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Since the advent of voice chat in online gaming, arguments and insultshave become just another part of the game. Curse words, racial slurs,and even threats are muttered with increasing frequency over the likesof Xbox Live, Ventrilo, TeamSpeak, and the countless other voice-chatprograms and platforms. But, when does the line get drawn betweengame-related rudeness and the law? It's hard to define, to be sure, butone Maryland university student has learned the answer, as a comment hemade during a game landed him in jail.
During a game of Call of Duty 4on his Xbox 360, Allieu Shaw—a student at Frostburg State University inMaryland—happened to make a comment that he was going to "shoot up theschool." Allegedly, this comment was followed by a description of whathe planned to do. Another gamer in the room took the comment seriouslyand phoned the authorities.
Working together with Microsoft and the local internet serviceprovider, Maryland police managed to find Shaw by early the followingmorning and showed up at his dorm to arrest him. Shaw is reportedlyfacing "two misdemeanor counts of disrupting a school operation... witha maximum penalty of a year in jail and a fine up to $5,000" and hasbeen suspended from school.
A word to the wise for those who get upset when losing: use the mute button and bite your tongue.
Ever had problems over in game VOIP?
The linked article already makes the comment I wanted to make:
Quote:
Heapparently doesn’t know how to trash talk, either. “I’m going to shootup a school†just seems like an odd phrase to throw out there whenyou’re trying to taunt an opponent. Maybe it made a bit more sense incontext but I doubt it, considering how inane the average chatter invideo games is.
Can't say I believe he deserves to go to jail, but he at least needs a good punching in the face.
I've heard alot of trashtalk and none of it ever took the form of even a vague real world threat.
"Shootingup school" is definitely something that would get my attention, asopposed to the usual flood of omnidirectional profanity.
If he didn't mean it then he has received a valuable lesson in not being an idiot out loud.