We need to talk about online privacy

[Caelia-uldaman (Caelia)]

Stop? Unlikely.
Lessen it and make it easier to moderate for those stuck dealing with this hellhole forum? Far more likely.

[Norinila-moon-guard]

its just The Eight Virtues of the Bushido

[Aqure-westfall]

yah I have no desire to look that up.

[Yzermañ-proudmoore]

@Caelia-uldaman

Lessen it and make it easier to moderate for those stuck dealing with this hellhole forum? Far more likely.

And you dont think those moderating this hellhole forum don’t have access to BTag data or IP’s? That has been a basic protective function of every forum since forums were created. Just because you can’t see this information doesn’t mean the moderation team can’t.

[Caelia-uldaman (Caelia)]

I’m well aware of what stock Discourse moderation looks like, as well as countless other forum software. I’m also well aware of the fact that this isn’t stock Discourse because they requested special features specifically for the WoW forum. Using BattleTags, which every other Blizzard forum uses, makes it easier on both the user and admin side.

[Gromfang-dalaran]

Happy to bring you smiles and laughs, Tovi This coffee is making me extra “giphy” this morning!

[Yzermañ-proudmoore]

@Caelia-uldaman

Using BattleTags, which every other Blizzard forum uses, makes it easier on both the user and admin side.

Explain how it would be easier on both the user and admin side? The admins already have access to this information and it is likely displayed for them already by default. As far as the users - I can’t even fathom a guess how it would be easier to read my name as Yzerman#2945 than it is to read my name as simply Yzerman.

[Murdercarpet-zuljin]

I think the main takeaway is that people should feel free to harass and stalk other players, who can try to convince the mods to help them. That even the most heinous behavior is not offensive to everybody, so the worst actors should be left alone and allowed to wreak as much havoc as their cold, black hearts desire.

[Caelia-uldaman (Caelia)]

There’s a whole thread devoted to this.

The World of Warcraft Forums should use BattleTags as well

I think it is about time Blizzard introduces BattleTags for the WoW Forums. Honestly, the current list of problems with the forums are the reasoning to why the forums need BattleTags. So what are BTags? A BattleTag™ is a player-chosen nickname that identifies your Battle.net account in our games, websites, community forums, and more. Only one BattleTag can be associated with a Battle.net account. BattleTags do not need to be unique. You can use any name you want, as long as it follows our Nam…

[Idandego-thunderlord]

Post hidden? Oh yeah Blizz… why? Cause your attack dogs says so?

[Yzermañ-proudmoore]

@Caelia-uldaman

There’s a whole thread devoted to this.

I’m not reading a edit 9000+ post thread just because you can’t articulate your own thoughts and opinions.

[Tovi-moon-guard (Tovi)]

Calm down, V.

That’s an automatic thing when a post gets enough flags. If the CMs disagree with the flags, they’ll ungray it and it won’t be able to be grayed out again for a while.

[Idandego-thunderlord]

Yeah… I know. That said, Ive been flagged AND banned more times than I can count (yes, that’s an opening) for banal and trivial poop.

If you bother to read the post (long-winding and meandering it may be), that it’s quite obvious to a reasonable person it contains nothing remotely offensive is the essence of the matter. The mass-reporting is the problem, and frankly people who report out of spite vs substance should also being flagged as “inappropriate” to the forums community.

[Taienna-aerie-peak (Taienna)]

@Lilithia-nagrand

You see, there are some people that think that the best way to stop trolls is to expose people and have them named and shamed or whatever.

and I have a screenshot of their wanting just that…to take what happens in here into the game.
https://imgur.com/AWjeBFg
So if they disagree with you for ANY reason in here, just personal view differences, they want action taken in game if they can get you actioned in here.
Screw that.
No btags showing in here…ever.

No one here NEEDS btags to report rule violations…ever.

[Cäpslöck-proudmoore]

Here’s the short version:
battletags would solve some problems and exploits in the current forum setup.

Some people have chosen to be against this, and the big reasons listed are:

1. they confused btags with realID (which noone sane is actually asking for)
2. they like the current exploits, and want to continue to exploit them
3. because disinformation about what a btag is.

[Tovi-moon-guard (Tovi)]

The OP is saying that this would lead to catfishing and doxing. Neither has anything to do with your bnet.

Just because a troll puts thought into their post doesn’t mean they’re not trolling.

[Yzermañ-proudmoore]

Again, how would this stop with btag implementation? Are you saying that none of this takes place on forums that use btags?

[Cäpslöck-proudmoore]

I’ll let mirasol explain this one:

@Mirasol-mannoroth

• Trust level, post history, post count, likes/flags, are all tied to the forum account which is currently charname-server. Every time someone transfers or has a name change, it wipes their forum account to the start. Any new char they use, starts at zero. That gets a fair amount of tickets/complaints to CS.
• Treating char-server as forum accounts means Ignore is only for that one char instead of all the chars on that Bnet account. It means people can, and do, make more chars to evade ignores and keep bothering individuals.
• Char-server allows people to add you in-game without your permission, message you, find where you are, mail you, etc. Even see if you get a name change. Btags don’t. They keep anyone from talking to you without you giving them permission to add you as a friend.
• Using multiple characters to abuse the reporting system. Each char has a set of flags, so when someone runs out on one char, they use the other chars to report the same person. Yes, it is against the forum rules and some people do get suspended, but it makes more work for the mods and they don’t catch it all. One Bnet with one set of flags greatly reduces false flagging. Same with a more minor issue of “fake likes”, although that is not really damaging.
• Last, sock puppets and people switching chars to just make trolling threads. Those do cause a lot of disruption and extra mod work. It costs Blizz money to clean it up and it can interfere with attempts at honest discourse.

[Taienna-aerie-peak (Taienna)]

@Yzermañ-proudmoore

Again, how would this stop with btag implementation? Are you saying that none of this takes place on forums that use btags?

it wouldnt.
if you follow their arguments, in one breath they admit someone who wants to troll will just pay for another account to post on.
but in that same breath they told me that no one would ever pay for a second account to troll with.
lol.
It depends on what day of the week it is as to whether a troll will pay $15 to keep trolling.
We all know determined trolls will.
And so Btags are pointless.
They get one account banned and the troll just pays $15 for a new account, trolls until its banned and moves to the next.
A number of members here have admitted to only paying for their accounts so they can post here (they arent the trolling ones, though)…so a troll doing it isnt any less likely.

[Yzermañ-proudmoore]

@Cäpslöck-proudmoore

I’ll let mirasol explain this one:

Again, if you can’t articulate your own thoughts and opinions, why are you posting?

All of what Mirasol said in that post is about making moderating the forums easier (albeit while posting on a level 13 alt - tell me that’s not ironic), not about an easier user experience, and unless Mirasol is/was a CS agent - most of it looks like speculation.

The capstone argument was “It cost Blizz money to clean it up” - I mean really?