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Microsoft Censoring Thirteen Year-Olds Tuesday, 21st October, 2008

#1 User is offline   Chyld Icon

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Posted 21 October 2008 - 07:05 AM

QUOTE
Microsoft gets patent for real-time f-bomb bleeping
By Jonathan M. Gitlin | Published: October 20, 2008 - 06:25AM CT



Back in 2004 Microsoft applied for a patent for real-time censoring of audio streams, and now the USPTO has granted that patent.
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As PC gamers have known for a long time, and Xbox gamers have known for a while, playing against other humans online is a much more enjoyable experience than beating a computer. Thanks to the advent of teamspeak, you can game with others as if they were in your living room, without having to worry about them knocking their drinks over and staining the carpet. However, the somewhat anonymous nature of the internet means you also encounter individuals who lack the sort of internal filter that prevents most of us from blurting out streams of profanity that would make Mr. Tourette blush.

More often than not, the profanasaurus on the other end of the mike is a schoolboy still at the age where yelling random insults at strangers seems amusing, but it only takes one moron to spoil a good time. The patent involves real-time (or batch) analysis of an audio stream that can recognize inappropriate language based on phonemes, and then overwrite objectionable words with bleeps, other noises, or silence.

But online gaming isn't the only area where this technology could show up. TV networks, fearing hefty FCC fines, would be able to broadcast live without fear of exposing the sheltered ears of their audience to a (possibly life altering) outburst or expletive. No more seven-second delay with an editor's finger hovering over the bleep button, no more being raked over the coals by the Parents Television Council, no more f***s, s***s, or m************* c********* slipping into the next award show.

I can also envisage a more sinister role, however, regardless of one's opinion on whether or not those seven words ought to be allowed to be said on television. Imagine the same system applied to digital telephony, then think how valuable such a system might be to an authoritarian regime. As we've seen to good effect in Burma and elsewhere, the ubiquity of cell phones has been a good thing for dissidents who need to get their message out or organize themselves. The Great Firewall of China already blocks objectionable web content from reaching Chinese computers; what's to stop cell phones from censoring anti-government conversations too?


http://arstechnica.c...b-bleeping.html


Thanks to the good Doctor for this one

Goddamnit, I hate having to put up loads of articles aboutr censorship, but they keep coming in. Like that giant firewall they're installing in Australia.

But yeah, no more 13 year olds just dropping the f-bomb for no reason (I know its for no reason, whenever I delve into Halo on Xbox Live, my wee cousin always suggest swearing like a sailor for no real reason), but the censorship...

You know, I'm more worried about this big Aussie wall, I'll just leave this here.
When you lose your calm, you feed your anger.

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Now resigned to a readership of me, my cat and some fish
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#2 User is offline   aggiecouch Icon

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Posted 21 October 2008 - 10:15 AM

Aw fuck
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#3 User is offline   Spann Icon

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Posted 21 October 2008 - 01:50 PM

As echoed by The Escapist here, I couldn't care less, so long as I am given control over it.

Frankly, I couldn't give two fucks (intentional swearing) whether people swear or not while I'm playing online games, but then I don't play online much on the 360, which from what I can tell is where all the teenage trolls tend to live. I hear very few young teens when I'm playing TF2, and in fact, one who frequents a server I am often on manages to irritate me beyond belief without uttering a single swearword.

Also, I can't see it being able to tell the difference between someone saying, for example, "Finish it" and "Shit" in a hurry. But then, what do I know?
"There comes a time in every person's life when they should learn to shut up. It is called 'birth'."

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#4 User is offline   David-kyo Icon

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Posted 21 October 2008 - 04:06 PM

QUOTE (Spann @ Oct 21 2008, 08:50 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Also, I can't see it being able to tell the difference between someone saying, for example, "Finish it" and "Shit" in a hurry. But then, what do I know?

It's Microsoft. It won't work well.
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#5 User is offline   J m HofMarN Icon

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Posted 21 October 2008 - 09:48 PM

In my experience, microsoft products probably bring about more profanity than thirteen year old halo players. To their credit though, the profanities their error messages and such bring about are probably more creative ones.

Quote

I don't know about you but I have never advocated that homosexuals, for any reason, be cut out of their mother's womb and thrown into a bin.
- Deucaon toes a hard line on gay fetus rights.
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#6 User is offline   Dr Lecter Icon

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Posted 22 October 2008 - 09:09 PM

Fact is, that Microsoft may not get it right first time. But atleast you do know that they'll get it right eventually.
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#7 User is offline   Casual Icon

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Posted 23 October 2008 - 05:23 PM

I have a better idea. They should install software on this thing that can detect the exact pitch of a persons voice, if the speaker has a squeaky voice or is midway though their voice breaking it edits out ALL their speech regardless of profanity. Obviously there will be filters so women of any age can talk uncensored. That way none of the prepubescent little chucklefucks can ruin my game.
QUOTE (arien @ Jun 29 2008, 03:34 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
So this baby, while still inside its mother, murdered his twin brother and STOLE HIS PENIS.

That is one badass baby.

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#8 User is offline   pandora114 Icon

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Posted 28 October 2008 - 10:21 AM

and this is why I don't use Ventrillo or Team Speak in City of Heroes/Villains *nor play online with Xbox Live*

Well that..and you know that buxom lady that was throwing fireballs as I was blasting radiation beams at that level 54 Arch Hero NPC over there? Yeah, that's a MAN...man! *shudder* Talk about ruining immersion. See this character with huge tits and a wasp waist and you hear this deep baritone "Hi I'm (insert name of wondertitted toon here) " The hell?

and you see that naked looking creation over there with monsterous knockers? That one is piloted by a prepubescent boy and you automatically place it in ignore.

Voice chatting ...the bane of online gaming..blessing if you do it right..but mostly bane. Especially in FPS console button mash-a-thons. Tend to attract the lowest common denominator.


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#9 User is offline   Dr Lecter Icon

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Posted 28 October 2008 - 04:49 PM

Depends, if you just join random vent servers or not.
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#10 User is offline   barend Icon

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Posted 04 November 2008 - 04:37 PM

Seven second delay? That could have been interesting.

"Hey l337SK4NK take out that dude in the warthog before he... oh f*beep*k it, never mind..."

Still something that will second guess you is even better...

"For the love of Azeroth everyone quickly head to *bleeeeeeeeeeep* right now!"

"huh?"

This post has been edited by barend: 04 November 2008 - 04:41 PM

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#11 User is offline   Dr Lecter Icon

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Posted 04 November 2008 - 09:29 PM

And you definately would never get away with saying my last name. Those of you who know it will agree. I once got banned from a Microsoft forum because I included my last name in my username. No joke.

Let the guessing game begin.
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#12 User is offline   barend Icon

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Posted 04 November 2008 - 11:06 PM

QUOTE (Dr Lecter @ Nov 4 2008, 09:29 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
And you definately would never get away with saying my last name. Those of you who know it will agree. I once got banned from a Microsoft forum because I included my last name in my username. No joke.

Let the guessing game begin.


Cuntingham or Fuckowitz?
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#13 User is offline   Gobbler Icon

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Posted 05 November 2008 - 03:11 AM

Better than that.

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Pop quiz, hotshot. Garry Kasparov is coming to kill you, and the only way to change his mind is for you to beat him at chess. What do you do, what do you do?
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#14 User is offline   aggiecouch Icon

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Posted 05 November 2008 - 06:44 PM

What's wrong with Lecter?
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