Character name can't be hidden.

[Selzak]

Is all this possible now? Yes. Is it a guarantee that a poster with Handle Y is using that as their in-game name? No. Are there people who feel "obligated" to preserve some level of "knowledge" or "skill" here and will go to any length to do so? Yeah. It's not too hard to get on their bad side, either, especially when it comes to opinions.

Even so, while the boards might not be the sole instigator of malicious intent, it could later become a point of reference for those digging up dirt on someone. Mules aside, the only option people concerned have with this is to not post, and that's not good business.

Absolutely any information you leave anywhere can become a point of reference for someone digging up dirt on you. There is just nothing significant enough to warrant any fear whatsoever over your virtual character's in-game information being linked to your forum handle. You'd be better off fretting over the fact that you post in language-specific boards and that someone could determine what region you live in that way.

[Raxiaz]

I can't believe how much exaggeration is going on in this topic...

[Byrth]

Unless you know and trust everyone on your server (who can see both your in game name and linkshell name), that argument is a chromosome short of normal. You're infinitely more likely to pick up a stalker from your own server, and they already have all the information (and more) that you could get from the system SE is proposing.

Now, with exactly what I've said in mind, try and think about why this information would necessarily not make the system any less secure. Hint: Look at paragraph 1 again, but replace "stalk" with "hack"

You're making public information . . . more public? Don't be idiots. There's essentially no risk involved.

[wildsprite]

a lot of exaggeration will always happen due to paranoia and it seems we have many who are paranoid if their char info is released it will tell personal information about them, but the truth is it wont, any personal information they are looking for they will need to find some other way

[wildsprite]

Unless you know and trust everyone on your server (who can see both your in game name and linkshell name), that argument is a chromosome short of normal. You're infinitely more likely to pick up a stalker from your own server, and they already have all the information (and more) that you could get from the system SE is proposing.

Now, with exactly what I've said in mind, try and think about why this information would necessarily not make the system any less secure. Hint: Look at paragraph 1 again, but replace "stalk" with "hack"

You're making public information . . . more public? Don't be idiots. There's essentially no risk involved.

isnt the point of the /blist command to get rid of unwanted attention such as a stalker?

[Greatguardian]

isnt the point of the /blist command to get rid of unwanted attention such as a stalker?

It can work that way. It doesn't always. People suck. Generally? People are just best off not associating with bottomfeeders anyways. Being male and/or pretending to be male helps too. But those are preventative measures rather than solutions.

Byrth hit the nail on the head though. Your 5,000 person server already has all of this information. Who the hell cares if a few more people have it now?

[Seriha]

Being on the same server is on some levels more limiting. They won't have access to linkshell/party conversations unless they happen to be in the party/linkshell. Shout wars are one angle, yeah, but that's something I've usually just avoided due to the inane, of unrelated to the game, content being slung around. We're also largely past the days of Kings drama, and while little tiffs inevitably spring up here and there over popping mobs or claim jacking, ego flexing has tapered off significantly. Even then, being on the same server doesn't automatically give them a clue on how any person plays or even when. We're effectively phantoms once we're offline or text scrolls from view.

Not quite the same for boards, where this post and all we've made will remain for however long SE hosts them or google makes a back-up copy. Players don't even have to be on at the same time to pick a fight with one another, and an issue someone dropped weeks back could suddenly be dredged out of necrobump hell just because they thought they were being smart/cute/witty/WINNING!/whatever. I suppose with the average FFXI player being a college male or older these days, the fear of being stalked isn't really there. Regardless, a toggle would not harm while at the same time offering some peace of mind.

[GlobalVariable]

Excuse me but knowing my in game name was exactly how it began for me (different game, years ago). Blist doesn't do s*** for you when they keep making new characters (vanishing before a GM bothers to make any kind of record) and eventually pretend to be some friend of a friend long enough to get information from someone you know. Not to mention the potential to get trash talked by random strangers who log out before a GM arrives to say "just blist them" yeah, so they can keep talking crap about me and lie about things to everyone else that I can't see to defend myself from, awesome! Oh we want people to be accountable. Sure. Right. Accountable for that omega ring, accountable for that unpopular opinion, accountable for everything but whats actually against the rules that should already be enforced and thus not need a feature that we'll pretend actually increases accountability for bad behavior. /ramblerantoffrustration

[Greatguardian]

Oh gee. Forums hold people accountable for their actions? You don't say.

Yes. If someone says something really bloody stupid, people are going to be able to dig it up and find it 6 months or 6 years from now.

Solution? Don't be stupid. Be responsible. Keep in mind that everything you say might be remembered forever. Look before you leap and think before you speak. Age-old lessons that everyone here should have learned anyways.

I really can't buy the stalking angle, though. These forums don't even have a bloody PM function. No one is going to start stalking someone because they badmouthed Red Mage while having a female avatar on a forum. If they do? Report their post and they can be potentially banned from the forums / game. Any sort of facebook / real life information that people could garner from the forums was and has already been available to everyone on your server anyways. My personal advice? Don't let things from your online persona link you to your real life any more than you want them to; and always assume that if one person can see it on the internet, everyone can.

Edit: GV, if you care what everyone thinks about you you're not going to have a lot of fun no matter what they do. Do I care that the majority of these forums think I'm a mean-spirited, egotistical, narcissistic son of a biscuit? Nah, not really. I have great friends in game, who I've know for years, and who all know that I'm nice to a fault and fun to hang with. Who cares what rumors some jackhole spreads about me? My friends all know me better. That's all I care about.

[GlobalVariable]

Edit: GV, if you care what everyone thinks about you you're not going to have a lot of fun no matter what they do. Do I care that the majority of these forums think I'm a mean-spirited, egotistical, narcissistic son of a biscuit? Nah, not really. I have great friends in game, who I've know for years, and who all know that I'm nice to a fault and fun to hang with. Who cares what rumors some jackhole spreads about me? My friends all know me better. That's all I care about.

Yeah thats totally it /rolleyes. If your being accused of crap like nin lotting groups are going to avoid you. But the most trolltastic jerks are proud to show their in game names.
That accountability for bad behavior on forums is in your imagination. I've seen people post screenshots of those they've goaded into crap "for the lols". That kind of person is NOT worried about their rep. And don't even try for the "it must suck to not have friends" crap. Yeah sure they'll all sit in PJ at odd hrs for me to defend my name form joe random slanderer who's PO'd about something I said on a forum and just wanst to hassle me, right, sure.