WOW Ruminations and Speculations

The changes to WOW that are planned for Cataclysm has people in a speculative mood. Each of these articles are worth a read.

What exactly is intellectual property in WOW?
http://procrastinationamplification.com/how-far-does-intellectual-property-go/

What is "community" in WOW?
http://www.pinkpigtailinn.com/2010/05/why-community-word-doesnt-make-sense.html

Aging and growth impact community quality.
http://www.psychochild.org/?p=946

What WOW would be like as a solo RPG game.
http://tishtoshtesh.wordpress.com/2010/05/28/what-if-wow-rpg/


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Raiding Shadow Priests

Twisted Faith has started a great series on how to raid as a shadow priest.
http://twistedfaith.wordpress.com/2010/05/28/into-the-shadows-preparing-for-the-show/

http://twistedfaith.wordpress.com/2010/05/31/into-the-shadows-the-curtain-goes-up/

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Recommended Tanking Addons

The author plays a paladin.
http://blaquespell.com/uncategorized/tanking-addons-must-haves/

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Druid Relics

Here is a list of druid relics tested to show those that actually work and those that don't, dated December 2009.
http://www.phoenix-wow.com/forum/showthread.php?3985-List-of-Druid-Relics-that-work

Patch 3.3/Tier 10 information is not included above, so I found this list of new relics added during that patch.
http://www.mmo-champion.com/news-2/patch-3-3-ptr-build-10571/

Here's a May 2010 brief discussion of relics for druids and paladins.
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=18698001415&sid=1

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Weapons for the Paladin

Gamingnoobie went looking for tips on weapons for his/her new paladin and found this site that spells out clearly what you need for each spec and why.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2187599_choose-weapons-world-warcraft-paladin.html

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Tanking Tips

Interesting set of tips that should improve tanking, including macros and information on how to use your camera effectively.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/29/take-your-tanking-to-the-next-level/

Tanking Addons
http://blaquespell.com/uncategorized/tanking-addons-must-haves/

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Symantec Uncovers 44 Million Stolen Game Accounts

Symantec is the parent of anti-virus company Norton.  The game accounts are from WOW and Aion and other games.
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3179529

Here's the original posting about this on Symantec's blog.
http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/44-million-stolen-gaming-credentials-uncovered

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The Terrible WOW Community

Gordon laments the fact that the community in WOW is  not more like that he finds in Everquest 2 and other MMOs he's played.
http://blog.weflyspitfires.com/2010/05/27/that-terrible-wow-community/

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Game Reviews and Previews

If you are getting tired of WOW and need a break, you might be interested in reading two brief reviews of Final Fantasy XIII.
http://www.brigwyn.com/2010/05/28/guest-post-final-fantasy-xiii-review/

Or you might want to read Matticus' analysis of the new games on the horizon (Star Wars:  The Old Republic, Guild Wars 2, Tera:  The Exiled Realms of Arborea, Cacataclysm).
http://www.worldofmatticus.com/2010/05/29/what-will-the-mmo-of-tomorrow-bring/

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How to Use Scare Beast Against Druids

How to use it with examples here.
http://outdps.com/2010/05/28/how-and-when-to-use-scare-beast/

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How to Solo Skadi the Ruthless as a Feral Druid

This is in Utgarde Pinnacle and you get a proto drake mount if you make it through.  You have to be a Level 80 feral druid, mostly a bear but with good cat gear.  Details here.
http://feralaggression.wordpress.com/2010/05/28/pimp-your-druid-skadi-the-rutheless/

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How to Raid as a Brand New Level 80 Shadow Priest

Advice to make raiding easier for brand new Level 80s, including macros.
http://twistedfaith.wordpress.com/2010/05/28/into-the-shadows-preparing-for-the-show/

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Death Goddess Analyzes DPS Numbers in ICC

She is comparing other classes' DPS to that of Death Knights.  You can see the results here.
http://dkdeathgoddess.blogspot.com/2010/05/dps-scaling-in-icc-numbers-are-in.html

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Blizzard Signs a Broadcast Deal

with the Korean broadcast entity GOM tv to show all their game contests.
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3179547

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A WOW Cynic's Dictionary

WOW Insider's attempt to channel Ambroise Bierce. Hilarious!
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/28/the-cynics-guide-to-world-of-warcraft/#continued

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Gathering and Trade Skill Addons

This week WOW Insider's addon column talks about three addons that help you in gather and trading professions.  They cover Gatherer, Routes, and Panda.  The first two help you map resources while the last is a disenchanting help that organizes recipes and aids in prospecting.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/27/addon-spotlight-gathering-and-trade-skill-helpers/

If you are interested in gathering and professions addons, search on Advanced Trade Skill Window and Panda in the upper left hand corner.

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Real ID a Security Loophole?

WOW Insider believes that the new Real ID system that will be introduced in Patch 3.3.5 as a way of connecting with friends isn't a security worry.  They are wrong.  Using a real email address as a login is always a security concern, especially given that the Solo MMO Player's email address (used only for logging into the game) is constantly bombarded with gold seller spam and pshishing emails.  How else does that happen except Blizzard's Battle.net system has been hacked?  Do you think things will be any different with Real ID?  I don't.  Set up a free account that you never use for anything except logging into WOW and urge your friends to do the same.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/28/real-id-security-concerns/

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Resurrection for Rookies (with Tips)

How resurrection works with tips.  This is geared toward the new player but the tips may be of value to anyone.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/27/wow-rookie-the-method-in-the-madness-of-resurrection/

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The Anti-Lag Addon (SnowfallKeyPress)

Sarah says this addon will help reduce lag.  Please note she also says other addons you have may be doing what SnowfallKeyPress does already so download this only after you are sure you need it.
http://thebearflank.blogspot.com/2010/05/reduce-your-lag-time-100ms.html

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Dreaming of a Fancy Ban Hammer

Keredrei talks about a study that finds gamers remember and control their dreams better than non-gamers.
http://keredria.blogspot.com/2010/05/gaming-and-dreaming.html

Matticus has dreams of his own:  he'd like WOW to have a public ban event for misbehavior just like Guild Wars does.  There's a video of a player being removed from the game to give you an idea of how banning happens in Guild Wars.
http://www.worldofmatticus.com/2010/05/26/how-about-a-more-graphical-and-public-ban/


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Stop the Presses! It's a Miracle! UPDATED

Blizzard says that they don't plan to use micro transactions in Starcraft 2 because they "don't make sense."  However, the article goes on to talk about other ways of making extra cash from Starcraft 2 than micro transactions.
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3179496

Thanks to 1UP for pointing this out.

UPDATE:  Blizzard has confirmed there won't be any LAN play in Starcraft 2.
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3179525

However, there won't be any DRM restrictions, either.
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3179516

By the way, WOWHead has an article up pointing to what they say is a great site for Starcraft 2 race guides.
http://www.wowhead.com/blog=157729

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Damage Meters and How to Use Them

WOW Inside columnist Brian Wood is a big fan of damage meters.  Learn why and how to use them here.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/27/scattered-shots-damage-meters-are-awesome/

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Event Alert (Addons)

A rave review of Event Alert, an addon that lets a player know when a proc-based attack occurs. If you ever got tired of wondering when that special effect might occur, this is the addon for you.  Wonder if your character is likely to need this?  Jesse lists all the procs by class to help you decide.
http://www.nostockui.com/2010/05/all-about-event-alert/

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Epic Advice, the Question and Answer Site

Even the Solo MMO Player site can't answer every question.  If you are stuck, try Epic Advice which is a collaborative site in beta form that hopes to collect questions and answers about WOW from all over.
http://epicadvice.com/

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Icecrown Citadel Targeting Macros (Hunters)

A list of macros useful in various points during Icecrown Citadel.  Some of these the writer has experience with, some Ping collected from various sites.  Note that this article is written to help hunters and an addon called Target For Me is also discussed.
http://huntsmanslodge.com/7018/targeting-macros-for-icc.htm

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Understanding Melee Haste (Theory Crafting)

WOW Insider continues its explanations of theory crafting by describing melee haste and how it differs from how casters use haste.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/25/theorycraft-101-melee-haste/

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Free PvE Realm Transfers Announced

The list of places one can transfer from/to is here.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/25/free-realm-transfers-announced/

The article links to a 2009 article about how PvE realms are the ones with too many players, not PvP realms.   I expect this to spark discussion as to how this will impact the PvP changes Blizzard is contemplating with Cataclysm.
http://www.wow.com/2009/01/09/no-pve-servers-are-under-populated/

If you are curious, this site is supposed to list how U.S. servers are doing.  The FAQ tab has info about how/what they measure.
http://www.wowprogress.com/realms/rank/us

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Remote Auction House Beta Reviews

Gordon takes the remote Auction House app, currently in beta, out for a test drive.
http://blog.weflyspitfires.com/2010/05/25/wow-remote-auction-house-app-beta-impressions/

Here is his follow-up posting, which is more in depth.
http://blog.weflyspitfires.com/2010/06/01/remote-auction-house-review/

WOW Insider is testing the remote Auction House also.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/26/gold-capped-using-the-new-armory-auction-house/

Note that the cost to use the Remote Auction House is higher in Europe.
http://blog.weflyspitfires.com/2010/06/09/remote-auction-house-goes-live-and-rips-off-europe-in-the-process/

By the way, here is Blizzard's Remote Auction House site.
http://www.wowarmory.com/wow-remote.xml

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Introduction to PUGS (Machinima)

A machinima introduction to pick up groups.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/25/wow-moviewatch-how-to-win-at-pugs-and-gearscore/

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Defending the WOWHead Client

WOW Head has published a defense of their client which apparently has been accused of being a security risk.
http://www.wowhead.com/blog=157549

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Blizzard Executive Predicts WOW Will Grow

The title came from an interview at VG247 that 1UP linked to.  Here's the full interview as it has not only the assertion that WOW hasn't peaked, it has info about the Starcraft 2 release.
http://www.vg247.com/2010/05/24/boss-fight-blizzard-mega-head-frank-pearce-on-starcraft-ii-wow-diablo-more/

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Macros for Paladins

Coriel suggests macros for prot and retro pallys.  Note the useful suggestions in the comments.
http://blessingofkings.blogspot.com/2010/05/ask-coriel-ret-and-prot-macros.html

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You Are What You Eat

WOW Insider's analysis of all the food items in-game.  With a pie chart!
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/25/an-analysis-of-all-the-food-and-drink-in-wow/#continued

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Gaming Mice and Keyboard Reviews

A review of various gaming mice and keyboards on Pwnwear's forum.  The second link has photos of all the items discussed.
http://pwnwear.com/forum/gaming-mice-and-keyboards-t185.html

http://pwnwear.com/2010/05/25/gaming-mice-and-keyboards/

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A Priest's Guide to Tanks

Brief summaries of various tank classes useful for priests who heal them.  Know how a tank tanks and you can heal them better.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/23/spiritual-guidance-a-priests-guide-to-tanks/#continued

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The Game We Get is the Game We Deserve?

Wolfshead has written an article the whole Blog-o-sphere is talking about.
http://www.wolfsheadonline.com/?p=4221#a41a0

And here is an article from 2004 that clearly predicts the situation we are in now, although not in all details.  After all, there hasn't been a growing maturity of the player base.  In fact, we are seeing the opposite as far as I can tell.
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/2157/soapbox_why_virtual_worlds_are_.php

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Using A Level One Bank Alt at Remote Auction House

A tutorial by Cyn on how to use your level one bank alt with the remote Auction House beta.
http://cynwise.wordpress.com/2010/05/23/cyns-guide-to-using-level-1-characters-with-the-remote-auction-house/

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Blood Tap for the Death Knight

Skeleton Jack describes the Blood Tap buff in great detail in these two articles, one older and one brand new.  Each article has macros to use with Blood Tap and rotation examples to explain how it works.
http://www.skeletonjack.com/2009/07/27/blood-tap/

http://www.skeletonjack.com/2010/05/21/blood-tap-additional-uses-and-macros/

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Cataclysm and the Battlegrounds Guild

Speculation on how PvP guilds might work in Cataclysm.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/21/the-art-of-war-craft-looking-ahead-to-battleground-guilds/

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Leveling a New Warrior in Patch 3.3.3

There is so little information about low level characters I have to include this series.  In part one, the author gives you some tips and a combo arms/prot spec so you can either solo or tank as needed
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/21/the-care-and-feeding-of-warriors-behold-the-orc-1-20/

Level 21-40
http://www.wow.com/2010/06/18/the-care-and-feeding-of-warriors-to-40-and-beyond/

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Theorycrafting: What's It All About?

Theorycrafting and how it works from Frostheim.
http://www.warcrafthuntersunion.com/2010/05/theorycrafting-101-gathering-data-part-1/

http://www.warcrafthuntersunion.com/2010/05/theorycrafting-101-gathering-data-part-2/

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Wrath of the Lich King Progression Stats

This statistical analysis is full of graphs that show how much help the cheat buffs are in getting guilds through Icecrown Citidal.  It also shows how many guilds have gotten through earlier content which leads the author to speculate how Cataclysm might be structured.
http://www.rawrcast.com/2010/05/wotlk-progression-statistics-looking-forward-to-cataclysm/

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Everquest 2 Adds a $25 Mount

See what happens when you give Blizzard millions of dollars for a Celestial Mount?  Other game developers jump on the bandwagon.
http://blog.weflyspitfires.com/2010/05/20/everquet-2-introduces-its-own-greed-steed/

It's either the end of civilization as we know it or the first steps into widespread micro-transactions in MMOs.

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Starcraft II Censored for South Korea

Blizzard has made changes to the game like making blood black, removing references to smoking, and deleting vulgar language so that it will be rated 12+ in South Korea.
http://kotaku.com/5543906/south-korean-starcraft-ii-censored-to-shake-adults-only-stigma

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IceHUD, the Heads Up Display UI UPDATED

If you prefer a HUD instead of unit frames, you want want to check this out.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/20/addon-spotlight-icehud/

UPDATE:  An explanation of IceHud by Kae, including tips, screenshots and even the Lua code he uses to customize this to his own uses.  (Kae plays a druid.)
http://dreambound-druid.blogspot.com/2010/06/kaes-icehud.html

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List of Rune Addons

A summary list of all addons that track runes, with a screenshot and a brief description of how they work.
http://pwnwear.com/forum/rune-addons-t331.html

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New WOWHead Map Features

Warning:  An ad at the top of the page plays music that you can't turn off. Annoying.
http://www.wowhead.com/blog=156843

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Online Gamer Survey

NPD's annual survey of online gamers tries to capture what folks are playing.  Massively thinks the popularity of many games is tied to their new payment methods.  Here's their article.
http://www.massively.com/2010/05/13/ddo-jumps-to-third-most-popular-spot-in-mmo-survey/

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Caster Haste

How haste works.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/18/theorycraft-101-caster-haste/

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The Death Knight as Unholy Tank

Talents, stats, glyphs and more about setting yourself up as an unholy tanking DK.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/18/lichborne-unholy-tanking-101-tuesday/

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Addons and Macros for the Resto Shaman

A list of addons that restoration shamans will find helpful.
http://www.wow.com/2010/04/06/totem-talk-restoration-addons-and-macros/

http://www.wow.com/2010/05/18/totem-talk-addons-for-restoration-part-2/

http://www.wow.com/2010/06/08/totem-talk-restoration-addons-part-3/

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WOW Remote Service and the Auction House UPDATED

Blizzard's new Remote Service is in beta right now.  Once this thing goes live, for a monthly fee ($2.99) players can access the Auction House remotely from the Armory website or by using their iPhone or iPod Touch.  The beta is free but only available on a few realms currently, although the blue posting says they plan to eventually make the beta available on all realms. Details here.
http://www.wowhead.com/blog=156840

UPDATE:  Reactions to the new AH service.
http://www.ixobelle.com/2010/05/remote-ah-thoughts.html

http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2010/05/wow-remote-ah-application-on-iphone.html

http://druidreliquary.blogspot.com/2010/05/remote-auction-house.html

http://graymatterwow.blogspot.com/2010/05/wow-auction-house-theres-app-for-that.html

UPDATE #2 - The beta is now available on all U.S. realms.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/21/remote-auction-house-beta-test-expanded/

UPDATE #3 - The beta has ended and the service is now live.  It costs $2.99 for 30 days' service.  Not cheap, in other words.
http://www.wow.com/2010/06/07/remote-auction-house-beta-testing-ends/

And the price is higher in Europe.
http://blog.weflyspitfires.com/2010/06/09/remote-auction-house-goes-live-and-rips-off-europe-in-the-process/


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BlizzCon Tickets on Sale June

Tickets will be on sale June 2 and again June 5.  They cost $150 each.  There will be multi-channels on DirecTv as well.  Some things will be on the Internet for free.
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3179373

Mana Obscura reports the free pet will be a Mini-Deathwing.
http://www.manaobscura.com/?p=690

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Computer Monitor-Induced Insomnia?

If you have trouble sleeping at night you might  be interested in this article from Dreambound who is trying out monitor software that is supposed to reduce the glow emitted by computer monitors at night.  There is research that suggests such light impacts your internal body clock, perhaps making insomnia worse.
http://dreambound-druid.blogspot.com/2010/05/flux-screen-tinting-light-and-nighttime.html

The f.lux program can be downloaded here.  There is both a Mac and a PC version.
http://www.stereopsis.com/flux/

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Smacking the VuhDo Bug

Rhil loves VuhDo but occasionally this healing addon stops working at the worst possible moment and won't cast a spell.  Rhil did some hunting around and discovered what the problem is.  The incredibly easy fix for it is listed here.
http://www.isheepthings.com/blog/vuhdo-solution-2/

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Warlocks and Professions

A brief overview of the professions and what warlocks can get out of each.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/17/blood-pact-warlock-professions/#continued

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The Lich King, Healing and Discipline Priests

Another take on healing one's way through the Lich King fight.  There are links to several other discussions of the same topic if you want a rounded picture of how disc priests thinks this should be done.
http://bobturkey.wordpress.com/2010/05/18/comments-on-disciplining-the-lich-king-25/

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How Not to Play a Hunter Badly

With Big Red Kitty returning, hunters are about to become sexy.  If you already have a hunter among your characters, you might want to read these tips on how to not play badly during raids.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/17/scattered-shots-5-secrets-for-not-being-a-terrible-hunter/

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Review: Steam's OS X Client UPDATED

How Valve's brand new Mac client downloader works in real life just after release.  The article is by a Valve user (and critic) who points out the service is brand new and that a lot of its success depends on game developers making their games playable on the Mac as well as the PC.
http://ctrlclick.com/2010/05/steam-comes-to-os-x-a-bit-bumpy-but-welcome-nevertheless/

UPDATE:  Steam is now releasing Prima Guides via their service.  They can be viewed inside the game and also read outside the game.  Interesting development!  Details, including the games with guides available so far, here.  Thanks to Kotaku for pointing this out.
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3179417

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The Hybrid Tax

Honorshammer explains the hybrid tax, then explores how hybrid characters are effected by it in WOW.
http://honorscode.blogspot.com/2010/05/hybrid-question.html

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Why Professor Beej Hates Gearscore UPDATED

Two words:  anti-casual elitism.
http://www.professorbeej.com/2010/05/omg-gearscore-sux.html

UPDATE: Tobold thinks there are other problems going on besides GearScore.
http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2010/05/i-dont-think-gearscore-is-culprit-here.html

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Icecrown Citadel Heroic Mode Guide Videos

Thanks to Pwnwear to alerting us to and providing links for the newest videos from Vox Immortalis.  The second link is to the guild's guide and videos page on their guild website.
http://pwnwear.com/2010/05/17/video-guides-icc-heroic/

http://www.voximmortalis.com/content/141

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Tobold's Dual Box Adventure

Tobold is trying dual boxing via the Recruit-a-Friend program.  Here's what he's done to date, with the pluses and minuses of using this program to help level and get the fancy two-seater rocket mount.
http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2010/05/dual-boxing-with-recruit-friend-in-wow.html

http://tobolds.blogspot.com/2010/05/dual-boxing-part-ii.html

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Haste and the Enhancement Shaman

The author believes haste is the most important statistic for the high level enhancement shaman.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/16/totem-talk-hasteybaby/

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"Welcome to Android Hell"

Do you play WOW?  Have you played Portal?  Then you'll enjoy this monochromatic machinima. Many thanks to Big Bear Butt for pointing this out in his article about how Portal is free to download via Steam for a limited time if you have a Steam account.  This is part of the celebration as Valve launches a Mac client for their game download services.
http://www.baronsoosdon.com/content/view/28/32/

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The Return of Big Red Kitty?

The most famous and beloved Beast Mastery Hunter of them all, Big Red Kitty, retired from the game and blogging a year ago.  Recently folks who still visit his blog for hunter tips and insight discovered the content has disappeared, replaced by a cartoon hinting that he might be returning.  Speculation is that he is in the Cataclysm alpha and will soon be posting over the summer about his experiences.  In anticipation of this, I've added a link to Big Red Kitty in Favorite Links.  In the meantime, you can read BRK's other blog which pretty much confirms what is going to happen in the BRK Universe.
http://www.dphowell.com/

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The 52 Bosses of Wrath UPDATED

With the Wrath of the Lich King expansion now 18 months old (it came out in November 2008), Cassandri has created a list of all the bosses, ranked from easiest to hardest, with loot rewards indicated by color.
http://www.hotsdots.com/2010/05/the-52-raid-bosses-of-wrath/

UPDATE:  Larissa's commentary on this list.
http://www.pinkpigtailinn.com/2010/05/my-ranking-list-over-raid-bosses-of.html

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Ruby Sanctum Patch 3.3.5 Information Site

WOW Head has started collecting Ruby Sanctum information from the public test site that has gone live.  Here is where they will put it in case you want to browse.  Rumors say that when Ruby Sanctum hits the lead up to Cataclysm will start, so expect earthquakes and other things when Patch 3.3.5 hits.  We are on Patch 3.3.3 now, by the way.
http://ptr.wowhead.com/zone=4987

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Modern Warfare 2 Downloadable Content 2

Activision, WOW's parent company, is continuing their practice of releasing overpriced downloadable content (DLC) that is a mix of old maps and new for Modern Warfare 2.  I've heard rumors that this is the last DLC that will be available for this game.  The new map pack will be out June 3 for the xBox 360.  No date yet for the PC or Playstation 3.
http://kotaku.com/5538759/modern-warfare-2s-next-dlc-brings-more-old-maps

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Basics of Grouping

A useful summary of the various ways one can join or set up a group in WOW.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/13/wow-rookie-grouping-101-thurs/

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How to Jump-Disengage (Hunters) UPDATED

A video tutorial on how to use jump and Disengage as a hunter to move faster without going backwards.  Many thanks to Warcraft Hunters Union for pointing this out.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/13/scattered-shot-jump-disengage/

UPDATE:  How to jump off cliffs and survive using Disengage (but only if you are in combat).
http://huntsmanslodge.com/6902/fun-with-disengage.htm

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How To Get Into the Cataclysm Beta

WOW Head passes along Blizzard's information on how to get yourself in line for the beta.  This isn't a guarantee you'll get in but there are things you need to do to be considered.
http://www.wowhead.com/blog=156161

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EA Pass: A Bad Idea UPDATED

This isn't a WOW issue but Activision's big rival EA, has come up with a new way to separate gamers from their money and also try to cut down on the sale of used video games.  It's called EA Pass.  In the simplest terms, people who buy a new EA game will get an EA Pass which allows them to enter the multiplayer area of the new game.  If you buy a game used, presumably the EA Pass will have been used and you'll have to buy another for $10 from EA to get into multiplayer.  Mike Schramm explains why this is a bad idea here.  Do you really think enough people who buy used games will pay to play multiplayer to make this pay off for EA?  If it does, it'll spread.  No doubt about that.
http://www.mikeschramm.com/general/why-ea-pass-is-a-bad-idea-20100512

UPDATE:  Alan Wake will have downloadable content available to new game owners who have their 'token card.'  See?  This stuff spreads like a cold among kindergarteners.
http://kotaku.com/5538634/we-get-the-signal-for-alan-wake-in-july

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Cataclysm Professions Preview

A summary of what Blizzard has released about the professions after Cataclysm hits.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/12/cataclysm-profession-preview/

Comments on same.
http://graymatterwow.blogspot.com/2010/05/cataclysm-profession-preview.html

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Strange Game: Leaks and Blizzard UPDATED

Fascinating article about Blizzard and new Cataclysm content leaks from the writer behind the Extreme Anglin' website that covers all things fishing.  This is a Must Read for the thoughtful WOW player.  Following the links to other of Tim's content is quite interesting.
http://timhowgego.com/a-strange-game.html

UPDATE:  MMO Champion has removed all alpha content from their website at Blizzard's request.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/11/mmo-champion-removes-all-cataclysm-alpha-content-at-blizzards-r/

Comments on the above
http://www.pinkpigtailinn.com/2010/05/someone-just-knocked-on-door.html

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Pet Builds for Hunters UPDATED

Information about beast mastery PVP pet builds.  This is part two of an article on beast mastery from last December.
http://huntsmanslodge.com/5459/bm-pvp-guide-pets.htm

I also found this website about hunter pet builds in general. It looks a little out of date to me.
http://hunterbuilds.com/petbuilds.html

UPDATE:  But this guide to the best hunter pets for PvP is current as of Patch 3.3.3.
http://huntsmanslodge.com/hunter-pvp-pets

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Real ID Discussion (Patch 3.3.5) UPDATED WITH SECURITY CONCERNS

The next big patch (3.3.5) will include a new instance (Assault on Ruby Sanctum) and also something called Real ID will appear in Battle.net.  Here's a bit about Real ID, how it is supposed to work and what Mana Obscura thinks about how successful it will be.
http://www.manaobscura.com/?p=651

UPDATE:  WOW Insider writes briefly about how Real ID will work.  The best part of the article are screen shots from the Public Test Realm.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/13/patch-3-3-5-ptr-battle-net-real-id-system/

UPDATE #2:  Lissanna has some concerns about Read ID and the Friends of Friends feature you might want to read.
http://www.restokin.com/2010/05/getting-personal-or-not/

UPDATE #3:  WOW Insider thinks any security concerns are overblown.  Given that the Solo MMO Player believes that his email address used for logging into the game (which has never been used for anything else so where do all the phishing emails and gold seller spam come from?) has been hacked, they are wrong.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/28/real-id-security-concerns/

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Understanding Melee Hit Tables (Theorycrafting)

An explanation of the melee hit table which is simply how WOW calculates just what damage is generated from a blow.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/10/theorycraft-101-the-melee-hit-table/

I've posted an article about melee hit tables for druids earlier.  You can find it by searching on "melee hit table."

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How to Fool Gearscore

Isn't hard, just takes some gold.
http://highlatencylife.wordpress.com/2010/05/05/fooling-gearscore/

I love the illustration, by the way.

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Leveling Druids With the Dungeon Finder

Anyone who has the stomach to use the random dungeon finder a lot can use it to level their druid characters.  Lissanna at the Restokin blog pointed me towards a very nice forum posting by Wildpaw on how to use the random dungeon finder this way.  The guide is broken into two parts:  tank and healer.
http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=24702232850&sid=1

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Books and Articles on Leading Guilds

You may have noticed that specifics on how to lead a guild are lacking.  What I've been able to find is listed below.  Also search on "guild banks" in the upper left hand corner search box to see information just on how to run your guild bank.

The Guild Leader's Handbook
This is a new book out by a WOW Insider columnist.  Here's a review.
http://www.worldofmatticus.com/2010/05/07/book-review-the-guild-leaders-handbook/

A review of the above.
http://blessingofkings.blogspot.com/2010/05/review-guild-leaders-handbook.html

Another review--
http://www.thehuntersmark.net/blog/2010/06/08/review-the-guild-leaders-handbook-by-scott-f-andrews/

A third review--somebody's handing out review copies like Halloween candy!
http://www.wowhead.com/blog=159181

A review from the perspective of a role player.
http://toomanyannas.com/general/review-the-guild-leaders-handbook/
Guild Leadership:  Lessons from the Virtual World
This 2008 book seems to be more about applying guild leadership lessons to the real world.
http://www.guildleadership.com/

Interview with the author-
http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/41307

Review:
http://www.watchtheguild.com/the-guild/book-guild-leadership/


Legend of the Syndicate
Review of this 2007 book which is more about guilds in general than WOW guild leadership.
http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/14905


IBM article about how guild leadership translates into real world skills.
http://www.ibm.com/ibm/gio/media/pdf/ibm_gio_gaming_report.pdf


Blogs About Leading Guilds
This guild leadership blog recently closed down and became a podcast when the writer stopped leading his guild.
http://kreeoni.blogspot.com/

These two blogs cover guild leadership among other topics.
http://pwnwear.com/find-stuff-here/archives/

http://nonelitistraiding.blogspot.com/

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Blizzard Cracks Down on Inappropriate Names in Arena

Apparently Blizzard has started cracking down on inappropriate names for Arena players and teams.  This is long overdue and should be expanded to PvE.
http://www.empoweredfire.com/2010/05/06/blizzard-inappropriate-names-arena-tournamen/

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Frostheim's ICC DPS Analysis By Spec

WOW Insider just posted Frostheim's analysis of 25-man DPS output in Icecrown Citadel areas by spec using World of Logs data.  This is an average that does not include Death Knights for reasons explained in the article.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/06/icc-dps-analysis-by-spec/

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Install the GarUI (Reflux)

 Garwulf takes time out to make a video tutorial on how to install his custom GarUI using Reflux.
http://huntsmanslodge.com/6646/i-hope-this-helps.htm

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The Fifteen Item Macro

Garwulf has written a daily quest and random Use Item macro that many classes might find useful.
http://huntsmanslodge.com/6657/you-might-find-this-useful.htm

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Questing 101

Information about quests for the new player, from the mechanics to tips on how to make questing easier and how to abandon a quest.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/06/wow-rookie-questing-101/

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The Five Minute MMORPG

How to level from 0 to 80 very very quickly.
http://kotaku.com/5532199/from-level-0-to-level-80-in-just-five-minutes

Here's the game site.  "Hot PvP action"
http://www.fiveminutemmorpg.com/

Obviously the Blog-o-sphere is obsessed with speed this morning.  If you are interested in zipping through the plot of the Star Wars classic trilogy as quickly as you level above, Big Red Kitty has a video for you.
http://www.dphowell.com/2010/05/05/bathe-in-the-awesome/

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Part Time at the Auction House

WOW Insider has a basic guide up for the casual auction house visitor.  It's just common sense but if you find how this all works confusing, it's worth a read.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/05/gold-capped-casual-auctioneering/

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Cataclysm Alpha Friends and Family Leaks

Lots of screen shots and information from the alpha play of Cataclysm that has just started are hitting the Internet. Obviously the non-disclosure agreements players signed are not working.  Click on the MMO Champion link to see more, or just read Twisted Faith's summary.
http://twistedfaith.wordpress.com/2010/05/06/the-mirror-of-things-to-come/

Here's information about the new player UI for Cataclysm.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/06/cataclysm-initial-user-interface-strings/

UPDATE:  An interesting series of articles about the leaks and Blizzard's response are here
http://timhowgego.com/a-strange-game.html

and here.  Enjoy!
http://www.pinkpigtailinn.com/2010/05/why-people-leak-and-other-musings-over.html

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New Battle.net Features UPDATED

Blizzard announces new Battle.net features:  it ties in to Facebook and there will be some sort of system that allows one to connect with friends.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/05/battle-net-will-integrate-with-facebook/

http://www.wow.com/2010/05/05/battle-net-real-id-preview-and-faq/

No word on the one feature we all want--strengthening of Battle.net's security.

UPDATE:  Mike has written a bit about how the social networking aspects of Battle.net probably work.  There's lots more information here about other WOW-related things as well.
http://www.mikeschramm.com/general/warcraft-wednesday-socially-networked-20100505

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Celebrating Cinco de Mayo in WOW

Kirina dresses up and takes a pinata out for a spin to celebrate the holiday.
http://wowrpc.waddellconsulting.com/?p=2219

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Guild Bank Information

Yesterday's article about thefts from a guild bank got me curious about how they work. The Blizzard WOW site doesn't have much information but I did find these two helpful articles elsewhere.  They are not recent but hopefully there haven't been many changes to how guild banks work.  The first article is the most complete.  The others talk about things such as managing the tabs.
http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/26916

http://wow.warcry.com/forums/read/13.51395-WoW-Guild-Banking-FAQ-Patch-2-3

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=80370559&sid=1

http://midnightsyndicate.eu/forum/read/308

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ABCs for Discipline Priests

The ABCs of discipline priests are Always Be Casting.  That's not all in this article, however.  It is full of tips for discipline priests to up their output, whether it is mitigation or healing.
http://penancepriest.blogspot.com/2010/04/abc-of-discipline-priesting.html

MoarHPS takes the ABC mantra a little further by applying it to all healers.
http://moarhps.wordpress.com/2010/05/04/the-abcs-not-just-for-discipline-priests/

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Are Bank Withdrawal Limits Broken?

Warcraft Hunters Union reports that despite their guild bank having controls limiting withdrawals to three stacks a day, a hacked guild member's character was able to just about empty the bank.  A problem ticket has been sent to Blizzard about the fact that the controls were bypassed.  I hope if any more information comes out about this that we'll hear about it.
http://www.warcrafthuntersunion.com/2010/05/bank-robbery/

If you run a guild, be warned.  Read the Comments for tips.

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Mod Reviews: eAlign, Baud Mark and CloseUp

Short reviews of three small mods:  eAlign puts a grid over your screen.  I have no idea why one would want to do this, but there you go.

Baud Mark makes the raid marking icons appear around your cursor when you push a hot key.  This gets rid of the bar in the middle of your screen (always a good thing).

CloseUp allows you to rotate and zoom on character models, pets, etc.
http://outdps.com/2010/05/03/addons-and-mods-ealign-baud-mark-and-closeup/

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Moonkin Trinkets and Theorycrafting

Gray Matter does some theorycrafting with SimulationCraft to see which trinkets work best for moonkin druids.  Whether you are a druid or not, you may be interested in his laying out of how to use SimCraft yourself.
http://graymatterwow.blogspot.com/2010/04/fun-w-simulationcraft-moonkin-trinkets.html

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Rotation for the Protection Paladin Tank

All about the 969 (or 96969) rotation, including a video of it in action.
http://ferarro.blogspot.com/2010/05/paladin-tank-standard-rotation.html

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Starcraft 2 Hits July 27 UPDATED

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3179103

If you are curious about this real time strategy game, this article explains its appeal.
http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3179101

UPDATE:  Battle.net will integrate with Facebook and there will be some sort of network among friends you can use.  Given Blizzard's security record, I think I'd be cautious about using either item, however.
http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3179143

http://www.wowhead.com/blog=155203

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Tips from Hunter Interview

A summary of tips and information taken from the Hunting Party podcast which interviewed some long-time hunters.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/03/scattered-shots-secrets-and-myths-of-the-worlds-best-hunters/

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The 6 Year Old's Guide To Lich King Raid

http://dreambound-druid.blogspot.com/2010/05/comic-icc10-lich-king-phase-2.html

http://dreambound-druid.blogspot.com/2010/05/comic-icc10-lich-king-full.html

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Cataclysm Healing Changes? UPDATED

Interesting discussion on how healers and healing will change in 25 man raiding when Cataclysm hits.  Start with the original posting, then follow along.
http://everblue-bluemurder.blogspot.com/2010/04/raid-lockout-changes.html

http://pwnwear.com/2010/04/28/number-of-healers-in-cataclysm-25-v-10/

http://honorscode.blogspot.com/2010/05/cataclysm-raid-changes-design-realities.html

UPDATE:
http://blessingofkings.blogspot.com/2010/05/cataclysm-tank-theorycraft.html

http://dreambound-druid.blogspot.com/2010/05/cata-1025-difficulty-balance-issues.html



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Manage User Profiles with Reflux (Addons)

A guide to setting up reflux to manage all your characters.
http://huntsmanslodge.com/6538/a-few-notes-on-reflux.htm

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The Ultimate Resto Druid Guide

The Daily Druid calls this the best resto druid guide he's seen.
http://treebarkjacket.com/restoguide/

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WOW Runs on iPad UPDATED

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3179092

UPDATE:  WOW Insider questions if this really works.
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/03/wow-on-ipad-via-streaming/

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Childrens Week Quest Broken UPDATED

Apparently Blizzard knows the Dalaran orphan quest is broken and are trying to fix it.  The problem is that anyone who did the quest last year can't do it this year.  Apparently this problem is common in holiday quests.  (So why hasn't Blizzard figured out they need to check for this before the holiday arrives?)
http://www.wow.com/2010/05/02/childrens-week-dalaran-orphan-quest-broke/

You can do the other quests just fine.  Here is WOW Head's guide to the Childrens' Week quests, pets, achievements, etc.
http://www.wowhead.com/guide=childrens-week

UPDATE:  WOW Head reports the problem with the Dalaran quest won't be fixed this year so anyone who wanted to do this again this year can't.
http://www.wowhead.com/blog=155086

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How to Play as a Ghoul

The Pink Pigtail Inn put out a call on her blog for folks to write about how to play as a ghoul if a death knight has used the Raise Dead spell on you, and she got three great responses.  Her article and the links to the Ghoul Schools are here.
http://www.pinkpigtailinn.com/2010/04/guides-on-what-to-do-if-youre-raised-as.html

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Phishing Emails Cover The Solo MMO Player

The Solo MMO Player's email address used as a Battle.net login is crammed full of WOW-related phishing emails.  This is good evidence that Blizzard's Battle.net system has been compromised and the account logins stolen as this email address has never been used for anything except logging into Battle.net.

The following article says these emails are on the rise, and tells you to open a new browser window and type in the battle.net address to check your account status if you think one of the dozens of emails you get is really from Blizzard.
http://www.wow.com/2010/04/30/security-warning-phishing-emails-on-the-rise/

No Blizzard email message to your email login address can be trusted to be real.  Your email login address is not secure, so don't use it for anything except logging into Battle.net. Get yourself an authenticator.  Here's what happens when you don't have one.
http://huntsmanslodge.com/6850/lockout.htm

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