MMOs as an outlet for [future] child predators?

[Quineloe]

Bringing in Morality should instantly disqualify you from any discussion regarding law.

[Malakriss]

There's a big difference between a couple in their 30s roleplaying in their bedroom vs. outside a starbucks vs. in an interactive video game.

There's an even bigger difference for a 30 year old and underage child in the bedroom vs. outside a starbucks vs. in an interactive video game.

It's combining the issues of what's appropriate for public or private, what's wrong/criminal regardless of either, and percieved anonymity on the internet.

[Cybsled]

It makes me sick how people (*cough* Mist *cough*) try and finagle around the issue by making it a question of law when law is totally irrelevant.

If the law is irrelevant, then why do you care? The very thing that one is using to judge said action as wrong is a form of law, be it written or moral.

The reason people become protective of "scum" is because it can easily translate to other restrictions. Look at all the fucking crying assholes who made a fuss over Janet Jackson's boob during the Super Bowl. "Sanitize this, censor that". The person who brought up Canadian law makes a good point. Under their recent laws, owning a picture of lets say Sailor Moon naked, would be legally considered child porn as I understand it. A fucking make believe cartoon character has the same penalty as some real kid? Lawl wtf.

Honestly if they want to have their own little circle jerk, let them so long as they keep it in /gu chat and amongst their ilk. They start trying to go public or harass people, report n' ban. The end.

Honestly letting something like this continue the game should be an M rating.

All online game boxes already state "Rating may change during online play". Even shit like Hello Kitty Online probably has that disclaimer.

[Rythonn]

Originally Posted by Mist

Killing people, particularly killing people because of their race, is also immoral. Should all guilds be considered Virtual Murder Clubs? (Would be a good guildname btw.)

Not sure why you can't grasp that when it comes to Kids, it is not ok. Kids are off limits, and have always been. Even Blizzard knows this when they removed the ability to kill those kid NPCs when the game 1st game out. It would be one thing is they where talking about 16-17 but 6-7 is just so fucking wrong there is no defending it on any level legal or not.

[Rythonn]

Originally Posted by Cybsled

All online game boxes already state "Rating may change during online play". Even shit like Hello Kitty Online probably has that disclaimer.

That is to cover the occassional swear word. I am pretty sure it is not on there to cover full on sexual assult of a child roleplay. You say let them be as long as they are in chat. Did you even read the GC on the screenshot on the previous page? They are ok with a pedosexual community and they are actively trying to recruit people to play 6-7 year olds. Combine the being OK with pedophiles and recruiting and I can't see them caring if the 6-7 year old is a real child.

[Mist]

Originally Posted by Rythonn

Honestly letting something like this continue the game should be an M rating. Mist trying to defend the laws is ridiculous. Look to movies if you need an example, specially not in an rated Teen game. This just freaks me out because my kids play this game.

A responsible parent would never let anyone under the age of say 15 or 16 play an online game without HEAVY supervision. Maybe you should be put on trial for child endangerment? WoW is not your virtual babysitter.

[Rythonn]

Originally Posted by Mist

A responsible parent would never let anyone under the age of say 15 or 16 play an online game without HEAVY supervision. Maybe you should be put on trial for child endangerment? WoW is not your virtual babysitter.

I am guessing this is in response to me. Way to go way out there and assume I am not watching my kid when he plays. He is 13 playing a rated T game, when he does play he sits right next to me, but thanks for your concern.

[Quineloe]

Originally Posted by Mist

A responsible parent would never let anyone under the age of say 15 or 16 play an online game without HEAVY supervision. Maybe you should be put on trial for child endangerment? WoW is not your virtual babysitter.

huh why not? TV did that job just great for the last 30 years

[Dashal]

Easy call for Blizzard, ban them. Bliz is a private company and can ban whomever they want for whatever reason they want. Why would they allow such a tiny percentage of the player base to taint the game for an overwhelming percentage of players?

[Twobit Whore]

How the hell are they tainting it for an 'overwhelming percantage'? None of you even knew this shit existed until an hour ago.

[Cybsled]

That is to cover the occassional swear word. I am pretty sure it is not on there to cover full on sexual assult of a child roleplay.

No, it covers the fact that the gamemaker cannot control if some asshole pops into general and starts spamming racist, sexist, w/eish remarks or actions.

You cannot rate a game on content the maker does not actually make. That would be like rating Mario Paint for the SNES as Adult only because you potentially can draw 15 guys having a bukakke party on Princess Peach.

[kudos]

Originally Posted by Rythonn

Illegal? No. Extremely disturbing? Yes. You also aren't allowed to talk about it to some kids the next day.

It's illegal in Canada to write sexual fantasy involving children.

[Drajakur]

Originally Posted by Quineloe

Bringing in Morality should instantly disqualify you from any discussion regarding law.

That's sort of my point. I don't think the real issue here has much at all to do with the law, and that the issue is better served by not getting duped into thinking it has to do with legal grounds in the first place.

When you agree to the Blizzard TOS, which have to do at some level (either implied or explicit) in order to play the game, you are agreeing to let Blizzard act as the arbiter of content communicated within their game. And there are clauses within the TOS whose explicit purpose is to prevent the dissemination of prurient content in that medium.

As such, in this case, I think Blizz should actually *act* as arbiter; that they are morally obligated to do so; and that they ought to decide, in their limited wisdom, that having a guild whose main purpose is to form discussions and interactions based around sex-acts having to do with bestiality, child-porn and that kind of thing is prurient.

Of course you can nitpick and fucking complain about the enforcability of the TOS, but I think Blizz should stand up to the obligation implied in their TOS and say, "Alright fuckers, we're going to act as if this is a binding agreement, so now lets see what the fuck you are going to do about it'.

[Dashal]

Originally Posted by Twobit Whore

How the hell are they tainting it for an 'overwhelming percantage'? None of you even knew this shit existed until an hour ago.

If that source is to be believed, they post recruitment threads on open forums. In any event it's publically known what they do obviously, since I just read about it on two open forums including Blizzards own.

My argument is that makes it an obvious call for Blizzard. An overwhelming percentage of users would take a negative view towards this, i.e. I dont want this shit on my server, and a tiny percentage would be for it, i.e. I like this on my server... and a certain portion of "meh, whatever". That's my opinion and I'm pretty sure Bliz would go with that assessment although I could be wrong I suppose. So why would they allow something so unpopular to be associated with their game?

ETA: The only legality I'm concerned with is Blizzards ability to ban them if they wish. I would guess they have every right to do so based on the potential for financial harm to their product.

[Cybsled]

Well for one thing, it creates a sticky issue for them. Enforcing it hardcore would generate the impression that they HAVE to enforce it. Then by failing to enforce further transgressions, they would be in essence allowing it.

Their solution: ignore it until it goes away or people forget about it cause they nerfed something.