In today’s Quick Hits, we talk about the difference between people and businesses and why one man thinks Mark Zuckerberg owes him a few billion dollars.

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Blizzard Backs Off Plans for RealID on World of Warcraft Forums

Blizzard, the makers of the popular game World of Warcraft, set off a firestorm of debate earlier in the month when the company decided to force all users to use their real names on the game’s forums. The idea was to root out “trolls,” or users who intentionally and maliciously antagonize the community, by disallowing them to hide behind anonymous usernames. Recently, however, Blizzard backed off from its plans after facing widespread opposition from players.

World of Warcraft Privacy Advocates Have E-mail Addresses Exposed

In an ironic twist regarding the Blizzard/World of Warcraft privacy issue, a number of users who opposed the site’s plans to use RealID accidentally had their e-mail addresses exposed after sending notes to the Entertainment Software Ratings Board asking for help. The ESRB exposed the e-mail addresses accidentally when an employee failed to use the BCC option to send a mass e-mail.

Transparency vs. Privacy for Individuals

Don Tapscott has an interesting op-ed in the Huffington Post about Internet privacy and the importance of transparency online. Tapscott argues that the influx of information online has been a good thing in the sense that it has forced companies to be more proactive in communicating with their customers and maintaining fair business practices. However, Tapscott also argues that individuals are not the same as companies, and therefore should not be forced or tricked into being “transparent” with their personal data.

The FTC’s Expanding Role as Internet Cop

An article in the San Francisco Chronicle traces the origins of the Federal Trade Commission and explores how the rapid growth of the Internet has changed its focus. Specifically, the article touches on the FTC’s expanding role as an “Internet Cop” responsible for protecting consumers from having their personal and private data abused.

Man Claims He Owns 84% of Facebook in Lawsuit

In what is likely a frivolous lawsuit, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been sued by a New York man over a claim that he owns 84% of the multi-billion dollar company. According to CNET, “Paul D. Ceglia of Wellsville, N.Y., claims in a lawsuit that he entered into a contract with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in 2003 to design and develop a Web site that would ultimately become the social-networking giant. The contract entitled Ceglia to a $1,000 fee and a 50 percent stake in the final product, which eventually launched as TheFacebook.com.”