How would you feel if you had to use your real name at GB?

I don't really see the point of it, but I'd not be mad about it either. Not as if I'm posting shit I'm ashamed of on Giant Bomb, I comment on a couple threads a week at most. Truth be told it's probably very easy to find my name as it is because I've used similar account names for so many sites.

I wouldn't want my Twitter to be known by potential employers though, I talk about politics on Twitter & my politics are quite radical left so I can imagine it putting off some prospective bosses if they cared enough to put in the effort. But then I've also not used my real name on Facebook, that's more just because I don't want to end up friends with anyone I'm not actually friends with, so people I barely know can't search for me without knowing what to look for

Well, I already use my real name on Steam, DeviantArt, Last.fm and of course Facebook, so it really wouldn't mater to me.

Not a chance. Fuck Big Data.

Not that my identity is a secret or anything, but I don't subscribe to the idea that anonymity is what has made Internet today the nightmare hellscape it is. The biggest monsters are very public about it, and most of the most important stuff in our time had been published under pseudonyms or anonymously.

Not that I expect a video game forum to be the source of any world altering leaks, but still - I don't think forcing people to use their real names in any way helps combat the toxicity of the Internet, but would rather make more minorities keep their perspective to themselves.

I certainly wouldn't delete my account or anything like that, but I'd likely just watch the content and stop being active in the community.

I'd rather not.

I already use my real name! TAAADAAA.

It would be weird if my family, employer or friends googled my real name and found every site other than facebook that I use. I'd rather not.

I wouldn't have a problem using it, but I would have a problem being made to use it with no alternate choice.

I'm screwed cause I have a rather unique name. Searching my full name on google will bring me up, and even various Google searches of my first name with relevant words will bring me up. The end result would be that I would never do anything community related, and just enjoy the site like I normally do. GB already has all of my billing information anyway.

I'm already doing it. Although I stopped using it in online games (although most people associate it with a German football player anyway).

I would be heavily opposed to it. It's an invasion of privacy, and we all have the right to remain anonymous. Furthermore, it's not like it will prevent trolls and spammers, just look at twitter and Youtube, for instance.

@fisk0: I sort of disagree with your notion that anonymity didn't create the internet we have. I agree that people say vile shit on the record with their own names these days. But I believe that is a direct result of anonymity (though not necessarily the only reason) making the internet seem like a place where you are not accountable for your actions and the receiver of your words are not an actual human being. It's the attitude that every interaction online is disposable.

There are definitely pros to anonymity and I agree that we need it for a lot of reasons, especially when it comes to the preservation of people's ability to publicly scrutinize those in power. And I do agree that at this stage just 'being who you are' isn't going to necessarily combat internet toxicity.

Personally it wouldn't matter. My username is already linked to my real name on plenty of places so it's not like I am hiding who I am behind it.

I'd rather not. I work in an industry with a lot of judgmental douches who would look down on me for my nerdy hobbies. Also, I'd rather not give potential clients that kind of information.

I would love to be able to change my name on here to my real name, I mean when I made this account I was like 15, and now I am 23 and don't really care if people know my real name. Now when I make a account it is usually my first initial, middle initial, and my whole last name.

The only downside would be that english speakers (and other languages) wouldn't know how to say my name (not that my username is much easier)

@blackblade500: You can change your profile name in account billings under profile management. I've done it twice.

There was a while where I thought an internet where everyone HAD to use their real name would be a good thing. My thought process was, no one would be able to post hateful trolly/anonymous shit anymore just to get a rise out of people, their opinions would be true.
However, Facebook shoved that opinion down my throat and out my butthole, people use their real names and shit doesn't change, they can be as mean or trollish or hateful forever, anonymous or not.

Then there are stories you here about sometimes where someone managed to track a person down due to their name and steal their identify for a minute or stabby stabby murder stab them.

Sooo yeah, if it's not forced, cool, but otherwise it just upsets some people without really changing anything. In my opinion, like I know anything.

I use part of my real name here though, Royce, that's my legit first name.
Hi I'm Royce, I'm a Giant Bomb fan.

Fine as fuck. I already use my real name on my youtube channel. Gives you some accountability for your internet bullshit.

I'm kind of already using my real name. Well, using a short form - my name is Haziq but most of my friends call me Haz so I just prefer to use that for GB.

I wouldn't post at Giant Bomb for this reason. I don't think I post inflammatory or mean stuff so it's not that I'd be embarrassed if a friend saw it and knew it was me, but just the fact that I'm passionate about and like to post about video games would probably hurt me professionally. People would be weirded out by the fact that I've said that Zelda was a joyful experience for me, for example. That's not something that I'm embarrassed about but it is what it is.

Not sure why they would do it, but I wouldn't cancel my membership if they did.

It would make me feel a little uncomfortable, to be honest - even though I suppose there's no good reason for me to feel that way.

I'm not like ethically against it or anything, but I would either create an account with a fake name or stop posting. I have a one of a kind name (literally, if you google my name you see a couple of links to personal information about me and then the rest is about something else that sounds like my name), so if anyone for any reason decided to look me up from either side it would be super easy to track me.

I'd cancel

Where's the option for I'd stay but I'd lurk instead of vocally participating?

@slag: That's basically the 2nd option. In this scenario, you'd need a a real name id to post on forums or comment anywhere at the site. Even if you're not a subscriber, you'd have something like a silver membership that'd allow you to create lists, edit wikis, and probably vote in polls.

The only other forums I'm using actively show up my real name. It has been a fairly effective way to make most people behave politely, though some folks are still assholes. I've been okay with it, though I have never really shared anything extrmely personal over there. Most of it is also behind a subscribtion-wall, so googling my name won't show up anything from there.

Don't know about this place. I post even less personal stuff over here, so eh. Maybe I wouldn't care.

Problem with this whole real name push is I know at least one other person with my real first and last name who are on the site, and I don't even have that common of a name.

This is one of the big problems with this whole real name thing. Maybe we get the solution MyName.80034 or whatever but that is just lame.

Problem is I wouldn't because so many people demonize you due to politics or different opinions of similar nature and I don't need that sort of abuse and the consequences of it. This site being no exception.

I would just make an account with a fake name. If they need some sort of ID evidence or something to make my account then no thanks it is a freakin' video game website moving on.

No. But it's more an internet thing.

Already use my name! Well, initials and last name at least. I got nothing to hide, don't care who knows my dumb opinions.

Well, I'd certainly stop posting in the forums. Not because I want to be an anonymous asshole or something, but why on earth would I want my name floating around even more places on the internet?

And hell, if I was applying for a job and they Google me, most of my top results would say fucking "Giant Bomb." Nope.

I think requiring a real name for things like forums and comment boards causes a ton more troubles than it could ever try to solve.

A national news broadcaster in Canada changed its comment system to require a "real name" about a year or two ago, and it's been a total disaster. Many "moderate" posters who wanted to keep their anonymity ran to the hills. Shills (occasionally believed to be paid shills, even), trolls, and those with hyper-partisan and more radical tendencies stayed and don't give a hoot if it's their real name or a fake one they use for the account.

I am with slag on this one.

No one must know my real name is Bort.

I already use my middle name. If I had to use my full name, I'd leave. I prefer RPGCodex anyway, though I've not been there long.

I wouldn't like it, as I like to be able to speak my mind wherever I go and the modern employer already tends to do enough google checking on you as is. Not that I think I say anything too inflammatory, but they might be quick to judge if they see I'm a member of a site called giant bomb. But if everyone here was already using their name, I think I'd accept it too, hesitantly.

Giant Bomb is a pretty chill corner of the gaming world, but if recent events are anything to go by, there are definitely people among the gaming community at large who I would not like to hand my personal details to -- particularly since I tend to hate on gamer entitlement on things like paid DLC, lean towards supporting a lot of feminist critiques of gaming culture, and have negative views of some things that gamers can be very zealous in their support of (e.g. ALttP, Playstation).

Wouldn't care, thanks.

I can't really think of a single instance this will be be useful for me other than BIG DATA stealing my info.

Would cancel account, i did the same thing on espn and never leave feedback on android. I have seen peoples lives get ruined just from someone finding their real name after some pointless argument on a message board. Seen folks get shot over call of duty games etc. Sure anonymity can be abused but at ths same time its important when dealing with the amount of random peole on the internet. Even if someone can probably find that stuff if they really want to and know what they are doing, you put full names out there you are asking for trouble online that most people dont realize imo.

My solution is to use half of my real name, and half of a made-up one.

Yours sincerely, Derek Tacitus

It's not a good idea to implement this until every public account for every person requires it. Personally I feel this would dramatically reduce the amount of bullshit you see on the internet, and people would be forced to conduct themselves as any respectable person should. It would need to be a ubiquitous standard though, not just on a few sites.

@rongalaxy said:

Nah. It's already done in Korea. To sign up for any Korean blog or forum, you have to use your national ID number. There's still plenty of racism, sexism and trolling on the Internet here. It's not just the anonymity of the Internet that brings out the worst in people, it's also about having an audience.

I wouldn't care much but I don't really censor myself like that, possibly to my detriment. My twitter is just my name for example and I don't really guard anything about that. I definitely would not see the point either tho so from that point it would seem like some shitty marketing thing or something.

@sinusoidal: Interesting. Well, at least it puts a face/name to the bullshit.... No accountability though. Guess you can't fix stupid :(

Against, but it isn't a line in the sand or anything.

I've seen a lot of awful stuff on facebook by people using their real names. If the intention is to make safe spaces by using real names....not gonna work.