Well.
Friends, I really don't know what to tell you. The reasons--I'm sure you have all heard them by now. If you haven't, I'm sure you could put together a list in your own heads of all the reasons it's a fucking stupid idea for Blizzard to put people's real names on the official forums.

My reason: I met the man who raped me online, on a video game forum. I met him, we dated for a while. He knows my name. He has found me before without it and I have no doubt he would find me again with it. I don't know if he plays WoW, nor do I want to know, especially if he's on my server or in my battlegroup, if for fuck's sake he--

the tiny green-haired gnome gives a delicate little shudder

I don't want to find out that he's healed me through a random heroic or something, right? I don't want that information. I just--

she makes a slow but firm motion indicating pushing something very far away

But here it is: I want to stay in this game. I really, I mean, I need it. I need it right now. Things it is to me: my only social interaction besides my husband and father, the only thing I can feel like I am consistently good at, the only thing I really get to do for fun. I need it.

It's sad laid out like that, isn't it? Sadder: the feeling I have knowing I am part of this community that either doesn't care about my needs, didn't even think there might be legitimate reasons not to want my real name all over the internet, or doesn't want me.

I'm sad, and I'm frightened, and I'm angry.

Just the other day I found out Tednugent and Scratchfever would be NPCs in Cataclysm, and I felt this rush of warmth, you guys, it was like--they love us back.¹ God. I don't. This community that produces wonderful things and then the devs give us little--just--little hugs like that.

And then this.

I have put so much into this game. I don't want it all to be for nothing.

the gnome looks down at her hands, clenched around a piece of cloth; she makes a visible effort to relax them, holds the cloth up, lets it hang free, showing that it is a beige tabard with a bright yellow exclamation point emblazoned on the chest

I didn't do this for shits and giggles. I mean, I did, kind of, but--I did it because I love this game. Because I wanted to see all of it. Everything, top to bottom, and have the memories to hold onto when it all changes, when I'll do it all top to bottom again. Only now, maybe, I won't.

I wanted--to kill Arthas, finish the holidays and see the Cataclysm. I wanted to roll up some worgen and some goblins and just have me a high old time playing with all the new stuff. I still want those things. In a life like mine, when you're not sure if you'll ever find another job, whether you can manage to go back to school, how long you can avoid moving in with your dad--you need something to look forward to. Even if it's just a stupid video game.

I don't know what I'm going to do, yet. Right now I'm waiting and seeing what happens.

I'm waiting to see if they decide not to do this after all. I hope they do. If they come out at some point between now and whenever the release date happens to be, and say, we made a mistake, we won't put your real name on the forums, then all will be fine and good, right? So I'm waiting. And if they don't say that, then I guess I'll have to cancel my account. And then if they do make the right decision in the future--well, then I can come back.

And this is the thing, really, is--

the gnome wrings her hands

A lot of people are talking about moving to other MMOs, right, and that's great, and there are actually a bunch of other games I would love to start playing. Only. Only I can't afford it. And I don't want to start over again.

I like it here. That's what it comes down to. I like it here and I want to stay.

I hope they let me stay.

1. This is an interesting thing for fandom as a whole, really, because it shows that the creators of stories don't have to be worried about fanfiction, don't have to be afraid we will sue them if they give us little metaphorical hugs like putting homages to our work in theirs.