. Obvious reasons for that. Although I guess I wouldn't mind if they did some name cleaning to remove the Cloudxxx, Clouddd, Sephitorth, Sephroth, Squallxx, and my personal favorite: Starcraftsquall.
Definitely not. When you write:
...you could just as easily be talking about the LiveJournal abuse team, who are empowered to hand out bitchslaps anonymously and have absolutely zero accountability. In that case, even Brad Fitz can't do anything about it, or doesn't care.
It's nothing to do with your being anonymous though; as the LJ example shows, they would bitchslap you just as happily if they had your photo and personal info right there in front of them.
All you need for authority to become abusive is anonymity and lack of accountability on the part of those with the authority; though it helps tremendously if they're given the power to outright silence critics. (At least that isn't the case of the moderation system on Slashdot.)
What with the abusive moderators, the spyware, the copy protection to prevent first sale rights, the lawsuits against bnetd, and the high price, I find it really hard to understand why so many people bend over and take it from Blizzard for the privilege of playing World of Warcraft. Like with Microsoft and their customers, I find myself wondering how far the company could go before people would actually revolt.
GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak
I get it.
Mostly because i've been 'solemndragon' online since '94.
It's derived from my name, and i guess i'm pretty attached.
It bothers me when other people use it, because i feel there should be some recourse for the user of an online name. I would like to be able to say that there were no other solemndragons. Never happen- the more i use it, the better the odds that someone will like it and steal it- but it's still mine, and it was original when i came up with it.
(On the other hand, i had a great uncle named john smith, and he wasn't able to use his name anywhere without someone assuming it was fake. There were so many John Smiths in the world, both real and alias, that his name lost value. He said it came in handy when people WERE looking for him. He liked his name, but there were too many similar ones for his to be identifying. A superunique name loses value when copied, a common name comes in handy when trying to hide but not when trying to stand out. The world needs more 'anonymous' possibilities so that we can choose which aspect we want.)
Know what I'd like? A name registry, same as we use for our websites. If i can demonstrate being solemndragon for ten+ years (or at least that no one else was before me) then i should get my name and the rights to use it. And be allowed to refer to that in using my name on games sites, etc.
I know it won't happen, and if it were, there are a half dozen problems with it that i haven't foreseen (buit someone will surely point out in triplicate) but i can still wish.
So I get it. It's not about can or should or how or why, it's about hey, you were you, and now you aren't that version any more on their game, and maybe some discussion of this is not really such a bad idea. I see this as relevant because it's related to online identity in a vital way. It's not quite 'your rights online,' but it's at least an opinion piece on the value of a name.
"I'd say 'Have a good time,' but arson is still illegal.
I am not a crackpot.
I think its refreshing to hear someone articulate something original. Getting rubber-stamped, reguritated news is fine and all but this reminded me there are people in here. And even better, people that think about the times they are writting in.
Let the lamers moan. Good article Cmdr.
Quack, quack.
Some people just have way too much going on to allow someone else to express their opinion - especially on their own site. Some others just cannot be made happy mo matter what you do. I personally am glad you posted it.
Irony? Yea, it's like goldy and bronzy, only it's made of iron!
Something to keep in mind:
Generally, forced name changes in WoW only occur when someone reports you for having your name.
Meaning, somebody didn't like seeing CmdrTaco on their screen, and decided to whine about it to the GMs.
-PARANOIA is fun. D20 is not fun. The Computer says so.
-The Computer
Hey, I can vouch for the weirdness of this. I got a message "Would you like to help Rob through Uldaman?" Sure, so I join the party and there's some dude named Violated in the group. So I asked when Rob was going to be able to log in and I got this story.
It was weird as hell. It's still weird getting used to him being "Violated" instead of Taco.
The real CmdrTaco will never find out; it's been years since he last read Slashdot.
I guess the lesson here is that choosing a screen name which will be available everywhere and last forever is much, much harder than at first it appears. It's gotta be long and unusual so nobody else has already taken it; it can't have profanity or punctuation or spaces because many places disallow these; you can't name yourself after something which you're interested in because sooner or later you'll lost interest in it; and now, apparently, you can't insert a title in there either. How much more difficult can it get?
qntm.org
I had a similar experience back in Feburary. I think a long time about character names. With the limited character customization options its really your entire identity in WoW. Made up a little, wrinkled gnomish rogue called GrandmaShiv. Thought it would be fun to play a motherly character who'll stab you in the back with her knitting needles, in contrast to all the young, healthy adventurers. Didn't even get out of the newbie area before a self-appointed name nazi reported me to a GM. Title violation.
My experience with the GM went a little smoother than CmdrTaco. I was not immediately thrown out of the game. I got an out-of-game email from GM Gamada telling me that my name was changed to a new temporary one. That my offense was "Use of title and Inappropriate naming on a role play server (non-fantasy name)" That I could reply back with a list of new names if the temporary one was not suitable. And an email address I could write to with a dispute.
So I disputed, explaining my character idea, why "Grandma" is appropriate for the character and why "Shiv" is a valid fantasy name (thieves' cant word derived from latin, not just modern gangspeak). I also pointed out that the RP Naming Policy stated that "Fantasy titles should be earned through the mechanics of the game" but I doubted I'd be able to earn the title "Grandma" in WoW.
Destrus, Senior GM, wrote back saying he understood my position and talked with his supervisors about it, but the policy is no titles, fantasy or not. At least they thought about it a bit.
So... good experience with the GMs. But did I ever play that character again? No. The whole thing soured my enthusiasm for the concept and "Beldame" (my new chosen name) was just... different from "GrandmaShiv". It would be interesting to know how many characters continue to be played after a name change. Does changing a character name in a MMORPG pretty much guarantee their death?
...er name
They probably made you change your name because there was a Cmdrtaco 3 weeks earlier, and another 2 weeks before that. :) 3
(here's hoping the anonymous button doesn't allow him to track and ban me)
There was this guy in my EQ guild (Triton) on Povar that had the name Pimpn' Ain'tEasy. He had this name for almost two years before the "man" caught up with him and made him change it because for some odd reason they felt it didn't fit the fantasy genre of the game. The interesting part about it was that his in-game personality seemed to change with his name. We caught on to his new name easily enough but he, as Pimpn', just wasn't the same. I also can't remember his new name.
The point being I guess, that I agree identity is important but I think it may be more than just about people recognizing you.
Any man who afflicts the human race with ideas must be prepared to see them misunderstood. -- H. L. Mencken
If you dance with the devil, sooner or later you have to pay the fiddler.
Why didn't you buy control of Blizzard with some of the money you got for selling out Slashdot?
-fb Everything not expressly forbidden is now mandatory.
A real human is wearing a shroud of anonymity and handing out the bitchslap to a total stranger. That really makes the whole experience even more dehumanizing. In a massive virtual world, we're still people.
You must be new around here.
Today's weirdness is tomorrow's reason why. -- Hunter S. Thompson
Seriously though, World of Evertux Galaxies would be an awesome game. Think of it, Massively Multiplayer Online Fighting Penguin Simulation!
The Farewell Tour II
Wow! Check out that UID! Can I buy your handle from you?
Be a real patriot: Question authority. Think for yourself. Formulate your own conclusions.
On an role play server, I had a gnome which I called 'Dipstick'. I think 'Dipstick' is a good gnome name. A dipstick is a mechanical part, gnomes are engineers and tinkerers, and the term 'dipstick' refers to a 'silly' person which also applies to gnomes somewhat. But somebody took offense and turned me in so I had to change the name.
Sometimes, other players will use the name rules to get revenge on you. If you do or say something they don't like, they'll report you to the GM and make you change your name. Petty.
I changed the name to 'Blastoff'.
Long ago I was 'bitch-slapped'. What did I do? I down-modded one comment, apparently the wrong one. For this crime all of my karma (which was significant at the time) was removed. Apparently the guy I downmodded was some buddy of the slashdot inner circle (if I remember correctly, the notorious Signal 11). I was not aware that one could be 'bitch-slapped' for downmodding a single comment.
I received no explanation and my karma was never restored. I tried to explain that even if my single moderation was incorrect (which is arguable), my overall pattern of moderation was consistent and sound (in fact I rarely downmod, then or now). My arguments fell on deaf ears.
Keep whining Malda. I hope they ignore you.
They made me change my name, it was a poop joke, but it was a scientific name not slang. So they made me change my name because they're on a power trip. So I became CrappyEULA.
Waah waah waah, the big mean admins won't post stories that you like? Take your ball and go home.
Waah waah waah, the big mean admins won't let CmdrTaco use the name he likes? He should take his ball and go home.
Why is CmdrTaco complaining about Blizzard okay to you, but people complaining about CmdrTaco doing it on Slashdot's front page not? In both cases, it's users complaining about the product and its leaders.
"Sufferin' succotash."
what is blizzard and why should anyone care?
I got bored with the virtual world thing on lamda moo like in 98...
didnt realize people still had the time or energy to do that sorta thing...
but then again I didnt realize people had the time and energy for liveurinal..er journal... until my wife was complaining about the arguments she was having on it.
wierd.
I don't understand why anyone needs these things when we have emacs to entertain ourselves with...
wierd...
We should start a spam campaign for our commander. How dare someone register CmdrTaco@gmail.com before he did. We should all send emails to the imposter and let him know that he is a bastard. mailto:CmdrTaco@gmail.com Help fight the war on identity theft.
In MMORPGs, at least in those online today, most of these attributes that help identify you are missing. In some RPGs you can color your clothes/armor. In WoW you farm the armor that has the best stats and in comes in exactly one color and look. In some RPGs you can choose a body size and attributes like thickness of arms and legs or features of your avatar's face. In WoW you have only the choice between a few hairdos and faces and you need to be real close to recognize them.
So what you are in WoW is indeed basically your name, especially because interaction with other players is mostly via chat. I must admit I would consider CmdrTaco an ooc name in WoW. BTW I canceled my account today because I lost interest in WoW and I am really angry about Blizzard's recend introduction of spyware in the game client.
On se Internetz nobody noes your German.
Rob,
I have seen you on Battle.net before and it was fun to meet you. What I have found that in running an online game for many years is that people love there names. Names are important as it is how people address you and it is perfectly normal to feel as you do.
One of the rules we have is that names cannot be profane or Mock another player. I use the name "Winston" as my handle and you will find people logging in with "WinstonSucks" or other names. Its rather funny but its pretty much clear they want to be denied. I find those easy to deal with. Its the ones with strange names like Pwned or other things. I tend to let them as it also shows level of maturity.
I have chosen to modify my name at times online. Since my online game is "The Mage's Lair" and we have had several clans in outside games.. I am known a lot as TML_Winston. It makes it more specific.
CmdrTaco is a valid name and I feel for you. I would think that you could use your celebrity to win this battle. Contact Blizzard as a representative of Slashdot.. I am sure many of the GM's may know who you are.
If you change your name try: TheCmdrTaco or Slashdot_Taco.
Chris "Winston" Litchfield
http://www.mageslair.net/
I can program myself out of a Hello World Contest!!
no offense
None taken, but I think you might want to work on your reading comprehension - it might reduce the amount you have to add that disclaimer in the future.
but his name clearly violates the policy, and even he admits that
OK, where did I say that his name *didn't* violate the policy? For that matter, where did I mention the naming policy at all?
I don't see how that qualifies as "heinous."
Please show where I said that it did.
I used the word "heinous" only once, in referring to things Blizzard has done in the past. As this is a current discussion, that qualifier pretty much excludes it.
CmdrTaco, you are here providing insight about the virtual world. Slashdot has been reporting on this since the beginning.
/. readers I'm sure.
Those who accuse you of being "petty" or whatever seem to have forgotten the context they are in. The Internet!
If anything, this shows the limits, mistakes, and abuses of the virtual world by those who create it - that would be
Your post is insightful and informative about a regular subject on Slashdot.
My thanx, and sorry some people out there have lost perspective.
However, I'm still not sure that it should belong on the front page.e meme and looks like it was checked for spelling and grammar. How could you not stick it on the front page? :)
It's not a dupe, it doesn't have a link that I have to follow to RTFA, it doesn't mention Google/Microsoft/Apple/Whoever else gets slagged about 'marketing posts', won't inspire an In-Soviet-Russia/In-Korea-x-is-only-for-old-peopl
I jest, of course.
In other news today the World of Warcraft server Azgalor suddenly got a huge influx of new players, most of them on the Horde side... :-)
Kaa
Kaa's Law: In any sufficiently large group of people most are idiots.
Bullshit. To discuss a concern of virtual identity without disclosing his own personal interest in it would be the height of dishonesty. Maybe you're just too used to reading journalists who write without a disclosed agenda, leading you gently by the hand down their path, and making you think the entire time it was all your idea.
Ah, arbitrary rules. Get over yourself.
that you'll give us a mechanism to recover our old three and four digit accounts on /.?
get a fuckin life
Makes you wonder where Jon Katz has been.
"...today consumers have been conditioned to think of beer when they see a bullfrog..."
While the system does belong to the organization running it, the players do have some rights, they are entitled to an enjoyable game in return forf their money. If the management is being too much of a pain in the ass, you can go elsewhere.
One interesting possibility would be to set up a similar game in open source form to provide a more freewheeling alternative. People could toy with the basic rules to come up with something reasonably balanced.
oops, hit submit too early...
Really though, I though I'd try to counter the inevitable tide of 'fuck you malda' hate comments by posting what I could - it's his site, it's pretty harsh that that's what he has to deal with for opening his woes to the community he started.
Hey CmdrTaco, since there's a chance you are actually reading this thread, and perhaps this comment, here are two rules that I'm pushing for that would sincerely "improve the overall functionality" of slashdot for myself and I'm sure many others:
1. An option (since I doubt you would make these changes global) to reduce the slashdot comment view so that +funny = max 3 - tends to eat up the whole page with thing I don't find funny.
2. Have a user id filter: people can filter comments to show user ids less than n: re-live slashdot with the same users of 5 years ago! You can only post if your id is underneath the max user id filter.
"You know you don't act like a scientist, you're more like a game show host." Dana Barret
All you're doing with this editorial is saying to Blizzard - 'hey look, you can totally identity-rape me in a social game, but I'll still fork over my $14 every month.' I think your new name only tells half the story; perhaps WillingVictim would suit you better. I commend you for your well-written article, and shake my head at your inability to speak with the voice that truly counts to Blizzard - your wallet.
CmdrTaco -> Command Her Taco
They just didn't want to have to explain the last part so they used the title clause instead of the morality clause. That's why it took so long for somebody to tell him why his name was changed.
License plate 101.
I think I would have changed my name to "The Azgalor Paladin formally known as CmdrTaco". Or maybe just "The Taco formally titled as Cmdr".
Hear, hear!
I find I increasingly have a problem with the Internet being unregulated. When it's unregulated, certain people or organisations (particularly large ones) naturally come to have more power than others, not necessarily based on merit. At that point, they can damage less powerful people or organisations, and often the usual recourse is not available to the damaged party. I have encountered this several times now.
For example, I've had a bitter ex post (on LiveJournal) modified versions of some intimate personal mails we exchanged while going out, knowing they would present a false image of me to some mutual friends who would see them there. The LiveJournal admins fobbed off my complaint, giving a technically implausible excuse for why they couldn't fix it, and (scary part) when I mentioned it once in a relevant discussion on Slashdot, I got loads of replies saying of course they can't censor it just on your say-so, while failing to notice that I had been given no reasonable opportunity to prove that my objection was legitimate. I guess it's easy to make flippant comments like "Just deal with it, it's only words", or "You need to find more understanding friends", from the safety of an anonymous account hidden behind a computer screen. Try it in real life and see how you do.
Just a few days ago, I had a deeply unpleasant encounter with the infamous editors at the Open Directory Project (DMOZ). Here's a group whose directory is so significant that my organisation's descriptive text if you Google for us comes from what some random ODP editor decided, not from either Google or us. They rejected a request to update certain aspects of our entry, on the basis that they violated editorial guidelines, and those guidelines are for the benefit of the web-browsing public and not webmasters (whose opinions they consider irrelevant - Google for them and you'll find numerous tales of woe where an ODP has treated others with contempt and hidden behind their guidelines to get away with it).
The key point here is that both of these organisations admitted that their actions (or lack of them) were actually doing me/my group harm. They knew they were damaging other people through their decision and their influence, and they chose to ignore that fact.
And what options are we left with? The damaged party could, theoretically, take some sort of legal action. Of course, when you're acting across international boundries, that's not exactly straightforward, nor cheap. In a case of major damage being cause it might be worth it, but what about all the minor injustices that happen every day when groups like this choose to throw their weight around? In the real world, we have legal systems, small claims courts, and such to deal with it. On the Internet, we have nothing.
I'm sure some would argue that this is a price worth paying for a free Internet. Once upon a time, I might have agreed with them, but as more large organisations rise to a power above their station, and more little guys like you and me get trampled in small but still damaging ways, I find my belief in the practicality of a free Internet challenged. With freedom should come responsibility, yet right now, the Big Guys accept no responsibility for their actions and anyone who's damaged by a Big Guy has no recourse.
Unless, of course, they themselves run the most popular geek blog on the Internet, and have a voice to shout back. So you go for it, CmdrTaco, because the rest of us can't.
If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.
I for one welcome our new Violated overlord.
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
I guess I wont be playing that game even if they bother to make a Linux version ...
Too bad...
Same exact thing happened to me :( at lvl 43 SoulRaper which I had been using for about 5 years had suddenly become bad when a GM told me to log immedietely and change my name or he would do it for me, and understandable as well, but my character has never been the same since, now 60. Although I have regained my reputation, and let all people on my friends list know what happened, now I'am SoulReeper and stupid people often refer to me as soulkeeper, soulsleeper. Runs away crying, but I feel for you.
/SoulReeper in game..... Mal'Ganis
Soulraper at heart
You broke the rules and got caught.
It's fine learn 2 play.
A guildee of mine named Urnanus, thats a planet right, was forced to change his name. I dont care how you pronounce it, this is kinda stupid. Whats next, earth, mercury, jupiter, mars, saturn, pluto, etc.... He spelled it backwords, denied. Maybe he should have rearranged the letters, I wonder if they would have caught on?
I considered moderating you down as flamebait for cussing... but you actually express my opinion pretty accurately here. Slashdot is not a normal news site. Never has been. And if it ever has to be one, thats probably when I quit and move on and flip burgers somewhere.
Pants are still optional, but recommended for you.
I've gotten a few dozen replies to my short tempered cheap shot, and I think this will be the only one I reply to, so please read this. I know I'll start to rant, but bear with me =].
CmdrTaco's complaint against Blizzard was not their abuse of power. It certainly comes off that way, but it is not. It is clearly an attempt to set a discussion in motion concerning identity creation in a virtual world, a major topic in modern academia. A friend of mine just finished a thesis on it.
In fact, I created a character in an online game, only to have my account accidently destroyed without returning the name, meaning I had to create a new name. No one knew who I was. It was startling. What I'm saying here is, I understand that CmdrTaco is commenting how closely your name is tied to identity in the virtual realm.
After reading his piece, I still felt a strong thread of irony in his example. Near the end, he talks about how the system can at times feel arbitrary. That was unnecessary for his point, and IMNSHO, petty bitching. I should not have acted so rashly, and weighed his thoughts more carefully before responding. The nature of this forum benefits those who think and speak quickly, not carefully. Sometimes I receive a positive response from the community, sometimes a negative. My comment is meant as a gut response to his article. When I read what he wrote, that was the first thing I thought of. I felt it was humorously enough phrased that others might enjoy it, so I posted it.
And I still stand by my statement. There is a definite value in a large part of his piece, but the remainder is unnecessary to the topic. That remainder is what I am addressing. If he were to submit that to me to edit, I would say the same thing. When he thrusts a rant like that upon the community, the community will respond in kind.
To dissect it further, it his his paragraph concerning the ambiguity of the naming rules in WoW that I refer to when I refer to an abuse of power. He argues that a GM uses those rules, they are poorly phrased enough to allow a gross misuse of the system. Thus, his position as an editor on Slashdot gives him likewise power. His use of that power to (perhaps rightfully) post whatever he likes is just as much an abuse as the GM forcing him to remove his Cmdr title. In case you haven't picked up on it, what I'm saying is that perhaps neither is an abuse of power.
The final dissection lies in the "livejournal" comment. Slashdot appears professional. In reality, it is (or so I hear) a for-profit owned by some corporation, but run mostly for fun by some geeks. It is CmdrTaco's breaking of that facade of professionalism that I take issue with. A readership so large creates a responsibility for consistency. When CmdrTaco uses the forum for his perfectly legitimate article about identity formation in a virtual realm, that is fine. When, in that article, he wanders off of that topic and whines about his own loss of identity, rather that focusing on the concept of identity creation, he destroys that level of professionalism. That kind of writing is perfectly acceptable in an online journal run by some geeks. It is grossly misplaced in a news site that wishes to even appear concerned about actual news.
You might notice I talk about my personal experience with the topic at hand in various parts of this response, but I do not dwell in it. Anywho, it was all really meant mostly ironically, hinting at serious critique.
When you're afraid to download music illegally in your own home, then the terrorists have won!
You're not the first that this has happened to. Worst are the clans who've been disbanded since early in the game, without their money being refunded or being renamed. A lot of the discontent for this came up when groups were disbanded literally a day into the game, when gold was VERY hard to come by. The players couldn't regroup, as they had generally liquidated everything to get the gold necessary to form the original guild.
It happens. Its their game, their ball, and they decide how to play. As you said - you're playing at their table with their dice. I'm sorry it happened to you while there are still players out there with names like "liqmywang" but I s'pose Blizzard had to start somewhere.
Clinton made me a Republican. Bush made me a Libertarian. Trump is making me question reality.
It was ok to use your nick for abuot six months then they nuke it. If they did not allow this nick up front fine. But to allow you to use it and build a relationship then come down on you is wrong. They should parse the names and filter that stuff up front. It shouldn't be too hard to check that stuff using a dictonary.
Many a long talk since then I have had with the man in the moon; he had my confidence on the voyage. Joshua Slocum
So many replies already, dont think anyone will ever see this but yest I know what your talking about.... Beta one I had the name "RunsWithKodo" for a tauren hunter (cow man for those that done play, the tauren were themed after native american culture). not a day went by that someone didnt message me and say thats a great name! 6 months after retail launch,... they nerfed me. said i was in violation... I quite the game after 2 weeks of arguing with gm's and their refusal to even talk to me. I lost my identity in the game that day, it hurt, people were randomly sending me tells asking who the hell i was and why i was on their friends list... I was an enchanter,.. we dont get nice items we can put in the ah and let the game system hawk our wares, we build a clientel of people that know our prices are fair.... I lost that that day... 5 months of building a reputable character, with a name that fit the game theme and boom, gone...
..just because you can, doens't mean you should...
So here's a question for you; if taking away your VIRTUAL name, in ONE virtual world made you uncomfortable, does it give you greater insight into the problem of REAL identity theft in the REAL world? (another slashdot hot topic anyway)
It's something that truly concerns me. There's no escape; no other world to go to, the problem will continually dog you from that time forward, and it's something that's hard to protect yourself against. Your "identity" is in the hands of others. Millions of others. Usually Enron employees. Or tidymart or whatever.
-- The above may have once been believed by me, but any truth or application you find is your own problem.
Anytime you give someone authority (be they cop, soldier, politician, etc.) there will always be some who will abuse it or use it for their own interests. Some people just seem to be aroused by flaunting their power. And the less accountability they have, the worse they are (which is why corruption is so frequently the result of a breakdown of leadership and oversight).
These same individuals also tend to be the biggest assholes about letting and/or denying others entry into their little power group too, especially when they themselves first "get in." I used to have a fraternity brother that called this attitude the "Now that it's my party, no one else is invited" phenomenon. It's why sophomores are always the worst hazers. Something about power is intoxicating, particularly when you're first exposed to it.
-Eric
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
Slashdot stopped being Taco's personal blog when VA Software bought it and employed him. Oh, and let's not forget the advertisements, slashvertisements and the subscription sales. This makes slashdot a BUSINESS VENTURE (granted a very poorly-run one, if VA's stock is any indication (it's lower in value than SCO's!)), and somebody's personal blog no longer. To paraphrase a previous poster: FoxNews may be Rupert Murdoch's property, but does that make it alright for him to have his "i didnt read the speed limit sign, how dare they give me a speeding ticket" story read as headline news by the anchors? Taco's bad experience belongs on his journal, because that's what the journals are for. He's abusing his ability as a site editor to put this on the front page.
This would be relevant to gaming if it were a well thought out article about online identity, instead of somebody whinging that they had to change their name in WoW because they didn't take the time to read the rules of the game. I've seen Taco point others to Slashdot's years out of date FAQ, so now I'll take the time to point him to one: Part 3, Section A, Subsection 13 (naming conventions) AND I QUOTE (though the emphasis is mine alone):
Now, if you're going to join a service that you must pay a monthly fee to use, that you're going to put in all sorts of time over, then don't you think it would behoove one to read the fucking rules of the service? it's pretty clear that Taco was breaking the rules, so what exactly does he expect to happen? Does he expect to get an exception just because he's That Guy Who Makes Slashdot Run? If it took him "dozens of inquiries to get that explained" then he needs to learn to read the rules of the game before he plays. I don't play Wow, and it took me about 10 seconds to find the relevant rules page and its section regarding names. It's really not that hard.
This is a non-story, the only reason it's on the front page is because of Taco's abuse of power. To be fair, at least it's something fresh and recent instead of the usual "news items" (or duplicate posts) that showed up on the BoingBoing RSS feed weeks ago...
WoWGMFeedback-US@blizzard.com
There are means of appeal.
It's in the EULA or similar agreement (that long document everyone scrolls through without reading and hits agree), and the reason they have that particular rule is because they have a PVP ranking system that uses military style titles. So someday you may be Commander CmdrTaco.
I understand why they have this policy, but it really doesn't seem like a big deal to me. If Commander CmdrTaco doesn't look stupid to you, then I don't see the problem. You're the one who's stuck with it. It's also clear that none of the Blizzard devs have ever read Catch 22 (particularly Major Major).
Why do you think organizations around the planet all take it all so seriously? I think all of you saying that "it's just a game" or "it's just virtual" have been missing the point. This is intellectual property we're talking about. As noted above, we have nothing more than our identities when online. My name is indeed my proverbial passport.
International laws allow names to be protected. If I were you, I'd seriously consider applying for trademark and/or service mark protection. The use of "CmdrTaco" can be considered a valuable commodity (more karma gone, I'm sure) which can be formalized.
Now, will this help in the game? Maybe not; in fact you'll possibly be banned from using it, unless they bother to ensure that you are the rightful owner. Their rules; their game. Can you at least prevent others from using your name? Well, it really depends how much you care. You do have an obligation to defensively protect a registered mark, but you certainly have the right to choose your fights. If somebody does use your mark in a game, you can probably stop them from doing so (assuming again that you care enough).
However, such protection is not universal; you must declare specific uses (and classes) of your mark. For example, you might choose to protect software you distribute, but not bother to protect against somebody marketing "CmdrTaco fabric softener" of other unrelated goods/services. The concept technically only covers commerce (interstate commerce, to be exact, in the US) but the concept is broadly defined. And "advertising" on the Internet counts as international commerce, which trumps any more localized commerce.
So what's the bottom line? I suggest to those of you who have a vested interest (meaning you've spent real-world time and real-world effort) in your "virtual" identity, to seriously consider protection. I'm sure my last remaining bit of karma wil go away with one last analogy: you'd not think twice about protecting your "virtual" credentials with proper encryption, so don't be so quick to allow your virtual identity to be freely used by others for any purpose.
Can't believe no one posted this yet.
Disgruntled-looking plainclothes GM, his hair ragged, storms into the office of the Blizzard CEO.
"Sir!" he pants, "We've got a problem on US Nathrezim. A bug is preventing an alliance guild from running Molten Core! They've got 40 living, breathing people with families and jobs who've set aside an entire day to get leet loot, and they've been bamboozled!"
"Great scot!" cries the CEO. "Did you reset their raid IDs? Talk to the server admins? The programmers? Metzen?"
"No sir! According to the GM Code, Article 3, Section 6, I am not allowed to do anything useful whatsoever, anything which may be construed as a favor, renumeration, or a meaningful and intelligent action!"
"You snivling little shit! Do you know what this means? I'm going to be up all night making phone calls to those people, apologizing and begging their forgiveness. These wounds don't just heal by themselves. We've gotta do something now, before this situation gets out of control."
"But sir! The code!"
"Damn the code! You mention that pile of marketing bullshit to me one more time and I'll have you flaggelating yourself with a rusty scourge til next month -"
"- I thought that was just a rumor -"
"- with no overtime pay! Now, go down there and grab the lead programmer by the scruff of his neck and tell him he's got to fix this pronto. In the mean time, get your ass out to GM Isle and start farming epics for these guys. Anything they want. [Perdition's Blade] or [Eschander's Right Claw]. Hell, give the main tank the full Wrath set. You don't go home until they have everything they want."
"Sir! Yes, sir!"
"And if I ever hear some shit on the slashdot forums about you not responding like a human being again, I'll bust your ass down to QA monkey for Ghost so fast your thumbs will fall off! In fact, you should consider every day I don't an example of my generousity and mercy. Aren't I generous and merciful?"
"Sir! Extremely, sir!"
"Now, get moving, GM!"
The situation is truly grave. The lost of a nic is no small dilemma. When faced with the lost of a beloved nic I try to salvage some semblance of it... hmmm, did they cancel out TacoCmdr? Has a nice ring to.
To quote Walter Neff, the evil hero in "Double Indemnity", "Do I laugh now, or wait 'til it gets funny?"
I guess, but in the same way there are lots of people who speed on the roads, and yet not all of them are pulled over and given tickets. They're given tickets when they're caught.
I guess my point is that in real life, sometimes you have rules that aren't enforcable 100% of the time. But the fact that they aren't enforcable 100% of the time doesn't mean that the punishment is unfair when a person does happen to be in violation of the rules.
To make a rather hyperbolic comparison, since there are battered women out there that don't report the assault, does that mean that assault shouldn't be a crime?
I don't play WoW anymore, but I do agree that the rules should be more uniformly enforced. I think that any MMORPG thats going to have some onerous naming policy should invest a reasonable amount of time in some sort of filtering/flagging system, which can be easily human reviewed. Surely theres a way to apply some combination of AI, blacklists, and whitelists to narrow down the list to something human checkable.
I find it disturbing how many people just say, "who cares", "shut up", "this isn't the right place for this", "stop whinning/bellyaching" etc.
First, stop whinning about Rob whinning. It's hyppocrittical and innaccurate. If you want to take issue with a point of view in the article, fine, but the one line bashing is immature, and a waste of time. You're not contributing anything, you're just flaming.
Second, this article nicely falls into the "News for Nerds, Stuff that Matters" category. I'm a nerd, this matters to me, so it's fine. If it doesn't matter to you, move along. There are planty of articles that don't interest me here, so I don't read them.
Third, it's an opinion piece, which I think is admerably objective. It might be a little preachy, and yes, even a little whinney, but it's heart felt. Why should that be a bad thing. There's no "call to arms to take down Blizzard", there's only a feeling of unfairness, with a realization that Slashdot has the potential for the same abuse and missgivings. There's a moral, or a lesson if you will.
Finally, this is Rob's place! HIS creation, brainchild, work, hobby, etc! Why would he not have a right to throw in something slightly personal now and then? Yes Slashdot would be nothing without the community, but the reverse is also true. And it's not like Rob writes these articles every day. So even if this were the fluff piece some of you seem to think it is, I think it's ok if he writes one every couple years.
The main point of the article, is that people with the power/ability to affect people they'll never see, should think before they act, and be accountable for said actions, and that Rob has a new appreciation for what this means in regards to him. And as a side note, he's upset he lost his name in WoW. Perhapse those of you who were so quick to object to the article, without stating anything meaningful, should take that thought to heart and put more thought into your posts from now on.
--Not to be worried, Pitr fix.
Are you saying there is something wrong with Steve names? Hmm? Hmm?
I'm in the same boat as Taco, same name everywhere, but I'm unique for the moment.
I read the article, what was CmdrTaco in violation of?
Why don't you wash out your potty mouth and try to have a rational discussion? Hmm?
1. Screen names are important to users.
2. IPSs will summarily tread upon individual users to enforce their will and/or rules. They will avoid communicating with users whenever possible.
3. An individual user has no leverage to change this.
Therefore, cheer on our champion: CmdrTaco. He has a bully pulpit and he is using it. Perhaps he can make things better for all of us. We must remember that we are his leverage and he is our lever -- we must support him.
I hope Taco will not be satisfied if Blizzard only fixes his problem. If they don't change their practices, then this same thing will just happen to some one else tomorrow. And that person will have no leverage at all.
"We reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals." --The American President (20.1.2009)
Rob is a celeb, because he owns something that you could ask the average nerd on the street about, and expect to get some thumbs up. So it's really bad to really tork off a guy who can give you bad press. It's like cheating the local news "scambusting" reporter, you can do it, but your gonna pay.
It's not just virtual identities that get tossed in the trash for being questionable.
Stormy Knight
1.) "CmdrTaco" clearly violates the title rules. These rules are public and easy to access.
2.) When people like you say "Taco can publish whatever he likes, and those who don't like it can leave," I just say "Blizzard can remove whatever it likes, and those who don't like it can leave."
"Sufferin' succotash."
What kinda crap are all theese guys whining {canadian} aboat. {/canadian}
If you don't like the system, then protest on another media, & don't use the one you claim to hate.
Thanks GUYS
How much is your data worth? Back it up now.
This, honestly, is one of the few good human-interest stories I've read on this site.
I think I've been reading for about 5 years now, too.
That's kind of dick that they made you change your name, but, it really wasn't in the spirit of a fantasy roleplaying world, either. I doubt you were singled out for this treatment, but were just a random sweep of names, or some GM happened to be in the same area as you and heard your chat. I've been caught for minor rules infractions in various MUD/MMORPG games when a GM was in the area investigating bugs or responding to player disputes, and they overheard me plotting, and such.
I don't really have any insightful commentary into this story beyond what I wrote, since I despise World of Warcraft with all my heart, and have renounced all MMORPG games many years ago. Just thought I'd share my opinion.
A few things about your post....
1. GM's don't just change names...someone reported you. Find your in game enemies and punish them.
2. You said:
But Blizzard chose to take it from me. Now let me be clear: this is certainly their right: They own the dice and the board and the rulebooks, and I only play in their world. But If the US Government told me to change my name... let's say Congress passed a law making it illegal to have a first name that is a verb (Don't laugh, the White House cease and desisted The Onion!) Well I guess 'Rob' would have to go. My friends would still recognize me: I'd still have the same face, address, and social security number. I'd just have a cool new name like "Captain Fantastic Malda". With a name like that, the auto mechanics would never try to rip me off!
Which is utterly stupid. Having your name changed in an MMO, in no way related to a real life name change. The government telling the onion to stop using the presidential seal is nothing like forcing private citzens to change their names. You liberal fuckwads love to string together half facts to come at illogical conclusions. The white house told the onion not to use the presidential seal anymore....so yeah maybe they will start forcing everyone to change their names soon! What kind of logic is that? Are you that fucking stupid?
3. You will still be on everyones friends list that you were on before, just with your new name. Make your new one similar to your old one and people will figure it out. (IE. CTaco).
4. When you are forced to change your name, you can't re-log in until you do so.....accounts like this go for a lot of money on ebay. Maybe it's time to sell your gimp paladin anyway. You don't really think they are going to fix it in 1.9 do you?
It really does help to read the rules before you jump right in and start playing. WoW's naming rules are old hat by now, and generally, your name won't be a problem unless somebody complains. You should have known that your name was illegal before you chose it. Sorry, but no sympathy here.
The pursuit of absolute tolerance leads to the most rigorous and ludicrous intolerance. - REX MURPHY
Online identites are pretty important for those of us that have been online for quite a long time. I'm know by the name here (which I've used since my bbs dialup days in Fairfield, CA and the apple ogg-net), and a couple others in various MMORPG's, and would not feel 'normal' if I had to use something different. I've been recognized by my two 'normal' game names across different games. One of my EQ names was recognized in Jumpgate, SWG, WOW, and Camelot. Those of us that play and work online benefit greatly from the recognition which can be either good or bad. Preferably good, of course.
It really is irritating when someone snatches your name, but they might use it online also which can be disconcerting.
Steve's Computer Service, Hobbs, NM
I've used my family's "nickname" -- rather than a long cumbersome Southern three-part name with a Roman numeral trailing it -- since about age five. Nothing in the world except my Social Security card and birth certificate had the long form.
Until this year when the PeopleSoft company took over my employer's staff database, and had to change everyone's name on record (they say because it has to match the Social Security database).
So Blue Cross simply terminated the health record file (close to three decades worth of records) attached to the name I've been using, discarded it, and created a new file under the Social Security file name -- with of course the same SSI number.
So they bounced a bunch of medical bills reporting "that subscriber terminated his health care coverage." Although they claim they do use the SSI as their internal identifier so they shouldn't have thrown the files away. And they told my medical practitioner's office to discard the old files as well -- and they did, the pea-brains -- and opened new empty files for the new SSI-official name Congress now insists I use.
Keep your own medical history as I have done -- else I'd have no health records.
You worry about an online game? Trying to get your life back after your identity is stolen by your government. Or maybe it's not the government, but PeopleSoft claims that's the reason they did it. Or maybe it's Blue Cross, but they blame PeopleSoft.
It's happened to other people I know too -- blindsided them as well when their files went away.
War of Worldcraft, I think this is.
How about CmdrTaco --> CwdrTaco (just the m flipped to w)?
Similar to CmdrTaco I've been using "Dop" for years and years in my personal and professional life. (Even my wife calls me "Dop").
...something to think about.
However, I find that I always choose a different name for online gaming, never the same. Probably because I always have multiple characters or I don't want silly kids that get pissed at me in-game bugging me in my daily life.
I read this myself a while back, and as soon as I saw the title of this article and who the author was, I correctly guessed the issue.
Huge mail servers like yahoo and gmail have filters which prevent you taking the names of others.
These filters could easily be augmented to include anything which violates the rules, a database of celebrity and political names, a database of profane substrings, etc..
The search algorithm is a real pain, and would require some cpu overhead, but we're talking about something which will be done once for the creation of any given character. They could then bind the name to that character using unique hashing and cross reference the name with the hash on subsequent post-creation logins.
With this in place you could be relatively secure that the rules were being followed. At that point you could make the petition guidelines strictly "by the book" to catch the rest of the violators. Remove as much subjectivity as possible.
VLC FOR MAC IS DYING! IF YOU DEVELOP, PLEASE SAVE IT!!
I was recently banned from Halo 2 for...well, I don't know why.
I travel a lot for my job. I was away from home for a few weeks, during which time I asked a friend to look after my house. I gave him my password to Xbox Live so he could play Halo 2. He did so, just one time, playing two games. I know this for a fact because I can see the history of the games played on my Bungie.net account.
Fast forward two months. I finally get some time to play some Halo 2 online. I try to sign on and get a message that I cannot play Halo 2 online.
I sent Bungie an email. I never heard a reply. It was time for me to renew my XBox Live, and when I talked to
the rep at Microsoft, she told me that she doesn't know why I was banned, but it could be that if my friend didn't cheat, he might have played in a game with other cheaters. And I was also told that Bungie usually does a 7-day ban for a first offense, and only does permabans for serious cheaters. I never had a first offense! I never received a warning.
My friend didn't cheat. He has his own XBL account that still works to this day. He played two games in 10 minutes. It just doesn't sound like a cheating scenario to me. The detailed history of said games are no longer accessible on BUngie's site and why should Bungie have to answer to me anyway? I mean, it's not like I paid for Halo 2.
I think the bigger issue in Taco's post and my story is that these companies are simply not accountable for their actions, and the customer has no recourse. I canceled my XBox Live subscription, and explained to MS why I was doing it, but I just don't think these companies will ever get the message. I'm paying for the service, and I can't even find out why I was banned. The judge and jury have spoken, and they don't care about my side of the story whatsoever. So I don't care to pay them anymore. But I do miss my Halo 2.
What he said. Overly wordy, factually just ludicrous, whatever the opposite of insight is. I think Katz killed /. editorials before /. killed Katz.
...to get booted from something for stupid reasons. I get booted daily from Slashdot just because I don't agree with the "Linux > EVERYTHING!" mentality here.
I AM kinglink, I run to sites that might get popular to register it. Though I don't use it for World of Warcraft (well that's part of my log in) I like to roleplay there, I would like to have the option to make that title there.
But it's not about that, I personally AM KingLink, that is my second name, and a more meaningful name because I personally chose it, I was originally Link and that was used all over the place so I upgraded to Kinglink and that's what it has been for years now.
I find that that name is my persona, it's a part of me. If I want my "royal" bearing it's KingLink, if I want my fun side, it's KingLink. If it's my business side it's my official name. I use this system on Gmail (I have three accounts, one with my full legal name, one with my abriviated name, and one with Kinglink which almost ALL mail goes to. the shortened name is full business, and my lengthed name hasn't been used yet but it'll probably have a use.
The whole thing is though that Kinglink is MORE important to me then my given name. Granted my Given name is what I use all the time in real life, but online, my persona for anyone who doesn't know me is "Link" or more formally "Kinglink" They don't know my name, most don't know where I live, most don't care and that's who I am online.
For my side note, I'm LinkHylia on daragon or what ever (I forget the name) for Wow and Dareth on Emerald Dream.
This isn't an article. It's an editorial. You'll find that a lot of news outlets have those.
Oh wait. I forgot. I'm not a big enough nerd to waste half my life wishing I was some all-powerful wizard or other such nonsense.
Nevermind.
True Story: When I was fourteen, my Mom(tm) bought me a Dungeons and Dragons game for my birthday. I looked it over and remember thinking to myself, "What the hell is this crap?".
I gave it to my younger brother. He's never been the same.
"A microprocessor... is a terrible thing to waste." --
GeneralEmergency
I know a lot of people here are saying, "Oh, stop whining, it's just a name/just a game/whatever," but really, I don't think that those of us who dwell in an online realm of any sort - games, forums, chat sites, whatever - can help but feel a little betrayed when the Powers That Be decide that we are unworthy and must be slapped down. Christ, I don't even participate all that much on Slashdot, but I was still a bit disappointed when I discovered that I apparently have been banned from moderating. I used to meta-moderate fairly often, I have excellent karma, and I often found myself with mod points. Well, at some point that just stopped happening. I have no idea why, or how. And it's far from a big deal - hell, I have a life - but it still bugged me a bit. So yeah, I know what you mean.
Violated is actually pretty cool.
Hi, I don't care, thanks!
Blizzard made me change my name too. It was spreadbeaver. why the fuck dont i get the ability to whine on the front page of slashdot to 2 million people who dont care, eh?
The entirety of this article is slightly off anyway, given the volume of names in WoW that violate this policy anyway i can only imagine the GM was having a bad day, saw your name and decided to do something (either because he reads slashdot and thought he was somehow defending your honor or because it does actually violate that clause, also - without actually trying to kiss up - i believe it may also violate the celebrity part as well. I have seen all kinds of very bad celebrity and genre violations along with charaters w/ names like buymystuff or mule. Blizzard needs to go through and either kill all these names or just let them all in (i would prefer killing them all). Let's face it, WoW is an RPG, it is in the fantasy genre, this prevents a name like CmdrTaco, ForceMaster, liteyouup and so many more we've all seen from really fitting into the game. These names tend to ruin the illusion of the game. There may not be much, but it is there. What they should have done is not let you create the name in the first place. I've been told by a GM they manually approve each name, like I personally witnessed an EQ guide friend of mine do for EQ, but with the quantity of bad names in the game and only 550 GM's for 5 million players worldwide, I doubt Blizzard has the ability to do that. Besides, that would be like having good customer service... and we all know how good they are there...
Can you tell how old the ink is on those policies? (Seriously) He's been playing for six months before they 'caught' him, why?
I'm not taking sides cause I don't know the full story, but you'd think that Blizzard employees could review the names in a reasonable period of time since it's such an emotional (ie. costly) policy. If they'd have caught it within a week, well, it wouldn't be on the front page of Slashdot.
Everyone is entitled to his own opinions, but not his own facts.
Years ago my signup & sign-in name was zeppo, but then along came the tide of minimum character standards; usually 6-8. Now I have been finding sites that are setting low maximums of 7-8 characters so even adnauseam doesnt work anymore. I wish there was some kind of standard.
Don't ya hate it when the correct spelling of your favorite screen name is taken?
In America, corporation takes away video game characters name.
In Soviet Russia, video game characters take away your name!
You must give up all attachments to archive enlightenment.
That is what Blizzard tried to teach you.
..so don't use "cool" names, but create fantasy names instead. Whoever doesn't want to do that is unlikely to team with me and my friends and whenever such a guy leaves/has to pick another name I just cannot stop grinning. ;-)
Sorry folks. If you want to be "TehLeetKill0r", please go back to Quake/CounterStrike etc. - because in those realms you don't offend people with strange names, there's no fantasy background or fantasy world.
Looking at this specific name, CmdrTaco, I'd happily join a player of this nick in a City of Heroes session, but I would choose a different one for a fantasy setting.. Apart from that: Don't get me wrong. CmdrTaco isn't that bad imho, since I guess that most fantasy guys could live with/imagine a "commander" and "Taco" might as well be a name as everything else.. I do think it was a good idea to change the nickname, though - the abbreviation in a name sounds weird.
Yes, I'm certainly not speaking for the majority. If I would, every name on every kind-of-rpg on the net would be checked for dumb background or evaluated in the current playset. Sad, that I'm not in control..
Ben, only anonymous because I'm too lazy to register
Maybe the reason they changed the name is because they added "Taco" to a list of banned words (taco is slang for vagina), and his name got flagged. After he made the request as to why his name was banned, perhaps they realized who he was, and then concocted the story about the prefix so as to avoid bringing up the whole pussy thing in public.
BTW, Taco, did you ever think that your name is essentially equivalent to Captain Cunt?
There is a fine line between being a cultivated citizen and being someone else's crop. - A. J. Patrick Liszkie
I agree totally with your comments. I have played WoW since the closed Beta and have seen names which violate the rules the whole time. I have no issue with the rules themselves, or even Bliz changing them, as long as they enforce them in a timely manner. Like maybe checking the names as the character is created or at least within the first few levels, before you get attached to it.
in micro-giveashits.
If you mod me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.
has name laws that only allow names that were already in use before some arbitrary date. No newfangled names allowed...
Oh well, what the hell...
Would this be in the main page if it happened to some random slashdotter, instead of the founder? Doesn't CmdrTaco have a weblog for rants like this?
My weblog in spanish
While I'm not well-known here, I've been using "Ereth" since the late 1970s, on the mainframe in college, and online starting with Q-Link and GEnie (CompuServe was using numbers for accounts at the time), and later FidoNet. If someone I knew from one of those services were to run across my name here, or over at the TiVo Forum where I'm more vocal, they'd know who I am.
I've had people from my past find me because of the consistency of my online name, and that's more than comforting, it's useful.
To have to give up your name, online, where your name is really all you have, is quite painful. In an environment where your graphical representation changes regularly, you can't expect others to recognize you based on your appearance. And so it is very much like giving up your entire Identity.
Which bites. This is one of those areas that MMORPGs are horrible at. They need to have a better system of identifying "Bad names" at character creation time, rather than randomly running across them once a character is long established and well-known. These stories happen in all MMORPGs and they will continue to do so until such a system is implemented (perhaps a review before you make Level 10 or something. I know it'll be hard to do, but there has to be some way to deal with the "bad name" situation long before a character gets to be high level).
I've never had any problems with my nick. But then I don't play WoW or the like either.
Not that there is anything wrong with that.
---
eeww, I'll have a crab juice.
As one who's ran the slashcode in it's various iterations would know, there are different classes of users. Some who have moderation access distributed quasi-randomly, and those who always have it.
I had trouble visiting any sympathy on the above article, because who is to say what arbitrary moderation takes place on these forums. The moderation system is ambiguous when it comes to *who* rated something. A dileniation between user moderated and moderator moderated might go leaps and bounds towards this. Still, not that it would have to be followed, someone with sufficient access could just modify the DB to appear as though a user did it anyways.
But I digress. I dissagree with the parent; Frustration surrounding the "unjust" arbitrary decisions of game companies has been the attitude of just about every gamer at one point or another. Just because CmdrTaco has a larger shoebox than most to tout his frustration from doesn't mean he's any less frustrated than millions of gamers who've experienced similar circumstances.
I myself have been aggrivated by the arbitrary decisions of the OWNERS of these products. Their physical property used to be where I spent my virtual playtime. No longer is that the case. Comments like CmdrTaco's are not few and far between, but more often than not lead to childish tit-for-tat comments down the road.
You may pay for the service, but it is their service that you are leasing the right to use. Nothing is stopping them from giving adequate notice and shutting the service down for everyone. Nor could you do much if they decided to ban you.
Sure, a bit simplistic a viewpoint, but nonetheless when you pay for an online game you aren't given the guarantee of access, nor data retention. As such deleting/banning your account is perfectly within their rights.
Not that I agree with the position they are in, but I've seen it from the user side too many times to let the entitlement theme linger unanswered. Those who hold the power to destroy something, control it.
I had a gnome rogue named "Grabnasty". Only level 11 or so when it was changed, so no big deal to me. He is now Filchfinger, but for how long I wonder? Technically this is against the rules, as they state that your name cannot be two consecutive words strung together as a phrase. (I had to change his name before I figured out which rule I had broken) That wouldn't bother me too much, but all the dwarves (and other npcs) are named stuff like Jonas Beerbarrel or Thurgin Foambrew or some such.
Styrofoam IS biodegradable, you're just impatient!
Having been around the block on the net for a decade myself, always known as "Spinner", I have grown attached to that name. It was my name playing Tribes, It was my name for tens of thousands of Planetarion-players, and today it is my name among thousands of players in ManagerLeague.
I am not famous either, but a certain amount of people know who I am..They know it through my nickname, Spinner. (It also happens to mean someone a bit "eccentric" in german, but thats ok too, I have used it longer than I have known what it meant)
There is no doubt, I am very attatched to my nickname, my online identity, my name, myself. And I would certainly react if I was needlessly asked to stop using it, and come up with a replacement. I think I would have quit the game too, at least given it a rest for a while. It wouldnt have been the same ever again, that much I know.
In a way, I am more attatched to my nickname than I am to my real first-name. God knows, there are probably millions of guys names Christian out there...But there is only one Spinner (-:
- Here's to everyone with no signature!
What Taco says:
What Blizzard hears:
BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH I don't think I'll quit WoW over this BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH
The other problem with the editor participation is that some percentage of people don't like "Authority". Why should my opinion be more valued just because I picked the story? I already said my bit by selecting the story in the first place- beyond that, I'd rather let the community voice their opinions.
Pants are still optional, but recommended for you.
Callsigns and handles, along with even real names on the internet are tough to manage. I had a PVP barbarian in Diablo II that was just fine for almost a year, until the character diappeared from my account... apparently my "badass barbarian" sounding made up word (which I cannot remember) was one letter away from being "fuck" in some obscure Middle-European language. No rename, no time to mule off items... gone. And it took a while of bugging to even find out why. Not that it was a huge loss, but I don't like having to start over and get back up to the lvl 90's. I've never really done the online game thing since then.
In terms of real names, I share the birth name of Kevin Spacey, as well as the name of a popular Texas country musician http://kevinfowler.com/. Trying to use my given name and surname on the internet for portfolio sites for my (at one time) burgeoning journalistic career was useless, and using a middle name is clunky and sounds like I've assassinated someone. Even using my middle name Google finds found five pages of sites with the aforementioned people along with a random person who shares my middle name, before I even showed up. So am I forced to change my name if I wish to be unique in the world of Kevin Fowlers?
Excuse the slight off topic slide.
Bury me in mashed potatoes.
Also the whole idea of titles being banned is stupid. Who determines what is and is not a title?
Well, the game has a number of fixed titles that it assigns. I don't see why any title outside of those should be affected.
Yet to me it seems particularly stupid because the game doesn't allow spaces in your names, nor capitalization of anything but the first letter. So if you tried to forge yourself a title, it'd be obvious and just make you look stupid!
Example:
Base name: Chewbacca
With earned title: Master Sargent Chewbacca
With forged title Mastersargentchewbacca
I'm not thinking the last name there really causes a problem, in so much as having a stupid name that tells everyone around you that you're an idiot is a "problem". I consider it a feature!
The enemies of Democracy are
There's a reason the government has a formal proceedure for changing names. They can still keep track of you - what else is a social security number for? But they understand that changing a name has signifigant consequences.
Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration, which is why engineers sometimes smell really bad.
Then you stay in people's friends list, and people who send you whisper/tells, it still works...
cmdrtaco
Cmdrtaco
They are just complaining about the Capitization on the "Taco" part.
Modesty is one of life's greatest attributes
If you would've read the rules you wouldn't have experienced this sort of problem. Now, did you read the rules before using that nickname? I bet you that the rule you broke is available for reading somewhere. If there is anything unclear about them, you could always drop them an e-mail BEFORE making any serious friends ingame -- BEFORE starting to play the game seriously.
I can understand that you feel badly treated, but don't you think everyone that get's punished for rule-breaking feels just like you do? It's not Blizzard's job to make sure that you read and follow the rules -- they will just take actions when you don't follow them properly. Slashdot probably does the same.
The worst thing that you can do after being treated in such a "bad" way is to continue giving them the money. Ranting about it on Slashdot won't change their decision.
You shouldn't have posted this on the frontpage on such a big website. Imagine how many hate-letters they're going to receive from fanboys of this site just because of this. Just think about how much work you've caused just because you felt badly treated. I don't think you wanted to revenge, but you did by posting this here.
I had a night elf named "Nymphshadow" - it seemed slightly clever on an RP server to have an elf with a nymph-like name. I was told at level 40 that my name violated their policy. I asked why and was told "it's sexual" I sucked up and changed my character's name to "Feyshadow" and still to this day see "nympho", "hooterz" and other similar names of characters well into their 50's. I don't mind a policy. I mind when it's applied to me and not others.
Adding new elements to the game, then taking a naming bat to all players that conflict with the new elements seems to be a good way to piss people off. Revisionist history as it were (or retcon [wikipedia]).
Yup, this is why I don't play MORPGs. I've read too many stories with GM's being cocks to want to enter a world they have more control over than I do. It's hardly surprising that GMs tend to turn out to be morons, since the game is not a democracy.
:)
It's a bit like Nazi Germany if you think about it. The state is all powerful and above criticism from the people, and the police are chosen by the state. Not a nice situation.
Also, people who pay for a game, and then pay a monthly charge for the privilege of playing it, will take all sorts of abuse. So, have fun
Hear Hear!
Bet this
I think one way to come to grips with it is to try thinking about a seperation between an online identity and a character's name in a game. You can retain your online identity using it with accounts and such. But mentally speaking, when you cross the border into a game, your identity can be the one controlling the character, not the character itself.
That's how I've always viewed my identity. Maybe I'm Jekler here and everywhere else, but my character's names in games aren't usually named Jekler even if my account name/ID is.
That certainly sucks CmdrTaco. In Warcraft 3 I use the name Localhost which I thought was funny that no one else had attempted to create before. If they do ban my name, I'd know for sure they'd have banned a lot of people's names (I mean what's wrong with mine?!) and then perhaps we should all group together against the powers that be! Anyone else with me on this?
As Violated, nobody ever will recognize me for my day job.
Well, now that you've posted it on Slashdot, maybe they will!
$x='S24;r)>63/* h@<5+oZ)32"5cz';$me='phroggy'x$];
$x=~y+ -xz+\0-Tx+;print$_^chop$me for split'',$x;
You have some seriously fucked up priorities. Get a life, loser.
Seriously: You broke the WoW rules. No use whining on /. about it.
"Cmdrtaco" or anything simular is a name that does not comply with the WoW Naming rules in more than one way. That's a simple fact. l33tspeak and cool modern culture nicks that are clearly recognized as such, just as unspeakable consonants-only silables go against the spirit of Fantasy RPGs and thus are rightfully prohibited in WoW. I'm so glad WoW has such strict rules. There still are people who get a kick out of pointless or twisted namings and they barely get through with it, but at least they don't suck entirely.
If I were a GM on WoW I had done the same and asked you to change your name.
Sorry, Commander, no Taco for you. Your imposing a fantasy character, so come up with a fantasy name. Or go somewhere else to play online.
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
I didn't think the post was petty at all. I agree with many of the other people here in that I thought it was simply an essay on the impact of names. I use one of two names everywhere these days (WinterSolstice and WntSolstice). I use them interchangeably depending on how long a UID I am allowed, usually :).
:) Googling for WinterSolstice will not land you very many hits, but my previous nick still shows up in old newsgroup compliations and such.
:)
However, I came to this name through a conscious effort to kill off an earlier name that I had used online since about '83. I wished to deliberatly kill off that nick, and also to choose a new nick that wouldn't be as easily found.
Hope you decide to post more often... it seems like you're never around anymore
-WS
An operating system should be like a light switch... simple, effective, easy to use, and designed for everyone.
There a difference between their distributed game servers and their website.
The latter certainly does not receive nearly the amount of traffic that their game servers do, and are probably therefore not nearly as scalable.
-buf
Hey CmdrTaco -- BlizzCon is happening THIS WEEKEND down in Anaheim. Pop on over there and see if you can talk to a real person.
If I worked for Blizzard and I saw a character named AssFinger (or anything else of that nature) I wouldn't even give them a chance to change their name. I would have the Admins mark them as permanent-PvP vs. both Alliance and Horde and reduce all of their attributes and skills to 1. I would then remove their ability to speak in any in-game channel. I would also ask them to make the character un-deletable so it will always take up one of the available character slots.
Maybe after "AssFinger" and his buddies get tired of not being able to stay alive for more than 2 seconds at a time, they'll start over again and choose a name that doesn't violate the clearly posted naming policies.
A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kick boxing -- Emo Phillips
I've been playing Guild Wars since it was released, and just last week or so they made my name from Jackson the Toucher to Jack the Toucher. No one gets the joke at all anymore =(.
...no really...who cares about your name problem in wow? It is in violation of their policies...they set the rules..you agree to play...don't like it? Quit...simple.
======== In the future, everything will be artificial. ========
I agree with you _completely_ on feeling a deep sense of possession after using an online name for a long time. (Believe me I didn't want to stick A on the end of this name, but sometimes someone gets 'your' name first.) I've had this name since 1993. (Ouch I feel very old now) But I also said "Ah I bet it's because he used a pretitle in his user name" as soon as I started reading your article. Blizzard wasn't really sneaky about that rule.
I have a strong streak of independence/insuboardination - power just grates on me. So I thought of a bunch of names that I would change mine to, if I was ever drafted - so as to give it to the system, even just a little bit. .....(well there is a lot to work with there)
Pvt Parts
Pvt Matter
Pvt Affair
General Havoc
General Nuisance
General Nosir
Corporal Punishment
Captain Squarters (say it out loud)
Captn (Again a lot to work with here Cook, Morgan, Anteneile(say it out loud - band from 70's)
Seaman
..........FULL STOP.
With all due respect, "Commander Taco" (much less the no-space-nor-punctuated CmdrTaco) is hardly a good name for a fantasy character, much less a paladin.
Quite frankly, "Taco" is more irritating to me in that context, by far, than is "Commander".
While I sympathize with your pain, your name borders on some l337 monstrosity in a fantasy world. Fine for Quake. Maybe for City of Heroes. Nuh uh for fantasy games.
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
I've been playing mmorpgs since the beginning of UO. I'm sorry to say that I've found Blizzard's overall ability to respond to player concerns effectively inexistant in general
The only feedback mechanisms is the forums, which are unreliable, unsearchable, and lose their history due to posts mysteriously disapearing after a while with no evidence of their existence ever. I can see every post I've ever made to Slashdot over the years, but I can't see posts I made to the Blizzard forums just a few months ago. It's simply just appalling that with the resources their customer base affords them they can't put toghether a decent bulletin board system.
More importantly, however, I can't begin to count the number times I've seen posts with a lot of effort put into them and huge feedback from the player base not even get a single reply from an rep. there. After a while, when people don't get a personal response from their feedback, they stop making it. What's keeping the wave of feedback happening right now is the huge base of players who have yet to really experience the mediocrity of the wow player forums. Simply put, in my book Blizzard gets abysmal marks for community interaction.
World of Warcraft remains a fun game to play. However, in my opinion, without significant community improvements Blizzard stands to lose out massively to the next wow that comes out.
Do not spread "09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0" over the internet, thank you.
The Onion is a well known fictional news-site. Nigh everything you find there is a farse. The problem, and the beauty, of The Onion is that they present their "news stories" in a manner that many don't realise is a joke -- many people actually think that The Onion is a real news site. Anyone familiar with it can recount the many times that real journalists don't do enough research and reprint an Onion story, believing the farse to be truth.
This is all well and good... but sites like The Onion should not be using the Presidential / White House seal. Those are government seals that are used for official sources. The Onion using those seals is taking humour one step too far... instead of just making up a fake news story and letting people figure out for themselves whether it's true or not, The Onion was shoving a government seal on it -- which makes it look much more authentic.
I see no reason why they shouldn't have gotten a C&D. It's not like they were sued for $1,000,000.00 or shut-down. They were just told to stop using official government seals for completely fictional "news."
As to the "waste of government resources" arguement: it probably only costs the taxpayers of one of the wealthiest nations on earth a couple thousand bucks, at most. The distributed cost to you and me... yeah... like $0.00000005. Darn... I'm going to have to go on wellfare, now.
/dev/random
I tried to change my nickname once. I culdn't do it. I AM "Nazo" and there's nothing I hate more than when I go somewhere new and try to register it only to find that someone else has taken it and I have to append some title like san to the name, but, even then I still get the same name. I have been using this name for well over 6 years that I know of, maybe more, but, I've lost track. Personally, if I logged onto WoW someday as Nazo or somesuch (I don't have WoW as I can't afford such services) and they informed me I had to change my nickname because it sounded too close to "nazi" (and don't any of you even start, having three letters in common does NOT imply any relationship to a word of another language and meaning.) I would cancel my membership that very day. As far as I'm concerned, whether or not their rules state otherwise, they have no right to force me to change MY name, because, to me, that's what it is. I can understand if a name were chosen out of some sort of malicious intent or that sort of thing, but, as long as the user meant well, their name is their name and they should be left alone. And I agree on the GMs especially. On the one hand, they are given far too much power to dispense with as they please to total strangers. In the game world, they are absolute gods answering to no one (at least, this is how it feels, even if it isn't entirely true, though, if you try to argue, you have to have darned good proof against them because their word gets precedence.) They can just kick you off or even ban you in so many things just because they don't like you if it suits them. They can toss enough monsters in the area to make sure you die and loose XP just for kicks and any number of other things. The thing is, they are given too much blind power, and too little accounting for it all. Then, when it comes to thinks like solving a problem, one often finds that they can't do a thing. It seems like all they are good for is kicking off the annoying people who run around making complete jerks of themselves around everyone and little else.
You agreed to follow a set of rules. You violated those rules and got taken to task for it. Just becuase you seem to not have read or known the rules you agreed to follow is not an excuse.
"Have you ever thought about just turning off the TV, sitting down with your kids, and hitting them?"
CmdrTaco, you can't take what you dish out? I've submitted articles in the past that have been rejected and then when I write to Rob, he says that his policy is to not discuss why articles are rejected. Well, that's VERY helpful. Think about your own processes before your condemn others.
Seriously, read the naming policy before you choose your silly, titled, out of genre, Internet-famous name if you don't want to have to deal with the consequences of violating their rules.
Though you can deride Blizzard for providing poor customer service with their World of Warcraft product (and I'd agree that this is often the case), all you have to do is read the naming policy to see that titles are against their rules, so why it would be necessary to send even one e-mail or make one phone call to Blizzard asking why your name was changed is unclear to me, especially for a web/techno-savvy, presumably at least semi-intelligent person like Taco, who should have no problem deducing that the name change was the result of a naming policy violation and should have no problem finding the previously linked URL with less than a minute or two of searching. A quick scan of that policy would make it very clear that in at least one way it was a clear violation. I wouldn't expect Taco or anybody else forced to have their name changed to be happy about it, as it certainly is a considerable pain in the ass, but they really have nobody to blame but themselves.
Simply put, it is your responsibility to know their terms of service and rules, and it doesn't take a dozen inquiries through Blizzard reps to figure out what their rules are. It only takes one inquiry through information posted publicly on their web site.
Although I generally agree that when action such as this is taken (banning, suspension, forced name change, or any other disciplinary action) the GM should spell out explicitly exactly what aspect of what policy (or policies) was violated ... so people who may have been unjustly penalized have an idea of what they need to attempt to disprove to establish their innocence, and so what scant CS resources Blizzard seems to have available aren't wasted answering the e-mails of confused or belligerant individuals who are seem unable or unwilling to read the rules (not that I really think this would stop most people).
Anyway, s far as I'm concerned, Taco, you were part of the whole CS nightmare that is the reality of most MMOs. You didn't read the rules, didn't follow the rules and instead of accepting the consequences for your poor behavior, you went on to waste more of limited time and resources that the Blizzard staff has at its disposal. You contributed to a clogging of the (I agree, sometimes unnecessarily convoluted) lines of communications for those who have legitimate issues that can't be addressed simply by reading the FAQ, TOS or knowledge base articles.
Put simply: RTFM next time.
Blizzard certainly is to blame as well, and the seeming unaccountability of GMs can possibly be troublesome, too ... but customers are often a big part of the problem with customer service, I think.
My main gripe is that you have to spend money each month to continue using a piece of software that you've already paid for.
I never thought about forced name changes. But that would piss me off. I too have been using some version of Kano as my pseudonym for over a decade. Since 1993 or so. It isn't even limited to online activities. I get some mail addressed to "Kano". I would be PISSED if I was unable to use my chosen name in any venue.
Since you have so much time, money and effort invested in your MMORPG persona, the controlling entity can do pretty much whatever they want and you're forced to accept it or throw away all of the time, money and effort that you've spent thus far.
I say fuck them. I would have never taken part in such an activity anyway, but those out there who do provide companies like Blizzard with not only an opportunity but an inventive to fuck people over.
I never lost my character names with Diablo, because Battle.net wasn't the only game in town.
LK
"Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
Hi cmdrtaco,
/. but I think an ip ban is a bit over the top).
Good to see you posting like a mere mortal. I'll try to keep this as respectful as I can.
It's not like Blizzard decided to change gameplay dynamics. I spend a lot of time working on the Slashdot moderation system, and I never have any problem changing any "Rule" in the system if I believe it will improve the overall functionality of the whole system.
Please stop banning me from posting. Please stop banning others from posting. More valuble contributers than I have been banned for as few as 2 'bad' comments. Meanwhile the system for determining what is a bad comment is completely broken (I'm sure by now you will have looked at my posting history. Im not the greatest poster on
I logged in, I stood by my words, and I was banned for what I said. When I read you pontificating on free speech and the evil of arbitrary restrictions it makes me want to laugh and cry. To someone who has been banned from your site you sound like Bill Oreilly yelling about the need to carefully analyze the issues before jumping to conclusions.
I understand ip banning is necessary among other reasons to prevent crapfloods, but a quick check of the trolltalk sid shows that people who want to crapflood can still do so at will.
ps: Please don't ban the ip that I am posting this from. I had to ssh to my school to do it and I would feel really bad if I managed to ban my entire college from posting. And you should feel really bad about banning my entire college from posting if that is what you choose to do.
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2005/10/bliz zard_entert.html
More commentary on Tom'sHardware: http://www.tgdaily.com/2005/10/24/world_of_warcraf t_warden_is_it_spyware/index.html
"My opinions are my own, and I've got *lots* of them!"
Obviously 'Cmdr' is not a title, but is 'Commander' a title? I could come down on the side of blizzard on this one.
Also, it sounds like MMORPGs will need a system of goverment that is more responsive to the people, as opposed to the absolute dictatorship that has traditionally governed online worlds. People who live in democracies aren't going to want to inhabit a dystopia with an arbitrary government when they go online.
Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.
-- Pablo Picasso
but I know exactly how you feel. It really annoyed me when gmail required 6 or more characters. I've been using Asmor almost since I started getting on the internet.
:) That was quite the ego boost, amusingly.
I used to be really active in the Starcraft mapping forum, and one day on Battle.net someone didn't believe it was actually me.
But as far as I'm concerned, online I *AM* Asmor. Now, I'm not a total freak... I don't go by it in person, and if someone called me Ian online, I'd respond to that too. But hell, I even got Asmor on my high school class ring! My best friend got his online handle, Gundarak, on his as well.
But, in the end, watcha gonna do?
cry more n00b
it's not that nobody got them, it's just that they're neither clever nor funny.
eudas
Blessed is he who expects the worst, for he shall not be disappointed.
... let's say Congress passed a law making it illegal to have a first name that is a verb...
Wow, that one hit me straight in the chest... My name's Toss...
They name an entire realm what unmistakeable sounds like "Ass Galore", but they ban the name CmdrTaco - that makes sense... NOT!
Incompetence Floats
Heh, I remember that thread. The best part was seeing my own name in there: Rumpleforeskin.
<xml><I><am><so><damn>Web 2.0</damn></so></am></I></xml>
Subtlety? You must be new here...
Yeah.. damn n00bs! Boy, if this CmdrTaco guy had been around in my day, he'd have a lot more respect for this site!
$x='S24;r)>63/* h@<5+oZ)32"5cz';$me='phroggy'x$];
$x=~y+ -xz+\0-Tx+;print$_^chop$me for split'',$x;
There's/There was, and online MUD called Purple Dragon. I played for 3 years, remorted 3 times, attained what's known as legendary status (went from level 1-60 three times). I was the founding member of the most popular guild at the time, EXTREMELY well liked and helpful on the MUD, and generally a heavy user of the MUD. My Handle was GodSlayer. For three years i used that nick, everyone knew me by it, it was on guild plaques of guilds i was no longer a part of but helped build their guild halls, etc... It would be accurate to say there was little in that MUD that didn't have a Little "Godslayer" Tag, award, achievement, etc.. somewhere. The SysOp sold the MUD to a right-wing bornagian christian couple, who required the deletion of all handles they believed to be agianst god. Ryu, the SysOp at the time, gave me the opportunity to change my name to avoid this deletion... Those familiar with David Eddings know the origins of that handle, what it means, and how utterly ironic it is for christians to be denoucing that name when the "god" in the edding's books is a Devil God, and the title GodSlayer was bestowed upon belgarion after defeating this character... regardless, BelGarion was already in use, BelGarath was in use, every other nick from the Eddings series was in use, i changed my name to something Similiar to BelGarion, and was forced to change it when that user complained. I finally settled on something obscure... xaustinx, and my guild disbanded me and kicked me out, Ryu removed Godslayer from all equipment, plaques, etc.. in the game. and no1 would listen to me, my story, or even believe me. Ryu refused to tell anyone (even confirm my story to my guild) and ended every complaint i had with "it's just a game". i agree it's just a game, and the only piece of individuality you get is YOUR NAME. You loose that, you don't exist. Needless to say my character was deleted.
You cared enough to write your little note. And as I write mine, there are 767 posts on this topic.
Anyhow, I wouldn't associate the Katz articles with this. Katz was a blowhard who was *clearly* here just to grab some material for a half-assed book that he could dine out on for a few months. His articles were long-winded, horrendously superficial looks at "geek culture". I remember one in particular where he bragged that he'd played his first game of Doom (cheat on, of course) -- yeah, that's great there Skippy. Glad you're here to tell us all about the state of modern geekdom.
This isn't that. This is something else.
I've used Skyshadow for, what, seven years here on Slashdot (even before there was a formal account system). Before that, there were the BBSs I used to chat on in the mid-90's, and before that there was Q-Link back in the late 80's.
The point is that I've used the same handle for, what, 15+ years. A *lot* of people know me by this name. I'm nearly as attached to it as I am my own "real" name, which should be too surprising given that I've been trolling around with it for more than half my life at this point. I definately wouldn't take kindly to someone telling me I needed to change it, especially not some moron who couldn't find a better calling in life than being a GM in some MMORPG.
That's worth a Slashdot post.
Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
Would it really be so hard for them to display his name as "Violated (formerly CmdrTaco)" for 90 days to allow a smooth transition?
My character, "Peonit", was forced to change her name. My girlfriend's character, "Smakkit", was not.
Apparently, word humor is lost on WoW GMs.
I'd like for someone here -- anyone with a WoW Account -- to create a new character.
I'd then like you to come up with a perfectly legitimate, fantasy-themed name. Something like 'Faenor', or 'Gildan' or whatever. Something that obviously isn't a blatant abuse of policy.
Then, have a friend petition a GM on the name.
Then, report your results. I'm curious to see what occurs when a perfectly legitimate named is petitioned. It seems that if Blizzard receives a name complaint, the name is automatically considered bad. No dispute process, it must be changed. Let's prove it.
-----
And while I may potentially be able to gain the sympathy of the site owner...
As an aside, to Rob directly (and coming from another Rob), a long while back my 4-digit UID was hijacked. Someone posted a few comments with it, and when I called them out as an AC, they stopped permanently. If you have any interest in the possibility of reinstating this account (by resetting my password), just reply to this message, and I'll e-mail you directly. If not, I understand and respect your decision.
No matter how innocently one attempts to argue the point, it's the appearance of impropriety that rules the day.
As a person in the same zone as character CdrTaco, it would be disconcerting to repeatedly see the message Level 1 CdrTaco has just been killed by a Level 2 wombat..."
Using the term Cmdr or others attempting to grant a virtual world character some level of unearned respect shouldn't be allowed.
Cogito Ergo Sum
Persistent online identity is not always a good thing.
I know how you feel, not that I had a name change forced upon me, but confusion arrose from an uncontrollable situation.
:o( :o(
;o)
:o/
I had been Yakumo online for several years before a German company decided to start using it to sell computers and parts online, god knows why, it's a Japanese name, genderless, but most comonly used for males.
The first time I heard of the company someone asked me why I was named after their keyboard
Since then Yakumo's have sprouted up all over the place and i have to fight for my nick every page I sign up on, or IRC server I join, and it never seems to be Japanese, or Anime fans, it's always germans who decided to name themselves after their PC
I end up with a lot of Germans PM'ing me on IRC demanding 'their name back', or their friends trying to chat to me in a language i don't understand, when I spent many years on the same networks without ever having any conflicts.
There's the Yakumo brand DVD players now, I don't know if it's a related company.
I figure it must be karma for all the european players I used to batter playing Quake....
I'm proud of my old Quake Clan(UNR, Clan Unreal) but I'd preffer not to have to attach it to my login, just nothing else seems appropriate.
As for blocking people for celebrity names, mentioned in another post, that's ridiculous, celerbrities have the same names as often hundreds of other people, many of them far older, people have a right to use their own name online, so if nothing else the usser should have been contacted.
anyway... many sympathies CmdrTaco.
Azgalor could be dirty if your mind is as sick as mine.
Maybe because this isn't just a news site?
Well, since those rules are standard on EVER(quest)Y (da)O(c)NE OF the POPUL(tima online)A(narchy online)R MMORPGs, I'm guessing they are pretty old rules.
Food not Bombs is a nice platitude but it breaks down when you notice that the Bombees are usually well fed
Since Bliz made him change his nick he wanted to make damn sure that everyone on his server knew his new name was VIOLATED.
Now he can continue to reap the in-game fruits of his fame. ;-)
Hear hear. As an old-timer I must say I miss this part of slashdot. This site used to be, in part, a vehicle for smart, engaged, motivated and with-it individuals to comment on how their lives, as technology enthusiasts, are affected by their use of technology. This is an outstanding article in that tradition.
Write on, Rob. Write more.
Paul
The real Paul Vallee is slashdot userid 2192, and, what do you mean it's not cool to point out your low userid?
IF YOU WERE ROBBING A BANK, THE SAME ONE, EVERY DAY, STEALING $100 PER SE FOR SIX MONTHS TILL THEY CATCH YOU, IS IT STILL WRONG?
yeah, but this isn't like robbing a bank...
BINGO!
It's nowhere near robbing a bank, infact it doesn't even qualify as breaking the law. It comes down to the fact that I complain about every day.
THIS WORLD DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO VALIDATE DATA!
If it violates their naming conventions, they could have screened for it on entry. Plain and simple.
(But they state in the Eula that you don't own your character...)
That may be true, and you can sign a disclaimer waiving your right to everything, but that disclaimer
will not hold up in court, if true negligence is found.
It is soon coming time that we will need to have laws concerning virtual worlds like this one.
A blatent, we are not responsible for anything, and you have to accept everything to use our system is fine and dandy concerning FCC interferance, but this is countless hours with a huge ADDICTED userbase, and holds a universe of virtual worlds whose members outnumber most small countries.
How much is your data worth? Back it up now.
Sometimes I enjoy what Malda writes, but this is just stupid.
Wow is very stringent on names. Always has been. Look around and you'll see players that have really awful names don't tend to stick around (and when they do, it's on the PVP servers where this is less enforced).
Not satisified on inference, however? Fine. He broke 3 rules stated right in the EULA and character FAQ page on the site:
1.) You cannot use a name of someone/something "famous", even if it's your own. Among nerds, CmdrTaco is a relatively known names. So far I've seen names like Rushlimbaugh, Petergriffin, etc. get changed the first day.
2.) You cannot use names that break fantasy convention. What's fantasy convention? Anything that wouldn't really fit the world. A name of a message board moderator (originally named after a food) doesn't fit.
3.) You cannot use a prefixed title, as he stated. There ARE commanders in the name (no, there are no "Cmdr"'s, but that's a moot point -- it was clear what he meant and he said in the past it's short for a made up taco shack).
This is pretty much the video game equivalent of going to a baseball game, getting 3 strikes and then complaining that you should get a 4th. No, the rules are that 3 strikes and you're out. You don't get to make up the rules. If that third strike was a curveball that was pretty outside, yeah, you can maybe argue that, but this was right down the middle. Live with it.
I doubt I'm alone in this experience.
No you're not. Cybersquatters make loads of money buying domain names they know some people will be giving the high bid for. They take advantage of the fact that some people or company actually believe cyber-indentity is important. eBay has tons of those, listed with ridiculous prices.
Or just look at gMail, when it went Beta. Thousands of people were selling their souls on various websites, exchanging porn collections, giving money just to have an invitation in the hope or registering their name before someone else does.
You are more than the sum of what you consume. Desire is not an occupation.
Why didn't your name was banned on first logon. Why did they let you play half a year with such a name, if it IS a real policy and not just an overzealous GM?
Patents Drive Free Software as Hurricanes Drive Construction Industry
Although initially on the surface, this editorial appears as a rant, Rob pierces the thin veil of the real subject: online identity and how attached we get to it. This actually got me to thinking about -my- online identity. Posting as an Anonymous Coward, I am safe behind my real identity, and therein lies the crux of my own dilema. I actually use a "real" identity for most of my online avatars and paladins. Hmm, scary you might think, and you may well be correct.
In my case, it goes deeper, into an entire web presense. A web site, a business, a source of income, a source of enjoyement. My identity is who I am online, and who I am offline. Someone who knows me in person, also knows me online, through the same identity mark. I don't introduce myself to people at parties as "LordZilla the Facinator", and I don't pretend to be someone else online.
So the issue of identity can be a serious matter. If I were to be told I could no longer use my online identity, it would be just at mentioned in the opinion; the government telling me I had to change my name, sorry. That isn't likely to happen unless I go into a witness protection program. The point I would make though, is that even if my name changed, people would know me for who I was, and they would -continue- to identify me with my old identity. In the online realm, a changed identity is like dying and being reborn as someone completely different, a kind of reincarnation. Nobody really knows who you are anymore.
I guess its because WoW is dumbed down mmorpg and has pvp that it attracts names inappropriate to the genre, but I have to say seeing the ubiquitous fotm classes named "gankzjoo" really ruins the immersiveness of the game for me.
Original EQ with the original player base with realistically appropriate fantasy names was immersive enough for me to actually suspend disbelief while in the virtual. Not so with WoW, which makes it less of a game to me.
But I feel his pain. I've used the name katorga for years. Its provenance is interesting, and when I meet someone who understands the translation of the term, its historical meaning, and its historical time, I know I have met the Right Sort.
I spent vast amount of my K-12 time playing/running dice-n-paper RPG games.
I cannot rationalize paying to play something that I have no ownership and no control in--and despite the tremendous uptake these games have had they are nothing more than a glorified money-vaccum, or maybe a heart-soul vaccum once someone has invested themselves financially AND emotionally in a character.
I have always viewed my time and my artwork (maps, character drawings, backgrounds, stories) and anything I feel about a character/story as an investment. When I ran/played games I used RPG's as a vehicle to tell stories, inspire artwork, obviate my adolescent idiocy and to survive the crushing boredom of being poor.
Now I have a collection of books, dice, drawings, stories and great memories of all the fun.
In many ways I use the same philosophy when I play computer RPG's. If I can't play without an Internet connection, if I EVER have to worry about a license issue, and if a GM can punk me for anything/everything I've done because of a technicality...I don't touch it. Ever. It's like a peverse Tic-Tac-Toe where I exploit myself at the whim of someone who can pick up the change-jar and the board and walk away without any kind of responsibility.
Which is why Evercrack, WoW, or any of them will never see me or my kids.
Every new form of media has it's own Requirimento
I thought this one was the classic. But really, we should link to it with why geeks are shitty lovers so that it gets indexed properly in google.
Paste this text:
<a href="http://slashdot.org/articles/02/02/14/143254 .shtml?tid=166">why geeks are shitty lovers</a>
Two things...
First, I think it's kind of funny how you mostly gloss over the fact that it *is* their world, and you're agreeing to go by their rules, but then rant and rave about how much the change bothers you and how awful it is of them to do what they want to you in *their* world. You mention it once near the beginning, then slyly refer to it at the end, but in the middle's a whole bunch of whinging.
Second, exactly how is this News for Nerds, or even Stuff that Matters? Good grief, get a LiveJournal account to whine about stuff like this. All you *really* want to happen is to make a lot of people unhappy at Blizzard, so the Slashdot masses can deluge Blizzard to to try to get them to change either a) their decision to take away your name, or b) their policy on names.
I mean this may have been stated already, BUT, Blizzard may come after you under the DMCA for some form of "slander".
I think you clearly stated your case and opinion, but I can see this potentially causing an issue with this post of yours... I know that sounds a little silly but this country has gone crazy with some of the stupidest things happening these days.
~GreatOak ( I have used this one for about 10 or 11 years and I know what you feel about being possessive of it. )
Why is CmdrTaco complaining about Blizzard okay to you, but people complaining about CmdrTaco doing it on Slashdot's front page not? In both cases, it's users complaining about the product and its leaders.
One difference:
Taco didn't post comments Blizzard's site.
He posted it on a site he had a hand in creating.
A more appropriate comparison (in my opinion, at least) would be one of the users of Slashdot posting an entry on their own site talking about an editor posting what they perceive as an inappropriate article on the front page of a popular news aggregate they frequent. And explaining why they felt it was inappropriate.
Thanks to the internet, we can now all die alone together! -SomeWoman
of the anime .HACK// Leyend of twilight, the part where a player gets turned into a frog and can't change back even after rebooting.
;-), jokes, and +5 insightfuls. Who hasn't? We all have an identity. Well in my case i have various online identities, one for slashdot, and the others for different forums. They're part of me.
:) I'm sure there are other games to have fun with.
:)
Sounds like an awful curse, specially with the virtualization of society that we're all experiencing. I have grown fond of my identity, my first posts
In any case, I'm glad more problems like abuse of power / neglect are shown up to the light. There's nothing nastier than a game (which is supposed to be FUN) ends up making you bitter.
But cheer up, Taco
And if you want to have some fun at MMORPGS, you can read the n00b to look at the light side
I had a friend get his name changed. They didn't like "dog" as a name on an rp server. Yet they let the NPC's have names that violate the policy. Oh well. Anyway, its not all Blizzards fault. Its likely some player reported you and thats why you drew attention. Some people just love to grief. Very large quantity of people means plenty of griefers for all.
No matter how subtle the wizard, a knife between the shoulder blades will seriously cramp his style.
Good for you Taco to be on the receiving end every now and again! :)
Remember that next time you ignore my article submission in favor of posting a DUPE!
I considered moderating you down as flamebait for cussing.
You must be new here. You cannot post in the same discussion you are commenting in.
If you don't like the rules, don't play the damned game. The rules are there for the majority of customers who would rather not have their fantasy role-playing invaded by jackasses who think it's cute to come up with a name innappropriate to the game setting. If you can't manage to play a game without using a lame name, go back to games like Diablo and Counterstrike.
So you take your name as "Violated" and set up a script that runs in
the background making "Violated" say "formerly known as CmdrTaco"
every so many seconds.
1. Rename to just Taco
2. PVP until you get to the rank of Commander
3. ??????
4. Profit!
Whisky. Tango. Foxtrot.
What IS that??
Endless arguments over trivial contradictions in books written by ignorant savages to explain thunder in the dark.
After I read the comment about the guy who can't post to ./ at home because his entire subnet is banned and when he asked to remove/change or shrink the ban was bascially told to stfu. Karma's a bitch aint it?
I feel your pain; mine gets stolen a lot, too. I've also run into a similar issue with reserved titles that aren't documented anywhere in City of Villains, although that was a semi-randomly-chosen name and didn't bother me.
It's a risk you take when try to use something resembling a military rank in a virtual name, however; odds are pretty good somebody is going to want to actually use that rank title for something.
Perhaps something along the lines of TheRealCmdrTaco would work out. Good luck.
So, are you hurrying to slobber over Taco's "coin purse" in the vain, vain hope that he'll un-$rtbl you, or what?
Laws do not persuade just because they threaten. --Seneca
gee - i became aware of that when my karma hit excellent. strangely enough, the gp post did NOT have the 'No Karma Bonus' box checked... and yet it shows a score of 1.
I had a similar experience in Everquest 2 on Kithicor server.
I created a character with a greek-sounding name (Testicleese) that was a violation of the naming conventions. After three and a half months go by, I logged in one day to find they changed my name to a computer generated one (Thaych).
I simply used the lastname command to adopt a last name of "AngedMyName"
I was soon known as "Thaych AngedMyName" (say it quickly)
Adapt and overcome bruthaman
Put it in your journal or something.
Ummmmm... That's what he did.
I used to have an art teacher at my Highschool by that name
While you aren't mad at Blizzard, I think you should be. Not so much as for enforcing their policy in your situation, but letting you get far in the game before doing that -- they hardened the blow there, whether it was intentional or not, it's upsetting at least... for having such an unreasonable policy and ad-hoc manner of imposing it in the first place, and most importantly for having found such TERRIBLE support / appeals process.
You are their customer, and for that $12+ a month you pay them, Blizzard should at least really listen, they owe it to you to be able to explain immediately, fairly, and fully: why the harmful action was taken, who took the action, where/who you can reach to have it revisited, or to offer you a refund of subscription fees if they cannot change their mind and you find you no longer want to play after the name change.
And inconsistent enforcement of their own rules doesn't reflect positively on the enforcer, particularly when they don't look at more severe cases at all and go right for minor ones reported to them -- probably by a rival in-game, or other player who just wanted to cause another one pain for some reason.
After reading your article, I think there's just no way I could get or recommend anyone else to get this game --- sure it might be fun, until the GMs reign in on your party, though, so to speak. I'd rather play a game where I can feel more comfortable that the maker won't be intentionally working against my enjoyment of it.
I'd rather play multiplayer games that don't blindly enforce outrightly extreme naming guidelines.
If someone whose real name were Boris Yeltsin played a MMORPG, they should certainly not be denied that player name -- just because it was a celebrity name.
For Pseudonyms, the first person who thought it up and started putting it to use, ought to be able to keep it as they move from forum to forum -- people want to take their identity with them, and providers of gaming services should do what they can to accomodate them. I.E. There's no reason I can think of that blizzard shouldn't separate earned titles distinctly from the name, such as by using a distinct icon or a unique color for the title.
God damn. Shut up.
It's a fantasy genre - if tacos were part of the diet in medeival times great! However, I have never heard of a knight named anything resembling what I can pick up at taco bell. Don't want a name change? Don't use a stupid irrelevant name when you create the character. My biggest gripe with MMORPGs is that people seem to confuse them with DOOM. Wannabe l33t kiddies playing a game coming up with something stupid instead of something with real originality that took thought. Glad you got the name change - next time you sign up for an MMORPG, choose something appropriate. I make it a habit of petitioning stupid names in games just so idiots like this will think twice next time they start a character.
Back in 1995, I played Quakeworld in a great clan (the Brotherhood of Moo - not exactly the most feared clan in the game, but a great bunch of people), as ZENDog. Zoom in to 2005, and I'm playing WoW on EU-Shadowsong, as Zendog. I'm sat in the middle of Ironforge, not doing a great deal, when I get a whisper from an old clan mate, because he recognised my online name! This is 10 years later, in a completely different game. Although chance and coincidence are involved, there is a great deal in a name! CmdrTaco, you have my sympathies.
---
"An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind" - Gandhi
Didn't a bunch of the comments and stories that readers shared as replied to Katz's "Hellmouth" series get republished with no consent or notification of the contributors? Despite the "Comments are owned by the Poster" notice at the bottom of the comments pages? I seem to remember a bit of a tempest over that.
What happened to Katz, anyway? Whenever a major event happens, I think of him and "in our post-Saddam world", "in our post-Katrina world", or whatnot.
Laws do not persuade just because they threaten. --Seneca
I don't have mod points though, sorry. I just thought the parant deserved more attention.
I hate online RPGs because of stupid rules like that. And there's nothing you can do about it. I was reminded of this recently when playing Neverwinter Nights; there's a lot of rules in 3rd Edition D&D that I hate, possibly because I'm an old-time gamer, but when playing NWN I have no choice. I quit playing it because it got to the point that having to swallow these bad rules whole was ruining the fun altogether. So give me pen & paper RPGs any day; you can keep the computer RPGs. In a pen & paper RPG, if it's agreed that a particular rule is stupid, it can be ignored or replaced.
I dream of a better world... one in which chickens can cross roads without their motives being questioned.
Seriously, isn't a server called Azgalor the very last place to pick on strange names? Come on, Azgalor! That sounds like the last name of a Bond girl! I would kick off any player whose name doesn't violate the naming conventions (although I have to admit, CmdrTaco would still have to change his name for lack of innuendo).
USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
No one said the rules are secret, but they are innane. It would be nice if there was a means to challenge the rules and make something better happen, but there clearly is not and maybe that's part of what Taco is talking about.
I really doubt there was any effort to annoy someone, it's just that someone took notice of the fact this name was non-compliant and did something about it. I, for one, would like to get my hands on Blizzard's name nazi and let them know what I think of their stupid rules.
M
As a player of a Lvl 60 Paladin in Crushridge, I understand your point, since after getting to lvl 60, i was ordered to change my name to something else because some player thought Snafu was offensive to him. So now my paladin is aptly named Nobody. At first I didnt like the change because like you, no one recognized me... Imagine I was a lvl 60 and you know how many people I had to tell them "it's me... Snafu"... But then when i started horde ganking seriously, it must be funny listening to a guy tell their guildmates they were ganked by Nobody... It is also funny how funny it gets in instances... "Nobody get that loot... and i mean Nobody...", so i have found a lighter side of things in this...
Keep up the mag dude... Oh and What makes you think Violated is not a name they will ban too?
Nom de dieu de putain de bordel de merde de saloperie de connard d encule de ta mere.
Ha ha! /nelson
Also, 'cry more noob' comes to mind. I hate that Blizzard is as lenient as they are. I wish the naming regulations were more strict. Even on so called 'RP' servers there is lots of abuse. I would have reported you the moment you ran by me. 'Taco' should have been enough alone to warrant a name change, but not by Blizzard's rules.
In the past months I've seen eBay online communities disintigrate because the powers that be are power crazed jerks that treat customers like dog food. I've also heard of a Livejournal community that got hijacked by a former moderator, who kicked out the current moderators. Coups are the name of the game in online worlds, and the people in power rarely have a boss or manager over their head from whom you can get justice from.
Powerless people can become tyrants online if they have the chance to conquer a community.
Saskboy's blog is good. 9 out of 10 dentists agree.
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=00/04/13/193124 8
I always thought cmdr stood for commandeer, commandeer taco.
If you went to high school, and learned to read, then went to college and got more intelligent, you would understand he wrote it as an E-D-I-T-O-R-I-A-L, now repeat after me, Editorial. Ok.. Editorial is basically a statement or an opinion aside from whatever topic is run in a news system (such as slashdot) that can carry It's editor (hence the name editorial), in his own opinion aside to whatever it is written. So in simple words you can understand without blowing a carothid in your body, he wrote an opinion about something, within his given space as editor of this news site.
And if you don't like it, then go read www.disney.com or something like that...
Nom de dieu de putain de bordel de merde de saloperie de connard d encule de ta mere.
I wish Slashdot would get rid of the ID numbers just because of that attitude. Just because some of us joined this forum at a later date than you doesn't mean we have less to contribute to a discussion. I see the same problem in other forums. Someone will post a critical message, and invariably someone will take issue with it and post something like, "yeah, but look at the date. He just joined this forum yesterday." So what? How does that invalidate any of his arguments?
Anonymous Cowards suck.
I love it when people sling around the word "n00b" for no real reason.
offtopic me now!
s'wut i sed.
What part of "Stuff that matters." did you not understand?
Dude, CmdrTaco is a fancylad? WTF dude!! grow up and go horde.
"My friend quit EQ that day." Sounds like your friend grew just a little bit that day.
Wanted: Clever sig, top $ paid, all offers considered.
Remember?
I have no pitty for a millionaire bitching about how he can't have his username on WoW. Seriously, do you?
TacoCumander was taken?
If you're having trouble picking the stories you could just read what was posted yesterday.
Sorry, bad dupe joke there. Or you could read Fark.com.. er nevermind.
Saskboy's blog is good. 9 out of 10 dentists agree.
Soon, OSTG will assimilate Blizzard, and THEN we'll see who kisses who's butt.
I want to delete my account but Slashdot doesn't allow it.
WoW is (supposedly) a roleplaying game. If you want to be CmdrTaco, Marilyn Hanson or Bigniggercocks, feel free to use that identity on /., IRC or wherever. However, in a fantasy roleplaying setting, is it really too much to ask that you choose to play a fantasy character instead of bringing Rob Malda the computer programmer into the world of Azeroth? Does Norrath really need the Ogre Shaman (or whatever) Marilyn Hanson?
I for one applaud the GMs of WoW for enforcing their name policy, and I have met many EQ players over the years (although I don't currently play) who like me didn't enjoy the breaking of immersion that stupid names in a fantasy world brings.
You're comment was incredibly useful. So useful that I wish it would take physical form so that I could beat you down with it.
I am just as bad. I had Saboteur since the 1977 on CB radio. ever heard of them. Every year there are a hundred more Sabs on the web
My RSS feed doesn't have icons, you insensitive clod!
...I have just trolled CmdrTaco with an overused /. meme. My life is complete.
USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
That'll teach them!!!
How to Destroy Angels II
Why not just change to C.mdrTaco or CmderTaco?
P.S. This article makes me flash back to some scene in .hack//Legend
Where CC. Corporation Cereullean Knights respond to a player protesting
summary deletion for having a non-standard character appearance
"..But nobody reads the user consent agreement"
".. We believe that most players read and accept the user agreement"
Blizzard's not quite so tyrannical here, but it's faintly conceivable, and a similar notion. Holding players up to pages and pages of legalese and "rules" that noone reads, rather than sticking with simple rules that people other than rules fanatics and lawyers readily accept in a video game setting.
Games are designed for entertainment purposes and to be fun. Rules are rarely fun, and silly ones can be very annoying, un-fun, detractors from the experience.
On the other hand, most married women don't change their entire name. And they're generally still recognizable if you see them face to face.
That said, there's a reason that most women who make a name for themselves professionally -- authors, actresses, etc. -- will keep their original name. (OK, actresses may not be the best example, given the Hollywood divorce rate.)
Hey - I've been playing on B-net as rapingnewborns since the days of starcraft.
My account hasn't been questioned or closed.
The name isn't a hobby (as I quote online) - it goes back to the day of vs newbs games. Those games usually had some hardcore players who just wanted to have an easy game. Well, I'd join in those games to beat or rape the newb killers.
I play Final Fantasy XI on my PC (yes, there is a PC versioin of the PS2 MMORPG) and a majority of the new players I've met and joined our Linkshell (allows several like-minded people to chat in-game no matter how far apart they are in the world) came from Worlds of Warcraft and felt very disappointed with it. Those same people have stuck with FFXI and say its better. We also have former EverQuest and Asheron's Call players and all of them said playing FFXI has been the best experience they've had in a MMORPG in years. The overall impression I get from them is that the other games weren't nearly as good. My advice to CmdrTaco, switch to FFXI. If you want I could get you a World Pass. That will let you join our server when you create your character instead of letting the game choose the server for you. - Michael "TheZorch" Haney thezorch@gmail.com
Michael "TheZorch" Haney
thezorch@gmail.com
http://thezorch.googlepages.com/home
Most of you don't even know what the OSS community used to really be like. It ain't what you see here on /. today.
...
You're right there Obediah.
Who'd a thought thirty years ago we'd all be sittin' here bitching on slashdot?
Aye. In them days, we'd a' been glad to have the price of a good compiler.
A command line based compiler.
Without an IDE or APIs.
Or a compiler!
On a filthy cracked C64.
We never used to have a computer. We used to have to code on punched hole cards.
The best WE could manage was to beg for compilation time on the mainframe at night!
But you know, we were happy in those days, though we were poor.
Aye. BECAUSE we were poor. My old Dad used to say to me, "Money doesn't buy you happiness."
Right. I had to get up in the morning at ten o'clock at night, half an hour before I went to bed, eat a lump of cold poison, work twenty-nine hours a day on OSS, and pay Linus for permission to come to work, and when we got home, our Dad would kill us, and dance about on our graves singing "Hallelujah."
But you try and tell the young people today that... and they won't believe ya'.
POSTING IN A STICKY!
In my opinion, Gamers, being screwed in the b(_*_)d since Atari's E.T. I hate not being able to use my online screenname but normally I don't use this screenname on MMORPG's. I only use it for the sign on stuff, due to the more people using the game the more likely it will have hacking attempts, which is why I use different character names. It took me awhile to come up with this online name cause I wanted something nobody else would come up with. So if you ever see another post by the same name or online in a game, it's me.
ouch... do you have any advice for those here that have kids?
cry more noob
In my past WOW life I was Sonofelvis, Horde Orc Hunter on Alleria, built a rep, had "relations" with many other chars in and out of my guild. but then one day I log in an now have the name of Laguntus. what the hell is that? Someone with a shitty connection and a cold? Seriously - I complained to the DMs without avail or even a decent explanation until I got the from a DM that my name was three words. URGHHH!!! so does that mean it's ok if it two words - how about four. no answer....
:)
I didn't quit, was very tempted, but I can say I don't play as much due to the change and shitty customer service, err cold shoulder from Blizzard. Anyway look for my sorry ass on Alleria as "Lag" - but please call me "Sono".
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet."
--From Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)
Never piss off a user with a bigger soap box than you.
Spelt is a grain. Spelled is the past tense of spell.
I'll have to remember that one...
All these games WoW, Eq, etc. Could outsource the name validation system to a third party who would allow people to register specific usernames across all such (participating) games. Ask people to pay US$1/month (US$12/year) to maintain a username, password protected, on all participating systems. That way, people who *really* want their names get them. Any violations (copywright, foul language, famous people) would be dealt with by this 3rd party - at the time of creation of the name. Perhaps it takes two weeks, or whatever, to reserve the name - and maybe there is some kind of setup fee I don't know - but once you have it, they stand by it. Appeal to them. If they reject your name, you pay nothing. If you don't want to pay for a reserved name, you deal with (a) your name not available, (b) your name accepted then rejected later - but you pay nothing (extra) and it's handeled by blizard/SOE/whomever.
a war on terrorism? How can we end a war on a method?
And just to be clear, I'm not really mad at Blizzard. I think what they did was needless and inconvenient, but not evil. Their policy may be silly, but I still was in violation of it, so I guess I got what I deserved.
OMG who really gives a damn ?
Keep this sh*t in your journal taco!
The lack of oversight/appeal is a pure Blizzard-management problem. They chose to allow the GMs to run free, and must accept the discontent so generated. It may not be much in each individual, but at the margin it does sway large number of potential customers.
Agreed! Even if some simple multiple choice option of some generic descriptions why the article is rejected would be helpful to the submitter when trying to submit again. A pull down or radio buttons can't take that much time from the those who read the submittions.
I swear that I posted a few stories that were of interest around my office (of those who read slashdot) but the story was rejected minutes after submitttion making me think that it wasn't even read by whomever rejected it.
Causing Chaos Everywhere,
Nik J.
The strange world of a loner, in a populous city, drowning in society
The entire reason why I don't have an account on Slashdot is because someone else has my name. I've been using it for literally 15 years, and just never really had the need to sign up for an account here.
Ah well.
Would you still be willing to support that stance if said friend's last name was Hanson, his girlfriend's Marylin and he was playing a female character? Matter of fact, we don't know those details and it looks like none of those involved cared to find out either, which is quite wrong from my personal moral POV...
I was the FIRST person in the world to use the nick "MasterHacker" (with or without a space) since the first BBS days, I found it really annoying when people used it on IRC and stuff like that.
Now how about this one- I was the very FIRST person in the world to use the nick "Wanderer" anywhere for any reason. How can I make this claim?
I was using the damn nick in early 1976 ! And used it ever since then, from multiplayer games on atari 400s and 800s to vic-20s, TSR-80s, C64 hacking, later on PC BBSes, and onward.
its a weirdly personal thing. Something thats been *mine* for decades, literally, suddenly showing up somewhere by some gimp that doesn't know squat.
It really does feel weird.
and then you try using odd names you think no one else will guess. "ByteMe", that is another one I coined first. It's fun. And it gets taken all the time now.
it got to the point where it was almost impossible to log onto an IRC server for a while, every single name I tried, they were all taken, I mean everything.
Even my fabled "RouterSlayer" has been "stolen" by others, as well as my fabled "BitSlayer", yes even "NetSlayer". it was all me... used to be anyhow.
The point is, how the hell can you be original any more? Where's the uniqueness when every single name is already taken, how to identify YOU, you want your personality in there somewhere. something different from the norm.
I came up with a new nick recently, its actually borrowed from something. I will never say what it is or where I got it. But so far, no one has copied it. We'll see how long this lasts. Cuz after that, I dunno any more. Maybe I can think of something new, fresh, and unique.
But it's getting damn hard these days.
Also makes me wonder where all the old hackers I knew vanished off to...
so, its been a few decades, but greets to-
Trans-Net, PE, eaglesoft, KJ, The Cob! (heh), Shadow Rhyder, Covert Operations, TAPPS, TOPPS, and even TGI. God-damn I miss Sublime-Persuasion...
Yeah, that's a bum deal, alright. I've seen it with WoW before, and it certainly does suck.
But, aside from WoW, the idea of keeping ones virtual identity is very personal. I've been 'Lionman' for 18 years, but even in the worthwhile places we want to go, to take our virtual identity, we have to compromise, and use something different.
I think when we do that, find that someone else has taken our name on a system, what shocks us most, is that the name we've used for years, turns out to be a name someone else has choosen to represent themselves with, and makes us a little less unique. There's someone else out there who could be mistaken for us.
I've had friends ask me if various websites were mine, because they appeared to sport my virtual name. They weren't me, of course.
Most of it comes down to, IMHO, that we find we're not unique, that someone else has the same idea we had, or worse, saw ours and stole it. It's the slings and arrows of wanting to be someone that stands apart in the vast world that is cyberspace today.
Awk! Pieces of eight. Pieces of eight. Pieces of seven... ERROR: General Protection Fault. [Paroty Error.]
/target Violated /violin /jk /hug
Share and Enjoy!
Hey Taco, I think that everything you said is dead on; It's their game but they seem to suck at customer service. Have you thought about playing the same game with them? They are a meidum sized company of computer people, chances are that at least a few of them read slashdot, so here is what you do. Look up their IP, and flag all users posting from that block. After you have a few accounts flagged, go rename them and change their UID to eight digit numbers. Vindictive? Perhaps. But there is a chance to illustrate to the powers at Blizzard that people get upset at this sort of thing, and that the GMs aren't very good at customer service. After all, it is YOUR blog...
HA! I just wasted some of your bandwidth with a frivolous sig!
Oh, and don't listen to anyone who compares WoW's GMs with Slashdot's moderation system. Tell me, does WoW have meta-GMs??? If one GM slaps you down, can two more GMs bring you back up? Slashdot is really the only discussion site on the web worth looking at, despite the occasional misspelling or duplicate post, and it is all due to your moderation system.
Slashdot's moderation system appeals only those who look to this site to for confirmation of their own views by the rest of the mob. Serious alternative views are moderated out of existance routinely. Moderation points are used to censor. They are dribbled out to a ready core of sycophants whom the Slashdot priesthood can trust to do their dirty work and enforce their views. I will not participate in Slashdot's moderation process again. I encourage other readers to do the same.
an ill wind that blows no good
of the rules and it isn't Blizzard's fault that it wasn't caught. The rules for naming characters clearly state that titles are not allowed and can only be rewarded. Someone else already posted a link to the actual rule.
While some name changes are the result of griefing the majority are deserved. What I find all so amazing are the blantant offenders whose accounts are not immediately permanently banned.
The programming problem is that people can come up with all sorts of tricks to convey the name they want that will pass most if not all attempts to scan for it. Add in mulitple nationalities and the problem becomes worse exponentially.
It really comes down to players doing their best to know the environment they are playing in. Ignorance of the rules is not an excuse. In this case CmdrTaco either did not know the rule or decided to just ignore it (whether conciously or not)
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
At any given time there are about seven active GMs who spend most of their time dealing with "HE'S TOUCHING ME!" and "OMGWTF! I just gave all my money to someone who promised he'd give it back! I forget his name! Give me my money back!" complaints. Blizzard has so far refused to answer my queries regarding the suicide rate among their GM staff but I can point out that they are always hiring.
The last thing these people need to do is go out looking for more work to do. If an infringing name is brought to their attention then they will apply the rules to it. If nobody reports it, nothing is going to happen. If it is so emotionally costly to have a character name changed, then perhaps it is worth spending two minutes becoming familiar with the rules before breaking them.
But yes my slashdot UID is probably higher that what it should be not because i forgot my password but because i read /. for years before creating an account. Is this excuse any better ? :-)
<totallyOT> :). /. huh</totallyOT>
And you know what ? I couldn't really post before creating the account anyway because i didn't know enough english. I knew it from school but wouldn't have been able to converse with somebody fluently at all. And the funny thing is that slashdot has been my english teacher
After some years of reading all those posts and stories I realized that i was reading almost fluently, most of the words i didn't know or bother to learn made sense after enough in-topic examples of use. And not only that but i could really *think* in english.
I mean i understand the sense of what i am writing but can't really give a good french transcription on the fly because basically it's two different ways of thinkings and you need to think about for a minutes to come up with a translation that really has the same meaning.
Now if i could lose that bad habit of starting all my sentences with "I'm not a lawyer but..." and ending them with "You insensitive clod", maybe i wouldn't end up looking so ridiculous when speaking to native speakers outside of
Please, pretty please, don't bring "Krazy Katz" back. His brick was amusing on its first flight, but you can't use the same schtick forever.
Every time I hear about WoW I want to play it... but at this point, everything I hear about it is bad (everyone who's enjoying it are busy playing it rather than writing about it apparently). I really enjoyed Diablo II, but I'm also well aware of how much of my life that game sucked away. Again, I think I'm not going to get it. Another disaster averted... until the next time I hear of WoW.
I've been using my gorbachev nickname for over 15 years now. First used it in an online multiplayer realtime war strategy game specifically cause I knew it'd piss off the people I wanted to piss off. No matter how overboard I went with my soviet alter ego, no matter how self deprecating satire I would write, people still believed I was a communist outside of my alter ego. They flamed me for it, they hated me for it, and I laughed.
I don't know what I should've felt about the Emails I got from people after Raisa Gorbachev passed away 1999. I received about a dozen or so Emails from people sending me condolences on her passing. I did feel flattered one of them said I'm the greatest person alive. Come to think of it, it's like The Greatest President. Evar.
Halo 2 is an interesting experience with my gamertag. Every 10 games or so I get the 15-year old redneck from Nuclear Shelter Bunker Town, Bumfuck, who thinks he's going to insult me by calling me a commie bastard bitch homo f***. They also like to kill me a lot, like in "I'm going to come and kill you, commie bastard" not like in "I'ma pwn you n00b".
In Soviet Russia, I ruled you
And I suppose you're paying for your ability to post articles on slashdot...
Yep. And until both you and CmdrTaco, and the countless others they wrong decide to quit the game for good, you're just reenforcing, and in fact PAYING them to do this to you. As long as the cash is rolling in, it's smooth sailing for Blizzard, and they will see no reason to change anything.
I wonder what they're going to do when all the non-title, non-copywritten, fantasy-appropriate, family-friendly names get used up and people have to start resorting to "_-=pxqrt0x29A=-_" like you see in games like Ragnarok (which has no such policy, but doesn't delete inactive players, and may ban for a completely illegible name.) Will they still ban you for that? Would they rather have characters wandering around with random real names like "Steve" the necromancer?
I've had a copy of WoW in a box on my shelf for a couple months, but I keep hearing about stupid crap like this and really, I don't think I WANT into such an anally-run pay-per-view dictatorship like what they have going now.
"S> 1 WoW, NiB, 250z"
From the /. FAQ:
"Where did the nicknames "CmdrTaco" and "Hemos" come from?
Why is that question so important to every friggin' reporter that wants to bother us? "CmdrTaco" is a reference to a Dave Barry article where he lists places not to take a date. Among them is any place called "The Commander Taco" or something like that. My nickname on my local BBSs was 'Icarus' but unfortunately when I started using the Internet in high school, I found my name already taken."
Yes, I am the one with the legendary sig.
"Working as intended"
I started using 'neo' in 1985 on BBSs. How do you think I felt when The Matrix came out and I couldn't get my nic on anything, ever again. I made another nick. In fact I think this is the last place I still have it.
Besides, Commander Taco... is just not a very good name for a fantasy world. As a DM I'd tell you to change it too.
Yeah, I remember Jon Katz.
I never thought he was too bad - I mean, he was a little pompous and self-important, and his writing was overblown, but his ideas and the discussions they provoked were interesting.
If Columbine happened today, I don't doubt that bloggers would dissect it from every angle, and talk about the point of view of the perpetrators, and lots of geeks who had a hard time in high school would speak their minds.
But at the time, there was really no place like that (at least, that I knew about) - it was really refreshing to hear from a geek's point of view, and talk about the alienation many of us experienced in public schools, and the frustration at the system that perpetuated that treatment. I was really glad Jon Katz was there to be willing to take up that banner, and Slashdot was willing to give the geek perspective on things.
I think it would be great if we saw more original writing like that - takes on world events from a geek perspective.
I yearn for you tragically. A. T. Tappman, Chaplain, U.S. Army.
The *hilarious* thing about this is our guild can't get the flipping GMs to do squat about seriously "against policy" names while a fairly innocuous name like Taco's gets the bleach. And there is no appeal process --- unlike about every other customer service function in existence. The end game of this type of behavior is that you chase away "good customers" and are only left with the obnoxious ones.
- answers.com
This is all spelt and punctuated correctly, and contains no duplicated paragraphs!
I noticed, too. Spelling is perfect, but not the grammar. It was great up until the point where he said "I've said my piece".
I was so disappointed =(
peace*
A community-oriented lyrics site
I enjoy the inside feelings on all things tech, From those who are in the trenchs living it. I don't want some group of guys in suits telling me how it is. I rather enjoyed your personal veiw on the issue of wow which ironically now is not so wow bleh! I had issues in Ultima Online back in the days myself, It really takes a person that has lived in the same ordeals to understand the level of emotions, You can have when you have invested the most precious resource a individual has *time*. I guess you could say the same thing about someone who uses any type of software heavly, such as Linux or MySQL even you will always develop emotions with time spent on these things. And time spent is always making those things that we invest our time in important to *us*. Having things no matter what level others try to class them as politicaly as people in suits most commonly do, Can & is & will continue to be important to the people investing there time.
"Then I realized there are actually people who pay real money for a subscription and are thanked with a handful of bogus articles, so the failure to verify sources and articles is nice smack in the face."
There is a similarity between CmdrTaco's experience and yours. In both cases you have certain expectations of the product you purchased that somehow turned out to be untrue.
Whether or not you were right to have these expectations depends on what you were promised by the supplier, and what the conditions of the deal were.
Even then, it could be in the supplier's best interest to cater for expectations that are not founded on promise or agreement.
Sorry to say this.. But you should have read their Eula At least once upon installing the game. It states that you cannot use rank titles in your usernames. I know this because I read it. This is the part I hate, Because I dislike reading documentation myself- But if you followed the instructions you wouldn't be having this problem. I know.. Enforcement IS spotty; you might not have been caught if the GM didn't see you, but if your name was following the "Naming Conventions" it wouldnt have mattered.
there is no such thing as common sense. If sense was common, everyone would have it. -unk
okay, so i'm not into on-line multiverse games, ... ... (alas getting home ... i still ...
but i use "avenger" as a nick alot
i think i "stole" it from a guy who
sold me a pirated version of wing commander
in a store in singapore a decade ago.
anyway, i asked him if i could install the
newly "bought" game on one of their shop computers,
because they had a sound blaster installed.
anywayy the computer monitor monitor was
facing outside and i think they "sold" a few
more "copies" because some people walking
by watched me shot some kilrathi scum
and must have thought that those are
cool grafics
and not having anything but some *beeps*
prolly tainted their first experience abit)
short story made long
use "avenger" 'cause that's what the shop
keeper entered into wingcommander after
the install to show me how the game works
Blizzard has, unarguably, the best game out there.
Blizzard also has, again unarguably, some of the worst customer support. My university's OIT "Help" Desk could do better - and that's saying something. When I picture the WoW staff I don't see professionals, I see a bunch of over-grown 13-year-olds sitting around a gaming table free-basing Mountain Dew. This is the impression left by their support and enforcement track record (and after reading the technical support forum) - and if that's the impression they are hoping to leave then more power to them, they're hitting the mark.
This name-change business is just one more example of capriciousness, arbitrariness, and lack of consistency on the part of their GMs/support. Getting a question answered or need addressed is a lot like calling the phone company (note: I switched to a cell phone because I got sick of that nonsense.) - if you use the forums and aren't outright ignored the blue answer you recieve is usually as whiny and dismissive as the n00bish comments of the righteous who took a break from learning how to write epic poetry in Klingon to complain about the inconsistent technical intricacies of a buff or saber. A naming policy that's almost impossible to manage by the user, combined with zero oversight at the point of character creation, random enforcement, and zero oversight after the fact = a pretty damn ludicrous situation. A minimum of 90% of the names I see on my (PvP) server are in violation, some outrageously blatant, and unless you gank the type of person who would enact their revenge by reporting your name it all happens under the GMs radar. An oversight position that looks at new character names upon creation and can notify the player days or even weeks, instead of many months, into their persona creation is clearly too obvious an answer..it might lead to consistency. (A less obfuscated naming policy might be an interesting idea, too. It's nearly impossible to comply with the policy, in the strictest reading, so enforcement is necessary arbitrary if not arcane.)
The bottom line is their bottom line - if the support is poor enough, they lose customers. So they maintain the standard of support excellence that a minimum of effort can produce without being unprofessional enough to affect greater numbers than are already ditching WoW in disgust. I would think they'd have higher aspirations for their company, but who am I to say...
I thought they were banning the Azz Galor part..... Must read entire article...
"Halo 2 is an interesting experience with my gamertag. Every 10 games or so I get the 15-year old redneck from Nuclear Shelter Bunker Town, Bumfuck, who thinks he's going to insult me by calling me a commie bastard bitch homo f***. They also like to kill me a lot, like in "I'm going to come and kill you, commie bastard" not like in "I'ma pwn you n00b"."
Which is even more amusing considering Gorbachev's political carrier .
The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
Actually, I am. Well, I'm paying for viewing them. Either way, why would that matter. If they have a valid reason for rejecting my submision, fine. I just want to know what it is.
im a creative professional in the broadcast graphics industry.. with a love of technology. been reading slashdot for 3 years or so, and always took notice of the name CmdrTaco... i just think its fun and funny. what a shame you cant use it in warcraft any more.
;-)
i think this whole virtual environment thing is new, and it will be quite some time before we have one set up with decent customer service (if ever).. seems a lot to figure out, and customers dont seem to demand it with their subscription fees.. so though im not surprised at the stupidity of Blizzards enforcement of their policies, i still think it sucks you cant use such a fun name.
(i also play WoW, but on another server)
Not meant in a mean way but good. I was IP banned from slashdot for requesting that user ID 1 have it's password mailed to it. I did it because I don't know of any other way to get a user's screen name given a user number. I just wanted to see who was registered as 1. When I tried to get myself unbanned through email communications to make a long story short I was told "tough luck". So hopefully what everyone - slashdot, blizzard, etc. could hopefully learn from this is to just chill out.
Like Taco says, it's not being "punished" for something that's the problem but rather it's the lack of recourse when it does happen.
Shh.
CmdrTaco posts that he had to change his name on an online game and gets 1100 replies? Talk about a cult of personality. At least it isn't as bad as some guy named Drew I've heard far too much about.
Religion for nerds. Stuff that really matters
Give yourself a promotion!
I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
Write on, Rob. Write more.
Yes, do tell us about the time you went into Wendy's and you specifically asked for a burger with NO PICKLES because you HATE PICKLES. No pickles! Pretty easy, but nooooooo, the jerk gave you pickles on your hamburger.
Please also update the mood and music icons ala LJ.
Where does the school board find them and why do they keep sending them to ME?
After all the crap blizzard has done against open source, both bnetd, and linux warcraft 2 client.(I'm sure there are others) Both of which I read here with asking to boycott in the summary I am appalled that some open source role model pays money to one of the enemies of open source.
I think Blizzard makes greate games, and I have purchased two of every copy from warcraft2 to Diablo 2 LoD, but have since boycotted them after their destruction of what I consider the center of open source. Freedom to modify what I have leagly to how I want it.
As for the name thing, yes it is stupid, rules are rules. But once again you need to vote with your money.
The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive
Nobody ever thinks that *they* need to be held accountable for how their actions affect others. It's always *other people*, people with "real power", who need to be challengeable or redressable.
Accountability is an inconvenience, and a threat to the target's power. Few people *want* to be accountable; it means that you can be penalized for doing something wrong, and people always do wrong things, so its inevitable that accountability will lead to penalty of some sort (however minor); the fear is that an irrationally vigorous redressing will over-penalize you (and this does happen).
The point is... Everyone says that those with power need to be accountable for it, except when it comes to the power *they themselves* hold. GMs aren't powerful -- not *really* powerful -- so they don't see any need to be accountable. Of course, they *do* have *some* power, but it's never "enough" to require accountability. (I'm using GM here as a relevant example, but it's hardly the only valid one -- insert the term of the agent of power you most love to hate here -- site admins, police, CSRs, etc.)
There's an annoying norm of disproportionate contraries, particularly in the online world. A GM making a bad, misapplied, or abused decision on another player will retort to complaints with "it's only game"; in the grander scheme of things (and there is *always* a grander scheme of things, in everything, which most people forget when they apply this adage) it "doesn't really matter". Well, if the actions of a GM aren't such a big deal, then accountability of the GM shouldn't be a big deal, either. But clearly, it *is* such a big deal, to the GM. The use of their power is not important -- but the fear over the questioning of that use *is*.
There's always a touchy-feely reason not to challenge the admins, either. They're volunteers, or they work really hard, or they are really good people, or they "could have done worse". All of these are provided as reasons why the individual should not be able to challenge the people who exert power over them. What this implies, of course, is that being a volunteer, or working hard, or being lenient (while still being wrong) all become licenses to abuse or misapply power.
I guess I can't entirely blame the unfortunate empowered individuals for treating accountability as a personal insult or unfair restriction on them; they for whatever reason don't recognize that they have power and that any power should come with appropriately proportional checks on it. Of course, the people above them, both within the paradigm and within society, are always looking to avoid accountability as well. Sometimes the people succeed in compelling accountability upon them; but sometimes they don't. And rarely does it work in your favor to wilfully invite accountability. You have to do it due to principle and selfless benevolence, not entitlement and self-aggrandizement.
What really is disappointing is that even intelligent geeks can't be expected to believe in the universal application of principles like accountability of power. They're just as susceptible to the allure of power, however minor, as the common masses. So much for geeks inheriting the earth.
Terrorists can attack freedom, but only Congress can destroy it.
A follow up question would be: how could developers, if they so chose, account for this to minimize any negative impact?
Developers should start writing code that checks names to verify that they match the rules on creation. If the code lets it through, then it's likely okay. Maybe even make it a scale from Acceptable to Check with a GM to Rejeted.
Shame that you can run around with a name like 'ifarted' (yes I saw someone named that) but not 'CmdrTaco'! Sorry dude... but like you said - they're the ones that own the dice.
Guess I can't make that character I was planning named 'CapnCrapn' then. *giggles*
I find it rather a serious issue such things do happen and not so funny.
A friend of mine had the same problem, he was stuck in the US and wanted to return to Belgium, his name went on a list for no reason at all while the guy was there to visit a computer expo and to go for holiday for 2 weeks. He was stopped immediately, he could not get on his flight, he went two days later home with as reason there was an administrative error.
I got stopped at the metro at Antwerpen, Groenplaats; for taking pictures there; I was obliged to go to the office with the police officer if I didn't show the pictures on my camera (which are private material in my eyes and mind). It took me 5 hours to explain I like my privacy as well as the man on the other side of the desk wanted; but always had the question "if I don't do anything wrong, why don't I cooperate?"...
It's funny to tell now, but still it scares the hell out of me for the next time I might be "doing something wrong" which is not illegal; but going to break my privacy and "feeling of freedom".
Cheers.
--- I am known for the ones who want to find me on the net. Is that a privacy risk or a privilege? One might wonder..
Much of the reason that people can't just "switch" from one OS to another is because of the tremendous investment they have in the current infrastructure - knowledge, document formats, proprietary technology, etc. WoW and other RPGs share a similar quality - the longer you spend building a character, the more painful "taking your money elsewhere" will become. On one hand, it's only a game, but on the other, your character may well represent a very significant investment.
Yes, in WoW there are a lot of names that have titles in them, which is against click-through policy we all agreed to, but it seems unlikely that the game masters will be sifting through the pages and pages of player names trying to find the ones that need to be changed. Most likely they simply wait for a complaint to come in, which means that someone probably saw you on a bad day, and reported you. Or maybe you outrolled someone and they held a grudge, but that is no excuse to ninja!
--anonymous coward
let's make a push so cmdrtaco@gmail.com gives up the account to Mr. Malda... what about that ???
what about 1 email from each slashdot reader to this guy ?
let's slashdot gmail !
What a whine. Stop bitching and play by the rules you agreed to in the EULA. I wish they would ban more people for stupid names like CmdrTaco. It's a RPG, not Battlefield 2.
First, let me just say that I *like* the name policy on RP servers. It helps with the RP, yes, and it also helps get rid of l4m3rz. Seriously. I've found that most kiddies, when denied their 1337 names, decide to go elsewhere. As such, when the level gets high I will do some gardening by reporting names.
And I have, myself, been reported.
I had a gnome warlock named "CruelCoconut" early on (first week of WoW), and after a few months she got reported and had her name changed to a random one.
I looked through the TOS, through the explanations of the naming policy, talked to other people about "is this RP?" - I couldn't find anyone who would say that "CruelCoconut" was not a good RP name for a gnome warlock (well, there were a few who said it sucked, but that's besides the point ;-) ).
So, I emailed Blizzard at the contact email they provided with my argument, and a request to find out how my name violated the policy.
I don't think they even read anything beyond figuring out who I was and what I was complaining about. They emailed back a form reply that boiled down to "no" - they didn't even tell me HOW it violated the policy.
This, after saying that that email address was for appeals!
I would've felt a lot better about it if they had just told me how I violated the terms. As it is, I think it's left up to the determination of individual GMs, and I think they vary widely in their thoughts on the matter.
For instance, "FreshPrince" is around after being reported. I had a few other instances, but can't think of them now. I'm sure others can.
The point is that what's really galling is how hidden away the decisions are, and how indeterminant reporting is.
"A man is free who has to obey no man by the law."
At the very least, Blizzard should state what aspect of the naming policy is violated. Internally, they need to distribute a calibration test: a list of (say) 20 names. 5 firm violations, 5 firm non-violations, and 10 borderlines. Make sure everyone's on the same page.
But, of course, it's their game and their rules - they can do what they want.
"The customer service in online games is positioned in a way that the customer is always lying, cheating, and trying to pull a fast one. It's not true. The vast majority of players just want to play the game and have fun doing it, and the customer service people should be happy to make their customers happy."
You've never run an online game, have you?
The vast majority of players, if not kept in check, are like children at Christmas - get all you can get while the getting is good!
There's no end to the streams of, "Uh, all my gear just *magically* disappeared! And it was gear that I couldn't have possibly had, and I know there's no record in logfiles of me having the bestest gear in the game that people pay good money on eBay for because it's so freakin' rare! But I had it! And it is gone! Plz replace!!!!!!!11111111111111111111"
Granted - there's a big difference between people attempting to cheat, and a company attempting to glorify a simple action game as some sort of roleplaying game by having 'naming conventions'.
Naming conventions don't work. It's like manually checking for spam, when your inbox gets 40k messages a day. One person checking, mind you. What happens? 90% of 'illegal' names get through. 9% get nailed after they've spent months on a game. 1% are actually stoped before level 5.
And yeah, it is pretty much similar to a person receiving 40k spam messages. Christ, I've played EQ, EQ2, DAoC, EVE, and a host of others. GMs?
GMs?
They have maybe a dozen GMs at any given point, for thousands, in some cases, hundreds of thousands of players.
You know, the average MUD has about a dozen GMs for a couple of *hundred* players, and tends to feel understaffed.
At any rate, do you think anybody at Blizzard, SoE, et cetera will pay attention? Think again.
Why? Why would they spend more money hiring competent/more GMs?
They can ignore the problem and it'll go away. What are you going to do, Geek boy? Quit the game? You'll be back. You'll come crawling back because you've wasted three years of your life on a bunch of 1's and 0's that are sitting on *their* servers, and that fact will be in the back of your mind every time you even think of quitting. All that wasted time, awwww.
(I know the chance of this comment being read by anyone is currently nil, but whatever)
Always keep at least two active pseudonyms online, and make sure people know your other names. That way if you lose one, you'll have a fallback.
Dang that's alot of comments, it sure is a sink hole to read em all, yay for meta moderators.
I feel your pain Taco. They have changed my "Kinky_Man" nickname when I was level 58. Half of the people that I used to interact at the realm did not know who I was after the change. This policy sucks, even though my nick name was a little over the edge for those "narrow minded" GMs I guess :)
You misapprehend. I am standing up for The O'Reilly Factor, a show I have come to loath so dearly I can no longer stomach watching it even under the principle of "Know Thine Enemy."
I also made some point about reading comprehension.
Ahhhhhh, the irony.
KFG
Also, if one of the goals of /. is to generate quality conversation, 132 of 1090 comments says that at least half of the goal has been met...
This is the problem with faceless GM's in games like this. They don't really have to answer to anyone and they've made the system in such a way that appeals aren't possible. If a GM is having a bad day they can take it out on any player they want without warning and the player is helpless to prevent it.
The majority of GM's on these games take the power and run with it, they accept no responsibility when they are wrong and slap people around whenever they feel like it. It is a big problem and eventually it will catch up with one of these games.
> And then there *is* the articles that are really ...
...
Methinks you mean
And then there *are* the articles that are really
The bikini - security through obscurity since 1943
I feel your pain, CmdrTaco. I had my in-game name changed and was booted as well. It was a very disheartening experience. None of my friends knew who I was afterwards. Apparently, SOE does not like governments, or cheese. The combination of the two asploded the collective GM heads (although it took thier collective heads over 6 months to asplode, and commence changing my name...must be the timezone difference or something). They gave me some lame-ass hokey name in its stead. Oh, my origional name? Govmentcheese Isthabest. Pure. Roleplaying. Magic.
I think ViolatedTaco has a nice ring to it.
Well the comment "I'm not really an RPG fan myself, so I don't know if they're out of line or not in making you change your name" Kind of sums up the stupidity you must possess to be so angry about an issue you don't understand.
This IS Taco's journal, it just happens to be a ginormous journal that he lets everyone read. He can post whatever he wants here. YOU, on the other hand, are getting it for free. FREE
And the ads are even non-intrusive.
1. Don't bitch about a free service
2. If you're GOING to bitch, at least have the stomach to post non-anonymously.
And if you had read the article, a lot of people care
So *clears throat* I must say.
In the spirit of slashdot.
Before you tell us to STFU, we ask that you RTFA
Happiness does not come from having much, but from being attached to little.
You're not special.
I completely understand what you're talking about here. Blizzard GM's should have names that respect business parameters, so the customers feel comfortable getting help. Also, having your name immediately changed now after all this play time. No one knows you now when just a day ago, everyone did. Oh, and yes, the connection to a name. I'm connected to mokumegane but can't use it on AIM when I log on to talk to family members. Why? It has a sexual connotation in it. Forget that it's a Japanese word and it's a form of metalsmithing... there's sexual content in it- oh no! I'm so appalled... Yes, I understand where you're coming from here. I'd really hate it if any of my toons' names were changed. I only have one that may be a problem but I haven't been contacted about it yet. Mine are mostly adaptations of stone names... Azuryte, Zoisa, Diaspore, Chrysalla, Vestakia... Azuryte and Vestakia are well known and just on my reputation, people ask for me to participate in raids and groups.
This is an upside to OpenID.
Nicknames can clash, doesn't matter.
Because domain names won't.
Yes, I realize this won't make a difference with WoW, but on the subject of 'identity' in the rest of the web world, this is very applicable.
I'd like to point out the * beside his name.
He is paying.
C17H21NO4
When you, as a human being, call a business over an issue you deserve to talk to a human being with a real name.
If this is a hangup for you, you'll be sorry to note how many industries don't use real names when you call their customer severvice reps. I can't count the number of people in my old job as an airline CS rep where the people around me used aliases. Granted, you're not calling united Airlines and talking to PalzgarSlayer, but its close enough not to matter. "Real names" are a commodity these days, eespecially when talkint to Jim Smith based in India
You need a FREE iPod Nano
Why not rename your player to "Cm/.drTaco". We'd know it's you and and it isn't really "Cmdr" any more now, is it? Whoops! Maybe "dr" is a prefix for "Doctor" so that wouldn't work either! ;)
Bah, it's their game, their ELUA, they win. Get over it and pick a new name. It has nothing to do with others breaking the rules too, since it's up to them to enforce their rules as they see fit. Now don't get me wrong, I feel your pain and have had burps when it comes to my nick as well over the last 20+ yrs. Bottom line is, it's not yours, esp. when it comes to using it to identify yourself on their system. If you are in violation then pick something that isn't and move on. Simple as that, for posting a /. editorial, or whatever gets you nothing, well nothing when it comes to advancement in WoW ;P
Have a good one and rename,
RedR
then he would be identifiable again.
You bring up an intersting point about the logistics of the situation, but it still stands that in a purely virtual space there needs to be some way to identify people. Not necessarily in any sort of formal way, but on a personal level. Sure it's a huge world and someone might have the same name as a good friend, but IRL I can recognize them relatively easily. I can tell who they are even if they're going by a different name. In the virtual world of the Internet, however, we don't have that ability. Your name on a screen is the only way to identify you. Some people don't really care about this, they'll make up a new, random name everywhere they go or come up with some juvenile name whenever the mood strikes them. Others go for something more akin to an actual nickname. An online name and handle that is relatively unique and can be tracked and followed. In this way I can have a reasonable degree of understanding when I encounter people that I might know.
I've been using my current handle since... well, at least 10 years now. It's followed me over from local BBSs to the Internet and it's just about the only name I've ever used. At this point it's something I respond to like a real-life nickname. If someone yelled it on the street I'd turn around and check to see if they were talking to me. I feel normal and comfortable to receive snail mail addressed to me under this name. Most importantly I know that if a friend of mine sees a posting on a message board somewhere online or sees me wandering around IRC or wherever they'll be able to tell that it's me they're talking to. When you take away my name you've taken away who I am. Just like in myth names are power.
For further consideration on the topic of names online I strongly suggest Vernor Vinges' classic short story "True Names". I recall reading it back in '95 and being awestruck by how close he came to really getting it even back in the 70s when it was written.
This experience made me realize something... I never grabbed my nick on slashdot! Whew... that was close
I know how you feel. If it was any other MMORPG that randomly decided to outlaw your name I would think you have every right to be outraged. Blizzard has been clear about their naming policies since Beta last year, though. That you got away with it for this long is a luck thing. It doesn't mean you get to earn/keep your name.
My character on StormReaver was PieceOfShoe. My name is a phrase. It also violates the naming rules (it is a phrase). I knew that when I chose it. I knew that I was one user complaint or random GM noticing away from getting my name changed. I have been PieceOfShoe for years in many different games. So I took the risk. I had a backup name chose for when the inevitable happened.
Blizzard did some things right and some thing wrong. Their naming policy keeps the really immature names out (or at least keeping them living in constant fear of being changed). You may not agree with it but at least they have a policy, it is well described and it is enforced. It is not enforced immediately because of man power or other reasons but if you appeal a name to a GM because AzzHat griefed you you can be fairly sure that AzzHat will be no more. That is something.
long time lurker 2nd time poster (honk honk) i have to say that i am on my 2nd name change. when i log in i will have to change it. i sent an email protesting these name changes. i did receive a reply to my first name change protest stating that the decision was final. the thing is, my other characters have similar naming conventions but they are not bothered at all. it seems random to me in how they pick who to name change. the reason that they gave is that others may find my name offensive. thats it. none of the other name rules apply other than that one. i chose a name that is amusing and from my warcraft 3 days. oh well. wow sucks. but i'll still keep playing. 47 pally formerly known as youaremyfood formally known UxRxMYxFOOD going to be known as "who the hell knows now?"
If only to get parent modded up, yaknow, 'cause parent, you really should be, but I suppose many people might just go "bah, no link? That's no use" and just walk away, but a quick google search confirms that this little script rather directly takes on the problem CmdrTaco was noting with people not knowing who one is . . . so, here's the script for prefixing comments in WoW so people know what character you're an alt of; technically not the situation here, but obviously the solution would work exactly the same.
In other words, mod parent up. I mean, he may be wrong about Curse Gaming being down, but anyone reading parent and feeling like getting the mod will find it pretty much immediately through all-knowing (oh, if only that were true, one wouldn't even have to type the search parameters!) google, so again I reiterate, mod parent up!
I remember sigs. Oh, a simpler time!
LO, and be it HEARD from the Stonetalon Mountains to the depths of Booty Bay: my prayers to the dark gods have been answered! I have defeated the mighty CmdrTaco - he who could not fall to blade nor spell - through pure, villainous trechery! This adventurer escaped my many traps and clutches, evaded my every attempt to slay or capture him. But now - NOW he must walk the lands of Azeroth in the guise of a stranger! He must wear this Iron Mask of Violation for all eternity! CmdrTaco is but a memory, a the last fading notes of a bard's ballad. Soon, none shall even recall his meager 'ploits. HUZZAH! Horde, HUZZAH! Our trickery has not gone unrewarded! He who was once hailed as a hero is now but a faceless, wandering stranger in his own beloved lands. kek
As much as people may not notice it it realy is true. i can attest to being the only one with my chosen pseudonym, and ill be damned if anyones going to steal it (unfortunatly just claiming this is an invitation for someone to steal it but at least i already have my hotmail, yahoo mail, gmail, blogger accounts, slashdot, and a fair few others reged under it so i dont have to worry bout having something important name-jacked)
:/ but i supopse thats a little like having a hangover and wishing you didnt wake up with your arm numb cause you were ontop of it.
:)
Ive been using Lucractius for more than 5 years now. Its left a rather odd trail of things accross the net that sometimes i wish i had a way to clean up
I must say this is the most ive seen of (1) Mr Taco himself in a long time and its pleasant to see your still doing things other than just posting stories. By the way just how is your karma doing, seems to be good if your starting at 2 points
getting burned on a name sucks bad, hope you can get over it.
oh and damn my uid looks so pathetic compared to some of the people replying here... wish i had signed up 2 years sooner than i did, instead of just dropping in to this "slashdot thing" that i heard about elsewhere during that time... ahh well hindsight is 20/20 as they say.
XML - A clever joke would be here if
Banned, the Slashdot editor formally known as Violated, the Slashdot editor formally known as CmdrTaco is in for a surprise the next time he tries to visit Azeroth.
oh noes! malda is a drama queen!
PS: See you in metamod
Ha ha. This is soooo funny because I was asked to change my name because I'm apparently "semi-Famous" in some circles, and the GM didn't believe it was me. I had to send a copy of my drivers license as well as a bunch of other personal information VIA MAIL, to ensure that I was who I 'claimed' to be. I'm sure you can do the same thing, but you have to write it all out and send them proof that you are who you are. It's stupid. I know.
The problem here is that the big MMORPGs can't decide if they want to be roleplaying experiences, or mass-marketable ones. Not saying that these are necessarily mutually-exclusive propositions, but the focus is certainly different in each area. And this duality leads to exactly these kinds of inconsistent and frustrating rule sets.
In a roleplaying game, your character is not you, but is a part of the world. You are playing with the goal of having your character act as they really would (along with exploration, accomplishment, etc -- obviously role-players still want their characters to succeed.)
In a mass-marketed experience, however, you are the character, and you are playing with the goal of winning the game (along with socializing, exploring, and whatever else).
Obviously this is a very simplified and polarized way of looking at it, but my point is this: In a roleplaying experience, it makes sense that your character is not named the same as you. Their name should be consistent with the world. However, in a mass-marketed experience, your character should be identifiable directly as you.
I think a good solution would be for each account in the game have one name -- your individual recognizable "handle." But then have your character have a different name. In OOC chat, you use your handle. In IC interactions, you use your character's name. Other players can quickly see the true "handle" behind any given in-game character they run across. You could have several characters under one account with different names, but all the same "handle." Are there any games that implement a system like this?
The following sentence is true. The preceding sentence was false.
Note that there's no point to starting a DSW on this, because Taco is actively posting with his UID of 1 (damn the bastard; usually if I get up-moderated I'm one of the oldest two or three visible on the comment page).
-- Old Man Kensey
Oddly enough my dorf hunter Goatpumper and my gnome Mage Nippleless have been around for over a year each....
Won't find a nipple anywhere on me no sir!
"The other problem with the editor participation is that some percentage of people don't like "Authority". Why should my opinion be more valued just because I picked the story? I already said my bit by selecting the story in the first place- beyond that, I'd rather let the community voice their opinions."
:)
/.ed. Your schedules been slashdoted and you find it hard squeeze in any more.
well said. theres no reason the person who picked the story should have thier opinion any more valued than any other poster, but they do provide a unique point of view and some people will find this interesting
im sure a lot of the eds have issues with talking to much since they probably get enough beef from the mob (non ed people) as it is. but actualy seeing them talk about things or post comments on stories other than their own (which barely happens anyway) would be nice.
I suppose its just down to the fact that not even you are immune to getting
XML - A clever joke would be here if
CmdrTaco is a fucking stupid name anyhow...
Way to cry about your problems on the front page. Nobody gives a shit.
Don't make me stop the car, kids.
Mind the Gap
My Scarlet Crusade Paladin was forced to change her name also. The GM actually had the nerve to mention the naming policy. But, he was stupid and started elaborating on it. He said my name, "Honeybuns", wasn't medieval or fantastic enough. lol If King Arthur, Alexander the Great or Roland had played WoW, they would have been kicked also for having such blah names. Of course, this doesn't prevent Blizzard from namining their NPCs "guard" or "Steve". In addition he said that my name detracts from the roleplaying experience of other players. Puh-lease. If he had seen me or my avatar, I can guarantee that I WOULD be part of his roleplaying fantasies.
My Scarlet Crusade Paladin was forced to change her name also. The GM actually had the nerve to mention the naming policy. But, he was stupid and started elaborating on it. He said my name, "Honeybuns", wasn't medieval or fantastic enough. lol If King Arthur, Alexander the Great or Roland had played WoW, they would have been kicked also for having such blah names. Of course, this doesn't prevent Blizzard from namining their NPCs "guard" or "Steve". In addition he said that my name detracts from the roleplaying experience of other players. Puh-lease. If he had seen me or my avatar, I can guarantee that I WOULD be part of his roleplaying fantasies.
Anyway, the way he went about this was horrid. It made me feel dirty.
I was fighting near Arathi Basin near one of the circles and the GM came on and we had this chat.
Then he tells me to get to a safe place and log out.
Talk about ruining my roleplaying experience.
Afterwards, I logged back in and changed my name.
When I got in, I was at half life and fighting off 3 mobs.
Fortunately, I was able to shield and run.
Then I sent them a testy message and asked for the e-mail to be forwarded to his supervisor and their supervisor.
No response after 1 month.
So I feel for you. I've been there.
Anyway, the way he went about this was horrid. It made me feel dirty.
I've seen you in IF, CmdrTaco. I never would have suspected it was actually you. I just figured it was someone who stole your nickname. I wouldn't be surprised if that's what a lot of people thought when they came across your name in WoW and more people recognized you than the five you think. It's a small world afterall I guess.
I think it says a lot that I used the word "stole" above to describe someone else using the name CmdrTaco in an online community. I think most everyone is possessive of their online handle or nickname. I know when I sign up to a site and "pbaker" is taken I feel like someone has stolen my identity. I won't be the same if I'm not "pbaker".
It sucks to lose a name that 99.999% of players have no problem with, when you have the bad luck of running into a GM who's had a bad day and is feeling vindictive. This happened to me in EQ1: during the middle of a raid, a GM appeared and made one of our GUILD LEADERS change their player name!! Much confusion, and scramble to update friends and other lists, ensued.
:)
(The GM's name was Rybarin, on The Nameless server. BTW, I no longer play EQ1 or have an active account on any Sony multiplayer game.)
I see 3 technical solutions to this problem:
1) Behind the scenes, the servers should keep track of players by ID numbers, not names. ID numbers are permanent, unique, and never change. When a player is renamed for any reason, the ID number would remain unchanged. All features in the game, such as friends, ignore, membership, etc. would still work, and automatically pick up the new name! (If there's anybody at Blizzard who's ever used a database, this is called a "primary key".)
2) Names that are forcefully changed by GM's should be added to a permanent list of blacklisted names. After a name has been banned by a GM, no future players could be created under that name, so newbies and griefers wouldn't be able to immediately reuse the name (essentially the same as IRC nick-stealing when a server rejoins after a split).
3) Players could have a means of reporting a vindictive/unfair GM, perhaps by voting. If a GM gets enough votes from unique paid-for ACCOUNTS (not players), this triggers a flag somewhere and that GM gets looked at more closely by their superiors (server admins, higher GM's, whatever). This could make for interesting in-game politics
Krellan
Dr. Demento On The 'Net!
Thanks for the idea. I've just made a Troll called CmdrTaco on Thunderhorn server.
you realize of course the CEO would have ultimitly ok'ed the "code" adn the GM is only doing what the people who create the polices wish for him to do right?
I think so. That's why the subject of his, and your posts were "Fantasy Scenario".
Why do I read ACs?!
Read Heinlein's 1953 Revolt in 2100, now more than ever.
I think the problem is that Blizzard gives us such a strong illusion of ownership and control while maintaining WoW as an iron clad top down dictatorship. They rule WoW with an iron fist. There are no appeals, no checks, no balances, and we in the US aren't comfortable with this.
Imagine raising a puppy just to have the owner come along one day and kill it because you did something they didn't approve of. It doesn't matter what the agreement you signed earlier said, they'd be off to jail. There is no such check or balance on what Blizzard can do with the characters you have built.
WoW is very new and because there is basically no competition, there is no motivation for Blizzard to treat customers with respect. The online population has exploaded so fast that losing a loyal customer isn't something that worries them. Because of this, asking for help or special treatment is like asking the riot police for directions, not very useful.
Dictatorships have serious problems, the biggest of which is that people generally dislike them. This becomes an even more serious problem when your success depends on people wanting to participate enough to pay money. Imagine if Disney World were in a third world country where visitors were executed if they misbehaved. Business wouldn't be good. Blizzard will eventually have the same problem.
In time, when there is decent competition for your monthly fees, Blizzard won't be the tower of uncaring evil they are now. They'll think twice about spying on every process running on your computer, they'll hear you out when you have a complaint, they may even make a world with elected representatives for each faction on each server to address pressing issues. I can even imagine a time when having a company own your character is as unheard of as having a phone company own your phone number.
set softtabstop=4 shiftwidth=4 expandtab nocp worlddomination
Sadly enuff, I could care less about your ghey online naming problems
and now ironicaly i cant even give away my 100 invites... whats a loyal user to do :/
*renews his 1c buy it now invites on ebay*
XML - A clever joke would be here if
Kinda different when the shoe's on the other foot, right, Taco? Maybe you'll learn something from this and treat the posters on your OWN little MMORPG site with respect.
Yep, he's paying, and as per the Subscription FAQ he gets full rights to post all the artic... oh wait, it says nothing about posting new articles. Anyway, yeah, it'd be nice if they let you know why they cut your article, but I imagine they get quite a few submissions... and simply don't want to. Maybe "Will actually reply to your emails" should be added to the subscription page, but it's not there now. Meanwhile I would guess that the WoW contract features quite a few mentions of service/support, though I say that on blind ass/u/me-ption, having never touched WoW.
Oh! The cruelty! The envy!
What I wouldn't give for a Beowulf Cluster of B*bs, signed but the great ID #1
*faints*
I wish I had an internationally read web site in which to air my laundry about how NCSoft stripped me of the alias "TheHumanTarget" in City of Heroes, and how I had to go through the same inquiry process to find out why as the DM wouldn't tell me, so I could fish for sympathy from my userbase!
bork bork bork!
This is moderated insightful, so i'm trying hard to see the insight. How is Blizzard like the Department Of Motor Vehicles exactly? What does offensive content and filters have to do with the DMV?
Someone throw me a friggin bone here.
-Malakai
A Dragon Lives in my Garage
I had a character for years named Fart. He was a 7X grandmaster blacksmith, and I only used him to smelt my ore and create armor for my others characters. Back in the day, it used to be extremely hard to create a 7X grandmaster blacksmith. I had this character for 5 years and no one ever complained. One day a GM (game-master) came to my house, but instead of allowing me to rename the character, actually informed me that it had to be deleted. So I lost how many years of work for this? I was also a volunteer companion (a person who helps new users become acquainted with the game). Needless to say I became disenfranchised with the game after all of this took place.
If you'd been this reasonable in your original post it would have been a better post.
The Southern Baptist Convention has creationism. On Slashdot, we have porn.
Nicknames?
Nicknames happen in a variety of ways I think. In the past it was a form of branding that took place involuntarily from some incident or other. And depending on one's associations these names would stick and perhaps become a part of the person.
In the internet and gaming communities, something relatively new happened. Suddenly a stranger asked us, what do you wish to be called here? I suppose it is not that new. Any time you meet a stranger you can lie about your name. I have seen it done. Alias is the word.
But I do think that nicks or handles are more persistent than that. In fact the thing that Taco seems to be touching on for me is that many of us are consistent with our choice of a handle. We are given a palette of past experience and asked to choose something unique to identify ourselves with. Some take it seriously and other's do not.
I have been Drakai for ~15 years and found it to be somewhat unique. I was shocked to find it already used in WoW and regret waiting so long to pick up the game for play. Oh well, I have other alias's, I suppose.
You get to talk to some great sounding people named "Michelle" and "Steven"... except you can't understand a damn thing because they layer on a fake (and really bad) US Southern accent, atop an obviously non-native marginally-English speaking Indian... who doesn't know a damn thing about routers... they are just cheaper labor than a computerized voicemail system.
when did a rant become news? Stuff that matters?
Blizzard's naming rules are clearly spelled out in the terms of service, on the Website, and probably in the Manual as well.
I know, sometimes I'm a little too hot-headed. I think it stems to anger management issues. Anywho, you don't care =p. I'm just sayin I agree.
When you're afraid to download music illegally in your own home, then the terrorists have won!
When you, as a human being, call a business over an issue you deserve to talk to a human being with a real name. But with Blizzard even their customer service reps hide behind fantasy names.
Some of this is for security. I used to work for a government subcontractor, and we could not give out the location of the facilitiy, becuase every once in awhile we would get a bomb threat or someone would say they were going to come out and shoot (insert phone reps name here). And we weren't masquerading as the IRS or anything, we were supposed to be the Dept. of Education! We used our real first names and fake last names.
Later I was in training in cable modem support, and our trainer had worked a stint at Earthlink, and he told us about a fellow who called mad about spam or some other issue supposedly coming from an Earthlink subscriber, he managed to fanagle the subscriber's name an address for the rep, and went vigilante on him. We use our real first names and wont give our last names, but will give a rep number if requested.
Then again, you have to believe I'm giving you the right information. People have issues and they are mad at whoever they talked to and they ask for the person's name, but it never occurs to them they could be getting incorrect information. It's like any info you get from someone on the phone. It's your choice whether you believe it or not. For the interaction to take place, there has to be a certain level of trust between the phone represenetive and the customer.
I refused to sign up for Gmail because my name was already taken, in the "beta".
Why bother to support something new if someone's already got my name? I learned the hard way not to use numbers: My first online account ended in "2000", just because I thought it was a cool number. Lo and behold, numbers became the new "I didn't make it here first" so I just looked like a moron.
The problem that players identify people by names is something that really should be considered with these name changes.
It seems to me that the best way to handle a name change of an already very established player is to have their new name, with (formerly XXXX) in brackets behind it. This would be kept for a transition period, before the old name is completely removed. When the handle is first changed, people will still be able to identify who the player is, but after a time, they would be able to identify the player with the new handle, eliminating the need for the old one to be there.
It seems like this wouldn't be too terribly hard to do.
The online name I'd been using for years, a real Japanese character name, was disallowed, because within it, it contained the letters fuk.
Fair enough to ban swear swords and things that resemble them I suppose, but could the game not try and differentiate between f.u.k and harrifukimo or something like that? Obviously not. And you'd get words like ifuku which fall in a strange place.
I played on a MUD and after countless hours & careful research I named my Ranger Strider. Coming to WoW every server that name and it's permutation has been taken.
Having played Stryhder I am thinking what to name my next toon.
After careful research I am leaning towards the name Legolas.
Yes, and Dave Barry gets paid for his keen insight into the proper applications of flaming goats.
Read what you said -- say it with me -- VA Software bought CmdrTaco's blog.
Explain to me why you can't make money off of a blog. If I slapped Google ads on my wordpress install, would you yell at me because it's now a "business venture", and tell me to only post shit you wanted to see? If someone bought it from me and paid me to post in it, would you bitch and whine that it's all about cooking goats, and it should no longer be my blog?
I bet you're pissed Google's still not being evil after their IPO.
FoxNews didn't start out as a blog. Slashdot did.
Stay with me on this.
Shit, man, even Andy fucking Rooney gets bitch-time on 60 minutes, and I think he once said something about the Holocaust being faked or something. If a metric fuckton of old people can sit there and listen to that dude bitch about some bizarre shit, we can listen to Malda talk about shit that's actually bloody relevant to some of us. Christ, I actually watched one of his little rants on fucking JUNK MAIL. He sat there for ten minutes showing off all the junk mail he gets with "or current resident" or "to our friends at". Seriously, some people are into that shit. Oh, wait, 60 minutes is a business venture, we have to take Rooney out.
Moving on.
Devil's advocate: Who reads the TOS? I mean, come on, part 3, section a, subsection 13? How many fscking parts, sections, and subsections are there? I'm not going to sit there reading through the manual for the game I just bought for my PS2, I'm going to fscking play it, and maybe look up how to do an inverted neck snap while it loads.
If I just bought a shiny new nuclear reactor, I guarantee I'd RTFM, but I'm not going to sit down and read an eight inch-thick book of rules for a video game. I'd assume the standard rules apply -- "don't be a dick" -- and go from there.
I've never really read the rules for Slashdot, either (well, not while sober), but it's pretty obvious that
Quit yer pissin' and whinin' and go cry somewhere else. This isn't a personal woes BBS.
I think the title just about sums it up. It's bad enough I got to read these kind of whinner posts on the damn game forums, do we have to read them as Slashdot "articles" also.
Second, the GMs at blizzard really have no power. I asked for contact information. For email information. For names. For an appeal. To talk to a supervisor. And the best they would give me was the generic help phone line or a mailing address. Like with a stamp! I was told that almost every question I asked was unanswerable in game. I gave an email address but they never emailed. They wouldn't even tell me what was wrong with my nickname until after a half dozen inquiries of why. You have really no recourse against a GM. That scares me.
This has been the fundamental problem with darn near every MMORPG: the "officiating" is often arbitrary, and even worse there is absolutely no appeal process. On some games, the rules are often so byzantine and conflicting.. when you can actually read them, that is.. that nearly every player has been in violation of one at some point.
This is what killed Photon, a laser tag style game center. There was rampant corruption in the referees, and it just got to the point where people stopped playing.
GMs need to be held accountable to somebody. There needs to be an appeal process. And, worse: the rules need to be clearly defined and human readable.. and every rule needs a reason, also clearly defined. If there's no reason, there doesn't need to be a rule. If the title "Cmdr" doesn't exist in the game, there should be no problem with CmdrTaco, because there's no reason to ban it. Worse: the fact that the character was allowed to play for over 6 months before there was any issue should also have bearing.
Until MMORPGs solve these problems, they will continue to be viewed upon by "adult" gamers as not a place they want to play. Adults expect fairness: after all, even if you get a photo radar ticket you are still entitled to some due process of law. MMORPGs should be no different.
Yeah, but as all their base are belong to us, maybe a boycott would be more in order.
Norman Cook's Ode to Sl
I've used armanox for years. On Battle.net, my original account was armanox. A friend of mine lost their D2ex disk, and gave me their account, freakbeast. I transfered everything to the new account, including my character name. A month ago, Blizzard disabled freakbeast's account because he aparently had an item that apparently was traded from some guy's account who hacked the game. So thus I've lost my necro Taloron and my Paladin Armanox, but, how long will it be before they ban the armanox account? Or just delete my new Necro, giganecro because his name implies a rank? Besides, then I'd also lose my WarCraft 2 record.......
But either way I'd be ranting myself if I suddenly found out I can't use armanox any more because some company uses it too. I had armanox about the same time they did in 1999, but in reality, I would no longer be me if I had to give up armanox. That's me here, battle.net, myspace.com, linuxquestions.org, linuxhq.org, verizon.net, GameSpy, neopets.com, counter.li.org....and others. Besides, I'd lose my administrative status at linuxhq.....
I'm starting to think GNU is the problem with "GNU/Linux" these days.
Probably the most well-known of these is JonKatz's "Voices from the Hellmouth" series of essays on his thoughts on the whole high school shooting thing of the late 1990s.
Wow, I'd forgotten about JonKatz. Kind of like I've forgotten about the gallstone I passed a few years ago...
I had a buddy that I played DAOC with and he named his character BigWorm. He was fine for months with that name, unitl he hatched his master plan. In DAOC, after level 10 you can choose a surname to add to your name. His name became BigWorm InDaPants! He didn't last long and had to change his name!
That friend had a good friend who's character's name was Baconstriplicker!! No joke and he never had any problems! It is so hit or miss.
On a more personal note, I have names that violate policies and I would be crushed if they were revoked. Fortunately, very few people recognize them. I have other characters I play too and when I am playing them, I am constantly reintroducing myself by my main characters name so they realize who I am.
Last thing before I post, when DAOC started, the first guild I joined there was Fellowship of the Ring. Yes, blatantly in violoation as that is copyrighted, but we lasted a while. When the GM told us he would have to change it, luckily we got a nice one who told us to take a few days and figure out what we wanted the new name to be and that he would change it. We became the Tourtued Souls and the guild rallied around the fact that we had to change and were being violated, but it still was not the same feel to the guild. I joined the guild initally because of the name!! The one thing we always asked afterwards is why our name was changed and there are 18 thousand mis-spelling of Legolas and none of them are forced to change thier names! Oh well, what are you going to do when playing at thier house with thier toys!
yeaa, i'm gonna have to disagree with your higher UID numbers comment. I have been an avid slashdot fan/reader for many years, I actually don't remember the first time I stumbled onto this site(late 90's at the very least). However, since I'm now only 24, I tended to keep my mouth shut on the comments side of this site because well, people that you describe tend to make posting scary and intimidating. I can tell you for sure that there are much smarter people on here than myself. So instead of taking the risk of being called an idiot or uninformed(this is my teen years), I just decided not to post or even get an account (site is free). So for me, I'm a LONG time lurker, very very short time poster :) hence, my UID is huge..
As for taco's post. It's very understandable he is pissed off, regardless of what agreements we agree to by saying "accept" who the hell actually reads it verbatim, line for line. I'm not a lawyer so I really don't understand or care what is in them, so I just quickly jump past it and say accept(I'm being honest here :) . But remember, WoW players (myself included) pay a monthly fee to access this game which understandably is used to pay for the ongoing cost of creating and maintaining a persistant world. But the average joe doesn't give two shits about the on going costs, all they know is i'm paying money every month so I should be able to do almost anything I want including selecting a unique name. So after months of playing they just say guess what buddy, your name is gone pick another and people are supposed to roll over and say "ok SIR!".
Ok, sure, there is a commander designation in the game, but that came AFTER he probaly selected cmdrtaco, and to let him go 45lvls w/o a peep from the GM's? That's poor management of the realm and they should have let him keep the name..
my 2 cents.. hope it makes sense..
MrJynx
They made us change our guild name due to the fact it had the word Kampf in it. Kampf is german for struggle or fight (I think) but since someone wrote a book called Mein Kampf at one time they made us change it... Wait! Taco, I didn't know there was a Linux Distro of WoW?
As Sergeant Snuggles of the Horde on Lightening's Blade, I am offended at the slander in the above post. First, I am not an officer, though I do wield a big stick. Second, I have never arrested on CmdrTaco, nor would I given the chance. If I arrived at the opportunity, I would bow to Cmdrtaco (recognizing his name of course), then proceede to melt his face. I demand that the above post be edited to remove the outrageous claims or I will send my Yeti after him. Joking aside, I'm sorry to hear about your nic, Taco. I've been Aggie_Knight online for over a decade, and was very annoyed when I found out that I couldn't be on World of Warcraft.
Paladins sux0rs anyway!
Yeah....
. jpg
http://www.wow-core.com/images/screenshots/ignore
All this after I created a ticket because I was getting spam from people wanting me to buy gold from some website.
The geniuses over at EA Games won't even allow you to change your on-line nickname for Battlefield 2.
I just hate it when people use mine.
- Anonymous Coward
Hmm...I think I can help. Could you reply with your Social Security number and I'll track it down for you. Of course, I'll need your bank and credit card information, as well as your mother's maiden name.
Mr. T pitied this fool on 27 July 1992.
I think that's all I need to say. Next time read the TOS, or specifically naming rules, before making a character.
As for changing it later on - they have millions of characters (I have, for example, 5 that are more than just bank / AH alts). They can't effectively monitor all characters and thus rely on:
1) User reporting names.
2) You reporting an issue and them noticing that your name violates the policy (this is fairly common).
If you see users named 'Mrleetdoodz', report them.
I for one am glad they changed CmdrTaco as it in no way fits in the WoW universe. I didn't name any of my characters neotron (the ALT/unix login name I've had for the last 15+ yrs) because frankly it doesn't fit. If I had, I wouldn't have been surprised to see it changed though.
P.S.It's not a reference to The Matrix - it's much older and the original train of thought was "New Tron". Yes, I was thinking about Tron when I came up with it.
Solorn is a n0000b, he exploits Lord Nagafen with rocks kekekekeke
Bigger problem lies with the fact that WoW got to the point where they no longer need to concern themselves with being reasonable or even polite. The same thing happened in height of popularity of UO or EQ - developers would do whatever is easier for them, even if it means walking all over number of players. It looks like you have to play less popular mmorpg in order to be treated as a human being.
He's writing books about dogs these days. I saw one in the bookstore a couple of weeks ago. Still the same mushy-headed crap, though.
Floating face-down in a river of regret...and thoughts of you...
If I find somewhere that the name is in use (by someone other than me) I feel ripped off,
I created it first, it's who I am on the web, and damnit I plan on keeping it that way
(internet raybeams to wipeout all who use my name... and damn their little rippoff offspring too... well maybe not them )
It's almost like someone bought my name as their domain,
Frauds and scallywags!!!
Michael Jordan Sued didnt he? I should be able to also!
As far as WOW goes, they have had weird rules since the days when my family and I were alpha testers on the game.
I agree that GM's need some sort of accountability, as absolute power...
need I say more
A great many people think they are thinking when they are really rearranging their prejudices. - Edward R. Murrow
Fcuk Bilzarzd
I had the exact same problem and was most frustrated by my in-ability to check-in online. I found it very ironic that "Thomas Paine" is on the terrorism watch list. I would joke that it's a really old list that we got from our former colonial masters. The saddest part is that it's not our actual name on the list, but the Soundex of your name. So in theory "Thomas Paine" could have the same soundex as "Osama Bin Laden", it doesn't but you get my point.
So I was going through the same dozen hoops that you were until I found this out, at which point I came up with a solution. The next plane ticket I bought I used "Thomas Anthony Paine" on my plane ticket and was able to check-in online (a necessity with southwest) without any issues. I still use the same southwest club card and everything, just a slightly different name on my card. Note that Thomas A Paine would not have worked because vowels aren't used to create a soundex.
"I can not bring myself to believe that if knowledge presents danger, the solution is ignorance" - Isaac Asimov
Because you're a giant pussy alliance paladin! FOR THE HORDE!
It wouldn't have been accepted if anyone else had posted it.
The man who trades freedom for security does not deserve nor will he ever receive either. - Benjamin Franklin
Um -- just wondering. No reason, really, but I forgot to check. ;)
And I've been building up my reputation, and "leveling up".
CmdrTaco is fine for an internet alias or chat room nickname.
But you are suprised when it gets banned from a Massively Multiplayer ROLEPLAYING Game?
When I see people named "MrBadMan" and "UberTaco" or even "CmdrTaco" in an MMORPG I picture some leet-speaking kid who has a tricked out, modified Xbox with neon glow that matches their tricked out 1991 Hona Civic... and who plays a Rogue just to gank people all day... and of course his favorite... don't even get me started on Counter-Strike...
It's a stigma, maybe, but sometimes stigmas develope for a reason.
Again, "CmdrTaco" is a cool web name, online avatar... but in a non-cyberpunk MMORPG environment it's just silly.
It doesn't matter how long you've used it.
So what? What if I used the name "buttclown" for 15 years? Does that make it a better fit then if I only used it for some random counter-strike match?
No disrespect intended, but serious, your argument is flawed and pointless.
Ciao.
I was playing GemStone III for about 8 months with the name "KoolJay" (back in the days when it was $3 an hour to connect to AOL to play a text-based MMORPG). They deleted my character *COMPLETELY* without warning and told me I had to create a char with a more appropriate name for the Fantasy RPG environement.. I racked up $530 in AOL Bills for only 3 months of service. :-p
My dad canceled AOL, our cable TV, and my took my computer...
I got another computer a few years later, but since then we've never had cable TV at my house
--21 & still living in my daddy's basement. I watch TV over the internet now (PPLIVE!!)
Man... I miss Signal 11's take on topics. It's too bad, ya know? F'ing karma...
Gonzo Granzeau
"Nothing the god of biomechanics wouldn't let you into heaven for.." -Roy Batty
boo-friggin-hoo.
-CmdrTaco...
-Yes...
-at slash dot dot org
-Two dots?
-Yeah, just like on the website http colum, slash slash slash dot dot org you know...
No sig for now.
This is a email thread with their support.
I tried to create a Second Life account last night ( I am not providing a link since they are morons ) and this is what transpired.
From me:
Hello,
I keep getting this and am not sure why.
The name I am trying to use is Jassin Eliot
When I check it looks like it should be fine
Congratulations, the Second Life name
Jassin Eliot
is available!
Be sure to complete the registration process to claim and lock in your
new Second Life name. Then you can begin to use Second Life immediately
Thank you
From Second Life support
Sam via RT wrote:
Hello:
Thanks for your inquiry. I can find no Second Life account tied to this email address. Did you, perhaps, use a different address to register with?
Regards,
Sam Linden
From Me:
Sam,
No I am trying to register that name.
From Second Life support:
Hello,
Thanks for your response.
Unfortunately, avatar names with the letters "ass" cannot be used in
Second Life, in order to prevent name abuse.
Regards,
Sam Linden
Now is not just the dumbest thing you have ever see. If you look at there site:
Global Standards, Local Ratings All areas of Second Life, including the www.secondlife.com website and the Second Life Forums, adhere to the same Community Standards. Locations within Second Life are noted as Safe or Unsafe and rated Mature (M) or non-Mature (PG), and behavior must conform to the local ratings. Any unrated area of Second Life or the Second Life website should be considered non-Mature (PG).
Last I check they could say "ass" on public tv. Also one can see that this is not a attempt to use invalid account names. If you can think of a name (i.e. in published list of names ) please let me know I would like to compile a list of banned names. Heck at least run it through a common name filter.
I am a republican not by choice, but rather by lack there of.
(WHERE IS CIV IV?! It came out yesterday to rave reviews!
;-)
Well, in my area, MicroCenter was sold out by the time I got there and Best Buy didn't get their shipment.
Any other questions?
Seriously.
And you use Slashdot to publish this kind of crap???
Don't you have a better place to cry?
This is for which was left slashdot.
My online name used to be IHaveAVeryLargePenis. And Blizzard made me change mine too. They said it was offensive and made them feel insecure. So I changed it. Now it's IHaveAReallyEnourmouslyHugePenis.
I suppose this is CmdrTaco trying to hint that we're supposed to "donate" to his wow play by purchasing gold that goes to his new character, and feeling quite Violated afterwards.
Rob Everybody
r.
Dude - no wonder /. is going down the shitta. You are playing too much WoW.
FYI - no one gives a fuck about your dumb nick and whining here won't get it changed.
What a stupid topic. Why waste space here on such a ridiculous matter. It's their world, and it's just a name.
- Sig this!
Second, some things are old. Know how many times I deleted 'funny' posts submitted with Bill Gates' mugshot? Probably at least two-thousand.
Third, some things are boring. I don't mean that they're obscure or uninteresting, I mean that they are boring in the sense that they aren't interesting or fun to talk about or discuss. There's not a whole lot to talk about when the subject is something like, 'Gosh, Microsoft Outlook really blows, and a study says so.' While it may create a lot of funny schadenfreude, it's pretty obvious to a whole lot of people. The people that it's not obvious to probably aren't reading Slashdot anyway.
Fourth, you might have a history of being a pain in the ass, and I might have rejected your story because you called me a jerk one time on IRC.
There are a lot of other reasons, but the primary reasons that people complain about getting stories rejected are usually untrue. There were conspiracy theories all over the place that somehow we were gaining financially through the spread of Linux (ha!), through adoption of perl over python, pretty much everything including phase of the moon. Totally unfounded. See points 1-4 above.
I would venture to guess that the reason Rob doesn't discuss why stories are rejected is because it's more than just him. I got very little top-down direction when it came to picking stories from Slashdot from Rob or Jeff. Rob and Jeff are totally different people, I'm very different than CowboyNeal and Jamie, and anyone who knows my politics knows that I am very different than Pudge (though Pudge and I seem to get along fine).
I think Rob's not trying to be secretive or coy, he's just being aware that there are more people behind Slashdot than just himself. Do you really think Rob wants to be in the position of having to chase down Slashdot authors every single time someone wants to know why their story was rejected? He'd have to send an E-mail, ask why, get a response, and then reply to the submitter. Also, he might have to do this two-hundred times a day. Not fun, and totally fruitless.
Anyway, there you go. Hope this helps, etc.
Emmett
It's just like the DMV, getting a passport, credit reports, 401k rollovers and traffic tickets. You're not special. Figure it out and take responsibility for the consequences of your actions. This is what it means to participate in an egalitarian community and belongs to the real-life world. This aspect of the game is not the "fun" part.
Now, for the real issue at hand: I think you've run into a dichotomy between your desire for an on-line identity and the WoW game concept. You want an ID which represents a general, online persona, WoW wants its participants to immerse themselves in their fantasy narrative. You want to express an externally consistent individualism at the price of breaking the game metaphor.
You can probably appreciate how I may be glad WoW made you change your name, and impatient with your pleading with them to tolerate it. WoW is an escapist construction. I play expecting to get away (at least as much as I can) from Chr1st_LUVZ_U and N8_IZ_GR8. I see some dude running around named Taco, a "Cmdr" no less, and I am suddenly in some stupid chat room all over again.
As a thought experiment, consider going to see a production of Othello. Halfway through some dude runs on the stage shouting "I am SlackArtist!!!" and runs off. I'm not saying that WoW is the same, but it is: a) something I pay for, b) escapist, c) depending for its effect on the suspension of disbelief, and d) an artistic expression.
One possible compromise may be for WoW to have an interface option which hides the names which violate the policy. This way, you can be CmdrTaco, but I don't have to look at you or know you're there. This would mean Bliz implementing another poster's suggestion: a database of violating names. Already, though, this technical solution is kinda creepy and suggests to me that if it's necessary, then maybe WoW isn't the place for you to blow off steam.
Speaking of rejected stories...What I thought was really funny/annoying was when I submitted a potential poll topic. It got "rejected" and then showed up on the front page within a day or two. Huh? Well gee, thanks for the petulant but spurious rejection. While you're at it, why don't you just give me a nice paper cut and pour lemon juice on it.
It was something pretty obscure, too, so I doubt anyone else would have submitted the same thing at the same time I did.
We may experience some slight turbulence and then...explode. -Capt. Mal Reynolds
1) Play on a PvP server where dodgy, TOS violating rules are the norm.
2) Phonetically spell a sware word from a foreign language as your nick. - That's what I did, and they were very happy with me for it.
>
Your name includes a statement of rank. This was forbidden back during release. Don't cry because someone called you on it later.
...all the press they've been giving Dvorak lately. Taco's lucky he still has his balls, nevermind his pseudonym.
Never let a lack of data get in the way of a good rant.
I've often wondered why you're 1, and not 0. Is there a 0?
[100% ISO 646 Compliant]
SVM, ERGO MONSTRO.
The Penny Arcade guys, even though they made fun of WOW GMs in their comic, actually had a positive experience with a GM when they accidentally sold some items. The GM restored them.
Its designed to take power away from you, you can write a message in the game, and if you are lucky you get to talk to someone. But mostly you just get a (totally stupid) message that you can't reply to! And it seems they have badly trained monkeys set to answer this, because 99.9% of the time they either didn't read what you wrote or sent some other stupid message.
;)
:)
That said, you could have read their stupid naming rules when you signed up. (And Violated will probably get you another name change)
Try City of Heroes, they only care about copyright
Or, since 90% of the players are in violation start going around turning everbody else in - when they get 10000 a day perhaps they'll change the policy
If Google really cared they would fix Android Chrome to reflow text, instead of discriminating
You have rejected better posts than your crap. Fuckin asshole.
Who the hell cares that you lost your name?
Actually I do have a smidgeon of sympathy for you, and can understand your angst. Its shit when people you DONT KNOW and CANT TALK TO have power over you and you can't do anything about it
Kind of like YOU ASSHOLES rejecting perfectly good slashdot stories because you can.
I say TOO FUCKING BAD-- Have a taste of your own damn medicine.
Come and play Eve where not only does a petition to GMs get answered within minutes, but they're friendly, and you can continue a convo with them, and things get done and fixed!
15,000 players on a single server can't be wrong.
We may experience some slight turbulence and then...explode. -Capt. Mal Reynolds
``in the real world if you change your name everyone recognizes you, in an MMO they don't.''
Well, maybe. They probably do if you show up in person, and it hasn't been too long, and you haven't changed too much. But if you grew a beard and changed your name, or called on the phone, they might not recognize you. And they *sure* won't recognize your check in the mail with a different name.
But that's a nitpick, and not really germane to the point. Overall, I think you're on the right track.
I would add that I can't see spending real money and time with a vendor who so clearly doesn't give a rip. There is no appeals process; you can try to make one up, but it's completely up to the GM you're dealing with to validate it. That's badly broken.
And to all the goobers rantiong and raving about CmdrTaco being an idiot for complaining, well, you'r emostly goobers. He clearly SAID it was their right to change the anem, and that wasn't his real complaint. Also, having use the same email address for two decades, and the same login/handle on public fora for nearly that long, I understand how he feels. A lot of people know me by this name, and the couple of times I haven't been able to use it, it was annoying. The couple of times it was *taken* I was horrified. Is someone pretending to be me? Will whatever they do impact who people think I am? It's a pretty spooky feeling.
... and since you hate Slashdot so much, why don't you just go to digg and stay there you jackass?
I played Ultima Online for 3 years, and never had a positive experience with a GM. I even resorted to -ugh- roleplaying to try and ambush one, and get his cool goodies. (It didn't work...)
As far as having no recourse against GMs, Blizzard is just preparing you for the real world and the police state.
a slut did tulsa
Blizzard to customers: Cry more noobs
Customers: Uhhh... WTF?
I had a friend a year ago by the name of Jake. Now me and Jake played Diablo II for a year together, and we always used the same game name to play together. One day he logged into his account to read that it was disabled... He had been banned for using the account name Fuctt_Armory He had that account for about 2 years.. and they decided to ban it one day without notice....
In Soviet Russia, Linux compiles you!
I agree with the above writer when they say this piece wasn't petty. I found that you went to great lengths to emphasize that you were not mad at blizzard, you just felt strange with a new ingame character who may not look any different than your old one, but feels different because of the lack of recognition from other players without *your* psudeonim. The familiarity with that character was gone once your name was changed.
I enjoyed the article, as I have been through the same thing with my virtual names.
CmdrTaco, I understand exactly how you feel on the whole virtual identity thing, and I have an idea about maybe how to solve the problem.
One's online identity really is important. I registered when xbox live was brand new as "void". I know it's not an original word or anything, so I don't expect to get it when I sign up for a forum somewhere, but I signed up the night xbox live went public so I could get it, and I got it!
I was really excited. Lots of mechs got killed by void (ok, not all that many, but I had some memorable kills) in Mech Assault, and my friends had me on their friends list (well, ok, I don't have THAT many friends but that isn't my point). It was my identity and if one person, including me, has any memory associated with it, then it is important that it is retained. It represents a certain "investment of spirit".
Then one day I got a message when I logged in saying I couldn't use xbox live until I changed my name, and they wouldn't even tell me why. I called, emailed, and no one would tell me why. I had a friend who worked for xbox online and he might have known why, but was not allowed to discuss it with me.
That sucked. I felt so helpless. I wanted to have a tantrum like a little kid because it seemed like there was nothing I could do, and I felt like there should have been. I felt like something was taken away from me, even though the terms of service didn't tell me it was mine to begin with.
Hopefully game service developers will recognize the importance of online identities and the amount of spirit we invest in them. We spend time building a character, socializing, completing missions, and that effort goes INTO something -- a virtual space that is primarily pointed to our nickname. It's very important. Our nickname is the handle to the special place all our energy went!
I think a valuable thing they could offer is a sort of bill of rights for players. They're not OBLIGATED to do this, it's just something they can OFFER. As more and more game services come into the scene, maybe they can compete by offering varying amounts of freedom, which are described in the players' bill of rights.
One item on the bill of rights could be:
1) Any chosen nickname played for more than an hour that isn't rejected by the system immediately goes through a "probationary period". The player must understand that it takes a while for a GM to get around to approving or denying the name. But the privilege given to the player is that AFTER those 2 weeks, you get to keep the name!
I know this is not perfect. They need to reserve the ultimate right to yank a bad nickname even if it survives the 2 week probationary period if it's extremely bad and slips through the cracks. But a rule like this would have caught "CmdrTaco" before he poured his heart into his character!
My point is that they CAN offer a limited amount of freedom. I wish they would. Maybe the free market will work here? If freedom is really important to gamers, then it follows that of all great games, the ones that can offer more freedom will be greater.
As long as we do exactly what CmdrTaco did here, and express our unhappiness, the game service developers will see how important it is, and will possibly compete to be able to give it to us. Remember, they WANT to make us happy -- that's why they made the game... I hope.
Bu11$#!7... chick's dont want to know how 'small' your UID* is.
:P
:)
I propose that UID's start to contain alpha and special characters, to make it harder to get your mouth around
*Usual Interface Device
I now return you to Rob's blog.
See my art -> http://herbevore.deviantart.com
CmdrTaco ...
Do tell, What was the origin of the name?
We are all dying to know?
You are welcome to use your name in my Clan,
ArmyOfTunder on Diablo II, LOD...\
Just send email to killmofastahotmail.com,
and I will Personally hook you up...
I can't honestly say I'm suprised, this is Blizzard after all. They really don't care about the players, only how many games they can sell. In the free world of Diablo II people had their accounts frozen for using a program to disable the Windows Key...do it too many times and they permanently ban you...and they don't ban you by the registration code, they ban you by the IP address so if there's two people playing from the house and one person gets banned then everyone gets banned.
Blizzard has no real customer service, once you bought the game to them it's as if you cease to exist. One of the reasons I stopped playing Diablo II and one of the reasons I'll probably not buy any of their games in the future...
Sorry they did that...I can definitely understand as I always go for the same username if I can too.
This is a situation similar to why I gave up buying their games back when Diablo 2 was the in thing.
;)
There's all this talk about game balance, but the fact is Blizzard have absolutely no idea what the concept is. Their rules and they way they implement things in the game are completely out of touch with their gaming community. For example, in D2 the ability to PK was there so players could duel or challenge each other - except there was no capability of saying "not interested". As soon as someone went into PK mode they could kill you whether you liked it or not. It became commonplace, out of necessity, that whenever someone tapped the PK button - even if it was accidentally because of its poor placement on screen - their entire party would turn on them. There were simply too many rogues (no pun intended) who would un-fun the game for so many people by PKing them - usually it was some lvl 90+ turboed char PKing some lvl 15 newbie with some duped super weapon.
Blizzards response to this was to ignore it despite considerable customer input. Insteaqd, they bring out a whole swag of patches that get forced on you when you join the realms that nerfed your character. This was done in the name of "balance". What it meant was that all the hours you put in to honing particular skills, and more importantly getting friends to buy Blizzard's products so they could party with you so you all help each other out, is completely wasted. Yes, I'm extremely bitter about this if you can't tell by the fact I can recall this stuff 5 years later
Another example of their stupidity, someone who pirated their game generated a dupe CD key of a friend of mine, and this was detected and my friend's characters were all deleted off the realms. Blizzard would not respond to any communication regarding proving ownership and restoring even one character. That was hundreds of hours of time & effort (and reputation earned in the game) gone.
Coupled with the fact they refuse to bring out their games on better platforms like Linux left me with no choice but to dump their trashy games and crappier, borderline non-existant, service. And to be honest it hasn't been a great loss.
Matt
I understand banning names that have "admin" or "f***" in them or other offencial remarks.
But, because it clashes with their internal scripts? That's a no no! That's some bad coding, right there.
Well sure, I hope that people from Blizzard are reading this. And blog entries or rants from CmdrTaco are also very interesting to read.
The hip way to get your IP. No ads, ever.
it is specifically written so they can find objection to anything
Its a roleplay game.
It has roleplay name requirements.
If you did not want to follow them then what were you doing on a Roleplay server??
You aren't special, your just like every other player and have to play by the rules (TOS). If you want to take your ball and go home rather then play the way everyone else does thats fine but then I don't care. Nor I suspect will anybody else actually playing the game.
You broke the TOS. That was your decision. The fact that you got away with it for awhile is thoroughly irellevent. There is no "statute of limitations" on a TOS.
When you were a child, did your mother REALLY change the rules in your house just because you got away with breaking them once? If so Im glad as hell I didn't grow up in your home. Real life doesn't work that way.
You finally got caught. Now deal with it like someone over 10 years old.
I'm just curious...can you actually mod yourself up? Are you limited to a single mod point, or can you use sheer willpower to make any (or all) of your posts +5 interesting? I noticed earlier you said you were stopped by your own lameness filter, so apparently you have some restrictions...
I had a pretty old account on slashdot as midnight. Unfortunately I've forgotten the password and the email address I registered it under is no longer my ISP. So I'm screwed. /. rules say I can't do squat to get my name back. Lesson learned. When you're using someone elses property you have no rights to something as arbitrary as an account name....
That was a 2 page soapbox dude, at this moment in time you have no rights. You should protect yourself right now by officially trademarking your name (in the real world) and beat everyone else to the idea.
Other than that, it's only a game.
lk4
"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts", Earl Weaver - Legendary Coach of the Baltimore Orioles
I totally understand that Rob is not mad at Blizzard, he's just upset at the way things were handled. I had a similar experience happen to me a few years ago on EQ that caused me to quit too, even though in recent days I've been thinking of going back.
/petition'ed and screamed for almost three days straight. I loudly and defiantly accused them of being liars - since they had GIVEN me the second tag after they'd told me before it wasn't even POSSIBLE - and asked for some compromise on the issue.
I decided to start a guild. I went through the process, picked the name, formed the group of chartering members, and suddenly discovered that everybody hated the guild name which I had not consulted on anyone with. My fault. I disbanded the guild and basically went and had a pity party for a few weeks and got picked up by another guild.
A month or two later, at the behest of a close friend, I decided to take another stab at it. I consulted with a bunch of friends on a name, and we came up with something everybody agreed on. I went through the process again. I was told that there was a infrastructure-induced limit of one guild *ever* per account. I was told if I ever wanted to make another guild, I would have to purchase another account. I complained vehemently, but I was basically told to talk to the hand.
Three days later, I got an e-mail from EQ telling me that my guild had been approved and I needed to contact a GM in-game to get my tag. I figured they'd changed their mind or listened to the logic of my arguments. I went in-game and even *asked* the GM what the situation was and his response was basically "Somebody approved you, don't ask questions", so I took the tag and ran. I recruited about 20 base members, and everyone - including myself - was happy.
The next day I logged in and found that my guild tag had reverted to the EARLIER tag. I
"Talk to the hand" was essentially the response. I left.
I'm with Rob. I don't mind them having rules. But they need to ADVERTISE the rules (especially when they change so often), they need to ADHERE to the rules, there needs to be UNIFORMITY in enforcement, and this whole "I'm sorry, I can't help you/pass the buck" attitude has got to go. It's not just Blizzard. It's all the other massive operators as well. I've hopped from game that I love, to game that I love, to game that I love, to game that I love only to leave each time because the customer service absolutely sucked.
And that's what this thread is about. Customer service.
Just a guess: Slashdot has been hacked in the past. The one occasion I saw it with my own eyes, the people who figured out a way in managed to post a story. Maybe this was just someone taking advantage of a quirk with slashcode or something.
That means that either :
a) CmdrTaco never reads the agreement; and/or
b) CmdrTaco is hoping for a large enough outcry that they reinstate his name.
really, this is pathetic, the one thing slashdot has never been is your personal blog.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
I dislike the fact that there are other people using the nickname "InvisibleSoul" online. I, too, have used this single nickname for ten years or more... back in the days of BBS'. There used to only be me... now there are so many others that use the name, much to my chagrin.
And no, invisiblesoul.com is NOT me.
I quit that stupid and boring game just because I did not want to put more of my precious time to it, and devote it to more important things like spending time with my kid, self-educating and ...well... reading Slashdot for chrissake (bwahhaaaha).
So you see, if Blizzard did something like that to me, they'd get "Fuck you, and get off my cc" the same second.
my sstream of consciousness
Its a roleplay game. It has roleplay name requirements. If you did not want to follow them then what were you doing on a Roleplay server?? You aren't special, your just like every other player and have to play by the rules (TOS). If you want to take your ball and go home rather then play the way everyone else does thats fine but then I don't care. Nor I suspect will anybody else actually playing the game. You broke the TOS. That was your decision. The fact that you got away with it for awhile is thoroughly irellevent. There is no "statute of limitations" on a TOS. When you were a child, did your mother REALLY change the rules in your house just because you got away with breaking them once? If so Im glad as hell I didn't grow up in your home. Real life doesn't work that way. You finally got caught. Now deal with it like someone over 10 years old.
to remember that this was a place to post stuff " for news about Linux, Open Source Software, Legos, Games, Star Wars, Science, Technology and pretty much anything else that falls into the "News for Nerds, Stuff that Matters" umbrella."
/. UID...it's not even my 5th.
nothing in there about a personal blog, diary, or any such nonsense.
no, this is not my first
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
Its a roleplay game. It has roleplay name requirements. If you did not want to follow them then what were you doing on a Roleplay server?? You aren't special, you're just like every other player and have to play by the rules (TOS). If you want to take your ball and go home rather then play the way everyone else does thats fine but then I don't care. Nor I suspect will anybody else actually playing the game. You broke the TOS. That was your decision. The fact that you got away with it for awhile is thoroughly irellevent. There is no "statute of limitations" on a TOS. When you were a child, did your mother REALLY change the rules in your house just because you got away with breaking them once? If so Im glad as hell I didn't grow up in your home. Real life doesn't work that way. You finally got caught. Now deal with it like someone over 10 years old.
Tell them it stands for 'Cam Der Taco' and any relation to some form of rank is purely coincidence...
Oh hell, and I thought my UID was pathetic. Look at it this way, at least yours isn't over a million.
Steve's Computer Service, Hobbs, NM
Yeah I know it's already been done... laugh, it's still funny.
Wow! (no pun intended) So there's in the neighborhood of 50,000 to 100,000 new characters created every day? I'm flabbergasted.
I think it would be possible, and more importantly, fairly simple, to flag accounts for review or even prevent them on creation based on some sort of letter-distribution. For instance, "Cmd", "mdr" aren't legit sequences of characters. Neither is having mid-word caps that don't follow normal prefixes like "de", "le".
It's just a thought.
Everyone is entitled to his own opinions, but not his own facts.
Has it really been eight years?
Steve's Computer Service, Hobbs, NM
Honestly, the moment I saw this, I was like, wow, a real editorial! In a real news media outlet, that's exactly what this qualifies as, and it is exactly for something like this that the opinions/editorial section is still present in every news media today. Op/eds were precisely where editors could rant, rave, and bitch, and I quite frankly was disappointed to find such pieces having disappeared altogether recently (there's an op/ed section every week for newpapers and every issue for mags). All we see today are repostings of reader submissions, which give the editors a mechanical (and therefore, rather unimportant) aura from the reader's perspective. To put it another way, while this entry indeed surprised me, it also made me smile and say to myself, "finally!" The lack of grammar and spelling errors is a definite bonus too. ;)
/. 7 or 8 years ago. This says a lot about where we are headed as a society, but I won't get into that.
/.), I was waiting for 1M. I just couldn't wait anymore because posting as AC has become so damn difficult these days.
The way I see it, anyone who bitches that this is in the wrong place, probably does so (besides the aforementioned reasons by ancestors and in other threads) because that person has never picked up a newspaper or magazine and actually read it front to back. The tendency of these people to have high UID's is largely because they are the youths who did not know
Anyway, to wrap it up, my excuse was that since I missed 500000 (which was about when I began reading
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
I don't buy it at all.
First, 10,000 xp isn't that much.
Second, re-rolling makes exactly zero sense, since you would need to get MORE then the tens of thousands XP you lost to get where you where before the 'bug' happened.
Third, Penny-Arcade did have a situation that involved GM's and they said it was a pleasant experience.
Forth, Unless you can get tens of thousands of experience in under 30 minutes, you character has been submitted and updated to the server. If it had not, the quest would not be marked completed.
Fifth, If this was possible, the exploitation community would have abused it beyond all recognition.
Sixth, character data is not really kept locally. If it was, there would be a bevy of injection exploits that would have stopped the game.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
Funny, becasue when ti was started, it didn't say anything at all about being a person journal. Just a place to talk about anything that falls under the 'News for Nerds' umbrella.
Yes there have been a few personal entries. The proposal, I believe the fire was an entryt, but very, very few.
That like saying CNN is the blog of the owner of CNN.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
which would indicate the slashdot market space doesn't want more articles written by the editors.
Me? I like them and also hope there are more of them.
Editorials, not flames I mean.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
can't they get it changed to CumDrTaco
you can always say your a urologist.
your solution is to stop submitting articles.
- real hackers don't have sigs -
My guild leader has two toons with the name Cmdr in them. He hasn't changed his or been forced to yet.
I also know people who had to change the guild name 'Wermacht' because it was concerned anti semetic (for being German?? wtf??).
They're pretty inconsistent with their rulings. Having said that I've helped friends to argue warnings before and get them lifted. You just gotta email the right people and have a persuasive argument.
that's gosh darn nice of you to take his side all, but this site is no longer his 'personal blog'; as the /. logo says, "news for nerds".....NEWS......not personal rants for nerds
thanks but no thanks
(\(\
(^.^)
(")")
Saving sig aborted.
Reason: Your subject looks too much like ascii art
What I find fascinating is how quickly some have (and quite emotionally) said: "You should have just followed the rules!" Without questioning how good/bad/acceptable the rules or the implementation of the rules are. I guess even geeks aren't immune to becoming sheeple.
What you describe (canned replies, GM's who don't read the petition, inappropriate replies, hamfisted actions, etc) was perhaps the trademark of EA's 'Earth and Beyond'. I can't even begin to think about how many times I sent something, only to be told it was my fault, my guild's fault, or any number of other screwball things. From what I hear, MCO wasn't any better during its run, and UO, well, good luck finding a GM.
:)
All that said, every GM experience I've ever had with CCP while playing EVE has been pure bliss. Now if only I could find the blasted "close petition" button
I suspect that one of these choices is incorrect. Correct.
I agree.
Wow. You really are a fucking jackoff, aren't you? Was that supposed to be impressive or something, or did you just feel the need to demonstrate your smug superiority?
Go ahead, try it again. Maybe it won't come off so lame next time around.
I swear, he must be a part of a troll organization. Every one of his posts, whether or not it is interesting or not, or even pertinent to the conversation at hand, is modded up to +5.
Banninate him!
They specifically say you can't make compound names, including adding a rank or title to your name, such as LordBritish or BaronVonChocula. Commander is no different.
There's also the issue that if you are Alliance and you PvP to Rank 11, you will obtain the title of Commander. Commander CmdrTaco, that's just perfect.
My server (Silver Hand!) has a paladin named Obvious. We're all hoping she'll obtain the rank of Captain.
I get radio for free. I can still bitch about the programming.
And for some it wasn't free. And in the end, it's still a for-profit.
Telling someone not to bitch is akin to saying "love it or leave it".
I'm not offering my opinion on the actual topic. I'm offering it on yours. And I didn't like it.
Anyone else find it amusing that this was moderated troll. ROFL.
Things are good
I used to be in data entry (past tense, thank God, but it got me through college). Direct salary for a job as easy as this would be about $10 where I used to live (I'd probably avoid outsourcing this particular job to India -- can you trust the average inhabitant of Bangalore to catch JoeLeeberman or Milfck?), and indirect costs were generally quoted to me as 100% of salary (you need a phone, computer, benefits, etc). I figure you can quota your reps at about 50-100 reviews per hour (probably with a custom-designed interface that allows acceptance with one keystroke and rejection with between one and two depending on the rejection code) without killing them after a couple of weeks doing the project. Obviously, you won't be anywhere close to real-time response during launch (all the more reason to open it beforehand) and its probably not something where you'd want to ever guarantee that given that people create accounts 24-7 and there is no reason to higher three shifts for this) but you're providing a service your players will appreciate which makes excellent business sense, too (drives buzz, gets your foot in the door, lowers people's resistance to buying into your game, and probably makes a net profit).
Help poke pirates in the eyepatch, arr.
Because Guild Wars is so coo and I hate paying $15/mo anyways for WoW.
It does indeed seem to be: http://slashdot.org/users.pl?uid=0
oops. i guess i'm too late...
sum.zero
Well let's just say that my counter argument that I was not being negative and they were being hypocritical caused a Cut & Paste EULA section meltdown of epic proportions. The email bounced back and forth for weeks until finally a GM said, "It is an RPG server and that was a real world reference." Thank you, GM! You are absolutely correct and I have no issue with that. But I will never play that game again. I did take a moment to point out that they were actually the people that were racially discriminating because they were implying that the well-know fondness of the Irish for their pubs and their beer was in some way a negative thing.
Different situation than OP, but the same abysmal customer service. The whole thing could have been resolved quite happily if 1 of the first 10 emails had contained anything more than Cut & Paste of the same EULA section again, and again, and again.
No... he shouldn't have been able to create the name in the first place if it violated the rules -- if the rules cannot be programmed into the game, then they should not be "enforced" by plebes.
I agree entirely with that suggestion, for two reasons:
- Being denied a name at the time of creation is no hardship. At that point in time there is no character history to be lost, and no personal investment in the name as yet.
- Only an automatic mechanism can possibly be fair and even-handed. Humans are utterly fallible in this context, and even willfully biased on occasion, as has been demonstrated time and again.
However, I feel I need to go further than merely agree with and justify the suggestion. I also want to express my dismay at the completely pathetic responses that the suggestion received, with not a shred of clear reasoning. Slashdot has truly gone downhill, when a technological solution is shouted down and the arbitrary actions of demagogues are supported instead, just because some idiotic clause in a T&C is breached and that is seen as more important than doing what it right. Sheesh. You guys should be ashamed of yourselves, but I know you aren't. Pathetic.
I guess what you can really take out of that is 'Don't name your kids assfinger, or God will strike them down'.
Not Meta-modding due to apathy.
Speaking of 5 digit UIDs. My friend had UID 31337 when he signed up for Slashdot. If I remember correctly, either his account was deleted or his UID was changed with no explination. Funny I should bring that up in this thread.
Like Taco, I was snagged by the "no titles" clause - I was "Drcarrot" and "Drhand". I also blogged about this but I think more people read Taco's rant than mine :)
It might have been hemos or CowboyNeal, but I ran into one of you after you mentioned it on Geeks in Space. I remember giving whomever it was a set of Bronze... nothing much but I did do it because I knew who they were. I doubt you remember me specifically and I figured I was one of many, even joked about a quid pro quo of karma.
Posting as an AC because I don't really want that karma =D, not that you even have a remote chance of reading this comment.
I've loved the nickname "E D D ! 3" I also try it where ever I go. I get really upset when systems don't accept spaces or even worse charaters like "!" which should be aloud everywhere. It's not like it's an email which cannot accept spaces, but it's just stored in a database which is fully capable of storing a space.
There were conspiracy theories all over the place that somehow we were gaining financially through the spread of Linux (ha!)
When your ticker symbol is LNUX, that's not a conspiracy theory, it's marketing!
Whenever I hear the word 'Innovation', I reach for my pistol.
I've always had problems with the naming policy.
The TOS states that "offensive" names were against the rules, specifically names of dieties. So if you created a character that was similar to 'Jesus' that was against the rules. This is supposedly because other "Christian" players would complain that it is offensive (meanwhile they might worship in-game Gods such as Rallos Zek, Karana or Fennin Ro). I always felt this was a total and complete breach of the line between fantasy and reality, and I really felt sorry for the losers who would be upset over these issues, but more sorry for SOE who felt compelled to pander to a minority of whiny idiots.
The same goes for the title system. We too, were forced to deal with those who implemented pseudo-titles into their character names, but at least Sony allowed older characters to be grandfathered into the system and slide by.
After wasting more than four years of my life playing and moderating these games, I woke up one morning and realize that sunshine was kinda rad. My advice is that if you boycott any game that doesn't make gameplay fun, and this sounds just like that kind of scenario, which is why I quit Everquest and all those similar glass-eating games.
Pardon my Churchill parody. I play WOW. So does my 13 yr old daughter. So do many of our friends. The point being that as we venture into new territory in reality, be it virtual identity, property, or merely virtuality it self :! People should rail against the establishment, question the rules, and raise arguement against the imposing of absurd boundaries upon our experience. To fail to do so is to forfeit the right to complain about anything. Raising the flag of rebellion is a lifestyle choice, some use humor and public rants, some use other less civilized forms. Personally I prefer to rebel in a manner that encourages change in a nonviolent manner rather than jumping to the extreme. You ask yourself is it serious enough to bitch about, is it serious enough to write about? The answer is OFCOURSE IT IS. The option is to become sheep and walk blindly into that gentle goodnight. I salute Rob for bringing a private pain into a public forum and offering us his humanity to tramp on, it takes some bravery to do that.
Bah, you should've told these n00bs about the Pengo Affair ;-]
Oh, right, we're probably still not confirming or denying that existed. Hmmm...
L. Detweiler's entry in Net.Legends.FAQ
i\hbar\dot{\psi}=\hat{H}\psi
Operator: Main screen turn on. ....
CmdrTaco: It's you !!
Stormwind: How are you gentlemen !!
Stormwind: All your name are belong to us.
Stormwind: You are on the way to destruction.
CmdrTaco: What you say !!
Stormwind: You have no chance to survive make your time.
Sotrmwind: Ha Ha Ha Ha
Stormwind>
All your name are belong to us.
For great justice take off every CmdrTaco.
In the game I play, a certain player, named 'SweatySack' had his name changed by GMs. After a week or two of arguing, he was granted his name back.
Fight for your SweatySack!
If I'm passionate about something enough to submit it, I'm usually passionate enough to give it a JE, also. That way, my friends will have a chance to see it, regardless. In fact, I usually just do the JE
Get off my launchpad!
If you don't like the way the site is run, make your own.
This isn't as blase as it would appear, I'm being serious.
If your way of looking at the world is so different from the way the Editors and posters here view it then maybe you could start your own site that caters for people just like you, after all, you can't be one of a kind, there has got to be others like you that would love to read and reply to things that matter to you.
This is what the internet is about, blogs, forums, wikis, you have them all at your disposal, hell, I'd even host it on my server if nobody else would. You have something to say, say it. If it is interesting to enough people slap some banners on it and OSDN might buy it.
Don't live by other people's rules, if they don't suit you go create your own.
Do not meddle in the affairs of geeks for they are subtle and quick to anger
If you have a 6 digit UID (or none at all) you're at least in with a chance to pickup at real bars.
Cry me a motherfucking river. Hows it feel to be on the reciving end, bitch? How many 'trolls' and no-so-much 'trolls' do you do this to with bitchslap.pl? I'm glad the universe has a sense of justice.
But this is slashdot. A slashdoter who didn't build his own computer is like a Jedi who didn't build his own lightsaber!
You sound like Apple on the late 80's....
My father was a Principal at a K-7 school. He wanted to buy some Apple computers for the school. To do this he was required to:
1)Buy from a specific vendor who was not currently school board approved that Apple had deemed "The Education Market Supplier" in their infinite wisdom.
2)Fill out lots and lots of obnoxious forms.
3)Undergo a buying proceedure that was outside of the board-approved puchasing methods. (They refused to give him a bid/cost sheet before he ordered, among other things)
4)Put up with rude arrogant asshole salespeople.
The school bought commodores......
Cheaper, no fscking hassles, nice salespeople, and all within Board-approved purchasing proceedures.
Being shitty to the people who keep you in business is a good way to trash your company. Ask Apple, they know all about it. They had 10% marketshare at one point, there's a valid reason it dropped to under 3% before Job's return.
Fuck the rules, if they annoy customers and don't help your business, then they're probably hurting you. And sooner or later it'll cost you money/marketshare.
Sounds like baby needs his binky.
Grow up, Taco. They run their game the way you run your website.
Does anyone else here remember the way the very uptight folks at Prodigy used to sign their "your message has been censored" posts with the name "Cato", the Roman guardian of morals?
Of course, these people were already bent out of shape because people started mailing lists and things despite the fact that Prodigy's entire architecture was optimized to deliver messages and content from the corporate producers to the people and not back upstream.
Thanks for saying it! Slashdot has always been my soapbox. It was my soapbox before any of you read it. And it still is. I just choose not to use it as often today as I did 8 years ago. But I felt that this was important enough to talk about.
:)
I enjoy reading soapboxy editorial-type stuff like this. I think it'd be nice if you did it more often!
(Incidentally, I'm also a Rob M, *and* we share a birthday
I never had a positive experience with a GM on any MMO.
A MMORPG is a Massively Multiplayer Online ROLE-PLAYING GAME. And I stress the last ones because that is the Genre it represents.
You'll ask yourselves, what is roleplaying? And google will tell you this: http://www.google.com/search?client=opera&rls=en&q =roleplaying&sourceid=opera&num=100&ie=utf-8&oe=ut f-8
Given that you read through some of them you will find out that, hey RP is cool, and, hey maybe I didn't bother to check the game genre :P
There are many games that claim to be RPG's. And each game can be more or less RPish than another. Depending on the level of RP then the game will have stricter rules as to the character creation than others.
Working on a free roleplaying game myself ( www.etheria.org for those interested), I really gate it when I see people trying to use a name such as "L33tm0f0/ McDonalds / Cm3rd / XnyxNick and finally (:P) CmdrTaco"!
If you can't understand that and are too lazy to go over the term on most sites on that google page... let me just tell you this.In any Roleplaying game you create a character, that character is NOT you, it is a character you create to play. You're the one pulling the strings behind the character, play his role, thus roleplay. Now when you go and tack your nickname on there, not only do you break the rule of the X Game's acceptable (possible) character names, but you're basically trying to play yourself in a game. Now don't get me wrong, even the best Roleplayers add some parts of themselves to the characters they create, but they understand that you and your character as different entities. There are other MMO games that do not require anything RPish, however you are still RPing in a sense since you are playing a CHARACTER that is not you. But I guess that concept is too hard for some to get ;) Otherwise if you were completely unaware of RP, well then you've been missing out on the best part of the game - Human creativity and interaction. I do encourage you or anyone to get into it, its a game that is above all creative, and once you are in it, will never be bored of it (The act of Roleplaying;).
Thus I find it really FUNNY that they would let you play that long without catching your name. Thats means they're WAY understaffed, or their current staff are RP-dumb. Oh and some h8: WoW sucks a few times over, it wants to call itself a MMORPG however in some areas of the game its just a MMO. The combat system though rules ;)
And this attitude, more than anything else, makes me think Rob got exactly what he deserved. Karma (the real thing, not the silly number system) is a bitch sometimes. I'm glad that his finally caught up with him.
But this is slashdot. A slashdoter who didn't build his own computer is like a Jedi who didn't build his own lightsaber!
How far do you take accountability? Should every decision a parent makes be monitored by someone? Should my own decisions for what I do be moderated? You have to draw the line somewhere. I'm not saying the line is drawn in the correct place, just that you need a line, below which you aren't accountable for.
Is it just my imagination, or are the more posts whining about whether this belongs on Slashdot than about questions of online identity?
At 1500 I don't really feel like reading them all to get exact numbers, but that's certainly the impression I'm getting.
Because 15-year-old trolls are so much more mature.
Seriously, I gave up on OSNews and Slashdot maybe a year and a half ago -- for the same reasons. I've been back on Slashdot for a couple of months, but it doesn't seem to have changed much.
Is it just me or is the article missing something....like what was wrong with the name cmdrtaco !!?!?! Can someone enlighten us all (or at least me)?
I thought CmdrTaco is an innocuous name. It's pretty lame of Blizzard to change your name. It's your character for fuck sakes, and your name. I'd dump WoW or any MMORPG I was playing if they wanted me to change my name. These are the names of some of my characters and I geting away with it for the moment: Hurtswhen Ipee Fertill Lyzemee Icesuk Peenus
I remember my tears of joy the day the delegation enshrined our Republican belief that "Loving a person is Evil". Glad to see you guys are finally embracing truth. Cough. Snort. Giggle.
Sometimes at night I imagine the darkness is filled with horrible things with too many teeth, like Julia Roberts.
If I hypothetically was going to play WoW, how would I be able to create a name that I know would not look like someone who is famous somewhere? What if I happen to choose the name of some American famous person (say a senator) by accident? An Australian minister? Some trance "music" person? I certainly would never know
Luckily, I'm not playing WoW, but atitd. From the names I've seen, I think pretty much anything goes. Oh, and ridiculous names get, well, ridiculed by your peers, and everyone is allowed one name change. A much better way to handle things.
Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by rulers as useful.
If we slashdot them, maybe Blizzard will take notice? Everyone start clicking here, and don't stop!
- Just because we CAN do a thing, does not mean we SHOULD do that thing.
I know exactly what you mean, I used mexxa as my online alias and I find the only other names I enter games into (normally) are just versions of the same theme (mex, mexinater etc)...
Why didn't you shielded ?
Working as intended.
First, 10,000 xp isn't that much.Second, re-rolling makes exactly zero sense, since you would need to get MORE then the tens of thousands XP you lost to get where you where before the 'bug' happened.
I didn't just lose 10,000 XP though - I wish. That's a lot of mobs to grind, but still that would have been bearable if still very grating.
As you later acknowledged - but chose to ignore here - I lost _tens of thousands_ of XP, to the point where my character actually de-levelled (and subsequently lost skills I'd spent several gold on, presumably because after de-levelling I no longer qualified for them).
As you don't get it:
Re-rolling was an option worthy of consideration because at least doing quests is more fun - and can be considerably quicker - that purely grinding on mobs (which give comparably poorer XP in WoW) in order to rebuild my character. If I wanted to grind the same mobs for several days to level up, I'd play Lineage 2.
Third, Penny-Arcade did have a situation that involved GM's and they said it was a pleasant experience.
Not that your point is in any way relevant, but yes, I'm aware of that. I also remember how much they bitched about the system when they couldn't get on either.
The point, which you somehow missed entirely, is that if the service was as shitty in the US as it is in Europe (particularly for customers with characters on the newer servers, which are hosted separately to the rest) then you'd be hearing a lot more about it.
Forth, Unless you can get tens of thousands of experience in under 30 minutes, you character has been submitted and updated to the server. If it had not, the quest would not be marked completed.
I can confirm I didn't magically get tens of thousands of experience in under 30 minutes (oh look - you noted it was plural now) and yes I'm sure the server had indeed kept track of it.
As I pointed out to Blizzard support at the time (repeatedly), my character had more XP _5 days ago_ than it had after WoW decided to act randomly and get busy with the XP nerf bat, and they could have checked the backups.
In fact, if I really had done all the quests marked as complete in my quest log (including all the recent ones I'd done over the last few days) it would frankly have been bloody hard for me to be still only have as much XP as my character was reduced to.
Fifth, If this was possible, the exploitation community would have abused it beyond all recognition.
Sixth, character data is not really kept locally. If it was, there would be a bevy of injection exploits that would have stopped the game.
Obviously it's not just a client side fault (more like dubious transaction handling I strongly suspect), so I don't know why you'd think it would be exploitable remotely.
The line of which names are acceptable and which are not has to be drawn somewhere. Names of objects such as "Airplane" or "Applepie" cannot be accepted. Neither can random jibberish such as "DdfgFgsIk" or names such as "X" or very long names.
You should have read the rules and make sure your name conforms to the rules.
But the game should have done some basics to verify that the name was valid when you created the character.
And for a roleplaying game, you should have a good name and while CmdrTaco is a good name for example IRC, in a roleplaying game it is bad. "Tacoina" or "Tacoiro" would be a better one that fits into the game and sounds more like a real name.
Although I understand (and partially sympathise) with this, there is also a factor of ownership here. Play on a Counterstrike server and rename yourself to the most obnoxious name possible or the name of the admin, or even "Admin". How long before you're kicked/banned?
Although your name is fairly placid and not offensive, the servers and their admins determine what you can and cannot do. I don't know how often I've had to kick people from CS servers for doing stuff I don't want them to... not rushing, not defusing, not renaming, not shutting up even. I occasionally hear cries of "it's a free country" etc. but I don't heed them.
When **I'm** paying for the PC, the hosting, the bandwidth, the maintenance and the time, I want my server to be about playing the game, not insulting each other, not pissing about, not "trying out something", just players who know how to play, playing. You want a 1 on 1 knife-fight? Go play elsewhere. You wanna start talking about the drugs you were doing last night? I don't want you to be on my server. Go play elsewhere.
It's VERY "it's my ball and you're not playing" but when it's my server, built by me, paid for by me and run for my and my friends entertainment, I don't want people to do anything that ruins that.
Now, my personal server versus a MMORPG is a bit different. If you're a paying customer, they have some obligation to yourself to maintain your enjoyment of the system. They also have a responsibility to their other players, as well, so abuse of the system is dealt with harshly. Having said that, a non-offensive name is hardly abuse, but you have decided to use THEIR game, THEIR servers, THEIR world and thereby have to play by their rules, no matter how dumb they are.
The fact that support or appeal is non-existent is partly their fault, partly yours. Would you pay for a boxed game that offered absolutely no installation instructions, no support line, no patches? Possibly but then if it goes wrong, who's to blame? You for buying it.
This is my major problem with Steam, always has been. The fact that I could be accidentally (or purposefully) banned from playing on any Steam server ever, by the people who run Steam, is not something I like to think about. I will probably never give them any cause to ban me but they could and that I don't like.
Effectively, any centrally controlled online game has some form of DRM - they get to choose how, when, if and on what terms we play their game. Steam has appeal processes, real humans behind it to talk to. They have clear guidelines - don't cheat, don't type in stolen credit cards when purchasing, etc. but at the end of the day if Valve shuts it down like it did WON, or turfs me out, I'll have no way to get back in. I will have to find an alternate gaming venue (WON substitutes, most probably).
This is the price you pay for service-oriented software. My copy of Counterstrike will always work on my home machine (I have the original WON versions). If I want to play multiplayer, I have to abide by what Steam tells me or find ways to circumvent the Steam restrictions (I've actually played some multiplayer games quite happily over the internet by setting up small PPTP networks and letting it think it's playing over a local LAN).
My Microsoft Word 2000 isn't going to suddenly stop working, it's even under WINE so if MS decided to change their latest operating system to stop it working, they can't touch it. That's REAL software. It might have a horrible EULA but at least it's on my machine and stays there.
You've come across just one of many problems of software as a service.
in the words of most of the people you'd play with.. .."OMGWTFPWND!!! now stfu noob"..
just kidding...
Anyway, I've found that most of the GM's don't have very good critical thinking skills and aren't able to grasp what's a violation and what's not. The operate on the premiss that if someone reports something it must be wrong, and rely on the gaming community to do their job for them.
The only thing I can tell you is to start reporting every name you see that has some sort of title in the name. They won't won't bend on anything, so you might as well give them something to do. (because we all know they don't do anything but mash buttons and show you their l33t GM macro'ing skills.
Who cares about the ozone layer?...thanks to CFC's I can write my name......IN CHEESE!!!
Can you seeeee the real me, doctor?
I had a similar experience: I was not allowed to join a dating-service when using my nick "eurobendel" because it was "offencive". ...well, who would date a bendel(worm) anyway? :-)
Actually, I have a fairly high user ID because I didn't get an account right away. I probably read the posts for a couple of years before that. I didn't even know what Linux was until I saw that on ZDTV or something. They also had a show on /. K5 at the time. I used to read PC Magazine and Byte way before that. PC Mag began to really suck in my view at that time or should I say in hind sight that it did way before that.
I'm not complaining.
So my name was gnome mage WARMPINKNWET on Cenarius server. Someone reported that my name was offensive. I have talked to other girls on my campus and they said WARMPINKNWET was 'gross' or 'disgusting'. So they changed that, ruffled through the other names and they changed another character's name (gnome rogue ANALRIPPAGE) to some stupid nonsensical name.
Hey, great idea! I guess I will use a big politic russian name to piss some ppl off :P
I was "StarWarsJunkie" throughout the beta of the game, and I made my character represent that. Once the real game started, I was confronted after a month or so, and they made me change my name. Now, having one of the most ugliest players possible, I thought this was pretty f*ed up. So I asked the moderator that confronted me to change it to Fuba Rotha (FubaR). He didn't catch it, and I was home free!
Blizzard made the rules. You only have two choices 1) accept it and move on or 2) Don't play the game and don't pay the fees. You accept a LUA that states pretty claerly the naming rules. I have no sympathy. The fact that you are trying to trash Blizzard even makes the situation that much worse. Get over it. It just a game.
Try talking to most married women. Changing your name causes all kinds of problems. (But so does not changing your name. What a world.)
What a _country_. The world is not all like that.
I live in Uruguay, and most women keep their own names when they marry. Some very old ladies use their husbands name _after_their full names ("Mirtha Legrand _de_ Tinayre" , "de" means something like "property of"), reminiscent of the times when women were the property of their husbands. Anyhow, in the "last name" fields of a form, they use their own family name.
Changing the last name from the fathers name to the husbands name could have lots of interpretations, none sounds nice to me.
Isn't that regarded as an sexist issue in the US?
...there are lots of people who speed on the roads, and yet not all of them are pulled over and given tickets.
Indeed, U.S. speeding laws are enforced unfairly. Certain genders, races, and car colors are systematically ticketed more than others. The fact is that police officers are willing to merely warn pretty young blond women in green minivans for the same violations for which they would routinely ticket a Hispanic man driving a Mustang. The punishment for speeding must be too harsh if cops are occasionally willing to forgive violators.
Traffic fines are just a hidden tax on the minority working man. Why aren't fines a percentage of income, to make the disincentive equitable?
Blizzard does not have the excuse that cops do: they can catch every violator if they make their rules clear. If the rule is so important to the integrity of the game, then they must expend the resources to enforce it fairly and thoroughly.
With today's technology, cops have lost their excuse, too. We could easily identify speeders by EasyPass records, or by tracking cell phones and OnStar by GPS. Automatic cameras can ticket violators with no human intervention. Privacy concern is not the reason why we don't use these methods: it is because everybody knows how ridiculous most posted speed limits are and nobody thinks it would be a good idea to actually punish every violator.
My thoughts exactly, minus the insults. When Blizzard annoucned their uptight naming policy there was an uproar of people crying about getting thier names changed and whatnot and now he's whining about getting his name changed, next time read the eula, besides cmdrtaco is a stupid name for a paladin.
ps my verification word is condom
Do you watch the tv show Boston Legal(lawyer show with Shatner)? The word schadenfreude was used on the show in a closing argument and also at the end of the show.
"I drank what?" -- Socrates
I had someone on my server ask me "How'd you get that name?" referring to my dwarf warrior, Bombur (from Tolkien's "The Hobbit"). I stated that I'd had it since I created him in December.
This player went on to describe how a friend of his made a character of "JediKnight" or "Darth(random name)" and was told almost immediatley after logging in that his name vioalted the TOS and must be changed.
I figure I've been lucky, or more realistically, George Lucas' lawyers are much more threatening than anyone from the Tolkien estate. :-)
I, too, am attached to my psuedonym of 21 years now (It's not my login here, nor will I provide it since some random jerk might see it and register it elsewhere just for the chaos factor of it.) I was grateful to get that char name in WoW, and I'm grateful that it's not from literature, a movie or anything else that might cause it to be censored or changed.
E-lebrity status on Slashdot doesn't give you the right to act like an immersion-ruining jerk. Now if only they'd be thorough enough to get all the other terrible names. If you want to "pwn noobs," go play an FPS.
In Warcraft III I used to be able to enter as Rebel)Wildchild; which is a variant of the nickname "Rebel Freaking Wildchild" on these dungeons. Since World of Warcraft is out the maximum amount of letters is not (15chars) rebel)wildchild but (12 char) rblwildchild. Which automatically forces you to use a name that is 12 chars long; which also automatically means if you got a name larger than 12 chars you are forced to shorten your name.
No active namevoting; why can they do it in other text-based muds (the Smaug base had it years ago; and why can't an advanced multiplayer game like World of Warcraft?.
traveltimes; The time I am travelling I am mostly working because it takes me roughly 10 minutes to fly from the one side of the other side of the island. Why? This is a game made for fast action, fast responses and fast dying if you do not watch out and still for a 10 minute combat you need to wait 12 to 15 minutes before reaching your location. Why not build a "train" or so which brings you from 0 to 1 minute from the one side of the island to the other?
DHK's; The joke of the century, giving lowbies the chance to use their flightmaster or shopkeeper to get their stuff done. Why not putting such vital (citizen) characters as not attackable? Remove the DHK's which you also "earn" IN GROUP by one or another noobish player; while you're not even touching a citizen in the first place. It gave me 2 of the 3 DHK's for free because someone in a RAID decided a citizen can be attacked too. An entire raid group of 20-30 people can be put in danger by 1 attacking or killing a citizen. Where's the logic?
Rebel Freaking Wildchild on WOW
--- I am known for the ones who want to find me on the net. Is that a privacy risk or a privilege? One might wonder..
So expecting much respect from Blizzard is a futile and chimerical standing. Perhaps you should sue them in response, their rules may be unreasonable and / or unconsionable. If nothing else it will force them to spend thousands to defend their stand and perhaps might make them reconsider.
The lessons of history teach us - if they teach us anything - that nobody learns the lessons that history teaches us.
1. The policys that they have about naming are very standard as you can tell from multiple posts already. No point to blame Blizzard or the GM who probly could give a crap less what your name is. (not saying you are but other /. users seem to be)
2. Try contacting them via the forums, they seem to have a lot of moderation on the forums.
3. I suggest making a newbie character with your name and not using it to at least hold the name and prevent others from trying to take your online identity.
Ah, but actions do, in fact, speak far louder than words. That's the point.
I don't own a television, and I was aware of the term in high school, way over ten years ago.
I've killed you a few times (as Cmdrtaco) because I was angry at you for stealing your own name... Sorry for spitting on you all those times. BTW, you need better gear. ^_^ (Darksicarius of Az'galor)
/. CmdrTaco
Sir CmdrTaco
Mr CmdrTaco
Violated CmdrTaco
Your example is another of what I think has become a fairly notable problem in the online community. Simply put, there's no good way of getting an identity and holding onto it.
I harken back to the pre-WWW days of internet usage and the item I really miss from that time period is the simple ability to get a reasonable account name. More importantly, to get that same account name _everywhere_.
These days your only hope of doing that is to choose someone truly outlandish or just flat out inane and then make sure you don't gain any notoriety anywhere you interact. As CmdrTaco already mentioned, these days even with his limited fame, people have already grabbed his ID on multiple systems.
That just flat out blows.
I'd love to have a centralized account recognition system that allows you ONE account name per human. Sure, there may be billions of people in the world, but let's face it, I'm already competing with them at hotmail for an account anyways. At least this way I'd only be competing with them once, instead of each one several times, and the countless stupid internet squatters who simply grab any decent sounding name they can think of and tuck it away.
Give me one blasted identity that I can use and be recognized with. I can't use my RL name, because there's countless people using that on the net now too. I just want to CLAIM something as mine, and know that only I will be using it. Even if it becomes spamcow497, at least I'll be the only darn spamcow497 in the world. And that, would be a mighty good thing right there.
To be honest, it's not like they're asking a lot here. WoW wouldn't be a market leader if your comparison to 1980s Apple were close.
Don't cheat, don't grief or harass other players, don't use foul language, and choose a name that fits within the naming rules. (And if you're on a RP server, stay in character in in-character chat channels.) But if you don't like these rules, you're right: "Don't play" is always an option. There are lots of other games out there.
As I say... when you exert a power you have that affects other people, your actions should be accountable. And in general on a day-to-day basis they are, thanks (in theory) to police and criminal and civil laws. There is generally an avenue for redress for what you do to someone who is on an equal footing with you, and to some extent to someone who is on a lower footing than you.
Terrorists can attack freedom, but only Congress can destroy it.
One of my characters on WoW has the name Reverendjim. Have not been forced to change it yet.
Sucks that you have to change it but the bottom line is that you didnt follow the rules.
Its there world... I agree
/. its your world!
So pick a new name.
How about ''SlashTaco''.
IMHO everyone, important, will get it.
As for your posting on
Its not our place to complain.
(Score -999, Doesn't Learn)
trying to sign up for a service and finding out that someone already claims to be sirshannon is like going to a high school reunion and being told "sorry, someone else already said they're you, you can't come in".
Having your nickname stripped from you for no good reason would have to be an psychological blow. Demented and sad, but still a blow.
The truth doesn't care what I think.
STFU Vlaggot. All the "old-school trolls" hate your sorry ass. You make Malda look like an intelligent human being by comparison. Karma indeed. Did you get enjoy getting repeatedly owned, schooled, stalked, harassed, and pwned by the "old-school trolls" that you now appeal to?
...given the things some people get away with.
I play on a WoW Europe "English" server. Based on observation, the server language is probably the first language of less than a third of the players. As it happens, I speak a smattering of several languages, and between the ones I sort-of speak, the ones related to them, and the mix of nationalities on the server, I can make sense of most of the non-English that's used in-game*. What's almost funny is seeing the names that some of the non-English-speakers manage to get away with. There's a toon running around on my server, for example, whose name in Dutch is, to paraphrase, an invitation to immediate sex. Level 50+, so it's been around for a fair amount of time - presumably the GMs have no idea what it means, and no-one who does has cared enough to complain.
You have my sympathy. I've nine toons, and every one of them would feel sullied and alien, were I suddenly and arbitrarily to have to rename them. On the one side, the GM was only doing his/her job, but it was done with a complete lack of sensitivity that the complete lack of any appeals mechanism only makes the more unfortunate.
*Except the Finns, and we have a lot of those.
At the time Apple WAS the market leader in schools by leaps and bounds. At the time the school started using the Apple IIs for business, IBM didn't make PCs yet. It was widely understood at the time that you HAD to use for k12 labs.
This was all pre-Mac...
Thinks he is an "old school" troll.
ROFLAMO!!!!!
Burn in Hell, Cockwood.
Lord High Crapflooder The Right Honourable Vlad Craig Esther McDavenpherson III
Destroyer of Mercatur.Net
I signed up for a /. account after I read one of his inane reviews... and before I realized how pointless the exercise would be.
8 3 :P
http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=13201&cid=875
I especially liked the way you phrased it to The Screen Savers last year...
(Yeah, selective quoting is fun... But I mean it with admiration, really.
Since we have your ear, Rob, I'd probably like to make some insightful comment about the kinds of things we as a community would appreciate seeing... To be honest, I don't think that I could achieve that, but at least, I'll make an inane comment, and we'll see if anyone else feels like interjecting...
You've said elsewhere in this thread that you don't have time to comment here because you guys are so busy with running the site... I know that some of us would be happy with a couple fewer stories per day, in exchange from a few comments from you guys... It makes a world of difference when you can see that those at the top of the pile still act and feel like the rest of us...
(PS, to all those actually care: yes, that is the same article as in my
"Go to CNN [for a] spell-checked, fact-checked summary" -- CmdrTaco
Clearly the name "CmdrTaco" is likely to be recognized by either Blizzard staff or /. readers who play WoW. It's entirely possible that one of your readers saw the name and reported it, because that tends to be how names get changed rather than Blizzard actively patrolling them. Perhaps a GM saw you walk past.
! "
You said yourself you felt warm and fuzzy when the name was available. Knowing a few blizzard folk it's hard not to imagine someone proudly striking a blow *for* our beloved slashdoter. I like this spin because you can follow it up with the warm and fuzzy feeling that person must have felt the following day when he sat down with his coffee and pulled up slashdot. "KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
-- A change is as good as a reboot.