Religious bigotry viewable in Train Simulator 2014

[Fodda]

*This is a politely rewritten and corrected version of a posting I made earlier which has been removed. This topic affects us all as Train Simulator 2014 users and I along with others who have PMed me their support see it as a valid UKTS TS2014 topic*

I'm sorry to have to say that there is at least one religious bigot playing TS. Maybe I was naïve in thinking it wasn't happening but I got a bit of a shock today after purchasing the ECML London - Peterborough route with the FCC Class 321 in the Steam sales.

First play through on my own system I went for Career Scenario [FCC321] Capital Connect and finished without the maximum points having arrived slightly late at two stations. Never mind... But when I went to look at the Career score listings, up there in the top ten is a TS user using the name "i hate muslums" [sic].

If, like me, you don't want your friends family and loved ones to see this kind of intolerant text appear inside your copy of TS2014 (I certainly don't want my children and grandchildren being exposed to this kind of hatred) then, like me you can help to put a stop to what is in breach of Steam and UKTS user guidelines.

Please report any type of bigotry (which also includes any kind of racial, gender and sexual intolerance) within Steam to Steam themselves. I've reported the use of this and other guideline-abusing usernames, forum topics and profile content to Steam and hopefully we as a community can help keep TS free from this kind of abuse.

I'm sure the vast majority of UKTS members agree that this kind of intolerance should be dealt with swiftly and properly.

Now let us please not let this thread degenerate into an angry series of posts and get it deleted like the last one (in which my first post was I admit factually if not morally incorrect). I've stated the facts calmly and politely and shown that we should inform Steam about this.

Remember we are ALL members of a friendly tolerant community. More members than just me think this is wrong and we're trying to do something about it in the right and proper way.

Thank you for your time, and if you properly report intolerance following this, then thank you all the more.

Gary

[PeterPeddlesden]

I happily support you in the matter Fodda and it is why you WON'T find anybody with a username anything like that on UKTS.
Some call it draconian moderation, we call it keeping it family friendly.
Thank you for reconsidering your original post and resubmitting it.

[chrisonline]

Fully supported

Is there any way you can link to the user name concerned, so that I/we can report it?

Chris

[Wikkus]

Fully supported
Is there any way you can link to the user name concerned, so that I/we can report it?
Chris

</lurk>
Here, go nuts:
http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198079466784

Oh, and whilst you're reporting this charming individual, you can report his hilarious "friend", one "Adolf Hitler", complete with image...
http://steamcommunity.com/id/ninjaband
<lurk>

Rik.

[Easilyconfused]

Just to add to what Pete said earlier, members may be aware that new signups are on moderator approval for forum posting. So even though the signup is pretty seamless and automatic their posts still need approving. The moderators would catch any unsuitable user names at that point. If we miss one then feel free to report the post for an unsuitable username and we can deal with it.

There have been some fairly obscene or otherwise unsuitable names and they have all been binned. Most are spam merchants anyway but the odd one or two have tried it on and been shown the door.

Part of the satisfaction of going to the UKTS shows as a crew member is meeting with members and parents of minors who are members and getting the positive feedback of the forum moderation. Yes, some threads do get heated but as long as it stays within the forum rules then they can run. No hobby is going to be totally free from argument and there will never be fluffy bunnies all around. It is good though meeting parents who are supervising their children's access to the forums and are happy at our responses to unreasonable behaviour.

[JustRight]

Have to agree with you on this one Fodda. Regardless of our individual religious leanings, or lack of (in my case), displays of this sort in the form of this users Id are quite unacceptable.

I have duly reported the User Name via Steam as 'Offensive'. Be interesting to see what happens?

Cheers.

[pacerfan]

Right then was going to post in the earlier topic before it got pulled. Hate or discrimination of any kind is of course completely unacceptable and is a blight on the world. So I kind of hate to be the killjoy here and point out that no where in the Steam Agreement does it it say certain user names are banned. And doing a quick search of the community reveals that there are quite a few of these names going about. Now this could be down to the fact that as Valve are based in the US they follow the First Amendment with it's right to free speech, this justification has been used for offensive user names on other online services, forums ect. As unsavoury as it is. Just a quick search revealed to me hundreds of Hitler's on Steam. Hopefully the mass reporting of this individual may get Valve to do something about him/her but there is the chance that Valve can't act.

[jstange]

Those that name themselves Hitler or Himmler (as I could see) should be transported by a time machine right into some of the WW II battles or into Nazi concentration camps to help them understand what they are doing. They desperately need it...

[stephenholmes]

Good morning everyone
Firstly I wish you all a Happy New Year
I totally agree with Fodda and the stance taken by UKTS
This site has always been user friendly and fully inclusive of those who enjoy the simulation hobby
As John mentioned in his post yes there have been occasional disagreements but in the main these have been resolved amicably
Kind regards Stephen

[davejc64]

I fully support this, and have reported the user name to steam.

[Wikkus]

So I kind of hate to be the killjoy here and point out that no where in the Steam Agreement does it it say certain user names are banned.

</lurk>
[Of the Teppichfresser]
Whilst that much is true -- there's no direct reference in the EULA to this --, their Subscriber Agreement does, at the very least, state: " interaction with other Subscribers should be guided by common sense and basic etiquette". IANAL, but I'd suggest that naming yourself after one of history's biggest monsters, having the logo of his Protection Squadron in your profile name and topping it off with a photograph of the man in his prime, does not comply with that.

Their reporting system specifically includes (second option) "Offensive profile or avatar".

Their Online Conduct rules (linked within the same document) are also open to interpretation:
http://store.steampowered.com/online_conduct/

I would hazard that the majority of people unfortunate enough to encounter this individual in their online gaming experience, would have an unfavourable view of it, and given the loose definition of "abuse" in this context, I feel that this could be pursued.

I think Valve would have a very hard time, first amendment or not, defending the rights of subscribers to their service to craft a profile mimicking an Austrian nutjob painter with a God complex.

Rik.
<lurk>

[spellow3010]

Fodda,
fully support the intent of what you have posted here. No need for that kind of hatred in society, and that applies to the internet as well. We all have opinions on radical, sensationalist or terrorist behaviours - and rightly so as we desire to live in a safe world. However, that generalistic screen name you came accross is not acceptable in any way, shape or form.

I do have broad shoulders (and need to lose a bit of weight), so...

Personally - I have few issues with people using the name 'Adolf Hitler.' Apart from making them look silly, to be fair, the world must NEVER forget that part of history - and overly censuring things can result in diluted understanding of history. Almost, pretending stuff never happened... Kind of like the BBC archive removing anything to do with Jimmy Savile or Stuart Hall - what they did was wrong, very wrong, but you can't just airbrush them away from history...

Likewise, calling yourself G W Bush, or M Thatcher might offend a lot of people too - though opinion separates the severity by some margin I guess. What if somebody popped up with the name 'Ronnie Biggs...' ? Genghis Khan? Vlad The Impaler? King Herod?

History is littered with names of evil doers - water off a duck's back if somebody wants to call themselves that. But racial generalisation is a rampant no-no.

Plus 1 for reporting racial hatred.


EDIT - having re-read the post above mine, if this Hitler geezer has a picture of him, the emblem of his protection squadron etc as part of his profile etc - it may be that the Police might be a better prospect for reporting. I guess Hitler is a little 'too recent' in history, with many of his victims/direct family of victims still alive today. In hindsight, Plus 1 for reporting Hitler too.

[briyeo1950]

I think Valve would have a very hard time, first amendment or not, defending the rights of subscribers to their service to craft a profile mimicking an Austrian nutjob painter with a God complex.

Rik.
<lurk>

Are you sure about that Rik?
Facebook have no problem allowing people to upload videos of terrorist's beheading victims on their website it would seem.

[Easilyconfused]

The initial issue of user names that most if not all people would find offensive has been aired. Given it is a Valve / Steam issue and people have been directed to report their concerns to Valve it is highly likely this thread will go round in circles until somebody steps outside the forum rules.

Policy on other websites is down to their operators not UKTS. Discussion of the wider issues is again not particularly relevant to UKTS and our forum policies which have been explained earlier. Such discussion is best held on a politics site not in our TS2014 forum.

As such I am closing the thread.