Tickled_Pink Posted September 11, 2010 Share Posted September 11, 2010 Microsoft has apologised to a town in America after suspending one of its residents from Xbox Live. Twenty-six-year-old Josh Moore was banned because officials said he'd broken Xbox's code of conduct by saying he lives in Fort Gay, West Virginia - a name branded offensive by the company. Despite his contacting Microsoft and the enforcement team at Xbox Live to reassure them that it was a real place they refused to check its validity. Josh said: "At first I thought, 'Wow, somebody's thinking I live in the gayest town in West Virginia or something'." The contract for Xbox Live players says users cannot "create a gamertag, avatar or use text in other profile fields that may offend other members". Game loss It also lists potentially dangerous topics such as drug use, hate speech and racial, ethnic or religious slurs. Because of his suspension, which lasted a few days, he missed a key game last week which his team went on to lose. The unemployed factory worker mainly plays shooters like Medal of Honour, Call of Duty and Ghost Recon. He said: "I'm not even gay and it makes me feel like they were discriminating." Even the town's Mayor David Thompson got involved but with little success. He told local news reporters Xbox said the town's name didn't matter and that the word gay was inappropriate in any context. But Stephen Toulouse, director of policy and enforcement for Xbox said the suspension was down to a mistake caused by miscommunication. He said: "Some took the phrase 'fort gay WV' and believed that the individual who had that was trying to offend. "Unfortunately one of my people agreed with that. When it was brought to my attention we revoked the suspension." He added that staying ahead of slang and policing Xbox for offensive content is a constant challenge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetset Posted September 11, 2010 Share Posted September 11, 2010 Xbox said the town's name didn't matter and that the word gay was inappropriate in any context. That speaks to had sad the pc crap has gotten in this country. The word gay is inappropriate... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vic George 2K3 Posted September 11, 2010 Share Posted September 11, 2010 "Home of the Hair Stylist and Floral Arrangement Military Brigade" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HammR25 Posted September 11, 2010 Share Posted September 11, 2010 I heard these guys were thinking about expanding to Fort Gay, WV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moycon Posted September 11, 2010 Share Posted September 11, 2010 Hmmmmmm, I wish I lived here... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fucking_Austria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybird3rd Posted September 11, 2010 Share Posted September 11, 2010 What an idiot. Why would anyone complain about something so stupid, and why is it being reported as news? So many people today seem to enjoy being victims, judging by how hard they try to find things to feel offended about. He should be out looking for a job instead of playing shooters on the XBox. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetset Posted September 11, 2010 Share Posted September 11, 2010 Hmmmmmm, I wish I lived here... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fucking_Austria OMG that's a scream! Look at the bottom of that page in the "See also" section some of the cities' names. Ouch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karyyk Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 What an idiot. Why would anyone complain about something so stupid, and why is it being reported as news? So many people today seem to enjoy being victims, judging by how hard they try to find things to feel offended about. He should be out looking for a job instead of playing shooters on the XBox. Sounds like you're offended that this made the "news." Not sure why it made the news, but I can kind of understand being miffed by having a paid subscription revoked based on the name of the town I happen to live in (especially when MS wouldn't even check to validate the claim). As for looking for a job, what makes you think that he isn't? Because he still has time to play games? Not sure if you've noticed, but the job market isn't exactly booming right now, particularly not in depressed areas like West Virginia. Some on these message boards have been hit by it too, and they're still playing games. Are they also implied losers who should be out looking for work, even when they already are? For all I know, he might be home playing games when he should be looking for work, but there's nothing to actually prove that, other than the fact that someone who's unemployed, plays games and complains about something is obviously a loser. There are as many people who enjoy being assholes as there are those who enjoy being victims. They both kind of feed on the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Ragan Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 What an idiot. Why would anyone complain about something so stupid, and why is it being reported as news? So many people today seem to enjoy being victims, judging by how hard they try to find things to feel offended about. He should be out looking for a job instead of playing shooters on the XBox. Do you think this guy should just leave his home town of Fort Gay to make Microsoft happy? Honestly. This was Microsoft's mistake, and they should take responsibility for it. The fact that they would even ban use of the term "gay" yet have thousands of Xbox Live users scream "faggot" at the top of their lungs on a daily basis tells you that their priorities are, at best, misplaced. The "Oh god, won't someone think of the CORPORATIONS?!" line is getting really old. You're acting like Louisiana should pay BP for absorbing all the oil from its off-shore drill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rev Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 i read that the city of Fort Gay was changing it's name to Fort Fudgepackers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HammR25 Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 They need a packing plant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the.golden.ax Posted September 14, 2010 Share Posted September 14, 2010 My mothers first name literally is "Gay." In the 1940's this meant, happy, or joyful. Is she also not allowed to use XBL? I've been trying to convince her to get a 360 for Netflix, something she enjoys but isn't real good with returning the discs. AX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Video Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 My mothers first name literally is "Gay." In the 1940's this meant, happy, or joyful. Is she also not allowed to use rXBL? I've been trying to convince her to get a 360 for Netflix, something she enjoys but isn't real good with returning the discs. AX Really? Cool. My mother's first name was Gay too. I got flak for it in school, but it was only the mid 80's or so that 'gay' became a bad word. I seem to remember the transition from good to bad seemed to happen over night, or well, at least over a very short period of time. I still run into people fairly regularly that have the name Gay, so in relation to names, I don't know what the real problem is. But then, I have a few friends that live in Hell too Wonder if they'd be banned for using Xbox from hell? (there are several states with a Hell, and considering it pretty much means what it always did (unlike gay) I just have to wonder what was up with the founders....sense of humor perhaps? Especially since at least one Hell is in Alaska...so yeah, it literally freezes over Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iwan-iwanowitsch-goratschin Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 Somewhere in southern Germany! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Video Posted September 15, 2010 Share Posted September 15, 2010 Somewhere in southern Germany! Well, I can clearly see three curse words on that sign. Only word nobody should have a problem with is 'Killer' J/K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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