I'm only two weeks in to the game, and having alot of fun playing with my friends, but this shit is making me think about cancelling my account already.
normal person + anonymity + audience = total fuckwad.
take away the anonymity people might not act like total fuckwads, but if they do you better believe it will affect them getting hired by any job that pays over 30k a year.
I'm ok with this.
If you think something you post on the interwebs might someday reflect on your personality, your probably right.
This post, for example, reflects yours.
As does every other post I have ever made or will make yes.
Gnutson on
Erai - Operative <--Imperial Double Agent--> Sniper - Eari
SW:Tor - Tao - Kryatt Dragon Server
I haven't read the USA Today article, but surely there's an opt in button for connecting RealID/Battle.net with your Facebook?
Do you expect any push back from diehard Blizzard fans from the Facebook features?
We don't anticipate any. We are going to be very clear and upfront with the user. Once they log in and create a Battle.net account for the first time, if they choose to participate in Real ID, it is of course, an optional set of features that you don't have to participate in. Beyond that we are going to notify them upfront their names could be used to populate via Facebook and how their names could be used via this Facebook feature.
It seems that most of us don't agree with it, or like it in anyway, chances are people are just going to stop using the features altogether.
I guess it depends how intrusive it becomes. You can disable it on your wow accounts in parental controls. None of us saw the forum change coming; but you can at least not post there. What's the next step/suprise? RealID tied to Armory? Can't communicate with people in future games without using RealID? I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
This is all a bit much for a fucking video game. Not once have I ever complained that it's a chore to add friends to an online buddylist to play with them in it. Because I don't want them to be fucking linked.
I don't care if 3 of my friends play WoW or SC, if I wanted to play with them, or let them know I play, I'd fucking tell them. I also don't like to be associated with people who pretty much openly tell me they cheat in games just because, hey, they're online games who cares. But, being part of my larger circle of friends, I can't just ignore them either, as much as I try.
bowen on
not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
It seems that most of us don't agree with it, or like it in anyway, chances are people are just going to stop using the features altogether.
I guess it depends how intrusive it becomes. You can disable it on your wow accounts in parental controls. None of us saw the forum change coming; but you can at least not post there. What's the next step/suprise? RealID tied to Armory? Can't communicate with people in future games without using RealID? I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Personally, I wouldn't bet against your real name appearing under your character and guild names on the overhead tags.
I haven't read the USA Today article, but surely there's an opt in button for connecting RealID/Battle.net with your Facebook?
Do you expect any push back from diehard Blizzard fans from the Facebook features?
We don't anticipate any. We are going to be very clear and upfront with the user. Once they log in and create a Battle.net account for the first time, if they choose to participate in Real ID, it is of course, an optional set of features that you don't have to participate in. Beyond that we are going to notify them upfront their names could be used to populate via Facebook and how their names could be used via this Facebook feature.
Pretty sure Blizzard is the only company, aside from maybe Apple, with enough [strike] balls [/strike] enough fan goodwill to burn off, to try a stunt like destroying the anonymity we've chosen to shroud ourselves in for the past 20ish years.
I haven't read the USA Today article, but surely there's an opt in button for connecting RealID/Battle.net with your Facebook?
Do you expect any push back from diehard Blizzard fans from the Facebook features?
We don't anticipate any. We are going to be very clear and upfront with the user. Once they log in and create a Battle.net account for the first time, if they choose to participate in Real ID, it is of course, an optional set of features that you don't have to participate in. Beyond that we are going to notify them upfront their names could be used to populate via Facebook and how their names could be used via this Facebook feature.
oh
botp'd
sooooo are we all butthurt over nothing?
It's a slippery slope. It'll go both ways soon I'm sure.
bowen on
not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
I haven't read the USA Today article, but surely there's an opt in button for connecting RealID/Battle.net with your Facebook?
Do you expect any push back from diehard Blizzard fans from the Facebook features?
We don't anticipate any. We are going to be very clear and upfront with the user. Once they log in and create a Battle.net account for the first time, if they choose to participate in Real ID, it is of course, an optional set of features that you don't have to participate in. Beyond that we are going to notify them upfront their names could be used to populate via Facebook and how their names could be used via this Facebook feature.
oh
botp'd
sooooo are we all butthurt over nothing?
My biggest issue is their wording of it in the ToS, updated in May.
16.2 Facebook. If you have a registered “Facebook Account” you may opt-in to the “Facebook Friends” feature which will allow you to see which of your Facebook friends are registered on the Service. The “Facebook Account” is subject to separate terms and conditions provided by Facebook Inc. Note that if you have a Facebook account, your Facebook friends will be able to associate your screen name with your real name on the Service when they use the Facebook Friends feature. Facebook disclaims all liability it may otherwise incur as a result of this Agreement and/or your use of the Service.
Does this mean:
A) You opt-in to Facebook Friends, and as long as your other friends are also opt-in, then you can see eachother.
2. You opt-in to Facebook Friends, and all friends on your Facebook will be automatically linked to your battle.net profile, without their accept.
Combine this with the ability to see friends of my RealID friend, and it feels like Blizzard is running around the internet social environment with a blindfold on. They're getting clumsy with social networking to a point nearing Nintendo.
OmnomnomPancake on
0
Descendant XSkyrim is my god now.Outpost 31Registered Userregular
I think a lot of people have inflated views of how private they are online. I really think privacy is a thing of the past.
The thing that doesn't worry me too much is that while trolling someone in a forum can be done without any repercussion, if you use someone's personal information to send him a severed human ear, buy a new car or have his parents assassinated, it becomes an actual crime. You can get in real trouble (jail, fines) for it.
You're right, of course.
Except that people can be silly geese and do dumb shit without thinking of the repercussions all the time.
Jails are full of people who didn't think of the repercussions of their actions.
Descendant X on
Garry: I know you gentlemen have been through a lot, but when you find the time I'd rather not spend the rest of the winter TIED TO THIS FUCKING COUCH!
Apparently not. I can't think of anyone who's said "This is a pretty neat thing." Apart from my retarded friends who can't remember their passwords half the time. Even then, most of them don't like it.
bowen on
not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
"Hey guys, if we do this deal with Facebook we can upgrade our wheelbarrows of cash to carts pulled by gold-plated donkeys and the server costs for the forums will plummet and we can fire a bunch of CMs to save even more money! We really need to get on this right away since we sunk so much time and money into developing that sparkle horse that nobody bought--oh wait."
They said it won't, it'll probably just be deleted or archived to some degree, but it doesn't let them import it/update it, and would potentially be very open to legal issues. Lots of them.
bowen on
not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
The stupidest part of this is that underneath it lies a really great idea - require you to uniquely identify yourself TO BLIZZARD for the sake of forum posting.
Which means that if you're an asshole, you can be PERMANENTLY blocked - no more creating 20 accounts, no more getting around bans by buying a time card, etc. You have one identity - if you trash it, you're gone.
However, why they felt that revealing this unique information to everyone would be anything other than a mind-numbingly stupid idea I cannot fathom, other than some marketing exec getting enamored by Facebook.
The amount of fear mongering about this is staggering. By itself a name means nothing. It has no valuable information to it at all. The simple act of having your real name show up on the WoW forums does not make you a target. It does not put your job in jeopardy. It does not make you less hire-able to company X. It does not create a threat to your security and well being. It does not do anything. If another person sees your name and googles it with no other information it's a needle in a hay stack. What everyone is worried about is that someone people will see your name and then somehow back into where you are located or some other piece of information that will suddenly narrow down which Chris Morrison plays Terribaad on the Malorne server. That's when things can start to get interesting with searches. If using real names is such a threat why do so many people use their real name on facebook and myspace? Why does the management team at the company I work for post their name AND picture on our website for anyone to see? Why when I call UPS does the guy on the other line give me his first and last name before asking if he can help me? You know why? Because it doesn't matter, that's why. It's beyond me that so many people are so up in arms about this. It is one thing for Blizzard to announce they are opening up all of your bnet account information. As it stands it's just your first and last name. Contrary to what so many people want to believe, your first and last name is not some heavily guarded secret.
Facebook & Myspace: They're social Networking sites, and people can choose not to use them (personally I don't use either and have no plans to). People can also lock down their profiles heavily.
Your Company: So they can give the illusion of transparency to their customers.
UPS: See "Your Company" above, in addition, the UPS guy probably doesn't want to give it to you but he'll get dinged on the call if he doesn't. It's this way in the company I work for.
In addition, there are plenty of people out there with unique or rare name combinations. There may be 100 Chris Morrisons, but in Ghostcrawler's case, I saw in another forum where people had it narrowed down to 2 people (apparently his RL name is not that common of a name).
Turns out you can opt out of RealID as well. Funny,that. As far as an illusion of transpacy with companies I hardly see how posting the real name and photo of people that I work with is an illusion. I used to work for Brown as a workforce manage in one of their call centers and I can tell you that first and last names is a requirement because it's their culture and because they want the customer to feel connected to who they are talking to. A first and last name, in theory, is supposed to provide that.
Yes while you are correct in saying that there are lots of unique names without additional context it is still meaningless. Someone posted that it's easy to tell when you google which person is which. Ok then I challenge anyone here to find me and answer the following questions.
1. Where do I live? City, State is fine.
2. What is my wifes name?
3. Where do I work?
4. What highschool did I go to?
All of this is readily available. You know my name (see above post). Find me.
First and last name when being introduced in a professional setting isn't out of the ordinary. However, when dealing with a customer, it is pretty out of the ordinary. Between colleagues, it's fine. But there can be some angry customers and to expose your workforce to some of those shitbrains is a bad idea.
In a game, or a personal setting, it's way more than over the line. Some of my good friends still don't know my last name. It's not important to those kinds of relationships. Short of having my first name and phone number/email, there's little more they need.
bowen on
not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
Apparently not. I can't think of anyone who's said "This is a pretty neat thing." Apart from my retarded friends who can't remember their passwords half the time. Even then, most of them don't like it.
I've seen "I don't see what the problem is" and "this is fucking stupid" but have not seen anyone say "This is great!".
Wow.com's breakfast topic is on this today. Not scientific, of course, but the poll has 81% opposed 18% for.
I'd be willing to be that almost all of the 18% for think it will stop the trolling and/or have common names.
Sorry, but this sounds like bullshit. The linked post refers to a law that we also have in Germany (or at least something similar). Their point is that the real name isn't needed for the forum, so Blizz has no right to collect (and then display) it.
Blizz will just say that the real name is needed to guarantee a smooth operation of the forums. They already stated in numerous posts that they want to do this to reduce the amount of trolling and spamming. Now you don't have to believe that argument, but will anybody sue them over this? It comes down to whether a court will believe Blizz' claim.
That's a strange idea to me. Anyone I consider a good friend knows my first and last name and knows plenty about me that is waaay more troubling that some random dude on the internet knowing my first and last name. A casual acquaintance on the other hand, probably knows my first name and that's it. Hell people from my old TBC guild new my first and last name, e-mail etc etc. Worst thing that ever happened was I got drunk dialed at 2 am from a guildie who was having problems with his girlfriend and needed to talk.
That's way more than I would deal with mutilate. I have a pretty low tolerance for bullshit and especially from friends. I'd feel just as pissed off if Verizon/Time Warner decided to share my cable/TV details with the world as well with twitter/facebook based on my account name.
bowen on
not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
I honestly don't think that is a good idea regardless of how secure you feel Mutilate.
It's a first and last name. Without knowing anything else of consequence about me you will not find me or anyone else. I guarantee it. It's the other details that can get you in trouble.
I get it that some people don't like the change and that is fine. I get that to some people it feels unsafe and like Blizzard has no regard for their privacy. I get that too. It's cool to not like it. It's silly to say that this will make people targets, prevent employment, turn people into stalkers etc etc.
That's way more than I would deal with mutilate. I have a pretty low tolerance for bullshit and especially from friends. I'd feel just as pissed off if Verizon/Time Warner decided to share my cable/TV details with the world as well with twitter/facebook based on my account name.
They probably do. Do you get direct mail at your home? If you ever have it's because someone sold your name and address to a marketing firm who in turn sells it to companies for their mass mail.
Some people have less common names than you do mutilate. Like Micah Whipple. Mine's fairly unique, but you'll probably think I'm a physics professor in Nevada.
bowen on
not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
The amount of fear mongering about this is staggering. By itself a name means nothing. It has no valuable information to it at all. The simple act of having your real name show up on the WoW forums does not make you a target. It does not put your job in jeopardy. It does not make you less hire-able to company X. It does not create a threat to your security and well being. It does not do anything. If another person sees your name and googles it with no other information it's a needle in a hay stack. What everyone is worried about is that someone people will see your name and then somehow back into where you are located or some other piece of information that will suddenly narrow down which Chris Morrison plays Terribaad on the Malorne server. That's when things can start to get interesting with searches. If using real names is such a threat why do so many people use their real name on facebook and myspace? Why does the management team at the company I work for post their name AND picture on our website for anyone to see? Why when I call UPS does the guy on the other line give me his first and last name before asking if he can help me? You know why? Because it doesn't matter, that's why. It's beyond me that so many people are so up in arms about this. It is one thing for Blizzard to announce they are opening up all of your bnet account information. As it stands it's just your first and last name. Contrary to what so many people want to believe, your first and last name is not some heavily guarded secret.
Facebook & Myspace: They're social Networking sites, and people can choose not to use them (personally I don't use either and have no plans to). People can also lock down their profiles heavily.
Your Company: So they can give the illusion of transparency to their customers.
UPS: See "Your Company" above, in addition, the UPS guy probably doesn't want to give it to you but he'll get dinged on the call if he doesn't. It's this way in the company I work for.
In addition, there are plenty of people out there with unique or rare name combinations. There may be 100 Chris Morrisons, but in Ghostcrawler's case, I saw in another forum where people had it narrowed down to 2 people (apparently his RL name is not that common of a name).
Turns out you can opt out of RealID as well. Funny,that. As far as an illusion of transpacy with companies I hardly see how posting the real name and photo of people that I work with is an illusion. I used to work for Brown as a workforce manage in one of their call centers and I can tell you that first and last names is a requirement because it's their culture and because they want the customer to feel connected to who they are talking to. A first and last name, in theory, is supposed to provide that.
Yes while you are correct in saying that there are lots of unique names without additional context it is still meaningless. Someone posted that it's easy to tell when you google which person is which. Ok then I challenge anyone here to find me and answer the following questions.
1. Where do I live? City, State is fine.
2. What is my wifes name?
3. Where do I work?
4. What highschool did I go to?
All of this is readily available. You know my name (see above post). Find me.
Yes it is optional (at this point). You can choose to no longer use their forums. Just like I choose to not use Facebook or Myspace. Personally I'm dreading the day they enforce it ingame.
The reason I indicated those are an illusion of transparency is because it gives people a name of a person they think they can talk to. Do those executives talk to customers about their complaints everyday?
You didn't really refute my point about UPS...
And I'm pretty sure posting peoples' personal information on this forum is against forum rules, so I'd be surprised if people actually took you up on it :P
I like to think that I don't troll this forum (too much!) and you all sure as hell don't know my name. Iron fisted moderation keeps the peasants in line here.
Also, a user base that isn't terrible.
I'm more inclined to agree with the "poorly reasoned social networking bandwagon" hypothesis.
I honestly don't think that is a good idea regardless of how secure you feel Mutilate.
It's a first and last name. Without knowing anything else of consequence about me you will not find me or anyone else. I guarantee it. It's the other details that can get you in trouble.
This argument is BULLSHIT and I cannot emphasize that enough. With my first and last name on a Google search every google hit for the right name (there are a couple of false positives on the last name) for PAGES is me. Almost all of it is a decade old, but it is still me and still enough to get more information to do even more focused searches.
I have a pretty uncommon name, and there is definetly info that pertains -exactly- to me from my college course work on the first page of google/bing searches, along with the info that I graduated from college. All of the info was data cached from a professor's website, a public project sharing site we had to put our projects on for the class, and a news article published in a local paper on local college grads using a press release from the college. One random "friend finder" website had data mined enough to find my parents' names, my age, but got where I lived wrong. A few others had no info on me at all.
The amount of fear mongering about this is staggering. By itself a name means nothing. It has no valuable information to it at all. The simple act of having your real name show up on the WoW forums does not make you a target. It does not put your job in jeopardy. It does not make you less hire-able to company X. It does not create a threat to your security and well being. It does not do anything. If another person sees your name and googles it with no other information it's a needle in a hay stack. What everyone is worried about is that someone people will see your name and then somehow back into where you are located or some other piece of information that will suddenly narrow down which Chris Morrison plays Terribaad on the Malorne server. That's when things can start to get interesting with searches. If using real names is such a threat why do so many people use their real name on facebook and myspace? Why does the management team at the company I work for post their name AND picture on our website for anyone to see? Why when I call UPS does the guy on the other line give me his first and last name before asking if he can help me? You know why? Because it doesn't matter, that's why. It's beyond me that so many people are so up in arms about this. It is one thing for Blizzard to announce they are opening up all of your bnet account information. As it stands it's just your first and last name. Contrary to what so many people want to believe, your first and last name is not some heavily guarded secret.
Facebook & Myspace: They're social Networking sites, and people can choose not to use them (personally I don't use either and have no plans to). People can also lock down their profiles heavily.
Your Company: So they can give the illusion of transparency to their customers.
UPS: See "Your Company" above, in addition, the UPS guy probably doesn't want to give it to you but he'll get dinged on the call if he doesn't. It's this way in the company I work for.
In addition, there are plenty of people out there with unique or rare name combinations. There may be 100 Chris Morrisons, but in Ghostcrawler's case, I saw in another forum where people had it narrowed down to 2 people (apparently his RL name is not that common of a name).
Turns out you can opt out of RealID as well. Funny,that. As far as an illusion of transpacy with companies I hardly see how posting the real name and photo of people that I work with is an illusion. I used to work for Brown as a workforce manage in one of their call centers and I can tell you that first and last names is a requirement because it's their culture and because they want the customer to feel connected to who they are talking to. A first and last name, in theory, is supposed to provide that.
Yes while you are correct in saying that there are lots of unique names without additional context it is still meaningless. Someone posted that it's easy to tell when you google which person is which. Ok then I challenge anyone here to find me and answer the following questions.
1. Where do I live? City, State is fine.
2. What is my wifes name?
3. Where do I work?
4. What highschool did I go to?
All of this is readily available. You know my name (see above post). Find me.
Yes it is optional (at this point). You can choose to no longer use their forums. Just like I choose to not use Facebook or Myspace. Personally I'm dreading the day they enforce it ingame.
The reason I indicated those are an illusion of transparency is because it gives people a name of a person they think they can talk to. Do those executives talk to customers about their complaints everyday?
You didn't really refute my point about UPS...
And I'm pretty sure posting peoples' personal information on this forum is against forum rules, so I'd be surprised if people actually took you up on it :P
True. I forgot about that. My whole point was that just knowing my name wont help you find me without additional details. It's all good and I don't want to stir the pot anymore. At the end of the day this change won't effect me and I think over time people will see it won't effect them either. It's the initial shock and awe of it and it will calm down I am sure.
Posts
I'm only two weeks in to the game, and having alot of fun playing with my friends, but this shit is making me think about cancelling my account already.
As does every other post I have ever made or will make yes.
SW:Tor - Tao - Kryatt Dragon Server
oh
I really hope so. I just don't feel comfortable with it.
I guess it depends how intrusive it becomes. You can disable it on your wow accounts in parental controls. None of us saw the forum change coming; but you can at least not post there. What's the next step/suprise? RealID tied to Armory? Can't communicate with people in future games without using RealID? I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
I don't care if 3 of my friends play WoW or SC, if I wanted to play with them, or let them know I play, I'd fucking tell them. I also don't like to be associated with people who pretty much openly tell me they cheat in games just because, hey, they're online games who cares. But, being part of my larger circle of friends, I can't just ignore them either, as much as I try.
Personally, I wouldn't bet against your real name appearing under your character and guild names on the overhead tags.
Not after the forum change anyway.
sooooo are we all butthurt over nothing?
Good show, Blizzard.
It's a slippery slope. It'll go both ways soon I'm sure.
My biggest issue is their wording of it in the ToS, updated in May.
Does this mean:
A) You opt-in to Facebook Friends, and as long as your other friends are also opt-in, then you can see eachother.
2. You opt-in to Facebook Friends, and all friends on your Facebook will be automatically linked to your battle.net profile, without their accept.
Combine this with the ability to see friends of my RealID friend, and it feels like Blizzard is running around the internet social environment with a blindfold on. They're getting clumsy with social networking to a point nearing Nintendo.
You're right, of course.
Except that people can be silly geese and do dumb shit without thinking of the repercussions all the time.
Jails are full of people who didn't think of the repercussions of their actions.
A real bad IDea
you americans are cool with it tho, rite?
"Hey guys, if we do this deal with Facebook we can upgrade our wheelbarrows of cash to carts pulled by gold-plated donkeys and the server costs for the forums will plummet and we can fire a bunch of CMs to save even more money! We really need to get on this right away since we sunk so much time and money into developing that sparkle horse that nobody bought--oh wait."
Because the second case would invite even more hilarity.
We'll probably see what we saw when they last updated the forum software: everything suddenly ceased existing (ie, discard).
They said those forums will not be converted over; and they're switching to new forums that support this with the release of SCII and Cata.
Which means that if you're an asshole, you can be PERMANENTLY blocked - no more creating 20 accounts, no more getting around bans by buying a time card, etc. You have one identity - if you trash it, you're gone.
However, why they felt that revealing this unique information to everyone would be anything other than a mind-numbingly stupid idea I cannot fathom, other than some marketing exec getting enamored by Facebook.
Turns out you can opt out of RealID as well. Funny,that. As far as an illusion of transpacy with companies I hardly see how posting the real name and photo of people that I work with is an illusion. I used to work for Brown as a workforce manage in one of their call centers and I can tell you that first and last names is a requirement because it's their culture and because they want the customer to feel connected to who they are talking to. A first and last name, in theory, is supposed to provide that.
Yes while you are correct in saying that there are lots of unique names without additional context it is still meaningless. Someone posted that it's easy to tell when you google which person is which. Ok then I challenge anyone here to find me and answer the following questions.
1. Where do I live? City, State is fine.
2. What is my wifes name?
3. Where do I work?
4. What highschool did I go to?
All of this is readily available. You know my name (see above post). Find me.
In a game, or a personal setting, it's way more than over the line. Some of my good friends still don't know my last name. It's not important to those kinds of relationships. Short of having my first name and phone number/email, there's little more they need.
I've seen "I don't see what the problem is" and "this is fucking stupid" but have not seen anyone say "This is great!".
Wow.com's breakfast topic is on this today. Not scientific, of course, but the poll has 81% opposed 18% for.
I'd be willing to be that almost all of the 18% for think it will stop the trolling and/or have common names.
Sorry, but this sounds like bullshit. The linked post refers to a law that we also have in Germany (or at least something similar). Their point is that the real name isn't needed for the forum, so Blizz has no right to collect (and then display) it.
Blizz will just say that the real name is needed to guarantee a smooth operation of the forums. They already stated in numerous posts that they want to do this to reduce the amount of trolling and spamming. Now you don't have to believe that argument, but will anybody sue them over this? It comes down to whether a court will believe Blizz' claim.
It's a first and last name. Without knowing anything else of consequence about me you will not find me or anyone else. I guarantee it. It's the other details that can get you in trouble.
I get it that some people don't like the change and that is fine. I get that to some people it feels unsafe and like Blizzard has no regard for their privacy. I get that too. It's cool to not like it. It's silly to say that this will make people targets, prevent employment, turn people into stalkers etc etc.
They probably do. Do you get direct mail at your home? If you ever have it's because someone sold your name and address to a marketing firm who in turn sells it to companies for their mass mail.
Yes it is optional (at this point). You can choose to no longer use their forums. Just like I choose to not use Facebook or Myspace. Personally I'm dreading the day they enforce it ingame.
The reason I indicated those are an illusion of transparency is because it gives people a name of a person they think they can talk to. Do those executives talk to customers about their complaints everyday?
You didn't really refute my point about UPS...
And I'm pretty sure posting peoples' personal information on this forum is against forum rules, so I'd be surprised if people actually took you up on it :P
Also, a user base that isn't terrible.
I'm more inclined to agree with the "poorly reasoned social networking bandwagon" hypothesis.
This argument is BULLSHIT and I cannot emphasize that enough. With my first and last name on a Google search every google hit for the right name (there are a couple of false positives on the last name) for PAGES is me. Almost all of it is a decade old, but it is still me and still enough to get more information to do even more focused searches.
I use no social networking sites.
True. I forgot about that.