Well, this one just blows my mind.
Stephen Toulouse - image courtesy of edge-online.com
This weekend Stephen Toulouse, director of Policy and Enforcement for Xbox Live, received threats from angry pirates. No, I’m not talking about the plundering kind – I’m talking about video game pirates.
Dropping the Ban Hammer
Firstly, for those of you not on the “up-n-up”, Xbox Live sent out a special Halloween treat this year. A wave of bans was sent out to individuals using modded Xbox 360s to play illegally pirated games.
Consoles issued the ban can no longer connect to Xbox Live, cannot play games off the hard drive, and cannot use Windows Media Center. Essentially, the Xbox no longer functions – a new one must be purchased.
According to a Microsoft spokesperson:
“We have taken action against a small percentage of consoles that have been modified to play pirated game disks. In line with our commitment to combat piracy and support safer and more secure gameplay for the more than 20 million members of our Xbox Live community, we are suspending these modded consoles from Xbox Live.”
They’re an Angry Bunch
Needless to say, users who received the ban were not happy about it. Forums erupted with modders swearing at Microsoft while the rest laughed at them getting what they deserved. It was genuinely entertaining – but of course someone had to go and cross the line.
This weekend Microsoft’s Stephen Toulouse began receiving phone calls from angered individuals. Threats were made regarding his wife, himself and even his dogs.
Apparently, someone over at 4chan posted Stephen’s home phone number and address. The resulting flood of phone calls prompted him to record the threats and notify the authorities. The story doesn’t end there, though.
Surprise, I Found You
Stephen hopped into an IRC channel to confront the pirates and notify them law enforcement was involved. Using his Twitter account to verify his ID, over 200 people joined the channel in less than 10 minutes.
Stephen not only engaged the users who were calling him, but stuck around to answer various questions about the ban policy. He even notes when the phone calls ceased, and warns everyone of the consequences. The entire transcript of the conversation can be found – here.
It’s fairly obvious the threats were sick jokes aimed at harassment – however, this story raises a number of concerns.
The Internet is a Dangerous Place
Being the person responsible for managing an online community is tough enough. Unfortunately, aspects of the online video game community will always make it more difficult.
The diversity of this industry’s online community is its greatest strength and weakness. While an oftentimes rich environment, you’ll also find the absolute worst of the worst.
Many people in this community know the in’s and out’s of the Internet, and can use it as a weapon against you. Personal information is easily obtained and distributed. To combat this, you have to be as aware as your audience.
Stephen Toulouse knew where his info was posted, had it removed, and knew exactly where to find those responsible and engage them. Pretty impressive if you ask me.
Although I’d be wary of direct engagement, I think Stephen acted in an appropriate manner. He may have opened himself up to further attack, but hey – he’s got guts.
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