EU guilds why are you asking for so much personal information from your new recruits? (some guilds)

Recent

So I join a guild, all looks good then I join discord and they have that introduce yourself section and I feel it's going too far when you ask recruits to provide their real life name, job, hobbies etc
This is an online game people please be mindful of your privacy and safety. But above all not everyone wants to disclose that information online.
I get it that you want to provide a family atmosphere but players can lie and say anything so ask yourself what is the point of asking about someone's hobbies etc that goes outside the game that is what you have real life friends for .
I'm sorry for venting but online gamers are asking too much from people these days it's very uncomfortable and not needed.

xshatox

Just give them made up real name and job.
Its not like they are going to verify it.

zvavi

I have never seen a forced introduce yourself section, if introduction chat exists (and it usually doesn't), it should be entirely optional.

But ye, stay safe.

thissocalledflower

Recent wrote: »

So I join a guild, all looks good then I join discord and they have that introduce yourself section and I feel it's going too far when you ask recruits to provide their real life name, job, hobbies etc
This is an online game people please be mindful of your privacy and safety. But above all not everyone wants to disclose that information online.
I get it that you want to provide a family atmosphere but players can lie and say anything so ask yourself what is the point of asking about someone's hobbies etc that goes outside the game that is what you have real life friends for .
I'm sorry for venting but online gamers are asking too much from people these days it's very uncomfortable and not needed.

If they require discord then leave. I have quit several guilds over the years because they insisted i use discord. never gonna happen.

idk

My guess is they do not require that information. If I am correct on that issue then it is not a big deal.

Regardless, I think you should quit that guild. If you are already coming to the forums complaining about the guild then it is clear you need to move on. That guild is not for you and you are not for them.

BTW, I have been in several guilds that had an introduce yourself thread. It is not that big of a deal and only players that wanted to disclose information about themselves did so. I never added info and was never asked to.

Elsonso

Recent wrote: »

So I join a guild, all looks good then I join discord and they have that introduce yourself section and I feel it's going too far when you ask recruits to provide their real life name, job, hobbies etc

I think of it this way... this is why they teach Creative Writing in schools.

It is so that, when you are joining a gaming guild, you can tell them all about yourself without actually revealing anything personal.

P.S. - Lesson learned: Do not list your hobby as "creative writing".

Lysette

It's maybe for socializing purposes - I was in a russian guild without to even speak or understand the language. The only thing I have in common with 2 of them is flying helicopters in real life. And of course as pilots they know english well enough and we could socialize. Most in that guild didn't speak english, I nevertheless found common ground with some of them in other real life areas - well common enough for us to google translate from russian to english and the other way round. Those contacts lasted longer than this guild - due to real world information it outlasted the game.

redspecter23

If any guild asks you to do anything you don't want to do, feel free to leave. They aren't the guild for you. Find a guild that suits your needs.

I've left guilds for tons of reasons in the past. Some major, some would be considered very petty by most people but the point is that I would not have enjoyed my time there so I moved on.

xXMeowMeowXx

Ask them for their Credit Card, PayPal, and Bank Account information first....

LordGavus

I haven't come across this before however, if you are uncomfortable giving out such information, i would find a different guild that doesn't require it.

xshatox

thissocalledflower wrote: »

Recent wrote: »

So I join a guild, all looks good then I join discord and they have that introduce yourself section and I feel it's going too far when you ask recruits to provide their real life name, job, hobbies etc
This is an online game people please be mindful of your privacy and safety. But above all not everyone wants to disclose that information online.
I get it that you want to provide a family atmosphere but players can lie and say anything so ask yourself what is the point of asking about someone's hobbies etc that goes outside the game that is what you have real life friends for .
I'm sorry for venting but online gamers are asking too much from people these days it's very uncomfortable and not needed.

If they require discord then leave. I have quit several guilds over the years because they insisted i use discord. never gonna happen.

Some guild do require discord for in game activities like progressive vet raid, organized PVP (ball group). Its difficult without discord for those. On normal activities discord not really needed probably just for socializing. I personally didnt used discord since I only solo PVP or normal trial, sometime vet trial but not hard trial like vcr3.

woufff

I do never accept Discord, we are here to play a game, not to know details about our private life!

Dusk_Coven

Recent wrote: »

So I join a guild, all looks good then I join discord and they have that introduce yourself section and I feel it's going too far when you ask recruits to provide their real life name, job, hobbies etc

Even if ESO were a dating website (which is what typically asks for this sort of information -- and even they don't ask for your REAL name), there are way too many trolls around that no one would join it.
If your password is your hobby or whatever... better change it now.

SydneyGrey

If they asked for your first name only, that would be acceptable. If they asked for your last name as well, that would NOT. I'm assuming they only asked for your first name (just to know what to call you).

Streega

As a guild leader of small, social guild I can answer your question. To join my guild you are asked to write a (really) short introduction and provide 3 informations besides your ESO @name (if you apply from the forum or Discord): your gender, age, and country of residence. If you decide to keep any of it to yourself, that's fine and you will be accepted nonetheless, but from my experience 75% players who have problem with it leave the guild within a month. You can say it's a first test for a potential member: can they introduce themselves properly? Are they really interested in joining or just "browse"?
Now, before anybody starts fuming, let me explain in detail why I ask for this info:
1. Gender - I guess this one may be the most controversial, but as I said, it's not an obligatory requirement; anyway, we are a group of mature and fun loving people and sometimes we like to joke about boobs, butts, balls, cucumbers and all aspects of social relationships. On the other side we require all members to be respectful and not obscene. Not knowing the gender of the person you are interacting with can create some awkward situations.
2. Age - we have a "Mentor" system, which basically means that every new member has a dedicated senior member of the guild to explain how the guild works and answer any questions they may have. We have both very young and very mature players in the guild, and again, from my experience it's easier to "connect" to someone who is at least from the same decade There are other reasons, but this is the best example.
3. Country of residence - pure and simple: time zones and event planning. No need for further explanations, I think.

Now, Discord. Again, we strongly recommend using Discord, and it's a requirement if you want to participate in the guild veteran runs - and only vet runs, we have "casual" events and you don't need Discord for this. And again, 75% players who decide not to use Discord leave the guild within 3 months - mostly because they miss half of the social interactions and informations about the guild and game events, pledges, mechanics, quests, armour sets... All the things you simply cannot get from the ingame chat and MOTD, especially when you don't read it. And that's another common trait of "Discord deniers" - they don't read the chat, MOTD, ingame mail, don't answer whispers... then complain that the guild is not active.
As for other private info - it tends to pop up when you bond with people, and the benefits are much, much more important than risks. I made few really good friends in game and they are my chosen family now, so I regret nothing.

FierceSam

There’s a strong argument here that OP isn’t actually talking about guilds in ESO as much as they are about Discord communities.

Your ESO guild has no reason (or ability) to question players about anything. Players join the guild, contribute or not, and leave whenever they choose. Aside from the message of the day and guild chat, there’s no real way for the guild to build or reinforce their identity in-game. So for PC at least, Discord has become the focal point of many guilds’ activities.

So often, when you are joining a guild what you are really joining is an active Discord community, many of whose morals, behaviours and standards are rooted in Discord rather than the game. Most Discord channels will have some kind of #introduce yourself page. Not because they want to make you feel uncomfortable, but because they want you to feel part of the community. They’re really less bothered about what your name is than they are about whether you prefer to be called by it or your game tag when they’re talking to you.

The Discord channels I’ve been part of have all been very different, some are very games focussed, others are way more about a bunch of friends being able to chat together. And sometimes it’s a bit of a leap of faith at first. But I find it an indispensable part of my gaming.

However, if you feel uncomfortable about it, don’t use it.

Asardes

Back when I was a kid, every MIRC channel was: "ASL PLS"

Asardes

thissocalledflower wrote: »

Recent wrote: »

So I join a guild, all looks good then I join discord and they have that introduce yourself section and I feel it's going too far when you ask recruits to provide their real life name, job, hobbies etc
This is an online game people please be mindful of your privacy and safety. But above all not everyone wants to disclose that information online.
I get it that you want to provide a family atmosphere but players can lie and say anything so ask yourself what is the point of asking about someone's hobbies etc that goes outside the game that is what you have real life friends for .
I'm sorry for venting but online gamers are asking too much from people these days it's very uncomfortable and not needed.

If they require discord then leave. I have quit several guilds over the years because they insisted i use discord. never gonna happen.

Discord or other such service is essential for organized PvP and PvE hard dungeon & trial runs. Outside of that is indeed optional. I don't use it much for the former either, since I mostly PuG

Grianasteri

Recent wrote: »

So I join a guild, all looks good then I join discord and they have that introduce yourself section and I feel it's going too far when you ask recruits to provide their real life name, job, hobbies etc
This is an online game people please be mindful of your privacy and safety. But above all not everyone wants to disclose that information online.
I get it that you want to provide a family atmosphere but players can lie and say anything so ask yourself what is the point of asking about someone's hobbies etc that goes outside the game that is what you have real life friends for .
I'm sorry for venting but online gamers are asking too much from people these days it's very uncomfortable and not needed.

I guess the important things is that usually, these things are voluntary and optional. If it makes you feel uncomfrotable Id suggest you just let the guild leaders know, most folk are reasonable and understanding.

ThePlayer

Join Discord is important because it is the means to play in a group and talk during the trials/dungeons run.
Better not to listen to anyone who tells you that Discord is not necessary, usually solitary players whose aim is to do only quests and who still have not understood the meaning of mmo games.
All the discord that ask for your name, job, age is better to leave them, i personally only ask for the account name (when the discord name is different from the one in the guild roster), the class, the role played and the nationality.

Ri_Khan

If you're giving out your personal info to strangers on the internet, you're doing it wrong. That being said, I do think there is way too much anonymity going on between the game/forum/reddit/discord that helps create a very untrustworthy environment. There is no personal accountability when you allow someone to constantly change their ID or hide behind alt accounts and usernames. I've had too many negative experiences with individuals throughout the years that do this and it has severely damaged my opinion and trust of this community and mmo players in general.

Universe

Maybe if it is "social" guild they may ask for it, but usually it is never asked.
If someone asks me I just answer: "My name is Universe and I'm 5,500 years old vampire"

Dusk_Coven

Universe wrote: »

Maybe if it is "social" guild they may ask for it, but usually it is never asked.
If someone asks me I just answer: "My name is Universe and I'm 5,500 years old vampire"

In some cases asking people for an introduction is a way of seeing if you're going to act maturely.
Suggesting topics is a way of giving people an idea of something to say.
So if you answer like that, they might think you're an ass and you're going to act that way.

In the OP post, "real life name" is the big red flag and job is sort of there too. Some people don't like saying they are a lawyer or they work in a government agency, for example. So if any of those are not merely suggestions, it's suspicious when too much can be done anonymously over the internet, such as phishing.
But simply asking for an introduction is not and neither is expecting a mature answer an invalid way of screening.

JAwtunes

I was in one as a new player many years ago and they required you to complete an online application. The application would then be reviewed by the new recruit committee. Bloody custard drinkers.

Universe

Dusk_Coven wrote: »

Universe wrote: »

Maybe if it is "social" guild they may ask for it, but usually it is never asked.
If someone asks me I just answer: "My name is Universe and I'm 5,500 years old vampire"

In some cases asking people for an introduction is a way of seeing if you're going to act maturely.
Suggesting topics is a way of giving people an idea of something to say.
So if you answer like that, they might think you're an ass and you're going to act that way.

In the OP post, "real life name" is the big red flag and job is sort of there too. Some people don't like saying they are a lawyer or they work in a government agency, for example. So if any of those are not merely suggestions, it's suspicious when too much can be done anonymously over the internet, such as phishing.
But simply asking for an introduction is not and neither is expecting a mature answer an invalid way of screening.

It is a joke
It is an online game and it is best to not share real life info with strangers that I most likely never see IRL in my lifetime.
If they think I'm an arrogant ass because of my response, they can feel what they want.
I don't share my country of residence too, they can guess it if they wish.

Darkenarlol

maybe guild leaders came from EVE online

where guild's intelligence service checks your

family members hobbies, your bank account history

and your dog's favorite food before you can get

a probation as their labour slave (it is only partially a joke)

Zulera301

I didn't get a degree in creative writing for nothing!
actually I didn't get a degree in it at all.

I once joined a guild that might as well be a discord guild with how hard they push it and shove it down everyone's throats with automated messages and other dumb stuff. I would have quit the guild, but the players there sell stuff for really low prices in their (trader-less) guild store, so I stick around.
I left their discord about 3 months ago though and they still haven't caught on.

odds are they're not gonna screen you.

Knightpanther

You don't have to give anyone anything, in fact having spent most of my life in Security i would advise against it.
If you have to make something up go ahead and i would strongly advise against joining anything like discord.

Be safe

Cadbury

I lie. I use discord for a guild in another game, and I simply use a false but plausible sounding name and location.

ForzaRammer

Just use some generic names, like eddie johnson.
No one is going to try to find you anyways.
And you just claim to work at walmart or something.
There are prolly over 10 eddie johnson working for walmart anyways.

Cadbury

ForzaRammer wrote: »

Just use some generic names, like eddie johnson.
No one is going to try to find you anyways.
And you just claim to work at walmart or something.
There are prolly over 10 eddie johnson working for walmart anyways.

Hi, I'm Ed Johnson, manager of Aldi and part-time lion tamer.