Ugleb wrote:I generally agree with the need for caution, but I do have one issue with this, and it might even be the reason why CCP chose to publish names in the first place, I dunno.
If the real names off applicants are removed from the process, doesn't that increase the chance of a player with a poor reputation using an alt to run for the CSM?
There may be players who would not vote for a certain candidate because of a past action (say The Mittani) or because of a poltical association (a certain alliance etc) but who would vote for his publicly unknown alt that is 'untainted' by a colourful past.
While revealing a real world identity could be abused, it also helps to identify individual players from largely anonymous character identities that can be legitimately bought or sold.
If real names were removed from the process, there should be another means of identifying players beyond the character name they choose to compete with.
An alt of The Mittani would still benefit from the channelled support of Goonswarm, but be freed of much of the current controversy now on his shoulders. Is that right?
You forget one thing - controversy does not mean someone cannot get elected. As long as this was not dodging a ban on running for CSM - CCP would need to investigate, using real names and billing info which they and only they should possess - then there is no reason why Mittens or Darius or anyone else who has made themselves infamous by their actions should be able to stand.
Plus the alt would need to develop a good reputation before non-voting bloc members would vote for him. If Mittens stood for election for CSM using an unknown alt, and commanded all goons to vote for him, he would receive goon votes and maybe a dozen more of so. If he stood as The Mittani, he would receive all goon votes and hundreds, if not thousands, of non-goons who like his attitude or policies.
As shown by the voting results of CSM 7, an unknown toon without the support of a voting bloc will gather no votes. Even high profile but inept candidates received a pitiful number of votes. To get elected, you either need the support of a voting bloc - goons will vote for The Mittani, whether standing as The Mittani or an alt - or you need to be a competant, high profile candidate who has been a key part in the community for a number of months, potentially years. So these concerns about alts 'abusing' the system really are minimal, especially compared to candidates personal contact details potentially being abused, a la mittensgate.