Microsoft reveals examples of what "acceptable trash talk" is allowed on Xbox Live

[midian182]

In brief: For as long as online gaming has been around, there have been trolls making the experience unpleasant for others. To try and combat this type of abusive behavior, Microsoft recently updated its "Community Standards for Xbox." To help clarify its position, the company provided some examples of what users can and can’t say to each other.

On any platform, there’s always going to be a fine line when it comes to restricting toxic behavior and censoring genuine banter and trash talk between friends. To give you an idea of what to avoid, Microsoft listed some examples of the stuff that isn’t allowed (via Kotaku):

• Get "sexual threat". Can’t believe you thought you were on my level.
• Hey "profanity", that was some serious potato aim. Get wrecked, trash.
• Only reason you went positive was you spent all game camping. KYS, kid.
• Cheap win. Totally expected from a "racial slur"
• You suck. Get out of my country—maybe they’ll let you back in when your k/d’s over 1.

The obvious takeaway here is to not use sexual threats, profanities (offensive language was already banned), and racial slurs. I’m quite surprised to see nothing about questioning an opponent’s mother’s promiscuity, which always seems popular.

If you do want to trash talk your opponent, here are some of Microsoft’s acceptable suggestions:

• Get destroyed. Can’t believe you thought you were on my level.
• That was some serious potato aim. Get wrecked.
• Only reason you went positive was you spent all game camping. Try again, kid.
• Cheap win. Come at me when you can actually drive without running cars off the road.
• That sucked. Get good and then come back when your k/d’s over 1.

Anyone who violates Xbox community standards may have restrictions placed on their profile and devices, which includes restricting online games, blocking text messages and communications over voice, and preventing the broadcasting of gameplay. Repeat and severe offenders, meanwhile, face permanent bans, which means losing all licenses for games and other content, Gold membership time, and Microsoft account balances. So, remember to avoid acting like a troll on Xbox Live. Instead, tell people to get destroyed and suck potatoes, or something like that.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/79908-microsoft-reveals-examples-what-acceptable-trash-talk-allowed.html

 

[VitalyT]

This may get the White House blacklisted.

 

[seeprime]

Gosh. Golly. Gee willikers. How can people properly express their outrage and superiority now? This may be, I'm not saying it is, a pile of poo poo.

 

[VitalyT]

Gosh. Golly. Gee willikers. How can people properly express their outrage and superiority now? This may be, I'm not saying it is, a pile of poo poo.

You'd have to be inventive, like burrito+beer=poo^2

 

[TomSEA]

LOL...yes, I'm sure the griefers (and 13 year olds) will completely adhere to these stellar suggestions.

Someone at Microsoft took too many goofy pills.

 

[kombu]

This may get the White House blacklisted.

EL OH EL! Trump is just the worst, miright?

 

[Plutoisaplanet]

The important thing is that sarcasm is still allowed—my favorite kind of toxicity.

 

[Trapped Nowhere]

What purpose does a racial slur even serve online and why is it a popular insult that apparently gets used by some youtubers to express themselves when they are upset?

 

[Capaill]

What does KYS mean?

 

[BigRedPDX]

I think the only thing that really bothers me with trash talk are the ones who call their own teammates trash. Doesn't that seem a tad harsh and counter intuitive? It just brings your own teammates down and honestly, makes me think how that person is not a team player.

KYS = Kill Yourself
Racial slurs - Just not necessary
Trash - Personally urks me when I hear people calling each other that

 

[QuantumPhysics]

#1 I've been on Xbox Live for over 10 years.

#2 I've talked so much trash - so much unbelievably toxic, violent and hateful and downright hilarious trash that if I had recordings I could be PewDiePie. But back then, I didn't have the ability to record game and voice to make the videos for Youtube.

#3 The only thing that will get you banned is:

a) making voice recordings for messages where you say obscene things.

b) typing obscene things.

For the most part, Xbox Live can't censor live chat.

I'v cursed out kids and then when their parents got on the mic I tore the mom a new one - and then the daddy.

All the threats in the world mean nothing when some dude on the net has an entire game room laughing at you, your mom and your dad.

The more they fought back - the more outrageous the things I'd say. I wish I could give examples here but I can't.

And that's what FREE SPEECH looks like.

If you don't like it: mute me.

Or stop playing.

#4 and this is important: Always have a burner account.

Xbox Live can block your account but they typically don't ban you permanently for trash talk.

Xbox Live bans only the account name reported. So let's say you're like me and have multiple account names under one Xbox Live payee...they will be so slow to react to each one, you'll be able to rampage across opponents.

 

[TmberWolf 3R]

What does KYS mean?

Kill Your Self.

 

[DukeJukem]

What does KYS mean?

Kill Your Self.

baited

 

[arrowflash]

Repeat and severe offenders, meanwhile, face permanent bans, which means losing all licenses for games and other content, Gold membership time, and Microsoft account balances.

Is this even legal?

I don't live in the US and in my country this definitely wouldn't be legal, unless they're willing to fully refund the money for all the content you've bought with inflation adjustment and interest. The worst they maybe could get away with, would be banning you from multiplayer.

 

[ziffel66]

With these new rules, how will anyone recognize what service they're playing on?

 

[PcePce]

Is this even legal?

A lot of game companies will be asked that question, in court, about a lot of their practices in the coming years.

Only reason you went positive was you spent all game camping. KYS, kid.

Okay, okay, I'll leave the bit about camping off.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

There is this funny thing about language, it changes, quite easily. We have seen this before, with the OK symbol being labeled a "white supremacist " sign, and a black man with an Afro saying "pool's closed" causing real world reactions.

MS can ban all the language they want, teenagers and internet denizens will merely find more language to be used in what people will find an "offensive" manner. You cant outlaw naughty words, new words will simply replace them. This is why censorship on the internet never works. MS's game of chat censorship whackamole will be a complete waste of time.

 

[James00007]

 

[wiyosaya]

This may get the White House blacklisted.

May?

The White House should not be playing games anyway!

 

[Quecha]

This is light compared to Minecraft Mineplex censorship. The word happened is censored it's that bad.

 

[Draconian]

What about the comment "you suck?"

 

[Bas Keur]

LOL...yes, I'm sure the griefers (and 13 year olds) will completely adhere to these stellar suggestions.

Someone at Microsoft took too many goofy pills.

Darn it mister, we should stick together and pull trough this.

 

[Impudicus]

I think this is counter productive. What better way to learn how to deal with toxic *******s than from the safety of your own home behind a game console or pc? All these bad hateful words do exists, there is no hiding them, or removing them. New words will be created to mean the same thing, or old words repurposed. I feel like this kind of censorship is much like poking a beehive.