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And the name of Linux will not be spoken on Xbox Live's hallowed ground photo

Thou shalt have no other Gods before Microsoft, for it is a jealous God. This would seem to be the case with Xbox Live, as news is today coming in of people getting banned from Microsoft's gaming service should the name of The 'Soft's rivals be spoken. Users who have gamertags bearing mention of Linux are being flagged for, hilariously, "inappropriate language." Both gamertags and mottos with any variation of the word Linux in them get blacklisted. I don't know if Microsoft will accept Linux Is Rubbish as a name though. Somebody should find out.

While it's Microsoft's service and I suppose they can do as they wish (their TOS clearly state you can be arbitrarily banned at Microsoft's caprice, almost), I do have to say this is rather silly behaviour, if only because it makes MS look rather threatened. Are we scared of the big bad Linux? That's how it appears if you're as sarcastic as I am. Linux fans are going to have to go elsewhere to share their Operating System love, and do please beware if you're called Mozilla Gorilla ... you could be next.

Holy crap, Mozilla Gorilla would be an awesome Gamertag.

[Via EnterpriseLinux.com, who also provided the image. Tip by Frank Sommer] 


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46 comments | showing # 1 to 46

Lowtax's Avatar
Lowtax at 09/04/2007 15:21
Lol? My live name is ZombieSaddam, never had any problems with that one. Why linux?
Lowtax's Avatar
Lowtax at 09/04/2007 15:21
Lol? My live name is ZombieSaddam, never had any problems with that one. Why linux?
V3r1n's Avatar
V3r1n at 09/04/2007 15:23
*changes gamer tag to Mozilla Gorilla immediately*
foxhound009's Avatar
foxhound009 at 09/04/2007 15:26
Think they'd have problems if I'd call myself mr. sony playstation :D ... try that one out :P hehe... killing the competition
Snaileb 's Avatar
Snaileb at 09/04/2007 15:26
That's weak.
Skeeter's Avatar
Skeeter at 09/04/2007 15:26
I wonder if they'll accept the gamertag "AppleIsCrapple."
Garbz's Avatar
Garbz at 09/04/2007 15:27
Hahahahahaha.

Damn Microsoft make me lol at times.
lvl54spacemonkey's Avatar
lvl54spacemonkey at 09/04/2007 15:27
man thats sad. It kinda makes you think, like the reason games are so costly is because companies are spending money doing pointless stuff like this rather than buffering their profits with it.

That was almost paranoid of me.
ZigZagMan's Avatar
ZigZagMan at 09/04/2007 15:28
So someone called NiggerzhaveHIV or BluntSMoker420 are ok, but HappyLinuxMan isnt?



Oh Microsoft, you crazy cats.
foxhound009's Avatar
foxhound009 at 09/04/2007 15:34
no it ain't weak... mr. sony playstation sounds really tough, in fact I'll use it today. :)
brainderailment's Avatar
brainderailment at 09/04/2007 15:35
Big Brother is watching. You paid for their service, but you shant use it if you are not simpathetic to the cause.
ZigZagMan's Avatar
ZigZagMan at 09/04/2007 15:35
Also, can't call your self Spaz on PSN network, but that's slightly more understandable if a little over PC.
invisible universe's Avatar
invisible universe at 09/04/2007 15:38
I read this right after I finish installing Ubuntu on my PS3. Sweet irony!
Cyberxion's Avatar
Cyberxion at 09/04/2007 15:40
Hmn. So um...what? I get the fact that Microsoft can do whatever they please in regards to their services and whatnot, but what I don't get is why. What's the damage?

Gah, my brain asplode.
Sharpless's Avatar
Sharpless at 09/04/2007 15:41
Not to be "that guy," but they've been doing this sort of thing for a while. I forget the previous posts about it, but other sites have reported such nonsensical banned terms. I wish I could remember them, I recall a few were quite a hoot.

And yeah, they suck at banning people for things they should be banned for. My old Halo 2 clan made a bunch of two-month accounts with incredibly racist names and went whoring for bad feedback in game lobbies. All any of them ever got was a two-week ban from using the mic. The names were never once banned.
DeusPayne's Avatar
DeusPayne at 09/04/2007 15:41
THIS IS ALL A PLOY FOR M$ HATRED. It's a standard filter. They don't allow MANY MANY MANY pronouns and corporate names. You can't even use Microsoft. So, the fact that people are jumping down M$s throat without actually knowing WHY the word "Linux" is not allowed, is just proof that people don't care about the facts, and are willing to jump on the bandwaggon of hating M$ just because it's the 'cool' thing to do.

Props to those that hated M$ before it was cool. Respec.
Joe Burling's Avatar
Joe Burling at 09/04/2007 15:41
Sounds like a problem with the flux capacitor.
Antimat3r's Avatar
Antimat3r at 09/04/2007 15:44
that reminds me of when LOTR online said Elrond Hubbard was inappropriate language ( I thought it would b a bangin name for an elf)...these people have to get their act together and crack down on the real criminals here!
masterledz's Avatar
masterledz at 09/04/2007 15:45
I also hear you get banned by Microsoft for "PS3Phanboi4lyfe".

Actually, that's everywhere.
bluemeep's Avatar
bluemeep at 09/04/2007 15:47
Dude. Dude. Make a guild/group/team/whatever and call it...The Mozilla Gorilla Flotilla. That'd be awesome!
foxhound009's Avatar
foxhound009 at 09/04/2007 15:47
It's a hate crime....
Monkeycat's Avatar
Monkeycat at 09/04/2007 16:04
I would expect no less.
Neonie's Avatar
Neonie at 09/04/2007 16:04
I lofuckingl'd
jerrt's Avatar
jerrt at 09/04/2007 16:14
old news or not this is still funny. i do believe they are a little threatened. oh and mozilla gorilla is full of bad assery. love it.

oh, and this is another reason why i don't like microsoft much.
PraiseChaos's Avatar
PraiseChaos at 09/04/2007 16:25
This doesn't really surprise me. It's wonder if they'd flag the tag "BSD Boy"...
Fading Star's Avatar
Fading Star at 09/04/2007 16:33
This is ridiculous. I guess that I won't be able to use "FirefoxburnsIE" as screenname. Now that is a weak joke.
taumpytears's Avatar
taumpytears at 09/04/2007 16:50
Microsoft is so rasict.
linuxguy's Avatar
linuxguy at 09/04/2007 17:18
sorry linus no xbox live for you
wonder if stallman has an xbox
vexed alex's Avatar
vexed alex at 09/04/2007 17:24
That's fucked up. You should at last get the chance to change your tag. I mean, if I was to be banned for that crap, it'd leave a bad taste in my mouth for sure. $50 down the shit hole for that? I'd probably might goes as far as refuse to buy anything from live, including the subscription. Threaten here and there to move to PS3 (even though that could never happen [brokeass])

Who knows. Maybe they do if you call up costumer service. I would imagine not for racial names, but for something as stupid as this, common.
THE ROADIE's Avatar
THE ROADIE at 09/04/2007 17:33
Reminds me of Segas crazy word filter system for Phantasy Star Universe. Apparently the word Basement is bad language lmao.
Danmartigan's Avatar
Danmartigan at 09/04/2007 17:38
Arrrrrrr. I hate you so damn much, Microsoft! Keep your damn Microsoftness out of my gaming consoles!
A New Challenger's Avatar
A New Challenger at 09/04/2007 17:44
As reported, Microsoft and Windows are also banned.

According to Joel Johnson on BB Gadgets, though, Nintendo, Sony, and Playstation are all allowable.

No word on "Ron Mexico" however.
tsunamikitsune's Avatar
tsunamikitsune at 09/04/2007 18:30
I'm surprised nobody has taken Mozilla Gorilla yet. XD
SuperDave's Avatar
SuperDave at 09/04/2007 18:32
Hmm. *considers changing gamertag to PSTripleYo for the hell of it*
Calla's Avatar
Calla at 09/04/2007 18:59
changing name to "ApplePlaystationWiiLinuchsFTW"
Dhaos's Avatar
Dhaos at 09/04/2007 19:08
soon you won't be able to use names from ps3 exclusives. Sory to all the snakes out there
LostCrichton's Avatar
LostCrichton at 09/04/2007 19:26
Mozilla Gorilla is a great gamertag...lol. But that's kinda fucked up for Microsoft to hinder names like that.
SpiderChrist's Avatar
SpiderChrist at 09/04/2007 19:53
But what if my name is John Linux?! shouldnt i be allowes to go by my own name?!
Extreme_Drunk's Avatar
Extreme_Drunk at 09/04/2007 19:59
He should name himself BIN BASH and call it a day.
JonDarkwood's Avatar
JonDarkwood at 09/04/2007 20:36
@Dhaos: but snake ISn'T exCluSive my UnclE WORKS for Konj1ma and He SEz dat MGS4 Is gun 2 B on x bawks!1one
Wedge's Avatar
Wedge at 09/04/2007 20:55
My boyfriend was trying to name characters in the new Worms for PSP yesterday, and it wouldn't allow "Muffins" because it had "Muff" in it, or "Tycho" because it had "ho". HOW MANY THINGS HAVE "ho" IN THEM? Also if you put a space or any character in-between, it didn't care. Worst filter I've ever seen.
Jim Sterling's Avatar
Jim Sterling at 09/04/2007 20:59
Ha, that's weird. My Worms team is called The Decepticocks. Wonder how that got through.
Boolean's Avatar
Boolean at 09/04/2007 21:05
I still can't figure out why the word 'sucks' and 'hell' are filterd words on the MS forums =/
Deth's Avatar
Deth at 09/04/2007 23:06
The same thing happened to my buddy. You are not banned from live, just the name is banned, so they make you choose another before they let you sign on.

BTW- His GT was "OsamaforPres08" and he changed it to something very similar and it let him sign on.

Cheers!
geronimo's Avatar
geronimo at 09/05/2007 03:08
I love that you can't have "nekkid" in your motto either.
nightmareci's Avatar
nightmareci at 09/05/2007 19:22
@ linuxguy
I believe I read somewhere Stallman stated he won't buy a computer (consoles are computers, at the core) if it can't run FSF-approved Free Software, so the only system he *might* buy would be a GP2X with Open2X firmware.

I've experienced a weird MS block in the past, when I tried sending a .ogg file to a friend via MSN (pre-Windows Live), and it said the file was "dangerous" or something in that vein, when it was just a music file in an open format... strange. If any of you want to read up on why Microsoft is so scared of Linux and other open OS's, just Google up "Halloween Documents", very interesting read.
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