*sigh*
Janet may be from Arizona, but she's not responsible for the "papers please" steaming pile of crap that is S.B. 1070. That was Russell Pearce.
Also, holy tangential argument, Batman. No one was talking about papers, unless you replied to the wrong comment or a comment I can't see. Furthermore, I believe you've interpreted the amendment incorrectly. The amendment was specifically crafted (and has been upheld) to protect the right to petition/protest the government. Cornell has a pretty good overview of the amendment that I suggest you read.
The amendment you should be looking for is the 4th amendment, which governs unreasonable searches and seizures. It's my understanding that there are several cases working their way through the courts that specifically address increased security measures post-9/11 that will likely test the 4th amendment if they make it to the right venue.
pete6677 is right, but I'd like to add another argument to his:
Airline travel is quickly becoming the only acceptable way to travel long distances, and it many cases it is still cheaper than driving cross-country. Further, consumers aren't very effective at voting with their dollars in the airline industry. They'll choose the cheapest ticket, and then complain about the awful service. Sometimes paying for a little bit more does make a difference.
I've flown nearly every airline in the country, and I've been able to witness the paring down of airline services firsthand over the past 19 years. Today, I only fly Southwest because I appreciate their service, business model, and fares. I just wish more consumers would wake up and realize that the "advertised price" of an airline ticket is just the cost of entry, unless you carefully choose your carrier.
It has always bothered me that they doggedly confiscate nail clippers and tweezers but they let ball-point pens walk on the plane in droves. I understand that it makes it look like something is being done, but it's annoying.
A person with enough determination will always find a way. This is something that many of us willing to think about the situation for 30 seconds have always known, but the backscatter machines and enhanced pat downs are finally getting to some of the sheep, it seems. It is my vain hope that the backlash to these policies will allow us to return to pre-9/11 security measures, which I believe are more than adequate for the actual threat that we face on a daily basis.
I think I just happened to click the wrong "reply to post" button. I was replying on my iPad within a newsreader and NOT on my computer, which is probably why it went to the wrong place. Apologies! Still, I appreciate your polite and thoughtful reply. What follows are my clarifications from my initial arguments, because I wasn't posting complete thoughts. Shame on me!
1. I think my inexperience with the game itself is the culprit for my (likely incorrect) ideas about how it could potentially translate from the forums to the real game. I was discussing this with a friend of mine yesterday (and he's slightly more well-versed in how WoW actually works than I am; I've only seen it in passing), and it was a concern for both of us.
I can certainly see how it would be seen as an unnecessarily paranoid extrapolation of what they're currently doing. In our discussion (and in my ensuing post) we were operating in a worst-case scenario mindset, particularly based on the recent Starcraft beta's implementation of RealID.
Apparently the Starcraft beta used a variant of RealID to identify its users. "Friends of friends" were able to see each other's RealID, and there was no setting to turn this off in the beta. I have three friends who participated in the beta: two male and one female. Only one male was friends with the female, but both males were friends with each other. The male who was not friends with the female was still able to see her RealID.
It's this in conjunction with the use of RealID in the forums that leaves me concerned. Sure, for now linking to your game character is optional (as it should be), but I currently don't see anything stopping Blizzard from implementing this into the game itself if it works in the forums. My argument is more of a "worst-case scenario" argument than anything else. Does that decrease its validity? Perhaps. It's simply a function of how I'm processing this, however.
2. I think you're right in that this is a wait-and-see sort of situation. It wasn't my strongest argument to be sure, but one I hadn't seen in the few hundred comments I had browsed before deciding to post.
3. I should have clarified that my concern comes from posting using RealID to a particular type of audience, rather than just posting using a real name in general.
You are absolutely right. There are lots of people who post lots of content online under their real name (or a close variation thereof). LinkedIn, Facebook, Myspace, blogs, news sites--there is a never-ending bevy of content out there linked to real names. And it's all just as vulnerable as this. So why the concern here and not (as much) elsewhere?
The audience. I know quite a few hardcore female gamers (including one who plays WoW pretty frequently), and they all value their gender anonymity within games. As for the one who plays WoW, she let it slip once that she's a girl, and was immediately subjected to a barrage of come-ons and other interactions that offline would be construed as sexual harassment. The same thing happens to her on XBox pretty frequently, but at least XBox Live includes mechanisms for blocking users who do so.
Now, give that same gaming community access to a person's first and last name. Let's forget for a moment the potential security risks and instead think about how that person will be perceived as a member of a particular community. In WoW forums where one could be judged by the quality of one's gear (as mentioned by previous posters), how do you believe a woman would be perceived? Would she be more or less capable than a male gamer? Would she potentially be objectified and sexually harassed, just on the basis that she's a female gamer? She would very much be in the minority, and past research into the subject (disclaimer: I hold a communications degree & spent quite a bit of time focusing on interpersonal and gender communication) indicates that she would quickly become part of a muted group, eliminating her opportunity to have a voice even
Nonsense. First, Blizzard already has the real name associated with an account. If they want, they can already do all that data-mining you're so concerned about. The publishing of the RealID names on the forum are completely unrelated to this.
Second, the forums only show your name. Not what characters you belong to. Not even what server you play on (disclaimer: you do have the option to associate with a character, but its not on by default).
So how is any of this not just tinfoil hat ravings?
1. This is only the beginning. Starting In the forums is far more inconspicuous (even given the coverage in the tech blogosphere; I'm willing to bet the average Joe hasn't heard about this yet) and easy to justify. If there isn't a huge exodus of subscribers ($), then it's only a matter of time before it's brought to the game itself.
2. If the forums see a significant decline in popularity (but people are still playing the game) then Blizzard has lost a lot of its feedback about glitches and bugs. This is a relatively small matter, but should be considered.
3. Women. Women are still a minority in the gaming world, especially one as unique as WoW. Reveal the first and last name of a woman in the forums and you've likely set them up for several stalkers, any of whom may be likely to take their Internet antics to "real life". Imagine Internet stalking (which most people would be hard-pressed to find truly harmless if it were happening to them) escalating to sexual assault or full-blown rape. If the solution is for women to avoid the forums, that's not fair. Also, see number one. All it takes is a name. Start there and you can find some pretty amazing stuff about people.
Disclaimer: I don't play WoW. I am a woman. I have an unusual name. If I was playing the game, I'd think seriously about whether it was worth the potential risks to have my full name displayed on the forums and likely deactivate my account. As it stands now, this has solidified my decision to never get an account. This isn't about jobs or perceptions. It's about safety.
I have also been awake for far too long, so I feel that this is unnecessarily convoluted. I hope it makes sense to SOMEONE.
If Blizzard can successfully implement this without losing money, look for it to start trickling into the rest of the Internet. I dislike trolls as much as the next person, but anonymity is worth more to me than a halfhearted attempt to get rid of them online. (Trolls will still exist, as they do in real life. This won't significantly change anything about that).
Actually it is usually the other way around. Blocking the intersection is a moving violation carrying a large fine and points on your license. Running red light is same, however the tickets red light cameras give out are NOT usually a "moving violation" ticket as they cannot put points on your license, just tax you like a parking ticket.
-Em
That actually depends on the state. Here in Arizona, tickets from red light and speed cameras can and DO put points on your license. I had a friend nearly get his license suspended because he had one too many tickets from red light and speed cameras (one or two of each). Of course, traffic school remedied all his issues, but that's beyond the point I was trying to make.
tldr; Not all traffic cameras issue parking ticket-type violations. Some are treated as moving violations.
Slashdot Mirror
*sigh* Janet may be from Arizona, but she's not responsible for the "papers please" steaming pile of crap that is S.B. 1070. That was Russell Pearce.
Also, holy tangential argument, Batman. No one was talking about papers, unless you replied to the wrong comment or a comment I can't see. Furthermore, I believe you've interpreted the amendment incorrectly. The amendment was specifically crafted (and has been upheld) to protect the right to petition/protest the government. Cornell has a pretty good overview of the amendment that I suggest you read.
The amendment you should be looking for is the 4th amendment, which governs unreasonable searches and seizures. It's my understanding that there are several cases working their way through the courts that specifically address increased security measures post-9/11 that will likely test the 4th amendment if they make it to the right venue.
pete6677 is right, but I'd like to add another argument to his:
Airline travel is quickly becoming the only acceptable way to travel long distances, and it many cases it is still cheaper than driving cross-country. Further, consumers aren't very effective at voting with their dollars in the airline industry. They'll choose the cheapest ticket, and then complain about the awful service. Sometimes paying for a little bit more does make a difference.
I've flown nearly every airline in the country, and I've been able to witness the paring down of airline services firsthand over the past 19 years. Today, I only fly Southwest because I appreciate their service, business model, and fares. I just wish more consumers would wake up and realize that the "advertised price" of an airline ticket is just the cost of entry, unless you carefully choose your carrier.
It has always bothered me that they doggedly confiscate nail clippers and tweezers but they let ball-point pens walk on the plane in droves. I understand that it makes it look like something is being done, but it's annoying.
A person with enough determination will always find a way. This is something that many of us willing to think about the situation for 30 seconds have always known, but the backscatter machines and enhanced pat downs are finally getting to some of the sheep, it seems. It is my vain hope that the backlash to these policies will allow us to return to pre-9/11 security measures, which I believe are more than adequate for the actual threat that we face on a daily basis.
1. I think my inexperience with the game itself is the culprit for my (likely incorrect) ideas about how it could potentially translate from the forums to the real game. I was discussing this with a friend of mine yesterday (and he's slightly more well-versed in how WoW actually works than I am; I've only seen it in passing), and it was a concern for both of us.
I can certainly see how it would be seen as an unnecessarily paranoid extrapolation of what they're currently doing. In our discussion (and in my ensuing post) we were operating in a worst-case scenario mindset, particularly based on the recent Starcraft beta's implementation of RealID.
Apparently the Starcraft beta used a variant of RealID to identify its users. "Friends of friends" were able to see each other's RealID, and there was no setting to turn this off in the beta. I have three friends who participated in the beta: two male and one female. Only one male was friends with the female, but both males were friends with each other. The male who was not friends with the female was still able to see her RealID.
It's this in conjunction with the use of RealID in the forums that leaves me concerned. Sure, for now linking to your game character is optional (as it should be), but I currently don't see anything stopping Blizzard from implementing this into the game itself if it works in the forums. My argument is more of a "worst-case scenario" argument than anything else. Does that decrease its validity? Perhaps. It's simply a function of how I'm processing this, however.
2. I think you're right in that this is a wait-and-see sort of situation. It wasn't my strongest argument to be sure, but one I hadn't seen in the few hundred comments I had browsed before deciding to post.
3. I should have clarified that my concern comes from posting using RealID to a particular type of audience, rather than just posting using a real name in general.
You are absolutely right. There are lots of people who post lots of content online under their real name (or a close variation thereof). LinkedIn, Facebook, Myspace, blogs, news sites--there is a never-ending bevy of content out there linked to real names. And it's all just as vulnerable as this. So why the concern here and not (as much) elsewhere?
The audience. I know quite a few hardcore female gamers (including one who plays WoW pretty frequently), and they all value their gender anonymity within games. As for the one who plays WoW, she let it slip once that she's a girl, and was immediately subjected to a barrage of come-ons and other interactions that offline would be construed as sexual harassment. The same thing happens to her on XBox pretty frequently, but at least XBox Live includes mechanisms for blocking users who do so.
Now, give that same gaming community access to a person's first and last name. Let's forget for a moment the potential security risks and instead think about how that person will be perceived as a member of a particular community. In WoW forums where one could be judged by the quality of one's gear (as mentioned by previous posters), how do you believe a woman would be perceived? Would she be more or less capable than a male gamer? Would she potentially be objectified and sexually harassed, just on the basis that she's a female gamer? She would very much be in the minority, and past research into the subject (disclaimer: I hold a communications degree & spent quite a bit of time focusing on interpersonal and gender communication) indicates that she would quickly become part of a muted group, eliminating her opportunity to have a voice even
Nonsense. First, Blizzard already has the real name associated with an account. If they want, they can already do all that data-mining you're so concerned about. The publishing of the RealID names on the forum are completely unrelated to this.
Second, the forums only show your name. Not what characters you belong to. Not even what server you play on (disclaimer: you do have the option to associate with a character, but its not on by default).
So how is any of this not just tinfoil hat ravings?
1. This is only the beginning. Starting In the forums is far more inconspicuous (even given the coverage in the tech blogosphere; I'm willing to bet the average Joe hasn't heard about this yet) and easy to justify. If there isn't a huge exodus of subscribers ($), then it's only a matter of time before it's brought to the game itself.
2. If the forums see a significant decline in popularity (but people are still playing the game) then Blizzard has lost a lot of its feedback about glitches and bugs. This is a relatively small matter, but should be considered.
3. Women. Women are still a minority in the gaming world, especially one as unique as WoW. Reveal the first and last name of a woman in the forums and you've likely set them up for several stalkers, any of whom may be likely to take their Internet antics to "real life". Imagine Internet stalking (which most people would be hard-pressed to find truly harmless if it were happening to them) escalating to sexual assault or full-blown rape. If the solution is for women to avoid the forums, that's not fair. Also, see number one. All it takes is a name. Start there and you can find some pretty amazing stuff about people.
Disclaimer: I don't play WoW. I am a woman. I have an unusual name. If I was playing the game, I'd think seriously about whether it was worth the potential risks to have my full name displayed on the forums and likely deactivate my account. As it stands now, this has solidified my decision to never get an account. This isn't about jobs or perceptions. It's about safety.
I have also been awake for far too long, so I feel that this is unnecessarily convoluted. I hope it makes sense to SOMEONE.
If Blizzard can successfully implement this without losing money, look for it to start trickling into the rest of the Internet. I dislike trolls as much as the next person, but anonymity is worth more to me than a halfhearted attempt to get rid of them online. (Trolls will still exist, as they do in real life. This won't significantly change anything about that).
Actually it is usually the other way around. Blocking the intersection is a moving violation carrying a large fine and points on your license. Running red light is same, however the tickets red light cameras give out are NOT usually a "moving violation" ticket as they cannot put points on your license, just tax you like a parking ticket.
-Em
That actually depends on the state. Here in Arizona, tickets from red light and speed cameras can and DO put points on your license. I had a friend nearly get his license suspended because he had one too many tickets from red light and speed cameras (one or two of each). Of course, traffic school remedied all his issues, but that's beyond the point I was trying to make.
tldr; Not all traffic cameras issue parking ticket-type violations. Some are treated as moving violations.