Character name can't be hidden.

[Dallas]

I'm sorry that you've had all this time to forget of liability whilst using the Internet.

I detect an internet vigilante!

[katz]

[NA] Linking Character Data to Forum Profiles

We would like to announce a new function enabling players to link character data to their forum profiles. This feature will go live as part of the FINAL FANTASY XI Forum maintenance scheduled for June 28, 2011.

At present, players are required to use a Square Enix ID when logging into the forums. Characters on the PlayOnline ID associated with this Square Enix ID will now be displayed in forum profiles. Players with more than one character registered to their account may select which character to link.

After logging into the forums following the maintenance, players will be taken to the Profile Settings screen and asked to choose an active character. Forum posts cannot be made until a character has been selected.

Forum profiles will now display the following:
- Character name
- World name
- Up to three jobs and levels of a player's choosing
* The above information cannot be hidden.

Players will retain forum handles.

Since this was the original post about the changes being made, there is nothing mentioned about non Na servers. I assume we will still be able to post to the forums without the character links

[katz]

Forum profiles will now display the following:
- Character name
- World name
- Up to three jobs and levels of a player's choosing
* The above information cannot be hidden.

Linking personal character information and which server the person is on with their SE account information is a great way of linking hackers information to make it easier to breach security. Yay!!

[Karbuncle]

Forum profiles will now display the following:
- Character name
- World name
- Up to three jobs and levels of a player's choosing
* The above information cannot be hidden.

Linking personal character information and which server the person is on with their SE account information is a great way of linking hackers information to make it easier to breach security. Yay!!

You're absolutely ignorant if you think hacking works that way at all.

Knowing your Character name, server, and jobs is completely useless and irrelevant information to a hacker. You don't need any of the above to get a Playonline ID or Password.

Furthermore you already log in here with your SE ID and Password so, Nothing new there.

You people must really be new to the internet if you think something like this is going to open floodgates to mass hacking.

Edit: And really, "Personal" Character information? I've been over this. If we're going to assume this is real life information, it would be like saying

*Your first name
*The Country you live in
*Favorite Color

None of these make you more susceptible to hacking. because its vague crap that no hacker needs to get your information.

the only way you're going to get targeted for a hack is if you really really P*ss off the wrong person and they go after you every way they can. Even then, Taking simple steps to protect yourself like the Security Token, and simple Internet programs (NoScript, AdBlock) help.

[GlobalVariable]

Positive #1: Knowing what server Hordecore is on.

Why does it matter? If someone's a problem in game his server will already know his character name is a problem. If someone's a problem on the forum people on the forum will already know he is.

Positive #2: Accountability. Even if people side-step it with mules. Better than nothing.

Accountable to WHOM? WE already are held accountable for our actions by Square Enix aren't we? If you're arguing for more accountability start by explaining how we aren't accountable right now and why I should throw away some privacy for this particular method. SE certainly knows all our in game names already.

I'm all for accountability but I don't see this increasing accountability at all. If we have problems not being taken care of this won't fix.

Positive #3: No more sock TearValerin BS.

I don't even know who/what that is, so no comment.

Linking personal character information and which server the person is on with their SE account information is a great way of linking hackers information to make it easier to breach security. Yay!!

Our login credentials are already the same, showing names can't make it any easier to hack you.

[katz]

You're absolutely ignorant if you think hacking works that way at all.

Knowing your Character name, server, and jobs is completely useless and irrelevant information to a hacker. You don't need any of the above to get a Playonline ID or Password.

Furthermore you already log in here with your SE ID and Password so, Nothing new there.

You people must really be new to the internet if you think something like this is going to open floodgates to mass hacking.

Tell that to Sony playstation........If you give hackers the starting point they will find a way in. I think its actually a good thing to have the information linked but not public. If you want less people to use the forums carry on. you will then end up with a few people making the decisions for the majority who dont care about the forum rules. Sounds just like politics to me. Few loud mouth peoples opinions overriding the majority who dont care less.

[Karbuncle]

Tell that to Sony playstation........If you give hackers the starting point they will find a way in. I think its actually a good thing to have the information linked but not public. If you want less people to use the forums carry on. you will then end up with a few people making the decisions for the majority who dont care about the forum rules. Sounds just like politics to me. Few loud mouth peoples opinions overriding the majority who dont care less.

No, To completely different situations. I'm sorry..

Your Name, Server, and Jobs are completely irrelevant information for Hackers. They do not need any of the above to hack your account. If you were to get hacked it would not be because of this.

If they wanted you hacked, They wont need your Name, Server, or Jobs. They could do it without.

hence - Irrelevant Information. You will be absolutely no more susceptible to hacking after this update than you are right now, because the only thing being displayed is information hackers DO NOT NEED to hack you. When you log into Playonline do you enter your Character name, Server, and jobs? no.

It is absolutely worthless information to a hacker. Because they don't need it to hack you. They need your Playonline ID, Password, and your SE I.D, The problem is the 1-time Token Password, making it almost impossible to be hacked unless its happening real-time.

Which is even further unlikely if your protect yourself with things like Adblock, Noscript, and safe internet browsing.

So to a Hacker, your Char-Name, Jobs, and Server are useless information, none of it is necessary to hack you.

Edit: Edited for nice-ness.

[Selzak]

Oh no, how will I be able to make threads about subjects that I have no clue about now!?

[wildsprite]

Tell that to Sony playstation........If you give hackers the starting point they will find a way in. I think its actually a good thing to have the information linked but not public. If you want less people to use the forums carry on. you will then end up with a few people making the decisions for the majority who dont care about the forum rules. Sounds just like politics to me. Few loud mouth peoples opinions overriding the majority who dont care less.

you might want to revise that, because it isn't "if you give hackers a starting point they will find a way in" its "if you piss off a hacker and expose the right starting point they will find a way in"

real hackers are explorers searching for information, they don't just hack without reason, why would they want your account, what makes it so special?

besides, the attack on PSN was the entire network not individuals so as Karbuncle said, your point with that is irrelevant

[Seriha]

My concern is more the digital footprints we (unknowingly) leave behind. Someone ambitious enough with a name and server could track down a linkshell forum, from there there might be a thread where people share pictures or other RL information like their job or roughly where they live when it comes to planning good times for LS events. Even an innocuous slip of a first name from someone the person's more intimate with could lead to a clue that would further direct someone to a blog or social networking site where cross-referencing info can help narrow down possibilities. With the existence of sites that attempt to append email addresses to real people, that can also cut down on time needed in investigation.

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.