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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.
from the way-beyond-childish dept.
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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Xbox Live Disallows Linux, Unix As Keywords
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Maybe not completely anti-linux. (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Maybe not completely anti-linux. (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Maybe not completely anti-linux. (Score:5, Funny)
...are you trying to tell me there AREN'T people that stupid out there? On XBox Live?! O_o
Re:Maybe not completely anti-linux. (Score:4, Insightful)
(http://bampage.com/)
This is another non-story, as is the case with most of kdawson's Microsoft related posts.
- Scott
Re:Maybe not completely anti-linux. (Score:4, Insightful)
(http://bampage.com/)
Seriously - submit a story like "Micro$oft gives babies herpes, says new report", and then have the "report" link go to some drooling teenager speaking in all "leet speak"on the IGN forums, and I predict your story will hit the front page by the top of the hour.
- Scott
Re:Maybe not completely anti-linux. (Score:4, Funny)
Try "monkeyboy" (Score:5, Funny)
How about "monkeychairboy"?
It's anti-retarded fanboy (Score:5, Informative)
Horny not allowed. "FingeredAnus" is O.K.! (Score:5, Funny)
Posted today. They pulled this guys 3-yo tag of "HornyChinchilla" because, it is assumed, they found it to be offensive.
Their filter suggested "Fingered" and completely accepted "FingeredAnus"
I'm sure that there's a joke in there somewhere about how it feels to use MS products...
Re:Horny not allowed. "FingeredAnus" is O.K.! (Score:5, Funny)
MSN messenger... (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:MSN messenger... (Score:5, Funny)
(http://reverend.healeys.net/)
Aren't they both..... (Score:2, Insightful)
(http://www.fuckingbent.com/)
Could be another reason.
Other words? (Score:5, Interesting)
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.
Re:Other words? (Score:5, Funny)
GPL.... FOSS Richard Stallman Linus torvalds al qaeda
Re:Other words? (Score:4, Funny)
(http://www.jameshollingshead.com/ | Last Journal: Thursday June 02 2005, @01:40AM)
Only if you reallllly wanted to be sniper bait =]
Fortunately (Score:5, Funny)
I registered (Score:2, Funny)
(Last Journal: Friday November 09, @12:32PM)
I guess they were on Tannenbaum's side of the argument.
Next I'm trying StallMan!
Re:I registered (Score:5, Funny)
other banned words... (Score:4, Funny)
penguinsrock
penguinseatMS
Iluvpenguins
Correct me if I'm wrong (seriously) (Score:5, Insightful)
(http://bampage.com/)
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
Re:Correct me if I'm wrong (seriously) (Score:5, Informative)
(Last Journal: Monday May 30 2005, @12:29AM)
Xbox Live Error (Score:1)
Snow (Score:5, Funny)
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)
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)
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)
(http://www.spencley.com/)
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)
Re:It's also worth nothing that... (Score:4, Funny)
(http://www.bcgreen.com/ | Last Journal: Saturday March 19 2005, @02:57PM)
Wonder if it recognises... (Score:1)
(http://www.dragonswest.com/ | Last Journal: Monday November 05, @07:35PM)
P A R A N O I A
Seriously, Redmond has a cases of it. Whatever happened to this cozying up to Novell, or was it just another ploy to co-opt something beyond their control?
have you seen me? [dragonswest.com]
That's nothing (Score:2)
(http://slashdot.org/)
Take a hint from the spammers (Score:3, Funny)
(Last Journal: Friday May 30 2003, @08:04PM)
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
What about... (Score:2)
(http://www.agileagenda.com/)
They probably just filter trademarked names.
GNU (Score:1)
(http://www.nullprogram.com/)
slashdot banned too (Score:2, Funny)
(Last Journal: Thursday July 22 2004, @11:14AM)
way-beyond-childish (Score:2)
Spike isn't allowed by sup-com (Score:2)
Could it be that they want to cover their bases? (Score:2)
After all, someone could choose names like "Linuxsux" or "LetLinuxDie". Be creative and you find more offensive anti-linux names. And then, you'll certainly see some people get kinda irate.
In turn, they MUST filter trademark names (at least to some sensible extent). Now, I don't know if Linux is a trademark, but let's assume it's not. Then people could call themselves "Linuxsucks" but not "Windowssucks". Worse, at least in the eyes of MS, people could advertise Linux (with names like "linuxgeek") while MS can't allow the same for Windows.
In other words, I see it as some kind of way to keep that can of worms closed. Nothing more.
LINUX YOU! (Score:5, Funny)
(http://www.fbxl.net/ | Last Journal: Saturday June 23, @05:12PM)
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.
and homonyms? (Score:1)
in other news... (Score:2, Funny)
(http://www.dynarec.net/)
*Sigh* (Score:5, Informative)
As others have suggested, we should bash Microsoft for what they deserve to be bashed for, not stupid shit like this.
vague error messages... (Score:2)
(http://www.livejournal.com/users/dazed1/)
Ok, so folks are droning on and on about "Windows" and "Microsoft" not being allowed either.
So here's a question: if you tried to make a username that was ilovemicrosoft (and it wasn't already taken), would it respond with the "Your motto contains inappropriate language. Please try again?"
"Inappropriate" seems like an odd word there. If they wanted it to be more generic, shouldn't they have used something like "disallowed?"
Not that microsux has ever been good at providing meaningful/useful error messages on a consistent basis...
hmmm (Score:1)
(http://www.linuxidiot.org/)
okay...how about? (Score:1)
who's making a religion out of this? (Score:2)
Oh, and ask you boss if this is the kinds of developers you want behind your enterprise software, because they are there too.
LoB
Stories about games attract the stupid? (Score:2)
(http://127.0.0.1/)
If they disallow Linux they have to disallow Windows, or even the morons could not claim they are justified. In order to block the use of Linux they would have to believe that they might get sued. We all know how suit happy Linus and the registered trademark holder for Linux are, and how scared M$ is of lawsuits. Since they are M$, they are certainly allowed to let users pick Windows as a substring.
The real issue:
1) People rarley pick the user name WindowsRox
2)People rarely pick the username LinuxSux
3) The inverse of 1 and 2 is virtually a guarantee, and they don't want an article entitled "Even X-box users agree that Windows Sux and Linux Rox" to hit the AP.
Try this instead... (Score:2)
(http://www.fylo.net/)
Register with usernames that include CEMENT (CE, ME, NT). I'm sure someone will get creative with it.
Anyone tried variations on distro names yet?
It bans character names too (Score:1)
one sided (Score:2, Informative)
(http://www.bizzeh.com/)
And so what? (Score:1)
(http://ctomer.com/)
Screen name or Motto? (Score:2)
(http://www.grapefruitopia.com/)
Gamertag - username.
Motto - user's signature.
The motto field has always been overzealous - e.g. I can't advertise my website, since "grapefruitopia" is considered to be inappropriate too - presumably because of the r-a-p-e in grapefruit.
Ok, I guess it probably blocks the same things with your Gamertag, but Microsoft actually charge you money (or rather gamerpoints) for the privilege of changing that (or you have to abandon your old account, and all your achievements and start a new one)
It's GNU/Linux dammit (Score:4, Funny)
At it seems even Microsoft knows that.
geez...
C&C Generals (Score:1)
No, seriously.
They will never give up (Score:2)
(http://www.noooxml.org/petition)
You buy their device, try to open an account there giving up your privacy to them and try to get "Linux" nickname.
How heroic is that? I bet webmaster(s) are smiling counting those attempts.
OmG!!! (Score:1)
As an avid... (Score:1)
Yes, it's true that MS wouldn't have to money to fund the Xbox division without their ill-gotten gain from their OS monopoly. Yes, I know it's terrible I'm supporting them in any way/shape/form. If you are any bit of a gamer you have to play with MS in some way, either with a 360 or dual-booting, and overall the 360 seems to me to be the lesser of the two evils. Seriously, when I log in for some mutli-player action I don't care if my crosshairs line-up on MSSUXORS, LNXFAN or BriTneySpeArSvAginA; just play the game please.
I have Linux in my motto. (Score:3, Informative)
(Last Journal: Wednesday October 10, @06:37AM)
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".
Meah, don't assume malice... (Score:2)
(http://www.hikari.org.uk/)
Microsoft may have just banned trademarks. It would be nice to know what other words it didn't permit, before we all run round doing the "omg! M$ are evil!" thing.
First Evangelic Lutherans, now Linux (Score:2)
(http://www.iki.fi/magi/ | Last Journal: Friday September 27 2002, @04:31AM)
Not that I have much against shutting EVangelIc Lutherans or any other religions from IRC or other systems, but shutting out Linux disturbs me a lot. But what is the logic? Does Microsoft intend to portray Linux as a religion?
what about ... (Score:2)
(http://www.qsl.net/wa2mze)
billblows
windowsisshit
Not new (Score:2)
(http://www.superbusnet.com/)
And the thing of the matter is that this wasn't a game that was taken online, like XBox Live; it's not like Nintendo had a reputation amongst other people to live up to, or that some impressionable 8 year old would see the word "cock" in an online lobby. This MIGHT have been one of the games that that old, shitty dial-up service used, but that affected maybe 10 people.
Seriously? (Score:1)
(http://www.theeca.com/)
I guess I'll have to settle for (Score:1)
And this is supposed to be a bad thing? (Score:2)