Updated to reflect new information from SOE stating they did not release chat logs.
The Daily Grind: What if everyone turned over server logs?
by Krystalle Voecks 
on Feb 17th 2009 8:00AM
EverQuest II, MMO industry, News items, Opinion, The Daily Grind
50
Updated to reflect new information from SOE stating they did not release chat logs.
Reader Comments (50)
Posted: Feb 18th 2009 1:33PM (Unverified) said
so your comparing something that would not kill me to something that would huh? i would understand if there where rumors of them giving it to men in black but have not heard as such.
Reply
Posted: Feb 17th 2009 1:48PM Ninevah said
People who are dumb enough to admit in chat in an MMO that they robbed someone or raped someone SHOULD get caught and thrown in jail. This is how natural selection attempts to remove idiots from the gene pool.
Posted: Feb 17th 2009 1:43PM (Unverified) said
If we had turned over personally identifiable information, I would be upset and concerned as well. However nothing personally identifiable was released. =)
All in-game character names were removed and replaced with number strings with no relevance to the account. Additionally not a single piece of account information was turned over. Nor were any chat logs. This was all server side data such as how many times mobs were killed, or how many trades were conducted. All without any personally identifiable data.
All in-game character names were removed and replaced with number strings with no relevance to the account. Additionally not a single piece of account information was turned over. Nor were any chat logs. This was all server side data such as how many times mobs were killed, or how many trades were conducted. All without any personally identifiable data.
Posted: Feb 17th 2009 4:30PM Mr Angry said
Brenlo, it states clearly that the reseachers knew the gender of the individual, which is account specific. So if you would like to revisit that last statement, before commenting again, as I realize you are representing SOE here.
This whole affair could just could have been handled so much more positively. Take a note from CCP, who innovate, rather than alienate people. Why not outline the aims of the project and get players behind it, outline how it benefits the player and the game. Outline how games will be improved as a result of this research. And finally outline how this information has no commercial value and will not be sold to third parties or used in SOE marketing pieces.
Thanks
Reply
This whole affair could just could have been handled so much more positively. Take a note from CCP, who innovate, rather than alienate people. Why not outline the aims of the project and get players behind it, outline how it benefits the player and the game. Outline how games will be improved as a result of this research. And finally outline how this information has no commercial value and will not be sold to third parties or used in SOE marketing pieces.
Thanks
Posted: Feb 17th 2009 3:47PM pcgneurotic said
Who gives a fuck?
Posted: Feb 17th 2009 3:55PM Joystiq Login Bugs SUCK said
Cancelled my account.
Bye EQ2, and bye Sony. Should have known though after all you are the company who infected people's computers with a Root Kit.
Bye EQ2, and bye Sony. Should have known though after all you are the company who infected people's computers with a Root Kit.
Posted: Feb 17th 2009 4:31PM (Unverified) said
Wow... so far I've seen Insurance going after you... lawyers going after you... This is an easy lesson that no one seems to learn. Don't tell anyone anything you don't want people to know. Including "I smoke and didn't tell my insurance..." and "I'm cheating on my wife." Nubs....
Its not an invasion of privacy when they told you they could do it before you signed on. You used Federal property - cables running to your house to hook up to "The Internet".
All MMO's record all information. So when you try to sue them or someone else for crap they have nothing to do with.... they'll hand it to their lawyers.
Keep this in mind next time you want to send that office email or naughty text ...
Its not an invasion of privacy when they told you they could do it before you signed on. You used Federal property - cables running to your house to hook up to "The Internet".
All MMO's record all information. So when you try to sue them or someone else for crap they have nothing to do with.... they'll hand it to their lawyers.
Keep this in mind next time you want to send that office email or naughty text ...
Posted: Feb 17th 2009 4:49PM Dblade said
Generally most internet sites have a privacy policy stating how they use the personal information you send them, and it's very poor business practice to transmit or transfer that information without prior consent to a third party. I have no idea of what SOE's policy is, but its bad to be allowing a third party through any person's data, be it chat or not, without the persons express consent.
People aren't paying SOE to have their chat logged and used for a third party's benefit, be it altruistic or not.
People aren't paying SOE to have their chat logged and used for a third party's benefit, be it altruistic or not.
Posted: Feb 17th 2009 10:17PM cray said
I think the real finger pointing should be aimed at those who are complaining about this. Obviously they ignored the fact that there's no privacy in these games. Its been stated already that its part of every online game's TOS/EULA.
Any expectations that you could just ignore that fact is your own fault.
Any expectations that you could just ignore that fact is your own fault.
Posted: Mar 1st 2009 9:50AM (Unverified) said
I think a big part of the "spaz factor" is that there are a lot of chats that look like the ones at http://ldlcyb0rs.livejournal.com/
