Microsoft's Slow Response To Xbox Harassment Leaves One Woman Stunned

The story is sad yet familiar: Last month, Jenny Haniver was playing Call of Duty online when another player started saying some nasty things.

[Maddens Raiders]

Unfortunately, I believe MS is too busy responding to other things atm. Hopefully they'll have time to respond to her concerns in the near term, but I doubt it.

[Crazyglues]

You can't be serious right now, I think MS has better things to do then explain to people that this is the internet... I mean really

What exactly should MS do... track down the idiot and what?, prosecute him for being a complete idiot and having very low brain cells...

The dude is an idiot, no question, but in-case this is your first time playing on the xboxLive service, that's actually really mild compared to what I hear on there everyday, also there is a little feature called block user...

I mean come on' what are we twelve...? Someone says something stupid to you, you report and then you hit block user... then you go on with your day..

how silly are we getting, what's next you just start doing whatever someone tells you to do online- http://bit.ly/19l6U6W

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[ABizzel1]

People shouldn't have to deal with ignorance, no matter where it is. He's a disrespectful piece of $#!%, and I can guarantee he wouldn't have said it in a public area.

M$ needs to get this under control the best they can, XBL is full of sexist, racism, and all things derogatory and they need to crack down, especially if someone is sending you messages and you report it. It shouldn't take weeks. MS and Sony need to make sure reporting this kind of behavior is better handled with the PS4 and XB1.

[rainslacker]

When everyone accepts something as the norm, it becomes a norm.

I don't know where you live, but I've never heard at any point in my life the kind of hate, ignorance, or immature idiocy that I can hear in one hour online, or even just reading on N4G. Probably not even all my life combined could match 1 hour of online.

It isn't normal. And it shouldn't be accepted.

Sure, we can just ignore it, but shouldn't we actually demand better? Too many people on the internet have no standards for themselves, or for others except when they feel they've personally been wronged...and then they expect everyone to understand their reasons.

Hypocrisy at it's finest. One word that gets thrown around here constantly, yet so many people can't see it in themselves because they're willing to accept the status quo.

No I believe all these idiots that ruin it for everyone else should be called out and disciplined. Lack of discipline is the reason these things happen, and it's a systemic problem with our society as a whole, because we just accept it as the norm, and are too damn lazy to speak out against it. People, including those that just allow it to happen, need to be held accountable, but very few people want to take responsibility for anything when the spotlight is on them.

Ignore it and it'll go away...that's your message in a nutshell. Seems like that hasn't worked since I first got on the internet over 20 years ago...back before there was a world wide web.

[slimpickens]

Frack that! At the movies you now get kicked out for talking or texts because you're disturbing paying customers. This same rule should apply for XB0x live since it's apparently a payed unique service. I was on live once and overheard a guy picking on another so bad to where we believed he was about to kill himself. MS simply needs to ban IP addresses and start teaching discipline which is apparently whats missing in these homes of menace users.

[CommonSense]

"People shouldn't have to deal with ignorance"

yeah...well welcome to the real world. You are going to have to learn to deal with it or you can just be a victim your whole life.

You don't get cancer from being offended. You don't wake up the next day with a broken leg from being offended.

Get some thicker skin and learn to deal with it in whatever way you can that doesn't involve blaming a third party for somebody else's actions. MS gave us the ability to block, mute, and report. That's plenty.

I'm so sick of this entitled, victim, pc society.

[miDnIghtEr20C_SfF]

And she did what any normal person would of done right away right? And muted them and left them bad feedback and ignore them right!??!?!?!?

[Gamer Muzz]

Seriously people!
This guy didn't break the law or anything. Was he a Jerk? ABSOLUTELY! but he has the right to be obscene as much as anyone else does.

I have to ask.
Did she COMPLETELY FAIL to see the ESRB alert when she booted up the game?
"Online interactions are not rated."

Let me tell you all something right here and now.
If those morons from the Westboro Baptist Church get to say the horrible, hurtful, and shameful, things they say while protesting the funeral of an American soldier, under the blanket of free speech, then This guy should be protected as well. Period. He spoke his mind and he has that right.

IMO, he shouldn't be banned at all. that's why we can block people. The "Rep" system will be an added bonus to the new live, but seriously. No one deserves special treatment and if you don't like what people say online (that includes PC and PS4 as well) then don't play with strangers. (I play my online games with people from my friends list only)

She should have blocked the guy and moved on.
Question: Why is she so special that when SHE doesn't like someone they should be banned or suspended?
Answer: Shes Not.

[MsMcClever]

Those people can say what they want in an open forum, but XBL isn't an open forum. They charge people to be able to connect to their service, so their customers should have a basic right to not be verbally assaulted every time they join a match. Also, if the person was threatening her with bodily harm, he was breaking the law, not "speaking his mind".

[RavageX]

If I am going to pay for a service, I expect it. I would not pay(and don't) for a service where verbal abuse and harassment is allowed and you are simply expected to ignore it.

You act like that and there is proof, your account should be banned. No if's, and's or but's.

You can act a certain way, but that doesn't mean there aren't consequences. You might get beat down, fired, even killed. You opened your mouth to say stupid things to someone, you take that chance.

The people defending this guy are probably the very ones that act in a similar manner.

[rainslacker]

You are bound by MS terms of service. Here is their page regarding their code of conduct online

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/l...

This isn't a free speech issue. You sign away your right to free speech on the service when you sign up. It's in the Terms of Service.

Just because there is an ESRB warning, that doesn't mean that people are allowed to be abusive. 1st amendment free speech doesn't even cover abuse or harassment. There are laws that explicitly say so.

It's the same on here. When you sign up, you can be banned for being abusive to other members. You explicitly agree to it when you clicked that little check box.

[Anon1974]

"Seriously people! This guy didn't break the law or anything."

Of course he broke the law. Threatening someone with rape or violence is absolutely against the law. Doesn't matter if they don't mean it, if it's in person, online, over the phone..what he did couldn't be more illegal.

How can people not know this?

[Angeljuice]

Speaking from personal experience, all you have to do to provoke these imbeciles is be black, sound black or be female. Honestly, if you defend this crap you're as bad as them.

[Gamer Muzz]

@darkride66
@MsMcClever
You're wrong. Threatening to commit assault is illegal ONLY IF it is accompanied by the apparent ability to carry out the threat.
The user on XBL making threats does not have the ability to follow through with them unless they personally know the person they're speaking too. These treats were made by a guy who did not personally know this woman, and that was not capable of getting her personal information. He could not carry out his threats and therefore, did NOT break the law.

@rainslacker
I never said he didn't break the TOS. I said he didn't break the law. IMO, people should expect this because it's a sad fact of online gaming. People are jerks. Boo Hoo. If you don't like it, then just game with people on your friends list. That way you know they wont be nasty.
I don't see why people get banned when we have a system for totally blocking them and it's as easy as pushing a button.

@RavageX
You'd be wrong. I've never spoken like that to someone online. Making accusations based on some narrow minded assumptions on your part is nothing short of ignorant.

As for the rest of it.
As I said, that's why we have the ability to block people.
If she thinks shes so special, then she should be patient and not whine about MS not acting swiftly enough, because as we all know, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS ONLINE. not just to women, not just to people of other race, gender, Sexual orientation, ETC. But to everyone! and there's so much of it, I'm sure it takes ages to get every case handled. She's no more special than anyone else no matter what she may think.
it's happened to me too. But I just block and move on. I'm an adult, I don't need to cry like a 6 year old with hurt feelings.

LASTLY,
I also consider that we don't know what she said to him at all. She could have been a prick too while they were in game. We don't know. I've heard females on XBL talking smack just like the guys do.

[BallsEye]

Only in America. Place where it's cool to call girls b!tches. Place where a dude sings he cannot find a better word than "sexy B!tch" to describe a girl without being disrespectful is being played atleast 20 times a day in every major radio channel.

[Gozer]

I dont know where you got the idea, but its not cool to call women bitches in America. Call an american woman bitch and see how long it takes you before you are slapped. Rap makes it seem cool, but rap is a fantasy land. Call a woman a bitch in Tennessee, you will be lucky to escape with your teeth.

[JsonHenry]

You can mute them, block, and remove them from your friends list. If it takes MORE than one of those options you should probably take out a restraining order. NOT blame MS for a "slow response".

[slimpickens]

"Slow response?" Hell what response? MS isn't doing anything but pretending there is nothing they can do. I don't even understand the point of muting after the person being an idiot has already said things to tick you off and even scar young ones.

[JsonHenry]

As I said- if it takes more than a simple mute/block then call the police. Not MS.

[slimpickens]

Disagree completely!

[Blaze929]

lol look at kotaku reporting about something no one cares about. Don't act like you all care one bit.

This female is mad because no one gave her personal attention? Well...that's new.

What you do all expect, Microsoft to answer every complaint? It's the internet. Report, block, move on. What did you want, an apology?

She wants this user punished like she is some sort of queen or something ha. And you all are falling for that sympathy why?

[slimpickens]

I disagree and yes this does bother me. The problem is MS does nothing no matter what you report which is insulting since we are paying for this service. Why you would attack her for trying to get something done about about an everyday problem is beyond me. Sure the negative Xbox news is a bad thing but this is something that needs attention.

[Blaze929]

blah blah blah - that's all I hear. Tomorrow we will all wake up, and still - not care.

[StoutBEER]

Take you're headset off or mute the guy! Im pretty sure if i walked up and started jackin it in front of her shed leave. I don't mean to sound incencitive but really? Top story? WTF is wrong with n4g lately!?

[StoutBEER]

BS shin. I constantly use it to congratulate someone on what i thought was good teamwork, tell them there server is awesome on Battlefield 3, or just tell them there gamertag is awesome. I got called a fag on PS3 CoD 4 a LONG time ago. Its not the console its the games/ game community. This is not only expected, its seen every minute of every day on CoD. Just a fact.

[Skizelli]

@Maddens Raiders

That's not how it works. Microsoft employees people whose job is to investigate these reports and act accordingly. They're basically moderators of the service.

I'm not taking any sides, but I find it hard to believe she was innocent in the matter. It takes two to tango. In my experience, girls on there are either bitchy or silent. I guess they have to be with all the little boys on there giving them a hard time. She should've muted him from the start. That's what it's there for. Everyone knows COD diehards have nothing intelligent to say. Ever. It comes with the territory.

That being said, he definitely deserves to be banned for making such comments. That's basically a threat.

[sorceror171]

"I guess they have to be with all the little boys on there giving them a hard time."

That's the point. You don't have to "tango", you just have to show up and not be male.

Go ahead. Set up an account that claims to be female, get a girl to speak through your headset. Play exactly the same as you usually do. See how you get treated...

[Skizelli]

I'm not arguing the fact that women take a lot of crap from idiots online. But again, that's what the mute option is for. It's not difficult to use unless you like arguing with people. It sounds to me like she's just as guilty. Case in point: The article states he sent her a text message followed by a voice message. Why didn't she block all communications with him after the first message? I can tell you why: Because it takes two to tango. If a scrub sends you a text message, you're pretty much forced to read it. If they send you a voice message, however, nobody is putting a gun to your head and forcing you to listen to it. I sure as hell don't.

[Psn800]

That is one of the reasons I gave up playing on Xbox live & went over to Playstation & people say why don't you turn the volume down & I'd say why should I gamers should be civil to one another banter yeah but harassment no way that was just a nasty piece of work he should be banned for life .

[Ksar]

Unfortunately, things like that happen every day.

[zeal0us]

She's playing CoD ffs what did she expect?

@inveni0
Calm down you're taking what I said too seriously. The CoD community has one of the worst reputation in the game industry. It is filled with bro gamers who have little respect for each other much less a female gamer.

If she wants to enjoy her game without being harassed I would recommend her to change to a different game with a friendlier community. Honestly given the CoD community she's bound to encounter a similar event.

You can't change the way people act far as online gaming goes.

[nveenio]

She expected to be able to enjoy a game like everyone else, that's what she expected. With your mentality, women shouldn't walk past construction sites because the workers will whistle and say gross things. In reality, they should be allowed to walk wherever they'd like, and the men who make it so they can't should be reprimanded.

[DragonKnight]

@inveni0: zeal0us makes a legitimate point though. In CoD everyone is a target. There comes a point where you have to accept that.

But I also agree with you, and based on what PHATDOG said, he went too far and deserved to be reported.

I love how CoD players, not all mind you, have this idea that because they did well in a CoD game that they are somehow something big and important. Can't wait for life to smack people like that upside the head with a 2x4.

[Baka-akaB]

"She expected to be able to enjoy a game like everyone else"

Well she is getting insulted LIKE EVERYONE ELSE . It's not gender specific overall , it's an idiotic mindset where you'll get harassed or insulted whatever gender or ethnicity you belong to , by a minority , but still huge quantity of idiots .

So she is completely right to complain about it , but others are right to when they advise to change games and avoid the dregs of online gaming .

I agree with one of the kotaku posters however when he says :

"Microsoft (and soon Sony mind you) - You expect people to pay for your service? Than you need to MONITOR your service, so they can play without being hassled."

And by that i mean actually monitoring stuff . Not pushing some agenda about using real IDs as proposed in the past . Real IDs dont work , people have been using them for ages on social networks without acting any differently

[Kurt Russell]

*selects user* *mutes*

[cyclindk]

Yeah holy crackers... if anything they should include a disclaimer with COD preparing people for the online community there, but I really think some sort of player rating system would go a long way to fashioning a community where "like-rated" persons can interact and play together without much chance of running into total a$$holes 24/7. Though dividing one's gameplay community can have its own consequences especially concerning online arenas.

[HiddenMission]

@Baka-akaB

So I guess you hadn't heard yet but now all the address info about your FB account can be pulled up easily with google so if your console and online ID is connected to your FB account then shit could get real.

Think of it this way you talk trash to a random person in a match, that person then looks up your ID and sees it connected to FB. If that person lives in your city then they can drive over to your front door and cause a real issue for you.

Do you see why real ID's will help to curb some not all but some of this bad behavior. People like their gaming and social experiences connected so it's just a matter of time before people learn you can't conduct yourself like A holes.

The funny thing is this already happened in New York last year I believe.

[Baka-akaB]

@HiddenMission

In reality it doesnt work like that , most times . In the real world those people are either too dumb to consider that , or feel no one is going to bother tracking them down with a lawsuit or physical harm .

Wich means that no it hasnt been a deterrent so far . People are as rude and insulting with their real identities on Facebook and the like of twitters than within the confine of being anonymous .

Wich is why i hate it when company hide behind Real IDs concepts as a way to escape doing their job better , that is to properly control and punish offenders . Maybe it will change , but right now when those companies mention those , it's a cop out .

Again i reminding folks that it's an actual paid service , not the free wild internet

[StoutBEER]

Damn it. Should have read you're comment before posting mine. (:

[kewlkat007]

"Unfortunately, things like that happen every day."

Unfortunately...it does...

[insomnium2]

Doesn't mean I wouldn't still want to have a "chat" with this guy face to face no matter how common it is. I'd let my fists do the talking.

[Rimeskeem]

and sadly multiple times a day to sometimes the same person

[pacostacos]

this is why im always in party chat when playing mp games

[ziggurcat]

"Jenny Haniver was playing Call of Duty online when another player started saying some nasty things."

... and here i thought that the CoD community is one of the most respectful, and courteous bunch of people on the planet...

[Wikkid666]

Too funny...

Report, then block. Done... you will never hear from that person again.

[DragonKnight]

She didn't just want that though. She wanted him punished. Which is kind of immature. She should have just left it at reporting him and let them deal with it whenever. Why does it matter so much that he was punished?

[IcicleTrepan]

I agree with you. She wanted his account banned so bad she kept checking it to see if it was banned yet. When it wasn't, she took up a social media crusade. She had no idea if the person had received some sort of warning from MS that if he did it again he'd be banned etc. She was out for revenge and thought her particular situation was higher priority than everyone else's issues sitting in the same queue.

[TekoIie]

While this sort of talk is absolutely disgusting it does not warrant a permanent ban unless he's doing it frequently to other players.

A 2 week ban would be good IMO as a warning. I think she took the comments perhaps a bit too personal? If I held a grudge like that against every player who's said horrible stuff to me I dont think I'd have too much time to play games :/

[Anon1974]

I think she did the right thing. The only way we'll ever get a handle on these bullies is if we hold those who are ruining our communities responsible for their behavior. If she just ignored and blocked, how long would this guy's harassment have gone on unchecked? How many more would have had to endure his bullying before something was done?

Online harassment is a crime. It's everyone's duty to speak out when they see a crime committed. You wouldn't sit idle if this joker came into your work site and shouted these at you there would be grounds for him to be arrested and charged. We wouldn't accept it if he left harassing phone calls. People need to be held accountable for their actions. And people are saying he shouldn't even have received an account ban? He threatened her with rape. Clearly he's broken the law and should be charged with a crime.

And this is how it starts. It starts with online harassment, and as they get away with it, they become emboldened. Then they start sending emails, then it escalates to words shouted on the street. Then the violence starts. There's a pattern to how abusive people escalate their harassment. Of course not every online bully goes this far, but psychologists have long theorized a link between online bullying and future real world violence.

We've got tools at our disposal to report these individuals. The reason why online gaming is such a cesspool is because we, as gamers, allowed it to happen. She should be pressing charges. Trash talk can be fun. Threats of violence are against the law.

[HiddenMission]

Really...she is the immature one...I think your the immature one here who must not have a daughter!

Attitudes like yours disgust me! You never know what she has been through in her life for all you know she could have had a horrible miscarriage in her life. Think before you comment!!!

[CoLD FiRE]

Maybe that asshole was right about "that time of the month" /joke

On all seriousness, whenever some jerk acts like an asshole to me on Xbox live I just respond with "LOL noob" and then report them and forget about it. Life is too short to get hung on what some random douchbag on the internet says about me.

Also, there's that invention called the mute button, people should use it so that trolls will only be talking to themselves, don't give them the attention they want.

[clrlite]

Maybe she wanted revenge.

Personally I've been trying to avoid people more rather than trying to control their behavior.

Not surprised to see an article like this from Kotako for some reason.

They like to play the sensationalist sensitivity game it seems.

[CaptainCamper]

I'm curious as to what the response would have been if the comments in question were aimed towards a male gamer.

I'm not defending the guy. I'm always up for a bit of gaming banter but that's taking it too far. Still..I can't imagine there would be so much uproar if a male reported something similar.

[DragonKnight]

There would have been no response. If it happens to a male gamer it doesn't matter. Double standards are as much a part of gaming as code is.

[HiddenMission]

Not sure how you got so many bubbles but you really don't think before you comment. This isn't about double standards it's about the way we conduct ourselves as human beings!

If you attacking someone over the web, during a gaming match or in person there are punishments for that kind of behavior and you are condoning that conduct!

It's gaming it's supposed to be about having a good time...at what point did it become about attacking others who can't kick your teeth in right there on the spot. If want to trash talk hop on party chat with your friends and bust their shit...not randoms who may not feel like being attacked while playing video game.

You disgust me!

[cyguration]

@HiddenMission

Your response to Dragon Knight makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

He's bringing up the fact that there is a double standard (and this news story here proves it). If a guy made a big deal about being talked to negatively or harassed verbally, no one would care.

It's interesting that some female gamers are asking for equality but yet want special treatment as well. If a guy reported another guy harassing him, how quickly would Microsoft or the gaming media respond to his query? Would it be on the front page of N4G?

A female gamer does it and it's "big news" and you can expect all the social media justice warrior pundits to talk about the evils of man and how "male dominated" gaming is.

It doesn't sound a lot like equality to me but a plea for special treatment. I don't play COD but it is something I'm observing from the outside looking in (also if you don't think guys don't get harassed in COD, just look up Minossota Burns).

[LeCreuset]

Come on, dude. I take it you're a dude? We both are. Don't try to play that game. We both know what it is, or at least you should. Stop playing the "I'm the real victim" card.

If you're a grown man, chances are rape isn't the threat to you that it is to women. If, as in your little "What if?" scenario, it had been a guy then what? Do you think he would be going off about the dude being on his period? Do you think he would leave a message threatening to rape him and force a late term abortion? Come on with this stuff. It's not about YOU.

[IcicleTrepan]

He's not saying that at all. He's saying that if some guy starts telling you he's going to rape you until you bleed or whatever and you're a man, then it's not a priority. But if you're a woman and a similar situation, then it's ZOMG lets ban the account immediately.

Both situations should be treated equally. He's asking for equal treatment. not about him at all.

[DragonKnight]

LeCreuset: So just because a guy can't become "impregnated with triplets and forced to have a late term abortion" that means there isn't a double standard?

What if the guy said something that was specifically gruesome about men? I'd write an example but it would be flagged. But you know if someone said that to a guy nothing would come of it. You wouldn't see this white knight crusade all over the internet because it doesn't matter if men are abused that way. We're supposed to just take it. We're men, we're not oppressed we're the oppressors right?

This girl goes on a revenge crusade and that's her right, but if a guy did that you'd never see it on Kotaku and if you did, that guy would be ridiculed for being butt hurt about losing to someone in CoD.

@LeCreuset below: You simply don't understand. Your mind has been poisoned to think that rape is not equally as threatening to men as it is women so you can't conceive of a situation in which these things can play out the same way. You also missed the point entirely. I'm not pissed that people are speaking out about anything. I'm questioning her mindset. Why she had to be so vengeful. I'm also bringing to light the very real fact that had she been a he then this wouldn't even be a discussion. Rape isn't the only insult one can make so open your mind and stop White Knighting for someone who was out for blood because she had to deal with a typical CoD player and didn't like it.

[LeCreuset]

@IcicleTrepan

Both situations should be treated equally? Did you read the article. It wasn't handled at all until she went on her blog and other blogs picked up on it. Is a dude going to see it through like that to bring the issue to light? Probably not, because rape isn't the threat to most grown men that it is to women. Instead of crying about a double standard, the next time it happens to you do like she did. Don't just keep your mouth shut, then wonder why you get different results.

@DragonKnight

See my response to Icicle. If you have a problem with something said to men, step up and do something about it like she did. You seem more pissed that people on the internet are speaking out against such behavior than you do about people on the internet saying stuff like what he did.

@Dragon above
You call it being a white knight. I call it having some freaking decency. She has every right to want him banned. What he did was criminal. At the least he should be banned. There's a decent chance he reads gaming sites like this one. If he's reading this, who does he see you criticizing more? Him, or her? Time for the gaming community to stop enabling these losers with the "boys will be boys" attitude.

[-Gespenst-]

@Icicle Trepan: In an ideal world of actual gender equality, then yes, both situations should be treated equally. In reality however, we need to do more about the fact that women are dramatically more victimised than men. A situation in which a man is threatened with rape by another man over a videogame is simply not as serious as when it happens to a woman in this society. Culturally, men have been conditioned to handle such a situation differently. Men in this culture are the "active" ones, the aggressors, the movers and shakers. A rape threat means considerably less to most men- has considerably less reality. If we decide to give AS much consideration to rape threats from men to men, we run the risk of not tending to a more immediately problematic area in society.

You're simplifying the issue much more than it can ever allow. Plus, none of this is about asserting female dominance or something, it's about levelling an asymetrical power relation within gender politics- it's about achieving ACTUAL equality, not maintaining a form of tacit exploitation and ambient systemic oppression.

[mfletch512]

she posts videos like that on youtube all the time, just report them and move on. i wanna know what she does to provoke these people.

[Wikkid666]

It's actually a breach of Xbox Live code of conduct by posting that video. So technically she can be put temp ban too.

[LeCreuset]

People act like idiots so it's proof she's doing something wrong? What makes you think a response like that can be provoked? In other words, who in their right mind would think to respond to any form of provocation by saying something like that? I tell you, there are a bunch of Noah Crooks-minded people out there giving a bad rep to gamers.

[mfletch512]

all im saying is that if i am playing with a group of people and they are playing the game properly and at least trying then everything is fine, however, if they are acting like an idiot in order to get a rise out of me so that they can record it and post my gamertag on the internet so that people will retaliate on me. then who is really in the wrong. she may have said much worse things and they responded as such. im not trying to justify what they said, im just saying that she could be just as in the wrong as them, she is just the one that posted it on the internet and is acting like she needs defending.

[techuser]

This needs to be the top comment.

[DragonKnight]

What I'm wondering is, why did it matter to her so much that he gets punished and why did she have to hound and hound and hound to ensure he did?

Most people would report him, block the guy, and be done with it. She went that extra mile and continued to stalk the guy's account to make damn sure something was done to him. That's vindictive, and vengeful, and should be questioned.

[LeCreuset]

Probably because she's sick of it happening and feels like the lack of punishment is enabling these people? Gee, I wonder why she would think that. Let's criticize her some more though.

[DragonKnight]

Don't try to feed me that horse manure. She had no idea what MS' Enforcement program were doing, or if he received a PM warning of any kind. She deliberately escalated the entire thing after stalking his page (which defies logic) because she wanted revenge. It's plain and simple. She was out to get him for insulting her.

It isn't her job to set enforcement standards or tell them how to do their job.

[LeCreuset]

GTFOH man. How about this? He wasn't banned. That's what should have happened. Nothing less. You threaten to rape someone, then a ban should be the least of your worries.

[ziggurcat]

i know you're not exactly defending the guy's behaviour... but perhaps it's because he kind of threatened her with rape, and murder? i know that kind of garbage is ubiquitous within that particular community, but i don't think it should ever go unpunished.

sometimes it isn't enough to just report and block, and it obviously took a bit of hounding for MS to actually do something about it. and at least now there's a minutely slim chance that this idiot will think twice before he acts like a troglodyte.

[DragonKnight]

I'm not defending what he did, he did deserve to be reported. Here's my problem though.

What does stalking his page and starting a social media crusade end up accomplishing that is of any REAL value? Say he gets banned. Ok, but then the next day some other guy does the same thing to her. Is she going to once again stalk that person's page and start up a new crusade playing the victim once again for something that happens literally to thousands of people every single day?

There is never going to be a perfect monitoring system and this girl is always going to be vengeful and vindictive. She shares the same personality type as the person she wants punished, only with a different focus. This cocky douchebag likely beat her at CoD and decided to rub it in her face in a disgusting manner so she decided she'd beat him in another way and rub it in his face all over the internet.

She's not doing herself or anyone else any favours this way. I'm not saying she should have done nothing. I'm saying she's vindictive and vengeful and childish. She didn't handle it like an adult and he's definitely not going to change. If he gets banned he'll just make another account.

[MarkusMcNugen]

Well said on all these comments DragonKnight. Too many people jump to a conclusion without actually analyzing the whole story. There were multiple ways this could have been handled without the need to call for a "personal army" as this woman has.

[SnakeCQC]

Maybe the problem is defending P.O.S. that hurl needless abuse at other people.
I'm surprised at the people here who are guilty of this especially ones with sooo many bubbles.

[LogicStomper]

To be honest, I sort of do the same thing when I report people. I like to find out for myself whether or not the 'file a complaint' actually does it's job.

[SnakeCQC]

Maybe you're desensitized to the bs thats said online and shes genuinely offended. I've suffered from online racism on xbl and its not a nice thing especially when player reports are mostly ignored.
I think sony's solution is the best at dealing with this situation, which is using real names. I hope other platforms implement the same thing. People wouldn't say the horrible disgusting things they do if didn't have anonymity to hide behind.

[jmc8888]

Actually you are far less safe in other ways if you use your real name.

You're only inviting real life criminals to engage in real life crime. You know because criminals are always looking for a sure thing.

I really wonder how many people are robbed by the info they post on Facebook. You know like....I'm going on vacation for 2 weeks....

Then they come back and their place is broken into and everything is stolen.

Using real life names in an online setting is a recipe for disaster and REAL bullying and intimidation. Online can be turned off or you can go to another website. But by putting your name out there and other identifiers you can be harassed and bullied in person, or worse.

I still see a bunch of cranks with facebook logged forum posts, like what ESPN just introduced and has been sweeping the web the past few years infecting more and more forums.

All you dissuade are the honest people who don't want to take part. Revealing people's identity really doesn't help, only hurts. So be careful what you wish for, you may just get it...and regret it.

Even the new Xbox One thing will backfire spectacularly. The people who will file the most complaints will be the biggest offenders. Hell over the years I heard some of the biggest morons on Xbox live while they were flaming everyone how they were going to report everyone in the room and such.

What the guy said was horrible, however she should take it with stride since EVERYONE that games online is a victim of such things from time to time.

Sometimes its out of the blue. Sometimes its just some dummy who's antagonizing the entire room. Sometimes you get a couple people fighting back and forth and back and forth. We've only heard one side of the story, and while it may paint a complete picture, we cannot assume it is so.

She too might have been spouting off and pushing the guy over the edge. Things escalate and idiotic comments are made. Who is at fault then? It would be correct to call both morons, and in this case we simply don't have the info to judge it.

You do have to pick your battles. In the grand scheme of things, there's millions of more important things to do...that effect whether we live or die in reality, more important then online idiots acting a fool.

People should put their focus on issues that really matter. Like your deposits being stolen to prop up worthless derivatives bets a la Cyprus which is now the law in the EU and US. But we get distracted by things numbered 2,003,436 or less on the list of important things to do.

Use the tools at your disposal and be rid of the problem with that person. I wonder what 'group' she was a part of as xbox live has you select what sort of group setting you want to be a part of. If she's on the mature trash talking group, can't remember what it's called specifically, perhaps she should switch out of it. Mute. Block. Report.

I don't blame her for trying to do more, but again I don't have the info other than her side.

Hell about an hour ago I read a news article about a 21 year old girl in my locale who called the police about some dude that forced his way in and was assaulting her. Turns out she was arrested too. Why? Because she and another dude were selling drugs out of a hotel room and all three were arrested. You just never know unless you hear all sides, until then we're all just guessing about who is right and who is wrong. Perhaps we're right, perhaps we're wrong.

[rainslacker]

It's not required to show your real ID to everyone on the new PSN. People that act like this are unlikely to show that information off, and I don't know why anyone would want to show off that information to the general public.

Facebook is one thing, but on Facebook you generally aren't actively engaging with people that would act like this. Sometimes they will approach you however. Facebook though has swift responses to abuse of it's members, and things said on Facebook that are criminal are followed up on by the police. For this reason alone, people tend to act better, relatively speaking of course.

[Kalebninja]

she takes it to seriously its a cod player

[Fireseed]

I think as games have matured we've seen that it's the developer and console platform owners responsibility to help foster a healthy and non-toxic community. Take League of Legend for example they've done an admirable job at keeping toxic members out. We pay for XBL as a premium service and I would have expected them to sink more time and resources into this problem much earlier, but better late than never I suppose :/

[IcicleTrepan]

The problem is that you ban an account, the person comes back next time with a new account. There are people that buy a month on xbox live at a time because they know they will likely get banned at some point and they'll just make a new account.

It's not going to stop unless they start banning at the console level.

[Fireseed]

I agree, they would need to change the ToS to state that at any point they are allowed to deny you access to Xbox Live. So if they wanted to re-access it you'd have to buy a whole new system. Sounds harsh, but seriously if you see even half the shit on FatUglyorSlutty.com you'll understand why it's necessary.

[MarkusMcNugen]

Yes, ban consoles. Thats the logical thing to do here... you know, because its not like multiple people use their accounts on one Xbox. There simply is no gold standard for monitoring users. Every single online community has this problem, whether its more prevalent in others or not.

Last I checked Microsoft does ban consoles, but for people who hacked their consoles. IF they were to change their policy to ban people in a more extreme way, I would imagine it would be IP based, and probably only temporary.

Banning consoles for user misconduct would hurt game sales and their reputation. Used consoles dont make Microsoft money, but the games bought for those used consoles do. Everyone would start saying they are a facist organization that exercises full control over their products and is very anti-consumer.

[Erdrick]

this is why multiplayer games have a disclaimer like "game experience may change with online play and is not rated by the ESRB" or something

[DwightOwen]

Yep. It's a CYA world we live in nowadays.

[LeCreuset]

Why anyone would go online and make rape jokes to a stranger I have no idea. Well, I guess I do. Telecommunications contracts come with a set of balls these days. People get bold when they aren't face to face, can remain anonymous, etc.. Idiots need to stop and consider that maybe the person that hears that rape joke was raped, knows someone that was raped, or is just generally a decent person that's not going to tolerate the stupidity.

@Ice You're right. You can't talk sense into them. People act different when they get to play a persona online. Banning them is all that works. That should have been done.

@DragonKnight "Political Correctness" is the scapegoat for people that want free reign to act like a-holes and not be called out on it. Rape jokes? Cool. Don't criticize me for it, or ban me for violating the TOS for this service, because my misunderstanding of the 1st Amendment leads me to mistakenly believe I have the right to say what I want anywhere without consequence. All you people exercising your freedom of speech to respond to my offensive comments though? Oh, nah. We can't have that.

[IcicleTrepan]

Why would anyone go online and say anything hurtful to anyone? Because they can. Some people just want to hurt other people. You can't talk sense into them. You won't change them.

[DragonKnight]

Or maybe people need to grow up and stop needing their feelings coddled every second. I agree with tact, civility, and respect, but I don't agree with political correctness and walking around on eggshells for fear of the big O word being thrown around.

You go online, you have to accept that certain things are going to happen. If a report function is available, use it and be done with it. Censorship never works, people just have to develop apathy towards the words of strangers.

[Neixus]

Would be fun if the kinect tracked your eyes,so you were forced to read through the rules when you sign in for the first time.

Would create a problem with players that are actually nice though. But this kind of stuff doesn't happen that often really, but when it does, it's from the cod community.

[nick309]

People shouldnt listen to whatever bad stuff people say, just block and go on.

[ajax17]

She most likely wouldn't have experienced this if:
1. She wasn't play COD
2. She wasn't playing on a 360

Simple as that.

[MarkusMcNugen]

Yes, because people who game on the PS3 are just so much nicer... you are living in a fantasy world if you dont think this type of stuff happens on PSN to about the same degree.

No argument about the CoD statement though.

[LogicStomper]

Prove to me that your second point is valid please.

[sly-Famous]

Kotaku:
"This sort of harassment isn't uncommon on Xbox Live—Microsoft's gaming platform is well-known for having a large swath of immature users, to the point where the Xbox team built an entire system called Reputation in an attempt to improve things for their next console, the Xbox One."

Point proven.

[LogicStomper]

"Point proven."

Nope. All you proved was that there are immature users on Xbox Live. Your claim was that she wouldn't experience it if she played on another console. So if you've ever written an essay before, you ALSO have to PROVE that this WON'T HAPPEN on ANOTHER console.

The quote you supplied only proves HALF the point. Now prove the other half before it can even be considered a rational point.

Also if you think other consoles won't have immature users, tell me what the other companies do differently that 'decreases immaturity in users'. Because clearly IF your point is correct, there MUST be something that gets the majority of immature users on one console and mature users on the other.

So still, point invalid.

[PFFT]

AAAND soon enough all these little immature fools are gonna Sonys problem. There is a high chance this fool in particular is gonna get a PS4.

[ajax17]

Regarding #2: I meant she probably wouldn't have had a slow response if it had been Sony she was reporting to. I understand COD trolls are on every platform.

[Loki86]

Here we go again with Kotaku trying to stir the pot.

[FullmetalRoyale]

I'm so sick of these people. No man, woman, or child deserves to be treated like garbage while trying to enjoy a video game.

I'm glad that he FINALLY got banned or suspended.

I'm not a Live user, so Idk how common the voice message thing is. But I was shocked that he had the guts to send what he sent. The psychological problems that that kid must have...

I get flabbergasted simply because I cannot comprehend behavior such as this.

The worst part is that she/we is/are virtually powerless to stop it.

Kids these days...

[Cueil]

she wanted to be updated and that's against Microsoft ToS... they are not allowed to update you or notify you about bans or punshiments

[OC_MurphysLaw]

Look, you can't deny it was a bad situation, nor can you deny that she was justified in reporting the offense. That said do I think it took putting the article out on websites to get action? Hard to say, when you are talking 40+ million gold subs there has to be an avalanche of reports that come through so I wouldn't be shocked if it really did take them 2 weeks or more to get to it. I am sure they are prioritizing things like account hacks higher than bullying online (I know it sucks but that is probably reality). I also think this kind of situation is why MS is creating the new policing program on Live to try and speed up the process.

In the end I honestly don't care whether or not she is happy with the amount of time it took to get action. I just am glad to see action was taken. Guy was a Dbag and deserved the ban.

[pabadamus1]

People shouldn't downplay this. MSFT and Sony have codes of conduct that define how we should interact with each other on their respective networks. I understand that there are probably a deluge of complaints that are generated everyday, making it nigh impossible for MSFT to respond in a timely manner. If that is the case they should eliminate the means of offense so everyone can enjoy the experience.
In games like COD I suggest they eliminate all forms of communication outside of team or clan communication. Therefore, only voice, text and chat communications would be enabled for friends and clans. I don't play shooters online but I do play fighting games online. I always mute everyone else because the chatter can become distracting. I don't see how communication outside of clans or friends can be beneficial.

[OC_MurphysLaw]

well...talking to new people is how you make new friends so there is value there. That said there is a handy thing called "mute" and you can mute and ignore anyone you deem not worthy of your time if you want to be in public chat.

[pabadamus1]

Mute doesn't curtail antagonistic communication like what is described in the article. I guess she could just delete the voice message and text and move on but it doesn't fix the problem MSFT and Sony can't seem to fix. What if he chose to harass this lady to the point she wouldn't want to turn on her Xbox. Right now that is a grim and possible reality. Well maybe she should just ignore it but that still does not address the underlying issue moving forward.

My methods are indeed a bit antisocial and extreme but there is no question that it would solve all problems like this...be it at the detriment of socialization. Is this not a simple solution? That's all I am saying. Take away a man's gun, he can still punch you. Take away his arms and he can still kick you. Take everything away and he is rendered powerless. I hope that wasn't too creepy. Lol

[MarkusMcNugen]

Even if communications were set so you could only speak to people on your own team, these things would still happen. Ive had tons of messages from people that were playing on my side sending nasty messages about my round ending score.

There is no simple solution for these problems.

[pabadamus1]

The onus is then placed firmly on your shoulders to pick your friends and clan wisely. Look, I am not proposing we eliminate the competitive spirit that sh!t talking fosters. What I am suggesting places all power in the idividual's hands as to what kind of communication they want to be exposed to. Imagine the friends system in place on Nintendo's consoles but less cumbersome. if 2 people who are not established friends want to communicate the only form of out reach would be a simple ping alert minus any text. If one chooses to respond then so be it. Before this initial acknowledgement by both parties, no other forms of communication would be allowed. If after you become friends you are subject to offensive communication you can eliminate that person from you friend or clan list and all communication again will stop. This would curtail a whole lot of bullying that is so prevalent in these games.

[MarkusMcNugen]

Im not saying a system doesn't exist that would curtail this kind of behavior. Just that no system would ever be perfect at trying to monitor its users. Misconduct from immature or angry people is always going to be a problem. As the current system stands, you can just delete any incoming messages and block the person sending them. One extra step required to never hear from them again. In the scenario you proposed, things would probably be better, but there would always be the possibility of ping abuse from people. To which I say, what would be the difference besides its a ping instead of a actual message. You would still have to ban them from sending you pings just as you do now with messages.

Another problem is that as Microsoft owns the service, people will always look to them to be the watchdog in these situations. Simply leaving it up to the consumer would have some backlash.

[-Ghost]

Reason why I mute everyone except my party & I only receive PM's from people on my friends list.

[NeoTribe]

Its a video game. People talk shit. Stfu and go on with your life. Microsoft has more important things to do anyway.

[-Ghost]

This is no different than someone being bullied/harassed outside of a game. Is this what you would say to your mother, sister, cousin, or someone important in your life?

Things like this can lead to suicide. But this girl was strong enough to overcome idiots like this.

[SpideySpeakz]

CoD community is immature in general. Racial threats, death threats to developers, and sexual harassment. CoD gaming community is the lowest community there is. Those who defend this sadistic behavior (NeoTribe) are the main ones who participate in it. MS/Sony should create something that bans these clowns forever.

[Funnymonkey013]

Here's. in a ideas just block him really its like people don't know what to do with trash taking bitches.

[porkChop]

So they only took action after she made a fuss and all the major news outlets ran her story. How typical. Shit like this makes me sick.

[ElementX]

I don't remember the last time I even chatted in a video game... Most games I have joined in the past were silent. The report/block feature should be utilized to get the person out of your face. If MS or Sony receives multiple reports for the same person then they will escalate punishment as they see appropriate. Trying to escalate an issue to increase punishment for an individual is immoral and immature. Hell if some kid steals a pack of gum is the store owner going to go to the police demanding time in juvenile detention? Would that solve the issue or make the kid more resentful and escalate his anger?

[Phoenix76]

I don't blame her at all for reporting this sick sod. Im a father to a little girl myself and I have had stuff said down the about doing things to little girl.
You wouldn't go out and down the high street saying that to ppl, yet some twisted ppl feel they can say it whilst hiding themselves away behind an account.
MS should have responded quicker to this.

[ElementX]

They have a process to report these things, expecting them to go above and beyond because somebody's feelings were hurt is just silly. Sadly the world is a rough place and not everybody is going to act in an appropriate way. The best we can do is instill good values in our children and hope for the best.

Apparently she thinks cussing in regards to the MS response time is mature behavior along with online stalking of a user she should've just blocked.

[Phoenix76]

I agree with you on the merit of teaching good values to ours kids and hoping for the best.
However, lets say that you started to get phone calls from someone you don't even know threating to do things to you whilst at the same time also getting letters posted through your mail slot saying that they will come round and butt-F*&% you all because they simply can threaten to do so, wouldn't you want action taken against that sick person. I know that I would. And I would expect my phone company and post office to do there up most to ensure that this person is and can be penalised in the strongest possible way possible.
trolling is for cowards only.

[NeoTribe]

Dude, microaoft nor sony can defend your littoe girl from shit talkers on the internet. There here to stay. You have any idea how hard it would be for a company to anwser every complaint about someone being an asshole online.... how about you keep your LITTLE girl off of games she's obviously not old enough to be playing. Its like bringing your kid to a bar and telling everyone in the bar to not say anything adult like.

[LAWSON72]

I must be a bad person because the whole time I read that I was laughing. It is just a game move on I get crap from other gamers all the time.

[Funnymonkey013]

IKR yo I mean really just block him or her and move on ur always going to have people troll on u when playing online.

[sly-Famous]

Do you also get guys telling you that they are going to impregnate you and then let you have a late term abortion?...............Intere sting.

[LAWSON72]

Actually I have and I cryed all night and was worried they were going to travel across the country in their helicopter to do it too

[mouzone]

i know right. I cant count how many times i have been called an N word or some other racial epithet, or witnessed some anti-Semitic or homophobic abuse. you mute file a complaint and move on block communications if they send you a message. this whole save the female online gamer crusade is getting ridiculous, xbox live is alot milder online than it was say between 2002-2004. when i read these articles i feel the need to turn on sad violin music give me a break

[sovietsoldier]

cant stand the heat get back in the kitchen!

seeing a trend of women taking everything that happens online in gaming to extremes like the woman who called the cops on the one guy for making a joke he made.

men are not social creatures, when we get together and you add some type of competitiveness in the mix you will see things get rough.

as men we generally accept it as trash talk and part of the competitiveness, sometimes it does go too far but we don't go extremes to correct it.

[FragmentsOfHope]

It's one thing to taunt in game and trash talk in game, but post game sending stuff is just un-called for.

[Pandamobile]

People need to learn how to simply ignore this kind of stuff.

Who honestly give a crap if some dude on the other side of the country makes an inane comment or threat towards you on the internet?

[wishingW3L]

and the thing is that you can report people and then just block them.

[LogicStomper]

I agree to a degree.

Although it's true that we should learn to ignore this sort of behaviour, it's something that shouldn't be tolerated. If you don't take action against these wrong-doer's, they will never learn and so, they will carry on.

Think of it like this:

Say you've got a kid. So you never had a sit-down with him/her and told him/her that swearing is bad. They will not know that it's bad and so they will be much more likely to swear in the future, cause you never taught them social etiquette.

Now lets go from the other side. Again, you've got a kid which you have told/scolded for swearing. Because you've taught them a lesson, they'd know it's bad and try not to do it in the future.

So to bring home the point, yes we should learn to ignore this stuff, but action must also be taken against the offenders to let them know that what they're doing is wrong.

[Pandamobile]

Yeah, but it's the internet. I, for one, would prefer less moderation over more moderation.

The internet is basically the wild West. As soon as you start governing person to person interaction, you open the door for even more strict forms of control.

[SpideySpeakz]

If it's a threat, it needs to be taken seriously.
And the internet it's the wild west, because the NSA has more control of it than you think.
What about terrorist threats from groups like Al Qaeda, the Klan, or any other radical? If it's a threat, it should be taken seriously.

[MiasmaDodo]

She made this a bigger issue then it ever really was.

Everyone gets "abused" verbally online Lol. Good lord people are so damn soft these days.

Leave the round and move on...seriously

[Pandamobile]

You're a scum and I wish death upon your family.

How do you feel about this? Do you take this as a serious threat? Of course you don't. We're on the internet after all. We're both just sitting at our computers or phones, potentially thousands of kilometers from each other. 5 minutes from now, we'll forget about this little interaction and continue with our respective lives.

I don't get why people get so worked up over internet "threats" like the one in this article. Maybe we've just spent too much time on the internet and are just used to it.

When someone chooses to insult me in a game, I consider it more of a complement than anything. If I've pissed off a person to the point of causing him to spend his time writing or recording a personal insult directed towards me, that means I'm probably pretty good at what I'm doing lol.

[JunioRS101]

Beware of mob mentality.

Hear both sides of the story.

Take a step back and judge fairly.

[Theendgame]

When you're playing CoD you should be expecting something like this. it's unfortunate but it's true.
Is it Microsofts problem? I don't think so.

I think she's blowing this whole thing out of proportion though.She should just play something else.

[ZHZ90]

He deserved to be banned.

[ZHZ90]

Wow wow wow I get disagrees just wow!

You people don't care about a person's dignity and this person that got insulted we are talking about this person gender is a girl. You should be gentle wording her not insult her. Wow you people don't care about person's feelings, merciless. A person tries to enjoy a game whether a male, a female or a kid has no right to get insulted. And the jerk that insult other people's feeling should get banned or apologize and the person that got insulted should either accept apology or not accept it and that jerk gets banned. People need rights.

Enjoy disagreeing with me and be like "She should've not touch Live" and now I am seeing comment below me insult her just wow to you people wow.

Since it's ok to you that she gets insulted, defintely you'll get insulted next.

[MEGAxPAIN]

The bitch shouldn't be playing Xbox live then, let alone call of duty if she didn't expect to have horny ass preteens moaning to her voice.

[jackanderson1985]

she has the right to complain and all but she must realise they have to get thousands of complaints a day it's not like they go "oh she's a girl quick prioritize her"... you hear death threats and everything on COD and other online games daily it takes a while for MS or any online platform to sort through the bundles of complaints

the complaint was filed 3 weeks ago she should be impressed it was dealt with in that time.

also i'm pretty sure every online game now comes with a disclaimer saying neither MS or the developers/publishers are responsible for online related incidents

[Master-H]

Most CoD players are A-Holes, and i'm always looking to punish them, just today i stole this care package from one of my team mates to show him whats up LOL

[Mkai28]

This guy probably got so many messages..

[JGaLaXY815]

lol this is funny, there's a line and he definitely crossed it, talking about making someone have a late abortion should be taken very seriously, but...*in leonidas voice* THIS IS XBOX LIVE!, i've been dealing with racism for years and there's no point in even complaining about it because look at this right here...they didn't do anything until news started spreading...but there's not much xbox can do...

[jackanderson1985]

they usually hand out temporary chat bans ranging from a day to a week i think... although that system is easily gamed as i got banned for 2 days even though i didn't use the online chat before

[FanOfRootBeer]

Are you kidding me? Why is this story so popular?

[Hueynewton2012]

This is the main reason why i stop playing games on Xbox Live. Too many racist, little kids and sociopaths with no lives who take their frustration out on others using Xbox live messaging.

I have said this multiple times regarding Xbox Live's community, its the worst. PSN has a more mature base and banter among mic users is usually mild and i usually up being PSN friends with that person anyways. On xbox forget it, your a nigger, a monkey, faggot, i fucked your mother etc etc. Its been that way since launch and i'm done with xbox live unless they install live admins or tweek the messaging system. Its not the words i have an issue with, i have white family members and i'm a working professional with a degree who can handle slurs. It's a matter of whether i want to pay 60.00 to be a part of a immature community or a part of a mature gaming community, it came down to that for me. YOU CAN"T MUTE THE XBOX LIVE VOICE MESSAGING, therefore when you get a message it's almost an instinct to listen based off of curiosity.

All of these idiots defending this and blaming the user, are the sames immature kids and teens and college age adults doing this type of shit. Low self esteem and insecurities make you troll, harass and threaten other while online. Grow a pair and stop being a dick. Go outside and make some friends (not virtual) friends. Play a real sport like Baseball, basketball, football. Learn what real competition, team work and comradery is. Video Games aren't sports and never will be and i don't give a shit what corporations say so they can further its financial gain.

[Mkai28]

Being born in 1981, I didn't have the things that kids have now(thank God) I remember playing video games.. But we always went outside and played football and basketball because my parents made sure we did..Now most kids have too many distractions to keep them from doing useful activities. They have iPhones, iPads, laptops, Vita, Internet, Xbox, Playstation..

Kids don't meet up anymore in a traditional since, they would rather text then talk, meet each other online. Some are not happy whereas, they be overweight and antisocial. (You know how nice it is to have male assets, like abs, cut arms, ect?) They get made fun of because of this, not all. But have the Internet up and a game, they become the people they have been pick on in there lives..

All I'm saying is, when young kids, teen kids and young adults start to get like this, it becomes a problem.. The Internet has become the parent and its teaching them. The music, sex, other people online, the way they interact with other people.. They learn it here because parents don't raise them anymore.

[bloodcell]

This is nothing! Psn is the wild west with hacks/mods and kudos on the headset... The gaming press keeps they're mouths shut over it.

[Hueynewton2012]

Yeah on older COD games and older COD games on xbox had the hackers first. Oh yeah i stopped playing COD games and thats just one of the reasons why...

[contradictory]

i'm more worried about why did she play CoD of all games to begin with
but hey, it's all about personal preferences.

[candoa]

I'm hispanic and I have an accent and when I talk I get called a mexican right away is not even funny is like in almost all matches, this is out of control (I'm not from mexico but that is not the point), so I know exactly how she feels. If you a white male and english is your first language you have no idea the stuff we go thru when we play online. She has my sympathy.

Thats one of the thing I'm looking forward in the xbox one that let you report racist/sexist users to get pair with others like them.

[Gamer Muzz]

Sorry folks, but the guy didn't break the law or anything. Was he a Jerk? ABSOLUTELY! but he has the right to be obscene as much as anyone else does.

Really though! Did she COMPLETELY FAIL to see the ESRB alert when she booted up the game?
"Online interactions are not rated."

Let me tell you all something right here and now.
If those morons from the Westboro Baptist Church get to say the horrible, hurtful, and shameful, things they say while protesting the funeral of an American soldier, under the blanket of free speech, then This guy should be protected as well. Period. He spoke his mind and he has that right.

IMO, he shouldn't be banned at all. that's why we can block people. The "Rep" system will be an added bonus to the new live, but seriously. No one deserves special treatment and if you don't like what people say online (that includes PC and PS4 as well) then don't play with strangers. (I play my online games with people from my friends list only)

She should have blocked the guy and moved on.
Question: Why is she so special that when SHE doesn't like someone they should be banned or suspended?
Answer: Shes Not.

[Hueynewton2012]

This women was threatened, did you even read the damn article?

[ziggurcat]

wrong. it's a crime to utter threats.

I. First Amendment Issues
Threats are not protected speech under the First Amendment and thus may be criminally punished. In determining whether a communication is a "true threat" (not protected) as opposed to a joke/euphamism/political hyperbole, the federal courts use a two-part test. First, they ask if a reasonable person in the threatener's position would have expected the recipient of the communication to perceive the communication as a threat. (Some circuits ask if a reasonable recipient would have perceived the communication as a threat, but there is no noticeable difference between the outcome of the two tests.) Second, they ask if the threat was sufficiently unequivocal, unconditional, immediate, etc. as to convey a gravity of purpose (imminent prospect of death OR violence against the recipeint) to the recipient. In analyzing these two factors the circumstances surrounding the communication are heavily considered.

Example: In Watts v. United States, 394 U.S. 705 (1969), the Supreme Court said that the statement "If they ever make me carry a rifle the first man I want to get in my sights is L.B.J." was constitutionally protected "political hyperbole" and not a threat because the statement was made at a political rally, the listeners laughed in response, and the young man had already said that he would never carry a rifle.)

II. Criminal Punishment
Not all constitutionally unprotected threats are punished. Federally, 18 U.S.C. §871 makes it illegal to threaten the president. However, state penal codes preventing threats against private citizens vary state to state, and often use a narrower test than the one outlined above.

Example: Cal. Pen. Code §422 punishes threats only if the threatener intended the communication to be taken as a threat and the recipient suffered sustained, reasonable fear as a result of the threat. Thus, if the threatener did not intend to intimidate the recipient (although a reasonable person would have felt threatened) or the recipient did not personally suffer fear as a result of the threat, the threat will not be punished under California law. However, if the same statement was to be uttered in reference to the President, the threatener would be guilty under 18 U.S.C. §871.

[Groo]

Doesn't stop terrorist from making threats

[Mkai28]

Well, he talk about " impreagnating" her. So I think that goes under comspiacy to rape.Therefore, he talked about committing a crime, eventhough he laught it off like a joke. Guess she saw it as a threat, not to mention made her furious..

[BoriboyShoGUN]

Online gaming is always going to be like this. People have been acting tough on the internet for as long as it has existed! Not saying this is right it most definately isnt but you better have some thick skin to get online nowadays. It seems like everyone on XBOX loves to call someone a N**ger! Mute the bastards, report them and move on. This isnt going to change EVER!!

[DirkDeadeye]

So, kids on Live doing things kids on live do. But we're supposed to care MORE this time, because she's a woman?

[nooneknows]

UGh! Trolls on XBL are the reason why XBL is known as typically a troll invested online service. I'v experience XBL and PSN, myself to know that.

XBL is better than PSN, simple, but people are so annoying there that its not even a joke.

PSN is very quiet, and I found it more friendly my first time there. PSN is like a library.

XBL is better than PSN, but if anything, PSN has the better community.

[Hueynewton2012]

LOL so XBL is better, but at the same time has the most annoying and immature community according to you?

Wow lol, have every heard the phase "the people make the place"

XBL service according to me can't get any worse BECAUSE OF ITS COMMUNITY. THE ONLY FEATURE THAT SEPARATES THE TWO IS PARTY CHAT. The gamers who make up most of the community immature ignorant sheep and top of that stupid consumers. They dont mind spending hundreds on accessories etc because that drives them to troll and insult on Xbox live and seems like an addiction to most its community. No accountability at all and if someone called your home phone and left a message on your family voice mail threatening to raped your sister, mother ect you could call law enforcement. So whats the difference?

[nooneknows]

What I'm saying is that XBL ,as far as a service, is better than PSN, but it's community is awful. I'm not talking about trolls only, I'm also talking about the idiot gamers who annoy the heck out of people.

PSN is a quiet place, you will see trolls and idiots, but less on PSN than XBL. I think that has to do with the headset thing.......

[Groo]

Its a sad situation but at the same time you can't control what people say and you can't prevent everyone in the world from being offended by something.. and I also do not believe this is a MS problem. MS can't baby sit everyone to make sure people act and play nice.

Its sad and I would love nothing more then to beat the hell out of pricks like this one, but its part of life. You can't be protected forever, sooner or later people need to learn how to fend for themselves.
I think about this situation, then I think about service and tech support reps that spend hours upon hours getting their asses absolutely chewed up and down by customers. customers who say a lot vial and worse things then this guy did to these employees. Its terrible but its their job. They can't call the police and file a verbal abuse complain on every customer that ripped them a new one, reps would spend allday on the phone with police.

This isn't a matter of who does or doesn't deserve anything, its a matter of learning for yourself how to deal with hateful people in life.

[JohnS1313]

Buy a PS4 when they come out and dump Microsoft. I bet they only check those complaints a couple times a year. Maybe they fired 90% of the people who handle the complaints.

[MooseyXTC]

An entire one woman got slow response time from a company dealing with millions of customers.
STUNNING.

[HugoDrax]

Although this happens all day and everyday on the Internet, PHATDOG was being immature.

Second, I find it weird that a gamer named PHATDOG has a #10 next to his gamertag, yet only has 2995 gamerscore? I have a #10 next to mine and I'm 80K, something's odd about that. Unless he was just paying $50 a year to watch Netflix, I don't understand why his gamerscore is below 3K after being an Xbox Live gold member for 10years.

[ziggurcat]

maybe that idiot only plays CoD MP... ?

edit: loooked at his activity, and it seems CoD is pretty much all this twit plays.

[HugoDrax]

hahaha! Hilarious, no wonder he has anger issues.

[exfatal]

wow the fact that people are saying she should just ignore this, that its the internet is just ridiculous.. if a guy on the street walked up to me and says he going to rape me i'd call the cops, if someone on the internet does the same i'd report and expect action against them especially if it was a private message sent with audio. Just cause it happens doesn't mean we should just sit back and let it happen, and then people wonder why XBOX live community is shit.. my honest opinion go play Wii U or psn there at least on top of there shit when it comes to this kind of harassment unlike Microsoft. People who are blaming the victim definitely need a slap to the face and a realty check. bottom line is gaming is about having fun, not putting up with assholes with no respect.

[iliimaster]

this chick is stupid and why is she feeling so self righteous? im sure shes acted like a B in multiplayer before im sure everyone has told off someone online there is a freaking block communitcations AND a mute button would of been the end of it? someone with a capture card who can submit what she wanted to be seen she coulda been mouthing off to this guy then after all her crap hit record and act innocent...

[RockmanII7]

Oh no, someone said something mean on the internet.

[Funantic1]

She should have called them for a quicker response. 1-800-MY-XBOX. This is why Microsoft is using the reputation system on Xbox Live for the X1.

[ForgivenZombie]

That's why I'm going to PS4

[CrossingEden]

Um, psn has the same response speed, if not slower. There are disclaimers saying the developers are not at fault for what is said online for a reason. -_-

[ForgivenZombie]

I'm going to PS4 because when I was on psn I didn't hear all the childish and insulting behavior I get on xbox live. 80% of live users are immature and ruin it for regular people who want to have fun and meet new people.

[yeahokchief]

This person needs to go to jail and receive therapy.

How can someone like this get away unpunished and some kid who makes a sarcastic comment on a moba game goes to jail?

This guy needs to be punished.

[MiasmaDodo]

go to jail?

god damn Soft people are pathetic.
No she should have just ignored it and moved on.

Like 99% of people do when faced with trolls online daily

LoL jail!!!

[Mkai28]

Lot of ppl talk like its nothing, picture that woman .. Now picture her as your daughter, mother, or sister..

[ShaunCameron]

Why? Aren't they grown-up enough to handle their own issues?

[BlackOni]

I dunno. Some poor kid got arrested for making an obvious joke about harming children. He goes to prison but nothing is done about this guy? I dun like it!

[That_Ninja_Gray_Fox]

One of the many reasons I have always thought Sony,the PS Brand,and PSN have always been better than microsoft xbox. You don't have to put up with voice messages that allow for scum bags like PHATDOG to bully and harass other players like that,especially females.

On PSN when you get a text that is offensive you can submit a grief report right from that message and they will ban that person and you can block them.

No,you can't send voice messages on PSN,just text. But that very option that you can on XBL shows you how all these "better features" actually make it worse off while gaming. Having to add a "reputation" system to combat trolls is a lazy way of Microsoft not having to deal with your concerns while not actually making things better.Now look at how Microsoft handles complaints and it pisses their customers off.

Jenny Haniver should just switch over to playing on PS3 then on to PS4 like any level headed person.You should't have to deal with that crap.

PS1 > All

PS2 > Xbox

PS3 > Xbox360

PS4 > Xbox one

[HappyTrigger]

This by far the dumbest comment I've read in a while. So what if the guy had sent the same message but instead of a voice message, it was text? Does it not still hold the same weight? I'm pretty sure the girl would have been complained either way.

"But that very option that you can on XBL shows you how all these "better features" actually make it worse off while gaming."

So this one situation of a girl who couldn't handle her own problems and instead cries about it (in COD ffs) makes you come to the conclusion that it's just "worse off while gaming". REALLY? This option for sending voice messages is bad for gaming?

"On PSN when you get a text that is offensive you can submit a grief report right from that message and they will ban that person and you can block them."

And here's what you do when you get a message that is offensive on XBL. You file a complaint and block communications. You will never have to deal with them again. If you're playing COD on XBL, you're bound the get some trash talk. Some of it light, and some of it harsh. Here's what you do, you man up and take it. And if it get's annoying, mute them, submit a player review, and block communications. Doesn't matter if you're a female or male. Both have the same options to deal with those type of people.

[cunnilumpkin]

welcome to the internet

where no one gives a fu@% about you or your feelings

get over it or only chat with your friends or don't chat at all

when I game I only talk to people I know, not because I care what anyone has to say, but precisely because I DON'T care what they have to say!

[thetruthx1]

They are pulling out all the stops to harm Microsoft this upcoming gen.

It's actually funny (not the situation but the putting everything under a microscope)

[spektical]

I feel people should just let it go. Its eye cringing to believe people take whatever people say, especially on the internet, to heart. Anyone can say anything.

[Izzy408]

Whaaat? A girl was verbally abuse while playing COD???? Who on earth could've ever guessed that? But in all seriousness, this is pretty dumb. I get that no azz-hole should get away with such stupid and hateful message, but at the same time, people should't be so naive. Playing COD with a headset is like sticking your head in a lions mouth.

[sephiroth420]

yeah you'd think by know everyone would know what the call of duty servers are like on xbox live

[sephiroth420]

i think she went a bit far, she shoulda just told the guy to shut the fuck up and go back to his blow up doll, i mean its not that bad unless he was continuously joining her game and doing it or doing it alot to everyone. theres always some dumbass in a call of duty game who wants to talk crap to everyone.

[SITH]

All this article represents is the oblivious nature of whiny Xbox live gamers. This situation could have been completely eradicated if this woman simply muted the offensive person, then block communications. She could not be harassed any longer in any game. Also if she left the room, she would not join matches with this offensive person again. It is not her fault, but prolonging it was well with in her power to avoid.

And for a complaint to get attention from the live team, multiple Xbox live gamers must send in complaints in a given time frame to pop up on the radar of the live team. One complaint from one source will not generate attention. Although Xbox live alleges every single complaint is reviewed, that is not how it was explain to us Xbox live beta testers years ago. There are now Xbox live enforcement teams that do address complaints on Xbox live, and the Xbox website. You just have to know the resources available to you.

[Crazay]

It's about proper policing of idiotic behavior. The policing options and reports are there for a reason. I for one am pretty tired of the BS trash talk, the N-Bombs and other useless dialogue that I hear. I'm also pretty sick of the cheaters.

[SITH]

I don't know about cheating beyond glitching, but the report system is there and it works, people are simply impatient. And there are multiple ways to ignore people, mute them individually, party or private chat, and block them. But stalkingnsomeonenuntil you get the desired results, and then blogging about it because your obsessive determination to ignore the reasources available is just begging for attention.

[Orionsangel]

If I had a dime for every creepy threatening messages I get on XBL. I'd be rich. It always happens when I beat someone in COD or GOW. They get pissed off. It's usually a 13 year old.

[Crazay]

They're also notoriously slow when responding to CHeaters and hackers. I have a video of a L4D game I was in a few weeks ago with almost no gravity, unlimited ammo, fast movement and if you were incapped, you could move your body wherever you wanted along the ground. Then when I asked the person how they did all that, they told me all about the hacks and the mods.... Awesome

[CrossingEden]

Co-op games are pretty heavily modded on consoles dude, god forbid you played borderlands or re5 online.

[buynit]

Really... Yea what he said was fvcked up but c'mon.. Send the complaint and ignore the kid. Im not trying to defend ms on this but i cant imagine how many complaints they have to go through and make sure its legit in order to ban the person..

If it was months i would understand but 2 weeks? do you know how many other cases they must of been working on? Like i said im not defending ms just being realistic when the have millions of active users..

[jah-Fu]

Get ready for this ps4. With what, a 4 to 1 pre-order ratio in your corner and the cheaper $100 difference helps make this guy one of the many endless waves of jerkoff converts coming your way online. Downvote or deny all you want, who cares but you can't have the best of both worlds. Enjoy 'em they suck harsh. Thanks sony, siphon off as much as you can. Should make live better as far as im concerned.

[FightFans]

no offense, this kind of stuff happens all the time. I got worse voicemail troll/harassment in my xblive mailbox. Why is she even on xblive when she can't handle these things?

learn to ignore and get over it. now it's a whole different story if someone says anything disrespect to me in real life, I would bash their brain out.

[MotherLight]

Grow up seriously. It is 2013 and people are still hurt by words?

Have you ever heard the term sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me. Well it is completely true, you can call me names all day.

I know who I am, I know my morals and I could give a rats ass what names you want to call me.

You know people don't realize giving into these idiots trying to hurt your feelings is almost as bad as what they are doing, it only gives them more reason to keep doing, the reason they do it in the first place is attention which ironically is exactly what you give them. This guy is probably laughing his ass off right now and can't wait to abuse more people because of this.

Such a stupid cycle. Something that is as easy as ignoring has to become a problem.

I could understand if the guy broke into your house, held you down on the floor, spit in your face and said these thing then left. That would be fucked but someone online... Give me a fucking break.

How long do people have to use the internet before they understand this type of stuff is never unavoidable. Even in real life, there is not a single place you can go where there isn't one asshole. So you can either give them all the attention these assholes ask for or you can simply ignore them and move on with your life.

[AO1JMM]

1. Mute
2. Report
3. Block

[FanboyCrusher]

Well your first mistake was continuing to listen to him when when the mute button is always available, so that's your fault. But he is a little turd and makes XBL a hassle so he should have voice communication removed from his profile, that'll make him think twice.

[EXVirtual]

The COD community is so immature.

[Kidmyst]

When playing on PC I mute everyone, to avoid hearing the screaming 12 year olds playing. Yes they too are on PC. Or the Whiners about getting a bad K/D ratio. I play with over 30 gamers so it's a more mature group.
I clicked on this guys account link in the article, he talks big and has an Avatar that looks like that? Bwahahah

[Soldierone]

It takes more than one person to complain to get the person in trouble. It's a system. MS gets complaints all the time, a lot of them are simply people mad at someone or something not important. If just one person is complaining, then its low priority. If lots of people are complaining, its an issue.

Thats common sense part one. Common sense part two is that its Xbox Live, even adults act like children. Being a douche like this? Oh well, be a douche back or block them.... why throw a hissy fit over it? You want attention?

[CouldHaveYelledUiiW]

So Many comments,
If we want to see Online Gaming and Console Gaming grow as Industries-
We should be concerned about ALL customers’ legitimate gripes.

I am tired of the negative Socially Awk. Nerd/Geek stereotypes associated with gamers.
BUT
I am even more wary of the new Under/Over Sexed Knuckle Dragger and Potential Mass-Shooter stereotype that is hanging over our industry.

Repeatedly, I have said that I want gaming to be as big and widely used as books and films.
-If we continue to let our gaming communities fall to vicious people, we will have less people and therefore, less money for new games, expansions, and services.

It's like a real city- if crime rules the streets people and businesses leave.

(And we all should know this, one day some Politician may decide to declare martial law on our online communications. -You may think this is absurd but it has already been proposed.)

[MadMen]

STFU lady, quit playing games if words hurt you in the "virtual" world.

[SynestheticRoar]

He sounded soft like baby doodoo. Phatdog. Should had called himself little bitch. Call of duty has a bunch of kids cursing like crazy, and a few weirdos. I stop playing after COD 3.

[Indo]

Its a video game and you playing online with millions of other people. Stop playing if you can't handle the verbal abuse, and abuse is far from what she got. Why would you allow someone ,not even in the same room, mess with you verbally and allowing it yourself.

[BoriboyShoGUN]

whats real funny i remember when the 360 first came out, and everybody was cool as hell, talked, and actually tried to use strategy to win in the games. It seems after everyone got their friends list filled they just became douche bags!!!! Like F anybody not on my list or just not talking at all hiding in the party chat :(

[shadowmist13]

this phatdog beyyer hope nobody gets his adres,because some people will qctually go and beat him up(he deserves it),this guy took it to far.

[Tzuno]

I think she told her "Welcome to the internet. If you can not type in fluent English, prepare your anus". Mwuahahahahhh

[Apoca1ypse]

Although this is not right and he deserves a ban/suspension but isn't this showing sexism towards men? I mean woman's complaints will soon be dealt with quickly but what about other men's complaints? I have seen tons of males I. The forums showing terrible things that have been said towards them and the respond is file a complaint. This Halo 4 there is band on sexism but racism and valgur speech the security is much more lax.
I hope they improve the service but not only for the women who complain but for everyone for any reason. (Also cases are reviewed fairly.)

Finally and my last point why did she not block communications???

[Krosis]

Lol 'harassment'--new age word. Exculpates one from responsibility; we are adults and subsequently ought to have thicker skins. "I went online and was called nasty wasty names boohoo". There are nasty people out there--that's a reality. Maybe im just a cynical person but I think some people are completely deluded. Grow up.

[ziggurcat]

except threatening someone (however idle the threat may have been) with rape, and (technically) murder crosses the line (as well as technically being a criminal offence), and is a little more than just saying something "nasty wasty."

"we are adults and..."

exactly. we're adults. so as an adult, you shouldn't act like a 2-year old if you happen to beat someone (or lose rather poorly) at an online video game.

quit trying to defend people's disgusting behaviour.

[Bladesfist]

If it is a criminal offence then call the Police, not Microsoft. Or just don't play cod / switch to PC.

[Krosis]

We the 'offended' are adults--not the ones calling names. This stuff gets shouted out constantly in pro sports and other forums. Save your altruistic chest pumping for someone who cares bud.
You think there is a grand trial every time someone utters "ill murder you!" Or makes a "threat"? Lol WHILE playing a competitive game? I never defended their "disgusting" behavior (I guess your not so good at reading....please don't report me for dissing you! ). I simply advocated having a thicker skin and not acting so surprised that there are idiots on the internet.

[Funky Town_TX]

This gaming news? You mean to tell me we don't have time for news, game play vids, or rumors? Mute, block, and move on.

[isntchrisl]

This is one of the problems of making Xbox Live a subscription-based service. Microsoft has little incentive to cut their customers off from paying them money every year.

[Funky Town_TX]

So when the ban cheaters do they loose money?

[isntchrisl]

Absolutely. A banned account means that person isn't paying to renew that account. And they aren't paying for DLC either. That's a lot of lost revenue for MS if they go ban-crazy.

[hazelamy]

there needs to be some sort of accountability for what people say online.
don't tell me there aren't consequences.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/u...

and those suggesting this is about revenge.
this is about showing this idiot that what he did is not acceptable.
and stopping him from doing it again.

blocking and muting him helps one person, but then it just shunts the problem onto somebody else, somebody who may be less well equipped to handle it.

good on this women for not letting it go.

as for those claiming, "it's just part of gaming" or attacking her for taking a stand against a lowlife like that.

in the interests of decency, i'll just say you are wrong, 100% wrong, 1000000% wrong.

[jc48573]

I say nasty things, but I never go as far as to say "I'm going to impregnate you...and ya di ya." Seriously man, girls just want to play and men seem to enjoy ruining their fun.

[Bolts]

So let me get this right. If some jerk call me a fag and brag about about how he just enjoys raping my ass because he made he his bitch. That's fine. Just another day on the Internet. But if the same is said to a female then it's harassment.

So much for gender equality. Like my dad said to me one time. Women always want equal rights, except when it comes to paying the bill.

[evilkillerk]

Although what he said was horrible there are alternate methods to deal with people who are rude or disgruntled. Block them, mute them hell don't respond. Now if he had continued then yes all this would be necessary but from what I am reading this was a one time case where it didn't continue on over multiple days. Do the grown up thing and ignore it.If it continues then this route would have been correct. I am not for sexual discrimination in any manor but it shows the incapability of one person and the persistent need for people to complain about one thing rather than do something about it them-self. Yes, Xbox's lack of response is despicable but in all seriousness this shouldn't have been blown out of proportion as much as it has

[vigilante_man]

The story is bad enough but the comments here are worse.

Some of you give gamers a bad name! You have just proved this woman was right..

[smashman98]

The bigger surprise is kotaku one of the biggest gaming news outlets reporting on an internet troll what stupidity

[DasTier]

Eurgh, sure the behavior is unwarranted, but the general overreaction to this kind of situation has led to the ridiculous PC/overly sensitive situation of today's world. It's farcical.

[AndrewLB]

As much as I'd love to pile on microsoft over this situation, I really don't think two weeks is a very long time especially since they are no doubt getting complaints on a daily basis from butt-hurt kids who have grown up in a world where everyone gets a trophy and correcting spelling errors might hurt their self esteem.

BAH!!

This girl is going to be in for a real eye opener when she actually steps out into the real world where nobody cares if you showed good effort doing a task... it's results that matter! This generation of self entitled brats are the product of the left wingers running the public school system and if sanity isn't brought back to these schools, the world is doomed.

[Eonjay]

With XBLive and the coming PSN multiplayer charges, there has to be some level of quality for a product that you are paying for. No one want to pay for a product then receive rape threats and not be able to do anything about it.

[dantendo]

But at what point is it the responsibility of the user? People have to learn to control themselves at some point, you cant always put the blame on Microsoft.. I don't blame AT&T for letting someone on the other end of the line curse me out..

[techuser]

This is big deal? Slow day in video game news. This obviously is a girl that wants to make that guy's day bad by having his account banned. Anywhere you go there's always that one stupid girl that antagonizes problems. How I love people that don't get laid side with her without even knowing the whole story.

[Thomaticus]

She should have sent a message back saying that she was going to have those kids and put him on child support.....

[Groo]

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[dantendo]

Its unfortunate that people abuse their freedom of speech, but fact of the matter is that Microsoft can do nothing but attempt to sensor this kind of interaction without impeding on freedom of speech. While I feel bad that a bunch of ignorant losers called this women these things, she subjected her self to it for one.. She did not have to continue playing if they were upsetting her. Secondly what does she expect Microsoft to do?? Give her a fat check to make things right? Attempt to arrest the name callers?? Why couldn't she have just walked away?

[Nova_Thunder]

Am I the only one sending him messages?

[hazelamy]

if this is the face of modern gaming, i weep for the industry.

why are so many people so angry at this women?

because you're worried it might make other people feel like they can do something about vile trolls like that guy maybe?
i wonder why you would feel threatened by that.

because it would ruin your fun?

scum like him have driven innocent people, often children, to commit suicide, male and female.

he makes vile threats like that and you attack her.

that doesn't just disgust me as a gamer, but also as a human being.

[gedden7]

This just sexually harassment but what about racism?? I don't see an article for that... You know how many times Ive seen racist emblems in CoD or hear racial remarks on XBL????? Its embarrassing to call myself a gamer sometimes...

MS did VERY little to change this.

[Donnywho]

The object of the game is to shoot the enemy in the head. I expect nothing less. Locate the Mute button and learn how to warn and ignore appropriately.

[JanuStorm]

Not defending his comment, but if she really didn't want to be hassled, she would've ignored him; not goaded him on with a reverse psychology challenge.

That was pretty foolish of someone so sensitive to being harassed online that she runs a blog devoted to nothing but that. Maybe be an adult and ignore morons looking to get a reaction out of you by not giving them one and you won't have fodder for your blog? But then, that isn't really her goal now is it...?