This is a quickly typed reply to the post you can find here, which is so mind-numbingly stupid and incorrect that I felt the need to fix it. The post basically over shoots the mark regarding how much information can be ascertained from a Minecraft Account name stretching it to the extremity of 'theif will take your money and personal info', which is more than a bit ridiculous in any case. Now that I've finished bitching, let me start this blog post.

What information can a player get?
A player on your server can get a variety of information about your online presence when you play, most of which are worthless without the proper knowledge or information. This can include:

• IP Address, Approximate Location - This information could not trace you within twenty miles of where you live on its own.
  
• Hardware Information - Ditto.
  
  
• Minecraft Name - This is a vital piece in the puzzle, as I'll show you in a bit, but alone it is worthless.
  

As you can see, without giving them more information or letting it slip, you are pretty secure. The 'theif' cannot 'hack your info' or even 'put a virus on ur pc'. It is the next section that is vital to your personal security when playing Minecraft.

How can somebody trace me then?

It's entirely based on what you allow them to see. As I've shown you above, they cannot trace who you are with just your connection information. They rely on you letting slip information and that information leading to more information that leads to who you are and where you live. I offer you these simple tips to avoid being traced:

• Avoid sharing your real name. That, tied with your approximate location, can provide a shocking insight into who you are to somebody who wishes to trace you.
  
• Do not share links to your social networking accounts. This is a goldmine for somebody who wishes to trace you.
  
• Do not, under any circumstances, accept any persons as a 'friend' on said social networking accounts. Even if you set your details to 'Friends only', adding a person you don't know creates a path in.
  
• Avoid opening any links sent to you from anyone, including your close friends, no matter what reason is given. This will allow somebody who wishes to trace you to install a back door on your computer. Even opening a link for a few seconds would grant them enough time to install a Java drive-by.
  
• Use unique nicknames with each service you use. You may think that your PMC account is all secure, but one search with your account name could lead to an account you haven't treated to the same amount of obscurity.
  
• In a similar vein to point four, do not connect to a Minecraft server you do not trust. This can, in the right circumstances, allow a person tracing you to hijack your account.
  

Conclusion

The only way you will be 'hacked' or traced is if you are information stupid. If you leave the doors open and ignore what I've touched on in the above points, you will be open to opportunistic people who do not have your best interest at heart. Stop for a moment and think of how you could be traced. Do you have a Youtube or Twitter account in the same name? Do you have any people on social networks you don't trust or know? If yes, you need to fix it.

Regards,

Ross

Systems Administrator for Volition Minecraft