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Xbox Live Disallows Linux, Unix As Keywords

Posted by kdawson on Tue Sep 04, 2007 06:26 PM
from the way-beyond-childish dept.
Microsoft It's funny. Laugh. XBox (Games)
shafty023 writes "The Xbox Live online service disallows screen names like LINUXRULES, L I N U X, and other variations of these kinds. Other bloggers are reporting that variants of 'Unix' also result in the message: 'Your motto contains inappropriate language. Please try again.'" If this is an extension of Microsoft's anti-Linux campaign, perhaps it's time they gave it up.
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Submission: Unix, Linux keywords banned from Xbox Live by shafty023 (993689)
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  • Maybe not completely anti-linux. (Score:5, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 04 2007, @06:28PM (#20471847)
    Words like Microsoft aren't allowed either. It hard to say what they are going for here. Maybe preventing smack-talk too.
  • trademarked or copyrighted names? Wasn't that one of the items SCO claimed ownership to (the Unix name)?
    Could be another reason.

  • Other words? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by FST (766202) on Tuesday September 04 2007, @06:29PM (#20471857) Journal
    Can someone try...other words like

    ubuntu,fedora,redhat...suse,novel? xandros, freespire...lindows...

    GPL.... FOSS

    Richard Stallman Linus torvalds al qaeda?

    Just wondering what's allowed and what isn't.

  • Fortunately (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 04 2007, @06:29PM (#20471859)
    SlashdotSUX seems to work just fine. OH SNAP!
  • XXX-Box and MiniXbox360.

    I guess they were on Tannenbaum's side of the argument. ;-)

    Next I'm trying StallMan!

  • other banned words... (Score:4, Funny)

    by Starteck81 (917280) on Tuesday September 04 2007, @06:30PM (#20471885)
    penguins
    penguinsrock
    penguinseatMS
    Iluvpenguins

  • Correct me if I'm wrong (seriously) (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Scottoest (1081663) <scott&bampage,com> on Tuesday September 04 2007, @06:30PM (#20471887) Homepage
    But doesn't XBOX Live prevent users from using any trademarked terms when making a username?

    If this is not the case, then my apologies.

    If it is (and I think it is), then kdawson, you really need to give this up already. You are fast becoming notorious for posting complete non-stories, especially when the subject is Microsoft.

    - Scott
    • Geez, one month and he's already going back on my front page block list. Guess he's still as gullible/ignorant/whichever-derogatory-statement-t hat-applies as 12 months ago.

    • Re:Correct me if I'm wrong (seriously) (Score:5, Informative)

      by TheTopher (879626) on Tuesday September 04 2007, @06:50PM (#20472163) Journal
      The Halo 3 Public Beta demonstrated a new feature that allows players to choose an alphanumeric "call sign" of the form A00. The call sign "N64" was not allowed due to trademark issues. I would imagine that such issues are the same reason why Linux is not allowed in gamer tags.

      • Re: (Score:3, Funny)

        by Reziac (43301) *
        He does. This kdawson person is infringing on Twitter's intellectual property rights. ;)

        • He does. This kdawson person is infringing on Twitter's intellectual property rights. ;)

          That's pushing on the definition of "intellectual" pretty hard, don't you think?

          Or don't you?

  • Snow (Score:5, Funny)

    by HTH NE1 (675604) on Tuesday September 04 2007, @06:36PM (#20471949)
    A friend hated snow so much that he put it in his dial-up BBS's filter, so "snow" would be rendered "****".

    Someone decided to post a Christmas song, to hilarious results from the other possible 4-letter substitutions. He relented and removed it from the filter.

    Unfortunately, I'm not certain what song it was: "Frosty the ****man" or "Let It ****" are the ones that leap to mind.

    • Re:Snow (Score:4, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 04 2007, @07:02PM (#20472289)
      Sleigh bells ring, are you listening,
      in the lane, **** is glistening

      ---

      It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
      Ev'rywhere you go;
      There's a tree in the Grand Hotel, one in the park as well,
      The sturdy kind that doesn't mind the ****.

      ---

      I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
      Just like the ones I used to know
      Where the treetops glisten
      and children listen
      To hear sleigh bells in the ****.

      ---

      Hear the **** crunch, see the kids bunch, this is Santa's big scene
      And above all this bustle you'll hear
      Silver bells, silver bells
      It's Christmas time in the city

      ---

      Another tender Tennessee Christmas
      The only Christmas for me
      Where the love circles around us
      Like the gifts around our tree
      Well, I know there's more **** up in Colorado
      Than my roof will ever see
      But a tender Tennessee Christmas
      is the only Christmas for me.

  • But maybe... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by davmoo (63521) on Tuesday September 04 2007, @06:40PM (#20472019)
    perhaps it's time they gave it up

    But perhaps its also time that the people writing these headers realize that a) Xbox Live is a private network, and as such, they can set their own rules, b) Microsoft may have a policy against trademarks in names (I don't use Xbox Live, so I don't know their rules), and finally c) Microsoft is in competition with Linux, and is not going to publish or permit anything that is pro-Linux.

    Its like you people expect Microsoft to advertise with a slogan like "Linux is better, but buy our stuff anyway". You're probably also waiting for American car manufacturers to come up with the slogan "Our cars suck, but buy American!"

    Grow up, people, that's how capitalism works. Build your own game network (at your own expense) and you can set the rules.

      • Re:But maybe... (Score:4, Informative)

        by garett_spencley (193892) on Tuesday September 04 2007, @06:58PM (#20472247) Journal
        I was dying to post some joke about just how hilarious the whole concept is, but couldn't think of anything. Immature or not I found the whole idea that MS would do such a thing extremely amusing.

        Then I read the other comments and people pointed out that "Microsoft" and "Windows" are also disallowed words, as well they pointed out that there is a policy that using trademarked terms in screen names is disallowed. Assuming those posts are correct, it now seems like a complete non-story and non-issue. Ironically (as the parent poster is currently modded Troll), kdawson and shafty023 should be the ones modded Troll for the article. IMO.

  • It's also worth nothing that... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Mike Rubits (818811) on Tuesday September 04 2007, @06:40PM (#20472021)
    "Windows" is also a disallowed word.
  • There are lots of fun ways past a (lame) keyword filter
    Some suggestions to start:
    Lenucks
    Leenux
    LeanUcks
    LeeenUcks
    LinusesOs
    |_inux
    Linu}{
    L!nux
    L|nux
    Linuks
    Linu>

    Or some variant of...
    TorvaldsOs
    PenguinOs
    GplV2Os
    Free$wIsBetter
    FO$$

    Finally:
    $u$E SueSee
    Nohvell Nove||
    UhBuntu, EwBhunthu
    RedH@t, RhedHatt
    Debi@n, DehBian

  • LINUX YOU! (Score:5, Funny)

    by Sj0 (472011) on Tuesday September 04 2007, @08:21PM (#20473015) Homepage Journal
    LINUX YOU, YOU LINUXING LINUXERS!

    I can't believe these linuxheads are doing this. linux isn't linuxing inappropriate language, linux-linux-it!

    I can't believe this linux. It's linuxing insane.

  • *Sigh* (Score:5, Informative)

    by Seven001 (750590) on Tuesday September 04 2007, @10:09PM (#20473947)
    Blizzard does the same thing in World of Warcraft. No trademarks as names.

    As others have suggested, we should bash Microsoft for what they deserve to be bashed for, not stupid shit like this.

  • It's GNU/Linux dammit (Score:4, Funny)

    by rgo (986711) on Wednesday September 05 2007, @03:05AM (#20476111)
    Calling it Linux is an offense to the FOSS community...

    At it seems even Microsoft knows that.

    geez...

  • I have Linux in my motto. (Score:3, Informative)

    by Bender Unit 22 (216955) on Wednesday September 05 2007, @07:48AM (#20477757) Journal
    I used a often posted line here on Slashdot as the "motto" in live account, since it really is my motto.
    They must have added this limitation later on.

    But what does it help? Can't you just go around it like fx. instead of writing "running linux", write "running on penguin power".

    • Re:And to think I was going to buy an Xbox 360!! (Score:4, Informative)

      by bherman (531936) on Tuesday September 04 2007, @06:54PM (#20472205) Homepage
      Maybe you should do some research about your claims.
      1) Vista only support for DX10
      This isn't availible on XP either, and since no one is buying Vista no developer will support it. They don't want to only sell to a small install base.
      2) MS is actually helping Mono develop Silverlight for Linux Link [sdtimes.com]
      Now, since they are helping a community that is actually fluent in Linux development as apposed to getting their feet dirty and then eveyone blaming them for intentionally introducing bugs to the Linux version we're now yelling "They aren't supporting Linux?" I don't like them as much as the next guy, but at least attack them on some more valid claims (OOXML perhaps)
    • Should have read:
      Microsoft wants Linux and any other who threatens their monopoly power gone . There is no end to their madness and so they must go.

      Oh, and ask you boss if these are the kind of developers you want behind your enterprise software, because they are there too.

      and you don't want me writing your technical papers either

      LoB

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