"Offensive Material" Gets Nintendo's 3DS SwapNote SpotPass Shut Down
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Wait, Nintendo say they didn't anticipate it being used like that?
They had the ability to add photos and voice, what did they think some people were going to use it for?
They had the ability to add photos and voice, what did they think some people were going to use it for?
I can see how difficult of a position Nintendo was put in on this matter, but on the other hand, I would like to know for absolute sure that there were no other options left for the company to explore before deciding to do this. I realize this won't cause any real large outrage across the internet (although there is already a petition to bring it back, a single day after this has happened), but how many users have used to responsibly and actually have need of it to speak with their friends on the 3DS? I am probably one of the few, but I am really disappointed by this decision.
The 3DS already feels extremely limited in terms of direct communication with your friends as it is, and now they're removing one of the few ways you can do so. I realize there are plenty of other ways to speak/chat/talk to friends via the internet: email, skype, message boards, chat rooms, other messenger programs, etc; this just feels like a wrong solution, especially considering that -as is the case with many 'problems' in the United States- it all comes down to parents not being parents and monitoring/limiting their children's access to potentially inappropriate material.
Summary (TLDR): While the decision is understandable, I feel as though there were other options, or at least add in another way of directly communicating with your 3DS friends on the 3DS.
The 3DS already feels extremely limited in terms of direct communication with your friends as it is, and now they're removing one of the few ways you can do so. I realize there are plenty of other ways to speak/chat/talk to friends via the internet: email, skype, message boards, chat rooms, other messenger programs, etc; this just feels like a wrong solution, especially considering that -as is the case with many 'problems' in the United States- it all comes down to parents not being parents and monitoring/limiting their children's access to potentially inappropriate material.
Summary (TLDR): While the decision is understandable, I feel as though there were other options, or at least add in another way of directly communicating with your 3DS friends on the 3DS.
No.Terramax said:
It's works like this.
All you have to do to be able to send notes to somebody is to add their FC. It doesn't matter if they don't add you back. At all.
I know for a fact that people throw their FC's out there online for anyone to add because they don't give a fuck. That leaves it wide open for some trolls, or sickfucks to send some real nasty stuff. Especially when you can send a single letter to everyone on your friends' list.
The memo Nintendo sent out says "Nintendo has learned that some consumers, including minors, have been exchanging their friend codes on internet bulletin boards and then using swapnote to exchange offensive material". So yeah, it would be exactly like people sending pics to your phone or email. The streetpass function is where to pass stuff to people you pass by randomly.
Talk about the old saying 'you abuse it you lose it" going on here
I agree they should have thought this would happen. They were fully prepared for keeping the internet safe for young Pokemon users by blocking users from using swear words (and words like Viola, Violet,& Therapist)as pokemon nicknames in X and Y.Andy Shandy said:Wait, Nintendo say they didn't anticipate it being used like that?
They had the ability to add photos and voice, what did they think some people were going to use it for?
Actually, some children where sending their nude pictures to pedophiles in exchange for Pokemon. Not even kidding.Nosirrah said:
Desert Punk said:
At that point, anyone who accesses emails from someone they don't know, then they are idiots.
Therapist I can understand. But what's up with Viola and Violet?portal_cat said:Talk about the old saying 'you abuse it you lose it" going on hereI agree they should have thought this would happen. They were fully prepared for keeping the internet safe for young Pokemon users by blocking users from using swear words (and words like Viola, Violet,& Therapist)as pokemon nicknames in X and Y.Andy Shandy said:Wait, Nintendo say they didn't anticipate it being used like that?
They had the ability to add photos and voice, what did they think some people were going to use it for?
I never had any problems with Nintendo Letterbox (as it is known in the UK). Mostly because everyone on my friends list is an actual friend of mine that I know in real life, I don't see the point of filling the friends list with hundreds of people you don't know.
So what you're saying...Is I could have sent tit-pics out for my shiny vulpix instead of hunting for weeks?BiH-Kira said:
SIGH. NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'VE GOT TIL IT'S GONE.
But no, in all seriousness this is a huge overreaction by Nintendo and any kid who was sending their FC out onto the internet needs a swift smack across the chops. Or at least an education in internet safety.
But not from Nintendo. From the people who should have taught them better.
Nintendo already police their online services like Nazis, why did this have to go get kicked in the balls because of stupid kids(And their alarmist parents) and sick weirdos? I mean... come on.
As much as I love nintendo they get a bit ridiculous with this stuff. Maybe the wii u would sell better if they changed their demographic. Hardcore adult gamers with jobs can spend a lot more money than kids who can only get a few games a year for christmas and birthdays. Add decent OPTIONAL parental control. I hate not being able to communicate with my friends properly and the whole friend code thing is absurd. They need to wake up big time.
You have to remember that Nintendo has that kids friendly image to keep. Image how happily some news channels would jump on the story to blame Nintendo and gaming for enabling pedophilia and/or simply exposing children to pornography.Charli said:
Just one parent is enough to try and sue Nintendo over this and there is a shitstorm guaranteed.
WHY DIDN'T NINTENDO THINK OF THE CHILDREN?!?
Remember, we are talking about the generation of parents that will blame everyone and everything because of the behavior of their spoiled brats. But they will not questions their non-existing parenting skills.
While I dislike Nintendo pulling the app completely, hell, I hate it. I hate companies doing shit like this because of incompetent parents and children who don't know their place. But I also understand Nintendo's actions. They do have a image to lose. And child pornography, even when wrongly accused is devastating. People don't care if you where found guilty, it's enough that you were on court for it.
I entirely disagree, nobody is forced to use the streetpass feature or check what they have picked up from strangers. What's more this is a feature people paid for, the company has no right to remove it at a later date for any reason, unless perhaps if they do so through a full product recall and refund.Dragonbums said:
As far as Nintendo getting into hot water, oh well, that's part of their business, maybe they should think the features of their products through better for the next generation. That said, I do not honestly think they can get into much trouble for it, just receive a lot of negative press, which is the bottom line.
Also for the record pornography is a touchier subject than a lot of people think in a legal sense. By definition all "pornography" is illegal, however what most people call porn is not actually porn in the legal sense. Indeed for something to be labeled porn it needs to be reviewed (item by item, it can't be done broadly) and be found to be "offensive and without any redeeming value", the whole "without redeeming value" part is the real clincher due to
the fact that artistic value is protected. This is why so many "porno movies" have some kind of banal plotline attached, because that pathetic plotline, message, or point, can be potentially used to mount a defense based on artistic integrity. Attempts to ban nudity and exposure in a general sense have failed, this includes the nudity of children (despite some nasty CP battles, most blanket "victories" there wind up getting overturned under serious challenge). After all you can trace artistic nudes back to the ancient greeks and romans (and even before), and even get in the face of the church by pointing to some of the pictures of nude, anatomically correct, cherubs, and similar things. The point here being that a picture of some guy's junk or a naked lady is not considered pornographic, after all you could leave a book full of nudes open in the art section of a library and it would be legally unquestionable (though most libraries try and prevent such things for PR reasons). Now, exposing oneself to create a public disturbance is a crime, and it can be argued that this is what your seeing with the 3DS, but even so your dealing with something less extreme than a streaker or flasher running around, especially seeing as unlike those cases you have the option o simply not use your streetpass if you don't want to, or to just not look at messages from people you don't know. Ultimatly streaking and flashing is misdemeanor crap that probably won't even be arraigned unless things are really slow for the courts or
there are other circumstances involved. At the end of the day there really isn't any practical way to hold Nintendo liable for this, the entire issue doubtlessly being pantywaists who are willing to take things away from people who paid for them due to outraged complaints. My comments about the lawsuits is that if you let the morally offended win battles like this by complaining, it never ends, you need to show companies that the other side will push back as well. Make it so the path of least resistance is not simply backing down every time some parents group or whatever gets a bee in it's bonnet. Not to mention the most important principle (which is my primary concern beyond all of this) that if you buy something, you have a right to it, I do not agree with the ability of a company to take back things they have already sold, for any reason, whenever they want to. To me the reasons are not important, this is just like removing the multiple OS options from the PS-3... people pay for the feature and functionality, they have a right to it. Besides, honestly, how many people with a 3DS out of the entire body of users are actually using these things to send pictures of their junk or whatever? It's a small, vocal group of people being upset with an even smaller group of trolls. I have no sympathy.
Viole is "rape" in French. Seriously, that's why. A bit overboard with the censorship, if you ask me.Micalas said:Therapist I can understand. But what's up with Viola and Violet?portal_cat said:Talk about the old saying 'you abuse it you lose it" going on hereI agree they should have thought this would happen. They were fully prepared for keeping the internet safe for young Pokemon users by blocking users from using swear words (and words like Viola, Violet,& Therapist)as pokemon nicknames in X and Y.Andy Shandy said:Wait, Nintendo say they didn't anticipate it being used like that?
They had the ability to add photos and voice, what did they think some people were going to use it for?