Quote:
A Horror Story.
I'm a theoretical guy named Joe. Maybe I had a problem with your guild and I really want to get back at them. Maybe I'm a creepy stalker. Maybe you were a loot-ninja, or you hurt someone I know, and I'm pursuing my brand of justice.
I've seen your forum post; I know your name. I find your Facebook. I find information about you: what you like, food, colors, bands. Your hometown. Your family, your friends. You are embarrassed about this for some reason, but you LOVE the Beatles. You have a Dalmation, and you love the breed. You like dressing in wool, even though it's itchy.
I see your character name. I start a conversation with you in-game, on some pretext or other. Buying a boost, asking about your guild; asking about that awesome mount you have.
I steer the conversation toward something. Bands, music, dogs? I mention how much I like something you do.
You don't know any better. You're young, maybe, or taken by surprise, or tired after a long day's work, and it doesn't occur to you that I've socially engineered this encounter backwards, and am manipulating it for my own benefit. All you know is, some stranger turns out to have some of the likes you do, and they're nice--funny, friendly and outgoing, agreeing with much of what you say, making you think. You like it.
Then this guy--Joe. Maybe I flirt over a period of days, even weeks, until you've sent me your MSN, given me a picture of you half-clothed. Or maybe I join your guild and work my way to the top to destroy it from within. Maybe I know you like redheaded women, so I give you a picture of a hot redhead and tell you it's me. That I live only one town over from you, so it could happen IRL. Maybe I convince you to cyber one night while drunk.
Then I post these pictures, or screenshots of cyberlove, on your Facebook, where all of your RL friends and family can see it. Maybe I, this random person you liked who happened to share your likes and dislikes, give your RL personal information to those who dislike you in-game.
Are you stupid for falling for it? Probably. But everyone makes mistakes.
Is this fear-mongering? Sure. But it happens every day.
Should people simply not post their personal info? Of course. But they do, and this is simply another step shortening the distance between nutjobs and their victims.
* * * *
I see no reason that a chance "to reduce trolls" should risk this sort of thing. It's foolish
And let me ask you a question:
Do you really think of all the millions of people who play WoW, there isn't at least one with the dedication, twisted views of reality and love of a challenge, one person messed up enough to take this too far?
Do you think that your Facebook plans and "troll issues" are worth that one murder? Or kidnapping? Or... ?
This is in addition to the myriad other reasons the majority of the playerbase doesn't want this. "If you don't like it, don't post." Well, I (and many others) won't, but I'm still extremely concerned with the way this is heading.
I hope you're willing to have sleepless nights for a good long while, because this can and will happen, and it will be on your heads.
Yeah, this post is dramatic. It's meant to be. Mock it if you want, or hold it up as an example of the "scare-mongering." But you know it could happen. You know it DOES happen.
You'll be making it easier for it to happen again.
But hey, there's so many people who play WoW. It'll be fine. Nobody would go after you or me; we don't do anything wrong, anything stupid.
That woman we'll read about on the news in six months? She did something stupid; made the wrong guy angry. He was nuts. It's just a rare case.
It'll never happen to us.
