Xbox Support Staff Say They Were Fired For Posting On Kotaku

Kotaku: If you do customer support for Microsoft, don't post about it on this website. You'll probably lose your job.

Over the past week, I've been in touch with two former Xbox support staff. Both people, who asked that we not use their names, say they were fired for writing comments about their jobs on Kotaku. One was let go last week, the other around a month ago.

[Seraphemz]

No one should post on Kotaku...regardless

[Reibooi]

Honest question here. How the hell does Kotaku has a 3 star rating here on N4G? I mean everyone hates them(myself included) how the hell is their rating not 0. I'm confused...

[Tomonobu Itagaki]

Please tell us how to downvote them and I'm pretty sure Kotaku will need more fantards to keep it up on N4G.

[Campy da Camper]

@tom. Simpy go to their name under the story and click on it. You can then rate the story and the site.

[miyamoto]

I hope Kotaku goes to rehab and think about all the wrong and negative stuff they dump into video gaming and repent of their sins and come out clean and reverse all the damage the have done to millions of gamer's minds.

They are known to incite flaming, stir up controversy, negative publicity to all things PlayStation by using Xbox just for hits.

Its their business - to cause chaos, word war, disorder and negativity.

[BanBrother]

@miyamoto

"negative publicity to all things PlayStation by using Xbox just for hits."

Thanks, I was meaning to ask why there was so much kotaku hate around here, go figure (not that I read kotaku anyway).

I just find it funny, considering some of your posts are Sony fanboy drivel, yet you call a site out for doing the exact same thing, but I suppose it isn't what YOU want hear. Hypocrite much?

[xursz]

@BanBrother
That was unneccessary. Honestly this article has nothing to do with PlayStation so take that beef somewhere else. Whatever your beef with Miyamoto (a Nintendo developer by the way) it wasn't needed here.

[SilentNegotiator]

@BanBrother

Kotaku even faked a video of GT5 load times. They were caught red-handed and tried to blame a tiny fansite. They've been taking unnecessary jabs at Sony ever since they were blacklisted for leaking company secrets.

So before you go run your mouth off with that "Go figure HURR HURR HURR" crap, get the facts.

[Belking]

Can't really say it was wrong to fire them. They knew they had a confidentiality agreement and they chose to break it. This sort of stuff happens all the time. I had a friend who got fired for a comment she made on facebook.

[Pekolie]

I agree.

http://img.gawkerassets.com...

This^^ is the equivalent of a teacher going on facebook and telling everyone how much she hates her pupils (true story btw).

Your meant to be customer support and yet you give a mouthful about customers not knowing what to do? You've applied for the wrong job if that's your complaint...

[jadenkorri]

well if your stupid enough to post with your real name or identified you work for said company, you deserve it.

[strigoi814]

good you are there to work..not to post messages

[aLucidMind]

Who said they were at work? People do have computers at home and a smartphone in their pocket, after all.

[sarshelyam]

Wouldn't matter under the guise of an NDA. No matter where you are, you cannot speak on behalf of the company that employs you, whether its on their dime or not.

[dumahim]

The only problem with that is how would the employer have connected the comments with these employees? It says neither's user name had any connection with their real name. Unless they handed over their usernames when they were hired, the only plausible explanation I can think of is that they did it from work.

With that said, there's nothing wrong with people browsing the internet at work if the employer allows it. Especially on breaks or lunch.

[rainslacker]

It's actually not that hard to figure out who it might have been. People have a style to their writing, and generally if someone is going to complain about it online, they'll probably complain about it to their coworkers. MS support, while probably a big section of the company, still likely only has one office for all their support staff per division.

[sarshelyam]

So they were fired for making stupid comments that insulted the companies primary demographic, or undersold a product offering?

Not seeing the issue here. They got what they deserved.

[TheFallenAngel]

They deserved to be fired for talking like that. One even call customers stupid. That's what they are there for to help people hence their name support. Keyword is support.

[Tetsujin]

I still refuse to give kotaku hits for their site; and this alone further proves my point to all the idiots who post how much they hate their job on facebook yet whine and bitch when they get fired for whatever reason. You wouldn't believe how many people got caught skipping work after "posting" it.

[doctorstrange]

" neither ex-Alpine employee used a Kotaku handle that was connected to their real names. We don't know how Microsoft connected their Kotaku comments with their identities."

Well that's creepy

[Dlacy13g]

Unless the comments they made were done using work computers. Most organizations of that level track what their employees do.

Also if their comments made had some specifics to them that someone at MS hearing it would know exactly what the incident was and who was involved it would be easy to put 2 and 2 together.

Bottom line don't bite the hand that feeds you and not expect to get smacked.

[Tzunoy]

So people are slaves you do as we say or you flee? Sad world.

[GraveLord]

"Bob" and "Frank" should sue Microsoft for invasion of privacy. Seriously they can't even have an anonymous username on Kotaku? That's crazy.

I'm glad "Frank" exposed what a shitty deal that $99 Xbox w/ contract is. MS is ripping people off with that.

[miyamoto]

M$ and Kotaku a match made in hell

[Newsman]

"We don't know how Microsoft connected their Kotaku comments with their identities."

Easy...

Microsoft: "Hey Kotaku, give us the e-mails and ips of those users or well cut off our free supply of video games"
Kotaku: "sure"

Not that hard to work out.

[Voyevoda]

This is dumb. I agree though. They broke a simple rule. Talking bad about customers and there own companies online is stupid too.

"Yet another compelling reason to be very, very paranoid about what you do and say online."

That line is very funny.

[Rebo00]

"Over the past week, I've been in touch with two former Xbox support staff. Both people, who asked that we not use their names, say they were fired for writing comments about their jobs on Kotaku."

Why are they bothered about their names being used if they've already been fired? lol

[The_Con-Sept]

The problem I have with this whole article is the fact that corporate America turns out to be bigger fanboys than everyone who is here on n4g... We can't even speak our mind. It is a first amendment right to speak our mind in public. It's baby bullshit like this that makes me angry.