[citation][nom]vestin[/nom]Actually - it seams to be quite the opposite: a hermit won't give a damn if people know his "real" name - no one cares about him anyway, so there won't be people to make a connection... or even a connection to make (if he avoids social networking sites).The only people affected will be the social ones, those who lead "double lives" and wish for them to remain as far apart as they can be.I still oppose the idea, but for purely aesthetical reasons.[/citation]
A hermit doesn't want people to know he exists, so I would say the definition fits. But what you're saying is also true.
My picture of the type of person afraid to have his name associated with what he says on the internet is about the same as someone who is afraid to use iTunes because you need to give them your credit card information. I usually picture a guy living in a shack on a mountainside somewhere in Arizona.
Let me just say this: If you say things on the internet that you don't want associated with your person, don't post on Blizzard's forums. We won't miss you there, to say the least. Otherwise, if you're a gamer who wants to discuss the game, not the latest youtube video, you should have nothing to fear.
One thing that Blizzard should implement is that the forums be private and only accessible with a registered Blizzard account. This will eliminate Google searches and worries about employers.
Blizzard is not stupid, and they're gamers themselves, they're not trying to screw us all and they still want you to post on their forums. I'm getting the feeling that many people here have no idea what a living hell Blizzard's forums are.
And finally, if you haven't heard of email leaks from within Blizzard's games, I don't see how you'd worry about names leaking. And even then, what is it that so many are afraid of about people knowing your name? You have to realize that the odds of you having a unique name are far less than they are for the gaming handle you use, right? If you Googled me, you wouldn't know which of me I am.