Massively http://massively.joystiq.com Massively http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Massively http://massively.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Storyboard: Private party]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/14/storyboard-private-party/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/14/storyboard-private-party/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/14/storyboard-private-party/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Shout!
Ms. Lady and I were in the midst of roleplaying in Star Wars: The Old Republic, and it was going well. As it so happened, this particular bit of roleplaying involved her pureblood Sith lord doing the Sad Sith Dance and singing the accompanying song.

Explaining why this was a logical step in the scene would require a whole lot of explanation of the characters involved, and I don't think you really want to read me waxing poetic about my characters for a thousand words. (If I'm wrong, please, do tell. It'd certainly make for several weeks of easy-to-write columns for me.) It's enough to know that there is a Sad Sith Dance and accompanying song.

The important point is that just like the song says, voices carry. When said Sith was exiting the cantina, he found that there was a small crowd of people on the upper floor, people who hadn't said anything but could have very well been listening in. And that brings to mind the issue of privacy in roleplaying, something that you both strive for and try to avoid at once because of the nature of the interactions.

Continue reading Storyboard: Private party

MassivelyStoryboard: Private party originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 14 Sep 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>erpfeaturedopinionprivacyprivateprivate-areasprivate-first-classprivate-instancesprivate-roleplayingroleplayroleplayersroleplayingrpsad-sith-songstorystoryboardthe-sad-sith-songFri, 14 Sep 2012 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Gamescom 2012: PlanetSide 2 available for hands-on play in Cologne]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/08/15/planetside-2-available-for-hands-on-play-at-gamescom/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/08/15/planetside-2-available-for-hands-on-play-at-gamescom/http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/08/15/planetside-2-available-for-hands-on-play-at-gamescom/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

PlanetSide 2 available for handson play at Gamescom
Players who want to experience PlanetSide 2 but haven't received that coveted beta invite have two hours of opportunity to do so this week... if they happen to be at Gamescom in Germany. Sony Online Entertainment announced that 48 game stations will be available at Booth #B-060j in the ESL CM Storm Arena (Hall 8) to help visitors to take part in battles with each other.

The game stations will be open for PlanetSide 2 play in four blocks of time stretched over two days: tomorrow, August 16th, and Friday, August 17th. On both days, the available times will be 5:45 a.m. to 6:15 a.m. EDT (11:45 a.m. to 12 :15 p.m CET) and 9:45 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. EDT (3:45 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. CET).

Additionally, on Thursday and Friday, Creative Director Matt Higby will take the stage and present a brand-new PlanetSide 2 trailer as well as deliver several game giveaways to those who attend.

[Source: Sony Online Entertainment press release]

Every summer, the gaming industry descends on Cologne, Germany, for Gamescom, the world's largest trade fair for interactive games and entertainment. Massively's on the scene in 2012, bringing you all the best scoops, impressions, and interviews from MMOs at the show!

MassivelyGamescom 2012: PlanetSide 2 available for hands-on play in Cologne originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cologneconconventionfpsgamescomGamescom-2012germanyhands-onMatt-Higbymmo-shootermmofpsplanetsideplanetside-2privacyps2sandboxsci-fishootersoesonysony-online-entertainmentWed, 15 Aug 2012 10:15:00 EST<![CDATA[GamersFirst teams up with Adknowledge for virtual currency offers]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/19/gamersfirst-teams-up-with-adknowledge-for-virtual-currency-offer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/19/gamersfirst-teams-up-with-adknowledge-for-virtual-currency-offer/http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/09/19/gamersfirst-teams-up-with-adknowledge-for-virtual-currency-offer/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Fallen Earth - casino
Free-to-play gamers seem to have no problems paying real-world money for virtual items in their favorite MMORPGs. GamersFirst hopes that its customers will feel similarly about its new partnership with Adknowledge. Who, or what, is Adknowledge? It's the largest privately owned advertising network on the internet, and it's also the parent company of Super Rewards (and you may remember that name in connection with the infamous "offer wall" faux pas attached to Turbine's Dungeons and Dragons Online MMO).

Adknowledge's AdStation program allows gamers to earn in-game currency by completing extra-game tasks including watching videos, taking surveys, and subscribing to various online services. This generates advertising leads for Adknowledge clients, and a new GamersFirst press release calls it "a great opportunity for us to get our titles in front of their vast global network."

Said titles include APB Reloaded and Fallen Earth, but thus far GamersFirst has not released details on how the games will be affected.

[Source: GamersFirst press release]

MassivelyGamersFirst teams up with Adknowledge for virtual currency offers originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adknowledgeadsadstationadvertisingall-points-bulletin-reloadedapb-reloadedbusiness-modelscrimeewwwwwf2pfallen-earthfree-to-playgamersfirstmmo-industryoffer-wallpersonal-informationprivacysci-fisuper-rewardssurveysworst-idea-everMon, 19 Sep 2011 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Zynga sued over Facebook privacy breaches]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/20/zynga-sued-over-facebook-privacy-breaches/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/20/zynga-sued-over-facebook-privacy-breaches/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/20/zynga-sued-over-facebook-privacy-breaches/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Zynga and its stable of Facebook games have never exactly won the hearts of MMO fans, but they've managed to avoid a lawsuit up until now. Unfortunately for them, a class-action lawsuit has been filed today seeking monetary relief for the unwarranted and undesirable release of private information. Filed by Nancy Graf of St. Paul, MN, the suit also seeks an injunction to prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future, in a direct response to Monday's news that several games and applications have been leaking private information.

Although Zynga was listed among the companies sending out private information, the company is claiming that the lawsuit is wholly without merit and will be fought accordingly. The full details on the suit are available from Gamasutra, with the security breaches still apparently being labeled as unintentional results as they were on Monday. We'll have more on the story as it develops, although it seems to be a definite black eye for one of the largest social gaming companies on the web.

MassivelyZynga sued over Facebook privacy breaches originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>class-action-suitfacebookfacebook-gamesfarmvillelawsuitlegalprivacyprivacy-issuesprivacy-leaksocial-gamingzyngaWed, 20 Oct 2010 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Facebook games transmitting your info to third parties]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/18/facebook-games-transmitting-your-info-to-third-parties/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/18/facebook-games-transmitting-your-info-to-third-parties/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/10/18/facebook-games-transmitting-your-info-to-third-parties/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Our friends at Joystiq have turned us on to a Wall Street Journal article that concludes your privacy is at risk if you play Facebook games. The Journal discovered that each of the top 10 Facebook applications transmits user IDs, which may be shared with unauthorized third parties.

We know, it's not exactly new or shocking information, but continued user ignorance -- or apathy -- regarding online habits is a troubling trend that bears examining. WSJ authors Emily Steel and Geoffrey A. Fowler did just that and turned up all manner up interesting findings including a data-mining firm called RapLeaf Inc. that linked Facebook user IDs to its database of internet users. RapLeaf didn't stop there, as it then transmitted the user IDs to a dozen other firms, an express violation of Facebook policy.

Though RapLeaf vice president of business development Joel Jewitt said "we didn't do it on purpose," Facebook is nonetheless trotting out the damage control PR. "We have taken immediate action to disable all applications that violate our terms," said a company spokeman.

MassivelyFacebook games transmitting your info to third parties originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>data-miningfacebookfarmvillelack-of-privacyprivacyrapleafsocial-networkingwall street journalWallStreetJournalwsjzyngaMon, 18 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A cautionary tale of account security in Club Penguin]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/14/a-cautionary-tale-of-account-security-in-club-penguin/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/14/a-cautionary-tale-of-account-security-in-club-penguin/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/14/a-cautionary-tale-of-account-security-in-club-penguin/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Many MMO gamers have children who are eager to jump into the online world but are unaware of the dangers that lurk there. While many kid-friendly MMOs have systems to guard children from unwelcome contact and identity theft, they still require the assistance of parents to teach their kids how to be safe in games.

The Ancient Gaming Noob's Wilhelm recently shared a cautionary tale involving his daughter, Club Penguin, and a breach of account security. Even though she was cautioned not to share a list of details with anyone in game, all it took was the offer of a special item to get her to give up her account name and password to a stranger. This resulted in a headache, as the account was banned, and Wilhelm went back and forth with Club Penguin to re-establish his daughter's account and security. In the end, he found that Club Penguin's security was just as questionable as his daughter's judgment, and passed this story along to the rest of us in an effort to guard our own young ones from this unfortunate event.

Considering that account security, personal identity and privacy are hot topics these days, we feel that this story is an eye-opener as to how far both game companies and families have to go to protect our loved ones from being exploited. You can read Wilhelm's full account over at The Ancient Gaming Noob.

MassivelyA cautionary tale of account security in Club Penguin originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accountAccount-Securityaccount-theftclub-penguindisneyfamily-mmoidentity-theftkid-friendlypasswordpersonal-identityprivacythe-ancient-gaming-noobwilhelmWed, 14 Jul 2010 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Daily Grind: Real ID disaster averted... or is it?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/10/the-daily-grind-real-id-disaster-averted-or-is-it/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/10/the-daily-grind-real-id-disaster-averted-or-is-it/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/10/the-daily-grind-real-id-disaster-averted-or-is-it/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Well, it's all over after all. The evil dragon released by Blizzard has been slain by Blizzard again, after several days of people alternately cursing and staring slack-jawed in disbelieving horror. We can all go back to slaughtering Internet Dragons again, and the privacy issues are dealt with forever. Or if not forever, at least for now. Important lessons have been learned, lives have been ruined, and we can all go back to the way things were a couple days ago.

Or can we?

When your friend has a few drinks and smashes your entire living room to pieces but apologizes for it afterward, you usually aren't going to toss him a beer the next time he's at your house. Even though the unpopular decision has been reversed, it's understandable if your ire toward World of Warcraft hasn't cooled just yet... or if your trust in Blizzard isn't wholly restored. Are you willing to forgive and forget? Or is this the sort of thing you're going to remember for a long time?

MassivelyThe Daily Grind: Real ID disaster averted... or is it? originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 10 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bad-choicesblizzardblizzard-activisionblizzard-entertainmentcliffhangerinternet-dragonopinionor-is-itpr-nightmareprivacyprivacy-issuesreal-idtdgthe-daily-grindtrustworld-of-warcraftwowSat, 10 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[GamersFirst promoting anonymity in response to Blizzard's Real ID system]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/08/gamersfirst-promoting-anonymity-in-response-to-blizzards-real-i/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/08/gamersfirst-promoting-anonymity-in-response-to-blizzards-real-i/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/07/08/gamersfirst-promoting-anonymity-in-response-to-blizzards-real-i/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Unless you have sealed yourself away from the internet for the past few days, the odds are good that you've heard about Blizzard's decision to make the Real ID service mandatory for forum usage. The result was the sort of enormous fiasco that makes the phrase "PR nightmare" sound far too gentle. And if that wasn't enough injury, GamersFirst is adding a bit of well-deserved insult with its newest promotion -- which re-affirms how important the option of staying anonymous really is while offering a new home for those packing up and leaving Casa de Azeroth.

Executive director Tracy Spaight pulled no punches in a statement on the matter -- "It is an unwarranted intrusion to player privacy to force [players] to disclose their real world identity." The team behind Sword 2, War Rock, and Knight Online (among others) is offering special bonus items until August 9th to players who register in War Rock or Sword 2 with the promotional code StayAnonymous. It's the first public response regarding this debacle we've seen from the industry, but odds are good that it won't be the last. And who doesn't like to get free things just for remaining anonymous?

MassivelyGamersFirst promoting anonymity in response to Blizzard's Real ID system originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 08 Jul 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anonymityblizzardf2pfree-to-playgamersfirstid-failidentityknight-onlineprivacyreal-idsword-2sword-of-the-new-worldswotnwar-rockThu, 08 Jul 2010 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[The Virtual Whirl: Community guide to Virtual Worlds]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/24/the-virtual-whirl-community-guide-to-virtual-worlds/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/24/the-virtual-whirl-community-guide-to-virtual-worlds/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/24/the-virtual-whirl-community-guide-to-virtual-worlds/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Welcome to The Virtual Whirl, a new weekly Massively column covering virtual environments generally. The term 'virtual world' is slowly seeing less use, being supplanted by the more general 'virtual environment', but the world term still has a fair bit of life left in it.

Virtual environments covers a whole lot of ground. From William Crowther's original efforts in 1976 that based a game in a virtual version of the Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, virtual environments have been a part of gaming, artificial intelligence and behavioral research, modeling, telemetry and process control and more.

Nowadays we're seeing Second Life, Blue Mars, There.com, IMVU and others trying to find places in non-game contexts, like content-development and prototyping, publishing and performance, entertainment and social, education and business; efforts that are met with varying amounts of success.

Continue reading The Virtual Whirl: Community guide to Virtual Worlds

MassivelyThe Virtual Whirl: Community guide to Virtual Worlds originally appeared on Massively on Sun, 24 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blue-marscopper-robotdusan-writerfacebookfeaturedforterraforterra-systemsfrenzoohaitiidentityimvulinden-labm-lindenmammoth-cavemark-kingdonmark-zuckerbergmetanomicsmichael-wilsonmitch-wagnernew-world-notesprivacysecond-lifesecond-life-2.0second-life-viewersimon-newsteadthe-metaverse-journalthe-virtual-whirlthere.comvirtual-worldsvirtual-worlds-newswilliam-crowtherwindlightworlds-in-motionSun, 24 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Anti-Aliased: I've got nothing to hide]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/21/anti-aliased-ive-got-nothing-to-hide/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/21/anti-aliased-ive-got-nothing-to-hide/http://massively.joystiq.com/2010/01/21/anti-aliased-ive-got-nothing-to-hide/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

So, it's late night on Wednesday night, I just got done watching Top Gear, and I need something to write about. Lucky for me that Blizzard has given me the perfect topic -- MMO privacy. Thanks to a new development in their World of Warcraft Armory program, privacy advocates are up in arms and I've got a topic to discuss.

For all those of you who may be late to the game, Blizzard is adding RSS feeds to the Armory. Basically, the Armory will now report on the exact time you do an "Armory worthy" activity, such as boss kills, achievements, item pickups, and more. People can subscribe to your RSS feed, so then they know exactly when you do something in World of Warcraft.

This has, of course, sent privacy advocates into a tailspin of anger. There's no opt-out button for the Armory, so your playing style in World of Warcraft is going to be exposed whether you like it or not. The topic has even spawned a 59+ page thread on the European forums!

So what's my take on it? Well, I'm glad you asked. Here at Anti-Aliased, I've got nothing to hide.

Continue reading Anti-Aliased: I've got nothing to hide

MassivelyAnti-Aliased: I've got nothing to hide originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anti-aliasedargumentsarmoryblizzardblizzard-entertainmentfeaturedfrivolousplayer-privacyprivacyrss-feedsillytheres-a-twist-at-the-end-so-you-better-not-complainworld-of-warcraftworld-of-warcraft-armoryThu, 21 Jan 2010 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[EVE Online's volunteer program compromised]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/23/eve-onlines-volunteer-program-compromised/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/23/eve-onlines-volunteer-program-compromised/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/09/23/eve-onlines-volunteer-program-compromised/#commentsFiled under: , ,


CCP Games, makers of EVE Online, announced that they've discovered wrongdoing on the part of an individual or individuals within [correction: in relation to] their volunteer program, and are investigating the matter. The Volunteer Manager for EVE Online, CCP Ginger, explained the situation earlier today: "Last weekend external resources related to the Interstellar Services Department (ISD), EVE's volunteer program, were compromised which led to the theft of some volunteer program related data but also information about specific volunteers. As a result, we are being extra careful here, as this first and foremost pertains to the volunteer program and has no effect on our EVE Online operations or any customer data whatsoever."

CCP Ginger stressed that information stolen came from "areas operated outside of CCP's infrastructure and is therefore not related to anyone's EVE player account data. Player billing information, personal information, and character/game information all remain completely secure and unaffected, as well as CCP corporate pathways and e-mail, Tranquility, databases, etc."

Continue reading EVE Online's volunteer program compromised

MassivelyEVE Online's volunteer program compromised originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breakingccp-gamesccp-gingereve-onlineinternal-affairsinterstellar-services-departmentinvestigationisdprivacyvolunteersWed, 23 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Man in the box]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/19/man-in-the-box/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/19/man-in-the-box/http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/02/19/man-in-the-box/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

People usually play MMOGs as a way to escape real life. Well, according to The Guardian, real life may just be trying to push its way into MMOGs. Several EU government bodies recently came together and released a report titled, Virtual Worlds, Real Money: Security and Privacy in Massively Multi-Player Online Games and Social and Corporate Virtual Worlds. Sound heavy? It is.

It seems the impetus for creating this agency position paper was that "2007 was the year of online gaming fraud." The executive summary states that malware targeting MMOGs increased by 145% and over 30,000 new programs emerged with the aim to gain access to accounts and steal virtual goods to sell for real money. The report describes 14 key risks in detail, including avatar identity theft/identity fraud, harassment, problems with online dispute resolution, and security risks for minors just to name a few. The agency also makes 12 recommendations to governments and MMOG developers to address these risks.

It seems inevitable that one day we'll have Big Brother looking over our shoulders as we peck away at our keyboards pwning n00bs. It also raises a couple big questions. How far will they go? Will it improve things or make them worse? Time will tell.

MassivelyMan in the box originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eufraudgovernmentmoneyprivacysecurityThu, 19 Feb 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Second Life grid protocol leaks avatar locations?]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/17/second-life-grid-protocol-leaks-avatar-locations/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/17/second-life-grid-protocol-leaks-avatar-locations/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/10/17/second-life-grid-protocol-leaks-avatar-locations/#commentsFiled under: , ,

According to Dusan Writer, the Instant Messaging portion of the Second Life grid network protocols contains location information about every avatar who sends an IM to you. It's been known for some time that the fields designed to encapsulate that information were present (though only the estate information was available to the recipient via the Second Life viewer) but it has not been clear that the information about the location of the sender was actually filled in.

Apparently, it is -- and it isn't really that hard to get at, for anyone who can implement the protocol, use an existing library or modify and rebuild the viewer source code. This might be considered something of a faux pas, as a similar information leak a couple of years ago required considerable retooling of protocols to avoid anyone who wanted to know your business from ... well, knowing your business.

Continue reading Second Life grid protocol leaks avatar locations?

MassivelySecond Life grid protocol leaks avatar locations? originally appeared on Massively on Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dusan-writerexploitslinden-labprivacysecond-lifeFri, 17 Oct 2008 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Picking apart the MetaPlace Bill of Rights]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/18/picking-apart-the-metaplace-bill-of-rights/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/18/picking-apart-the-metaplace-bill-of-rights/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/09/18/picking-apart-the-metaplace-bill-of-rights/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

MetaPlace is not an MMOG. It's a platform for creating virtual spaces that can be used for anything the creators can imagine. As such, the traditional MMO EULA is completely inadequate. Raph Koster -- the head honcho on the MetaPlace project -- made that clear in a panel at AGDC08. So, the folks working on MetaPlace had to come up with a whole new set of rules -- rules that allow users ownership of their virtual property, for example. There's a veritable landmine of problems awaiting this endeavor, of course. That's not to say it's impossible. It's just going to be extremely challenging.

Koster published a first draft of the Terms of Service for MetaPlace on his blog the other day. It's based based on the Declaration of the Rights of Avatars that he conceived back in 2000. Readers of the MetaPlace ToS are likely to come away with two impressions. The first: that it's really cool and admirable and that in a general sense, Koster and friends are on the right track. Two is that the MetaPlace team seems to be underestimating just how epic a quest it's committed itself to.

Continue reading Picking apart the MetaPlace Bill of Rights

MassivelyPicking apart the MetaPlace Bill of Rights originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>areaebill-of-rightsblogdeclarion-of-the-rights-of-avatarsdiscriminationend-user-license-agreementeulametaplaceprivacypropertyraph-kosterterms-of-servicetosThu, 18 Sep 2008 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[JIRA leaked user email addresses]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/29/jira-leaked-user-email-addresses/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/29/jira-leaked-user-email-addresses/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/29/jira-leaked-user-email-addresses/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

According to an email sent to some users of the Second Life public JIRA by Linden Lab, a number of users have unintentionally had their email address published on their JIRA profile page.

Apparently JIRA profiles included the account's registered email address from 20 May to 24 May. Users whose JIRA profiles were logged as being accessed during that period have been emailed to alert them that their email addresses may have been exposed.

Even though email addresses may be considered comparatively innocuous, many virtual world and MMOG users value their privacy very strongly, even if they are not anonymous. This isn't the first time that confidential user-data held by Linden Lab has been unintentionally exposed, and it would be unwise to suggest that it will be the last time.

[Thanks, Sean Heying]

MassivelyJIRA leaked user email addresses originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 29 May 2008 08:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bugsexploitsjiralinden-labprivacysean-heyingsecond-lifevirtual-worldsThu, 29 May 2008 08:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Drawing the line between personal privacy and character information]]>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/16/drawing-the-line-between-personal-privacy-and-character-informat/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/16/drawing-the-line-between-personal-privacy-and-character-informat/http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/01/16/drawing-the-line-between-personal-privacy-and-character-informat/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Chris Dahlen posted an interesting commentary on Gamasutra the other day-- he says that he's getting a tad worried about just how much information is out there on the Internet about him. Thanks to the trend of multi-platform online play and tools like WoW's Armory, Facebook apps, and EVE's API, it's easier than ever for you, and others, to find out what you did in game last night.

There's two ways to go on this. Cameron at Random Battle loves it-- he wants to see his game information in more places whenever possible. And I kind of tend to fall on his side. I've never much cared whether people know who I am in game or not, or how low or high my characters are. It's all just a game, and it's all in good fun, so why not give me (and others) as much access to my information as possible? That's why we play online games in the first place right?

But Gaming Today falls on the other side of the argument-- even gaming information is personal, and giving out personal information makes things less fun, not more. There's a lot of information hidden in your behavior online, and the easier it becomes to track that information and form a pattern, the more advertisers and even your enemies will know about you.

We've already taken the plunge to make our gaming habits known online-- we're playing games where we want to see and be seen by others. But should we be worried if the developers of these games choose to spread that information around further?

MassivelyDrawing the line between personal privacy and character information originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 16 Jan 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eve-onlinegame-informationprivacysocialworld-of-warcraftxbox-liveWed, 16 Jan 2008 21:00:00 EST