So who do YOU trust with your RealID?

[Threnn]

Looks like they're possibly implementing it with the next content patch, 3.3.5, or it's at least being tested on the PTR.

I'm in the "won't be using it" camp, for reasons that others have already mentioned here. I don't really care if people know my real name -- it's not like I hide it on the interwebs. But my problem is the whole "anyone with whom you share your RealID can see the name of every character you have in every Blizzard game and what you're up to in those games." If I could pick which characters were associated with it, I might view it more favorably, but like Yva said, if I rolled an alt and wanted a little anonymity, that takes the opportunity away.

Also not a fan of friends-of-friends being able to see your name. I understand the intended functionality of it, and that for them to see anything other than your name, you have to accept their request, but I'm not wild about it. (I don't really like it in facebook, either, even though I know at least a couple of people have found me that way, and vice versa.) Again, were there an option to turn that off, I'd be more comfortable with it.

Same goes with the lack of an invisibility function. It's got "available," "away," and "busy," like gtalk does. I know you can go invis if you're using the chat function within gmail, but if you use gtalk, the only way for you to appear as offline to people is, well, to be offline. I don't see how online status with RealID is going to work in any of the FAQs -- does it start up as soon as you start your computer? As soon as you log into any Blizzard game? Is it a client like gtalk/AIM that you can tell it whether you want it to launch on startup or not?

It's a neat idea in theory, but I think it has a lot of flaws right now, the biggest one being that it shares too broad an amount of information. I'm a big fan of opting-in with my information, rather than having to opt-out: show me what I can make available, but have it all turned off by default. Let me choose what I want to share and when I want to share it. Don't just activate everything then make me dig around to turn most of it off (google buzz RAWRSMASH).

For now, I'm pretty content with things as they are. If I'm in-game, I'm a whisper away. If I'm not, and someone wants me to log in for something, it's easy enough to ping me on gtalk to see what I'm up to.

I'll be interested to see how RealID will evolve through testing.

[Shaurria]

I think I'm in the "will not use" boat. Like several others have said, sometimes I just want to get on a baby alt and be left alone. When I am feeling sociable, there are the in-game chat channels, and for the friends I have that aren't on Feathermoon, well, most of them have my MSN info, or I can find them on vent. So, this seems like it may be more of a hassle than a help, for me anyways.

[Gryphonheart]

...I don't see how online status with RealID is going to work in any of the FAQs -- does it start up as soon as you start your computer? As soon as you log into any Blizzard game? Is it a client like gtalk/AIM that you can tell it whether you want it to launch on startup or not?

...

It would be like the current WoW friends list except B.net-account-wide.* So it will start up as soon as you log into any Blizzard game, basically, not when you turn on your computer. Also, it's all currently integrated into the game—there's no gtalk/AIM-like client involved (although Blizzard may develop such a client for people who want it in the future).

*: Basically, if we were Real ID friends, instead of seeing "Gryphonheart has come online" when I log onto Gryph, you'll see "<Gryphonheart's real name> has come online" when I log into StarCraft 2 or any character on WoW. Whether you'll actually be able to see the name of which WoW character I'm on is uncertain until 3.3.5 testing begins. You might just see "<Gryphonheart's real name> is currently playing <WoW or SC2>".

[Illithias]

I'm fairly cavalier with stuff I let people see online, so I'll likely end up using it. I'll just likely end up fairly selective who I allow through the friend's requests - I don't mind if people or friend-of-friends can see that <Nat has logged into teh 'Crafts>.

Besides, I deleted my anonymous troll alt ages ago.

[Takani]

I think I'm in the "will not use" boat. Like several others have said, sometimes I just want to get on a baby alt and be left alone. When I am feeling sociable, there are the in-game chat channels, and for the friends I have that aren't on Feathermoon, well, most of them have my MSN info, or I can find them on vent. So, this seems like it may be more of a hassle than a help, for me anyways.

I agree with this statement. I love having my friends on Feathermoon and other servers however someday I just really feel like being left alone.

[Windstar]

Agree with Shaur and Takani, for the same reasons.
Plus, having my trust broken rather badly once before makes me leery of how much I share with, well, pretty much anyone outside of family.