Tobold has a post up today asking if we’re ashamed to be gamers, and tying the question to Blizzard’s ill-considered RealID kerfluffle.
Like Pitrelli, I didn’t bother to post about RealID because there was plenty of coverage and all I had to say about it was that 99.9% of people who post on the WoW forums are some variety of retard anyway. So the problem seemed to me to be that those people weren’t so much afraid of being outed as gamers, but of being outed as retards. If you were the typical WoW forum poster, would you want that shit linked forevermore to your real name? Security concerns were easily addressed by individuals, by simply not posting on WoW’s sewerlike forums in the first place. Never again posting on the WoW forums seems a small price to pay… hell, it’s practically a present.
As for me, no, I’m not ashamed to be a gamer – although it’s hard to explain to some people. And some do have averse reactions to that fact. But would I really want to associate with that kind of person anyway?
Although I picked up the Ardwulf handle and persona while writing about MMOs, I’ve been posting about games on the web using my real name dating back to the days of Usenet. A Google search of my name brings up three links to my Facebook profile or other related things, one to a comment I posted on the OSU student newspaper’s site, and 17 gaming-related links in the first 20 results. I’m out, boys and girls.
Ardwulf's Lair 
I’m not really ashsmed, but, theres no point to advertising it to people who may have biased views against it. and a lot of people do.
its like being atheist. people think i’m amoral, just because i don’t believe in god.
My blog post the day the story dropped was entitled “Real ID and the Culture of Shame” if memory serves me correct.
Is it worth “coming out” and fighting against the masses to change the mind in the court of public opinion? Not really – we’re not talking something serious like voting rights or marriage, here. Besides, I’m pretty sure that Farmville and other such “social gaming” is still considered on a whole different level than “Elves and stuff”.
No not at all but I am aware that to some people it’s a negative. My friends and family know I game and most people I work closely with find out in time.
But I certainly don’t volunteer the information, don’t put it on my c.v., and don’t want google searches on me to uncover some nerd row over whether I ninja looted.
I no longer play WoW but I posted extensively on their forums while I was there. Some of the best theorycrafting was originally done on the WoW forums (players like Ciderhelm and Emeraude) and our server had a lively and interesting community. RP events were scheduled on the forums.
If you think 99% of posters were retards you’re looking at the wrong forums. Some, like Guild Management, are full of excellent and helpful posters.
I’m not a gamer.
Playing games doesn’t make me a “gamer” any more than playing the guitar makes me a “musician” or writing fiction makes me a “writer”.
I do all those things and I have put all of them on job applications and I freely discuss them with anyone that’s interested, but I don’t expect to be labelled because of it.
I think people in general are wary of anyone who chooses to call themself by a label, and not without reason. Would you go around calling yourself a “viewer” because you watch a lot of TV, for example? Or a “drinker” because you drink a lot of beer while doing it?
I don’t make any secret of the fact that I am into games. I also don’t go around shouting it from the rooftops either.
For me it’s not a matter of “coming out of my digital clost” as a gamer, but it’s mostly got something to do with work and my professional life.
Most employers already check facebook profiles and myspace and all to find info on a prospective candidate, and a lot of them will just skim the text written underneath a text on a webpage. Something that is a joke between guildies of friends or whatever can, and most of the time will, be taken out of context and could cost you you’re job.
I admit, since i quit WoW a few years back, it really doesn’t bother me, and i’m secure in my job and all, but it will affect all of blizzard’s game, which i will play, and creates a whole new level of problems.
Nope, not ashamed at all. I love games. Don’t use my real name cause I hate it, and I can make up dozens better than the one I’m stuck with. Everyone that knows me still knows me, so what’s the the difference?