cyrano: (Church Sign)
Cyrano Jones ([personal profile] cyrano) wrote2011-02-06 11:07 pm

Being Helpful!

I saw on Facebook that there are bots scouring blogs and #tweets and wherever looking for references to the World of Warcraft and an email address that might be connected to it. They then try to crack the password, starting with a dictionary attack and then brute forcing it.

So I just wanted to let any bots looking for WoW accounts that there are none associated with immacul8_deception@yahoo.com. So they shouldn't waste their time harvesting that one.
Also, no WoW accounts under fbi419team@yahoo.com or cjskinner01@gmail.com

HTH! HAND!

[identity profile] miss-friday.livejournal.com 2011-02-07 05:12 am (UTC)(link)
Oh yeah, you tell 'em Cyrano! Cause all the bots hang out on LJ after work.

[identity profile] cyranocyrano.livejournal.com 2011-02-07 05:14 am (UTC)(link)
Well, nobody *else* hangs out on LJ. So I figure they must be here somewhere. (:

[identity profile] miss-friday.livejournal.com 2011-02-07 05:16 am (UTC)(link)
And someday, you'll have to explain to me using small words and visual aids why anyone (human or otherwise) would *want* to hack a WoW account.

[identity profile] cyranocyrano.livejournal.com 2011-02-07 05:19 am (UTC)(link)
Now that I'm afraid I can't help you with.
Maybe to send in game email telling everybody they know about the cool new weight loss supplement their character has just discovered?

[identity profile] amanda_lodden.livejournal.com 2011-02-07 02:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Because WoW items can be sold to other characters, and thus have a real-world economy. So you hack an account, take all their good stuff and give it to yourself (or more likely, through a series of throwaway characters while you find buyers), sell it for real-world cash, and pocket the money.

As for why people would pay real money for in-game goods: such games are designed to ramp up, so that your ability to get gear limits your ability to survive certain areas. This makes the game "replayable" for your next character, who can have better equipment because your first character went and got better stuff-- like getting hand-me-downs from your older sister. (IMO, it's laziness on the part of the designers, but whatever.) But some people want to jump to "the good parts" (which are good because they're harder to get to, not because they're good), or simply have no skill in questing and getting better gear, or simply feel that $5 or $10 is cheaper to them than 2 or 3 hours to get the gear themselves. Which, if they make more than $5 an hour, it might well be.

[identity profile] wow-hazmat.livejournal.com 2011-02-07 06:46 am (UTC)(link)
That's why I have an authenicator.

The adorable two-headed hellpuppy also might have had something to do with it.