Why is my friend list public?

Xuerian · 2012-12-25, 11:05 AM

Stop me if I'm wrong here, but there is no reason for my in-game friends list to be public information. It's currently available here, on Planetside-Universe, and I assume that's because of the API.

This should at the very least be a opt-in.

p0intman · 2012-12-25, 11:30 AM

well, that answers two very long standing questions i had. good thing to know there.

also yes, what the fuck. This should never be public information.

Beerbeer · 2012-12-25, 11:34 AM

Lol, yeah. We're all going to examine your friend's list right now. If we see nothing but players named spongebob, tweetybird and cookiemonster, we'll know why you wanted this to remain hidden.

p0intman · 2012-12-25, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by Beerbeer

Lol, yeah. We're all going to examine your friend's list right now. If we see nothing but players named spongebob, tweetybird and cookiemonster, we'll know why you wanted this to remain hidden.

here is my friends list:
http://www.planetside-universe.com/c...an&tab=Friends

The concern isn't that, its that it now validates that the API really can open almost literally anything about an account or character to public scrutiny. Now, i dont know how clever you are, but information is king in nearly all things. If you're clever enough, you can go and think up ways to use it that others may not approve too highly of.

Hamma, take that shit down.

Xuerian · 2012-12-25, 01:31 PM

For most people, it's no big deal. For some people (Like me) I prefer my private information remain so. Contact lists are private, and so is my online status.

This, like most forums, as well as most types of online communication at the very least provide a option to log on "Invisible", as well almost never exposing your contact list.

In the worst case scenario, it aids griefers and stalkers in harassing targets. You might not think it's a big deal, and it's great that it hasn't happened to you - but it is real, and it is a problem.

Requiring confirmation for adding a friend was a great default, and these two things go completely against that.

Hamma · 2012-12-25, 01:53 PM

It's exposed via the public API so what you see is what's going to be exposed. There will be no way (that I am aware) to hide this information from the API.

Honestly we have advocated pretty hard for an authorization based API (kind of like EVE Online) but SOE seems uninterested in that. That would allow you to expose whatever data you wanted to us then there would be a baseline public API.

For some reason as I said, SOE does not have that mechanic in place and this is one of the downsides of that.

EDIT: I don't think friends lists should be public either btw and I have no idea why it is. We are providing as many of the stats/services as we can in the API so everyone can see them. I'll be providing additional feedback when SOE gets back from holiday and hopefully make more of a case for full and limited api access.

Electrofreak · 2012-12-25, 03:12 PM

EDIT - Wrote my post back before Hamma's but just got back to my laptop to realize I never submitted it. Disappointed to hear that SOE isn't going with a restrictable type of key.

Technically PSU is beta testing the API for SOE.

Sony made it clear long ago that a lot of data about PS2 was going to be made public the API, which some such as I weren't too happy to hear about.

I played PlanetSide since the beginning. I have good accuracy and an eye for arcing shots, but my reaction time is probably slightly less than average so I tend to find myself at a disadvantage in very short-range fights. I do well as a sniper, a gunner, and in situations where accuracy is more important than reaction time. My rig is pretty poor at the moment (I usually hover in the low teens in a typical battle), so I've also been playing primarily support.

What I'm getting at is, my stats tend not to be stellar, and with the obsession over K/D and the like, having stats publicized bothers me. I've decided to embrace it (I mean, I chose of the new API signatures) but I really hope SOE takes the route CCP did with EVE and make the API restrictable by the player.

The players who are bad don't need to be made fun of for being bad, or they'll leave the game. The support players shouldn't be scorned because their K/D is terrible. Players who are colorblind shouldn't be treated as griefers because of accidental teamkills, etc. Players who are really good or are kill whores should be free to display their stats for like-minded individuals to admire or compete with, but most of us know that you can't really quantify that element that makes you want to have one person on your squad over another.

I've played alongside players that weren't always great, but they were determined and I knew they had my back. I remember some were phenomenal drivers or pilots, and I would have taken them over someone with a 4+ K/D any day.

bpostal · 2012-12-25, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by p0intman

here is my friends list:
http://www.planetside-universe.com/c...an&tab=Friends
...

Hey, you know people that I know! Neat.
Also, I can kinda see why y'all don't want this kinda shit public, crap like this is one of the reasons I quit Facebook.

And Electrofreak, those who obsess over KDR in a game as massive and all encompassing as PS2 only mark themselves as bad. Bad may be a bad way to put it, but they're missing the point and aren't people I wanna run with.

Hamma · 2012-12-25, 05:43 PM

I'll get in touch with the SOE API folks when they return from holiday break.

duomaxwl · 2012-12-25, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by p0intman

here is my friends list:
http://www.planetside-universe.com/c...an&tab=Friends

You took me off your friends list!?
Go fuck yourself.

No, but seriously, that's kind of weird.

p0intman · 2012-12-25, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by duomaxwl

You took me off your friends list!?
Go fuck yourself.

No, but seriously, that's kind of weird.

If only I could add people cross server.

Tooterfish · 2012-12-25, 06:09 PM

I want to opt out of public stats all together. Why are stats always forced on people these days? It can't be that hard to toggle particular categories on/off for public display. I earned the stats I should have at least that much say in how they're displayed all over the internet, friends list included.

p0intman · 2012-12-25, 06:22 PM

hamma, care at all to compile a list of what is able to be pulled down via the api? i know it would be long, but i think its worthwhile for everyone to be able to see what they're willing to open up with atm.

Fear The Amish · 2012-12-25, 06:26 PM

yeah i look like a traitor easier to talk trash when they are friended

Ghoest9 · 2012-12-25, 09:01 PM

I can understand the case for making your game stats public.(Mine arent impressive.)

But there is no rational reason to make your friends list public.