I have to admit I am shocked at some of the reactions people are giving. I think it is rather foolish to assume another kid would be asking that question, why would I say that. Because the average mmorpg player is 15+. Anyone who has played World of warcraft especially on a roleplay server has seen their fair share of female characters dancing in the town square naked looking to cyber. Playing a female character myself I have gotten a few /tells with greetings such as "Are you a lez" out of the blue with no provokeing of it. Anyone who has played star wars galaxies back when there were enough people for player cities would remember pulling up the map and seeing player made buildings like the S&M cantina, or the slaves den. And even before that it wasn't all to common to see text based roleplaying games with "adult" content areas
Make no mistake online predators are out there and Smedley overseeing quite a few MMORPGs has probably seen the logs to prove it. Of course the question of "what’s your age" can be a pretty innocent one in the right context, but I can assure you for every 99 times it is asked innocently there is 1 time with a much darker intent.
Is he being overprotective or unreasonable I don’t think so. I have to admit I got involved in the shady side of the internet and online roleplaying games at a very early age. The reason for this was simply because I knew my parents weren’t smart enough to figure it out, we need more parents like Smedley in the world, were they at the very least instill fear of being caught doing such things. I think the issue is not fearing that your kids to be picked on by online predators, after all it is the internet no one can force you to do what you don’t want to do. I think the issue is making sure your kids are playing the games for the right reasons.
Finally, someone who is willing to actually be a parent instead of trying to blame the video games or whoever.
They're your kids, it's your responsibility to look after them. I'm glad to see that even if Smedley sucks at running SoE, he's atleast a good parent. When parents take an interest in their kids activities, everyone wins.
"Because it's easier to nitpick something than to be constructive." -roach5000
I can't believe some of you actually think Smedley is being a good parent for doing what he is doing.
MMOG's are a "ONLINE COMMUNITY" not just RP wise but in a typical online setting. Smedley should know better, that all MMOG are is just an advanced Virtual chat with gameplay.
He allows his small children to play in game worlds that are not "aged-based" and open to the general Cyber public. He tells his children to judge others as dangerous for asking ANY personal information, even if it is just a common question that is asked millions of times in a Online community. He tells them also not to have anyone on their friends list that they don't know IRL. Well what about the ones that add his child as a friend so they can see his children log in and out all the time? Where is the danger in others being on his childrens list? I think he has gotten that backwards.
MMO games are where ANY player can gets together with other players to communicate and interate. WTH does Smedley think that MMOGs are for? You don't put your child in an environment and expect them to be anti-social and scream RAPE everytime someone asks them a OOC question. Smedley is teaching his kids that everyone online are perverts and anything of social interaction outside of the game are only words of a predator. Smedley is teaching his children to make victims of others because of his overbearing paranoia of online communities. Something tells me that Smedley focuses too much on the negative rather than what is really the right thing to do.
Infact, I was playing WoW the other day and this human female priest came up to me while I was hunting alone. She asked me if I wanted to group up so we could do the same together. I agreed, and we took these Defias brotherhood baddies down with good teamwork. As we progressed and cleared the area. She was talking to me about how she is learning english so she could come to America as a transfer student. I told her that I could understand her well. Being curious to what her native language is I asked her where she was from. She told me that her mom said she isn't allowed to talk about that online. I told her I understood what she meant, but all I wanted to know is really what country she is from, not her address or other personal information. Well, she then thanks me for grouping but since I had to become so personal that her mom is telling her to get off the computer now. She then breaks the group and logs out.
That reminds me of John Smedleys statement and how overbearing and paranoid some people can be.
I would like to say to you all that think this is completely normal behavior..... You shouldn't be in a community like this if you have social problems like this. Or having the incapability to judge when others are just being social verses info prying. First off, you are online. No one has the ability to force information out of you. There are such things as saying No...Sorry I can't give that information out. Or even STFU. There are hundreds of ways to say NO or GO AWAY!. But I think before you should be allowed to be in a online community like a MMOG and such is that you should know how to determine the difference between social interation that is acceptable and what isn't acceptable. If you think asking someone their age, sex, location,and other general information over the net is prying then I think you shouldn't even be in a online environment where you are subjected to this.
Just like John Smedley saying to report someone that asks you your age or even wants you to put them on your friends list if they don't know you IRL is a reportable offense then John Smedley should STRONGLY reconsider EVEN having his children play in a Online Community. What he is doing is teaching his children to harrass other players for talking OOC. His kids shouldn't be online in ANY chat and they should still be sitting in front of the TV with a PS2/Xbox360 controller with NO internet connection if he is that much concerned with his kids not judging well enough not to give out their phone, address or other dangerous information. Not make victims in the online gaming community so his kids are safe in the potential dangers of them communities.
It is like taking your 10 yr olds to a Rock concert and everytime someone looks at your child. Your kid flips them off and tells them "don't look at me you pervert". Then from your instructions she runs to the security guard at the entrance and says that the guy was trying to put his hands down her pants.
All I can really say to John Smedley about this whole blog of his is. If you don't want your children being exposed to online social commmunities, mature language and even the possibility of harrassment and being questioned outside of what you want for a 9 yr old girl. then I wouldn't expose her to it, however educate her more on how to detect when someone is being harrassive or questioning things that are unexceptable. But just teaching her to be anti-social when someone asks a friendly general question is only teaching her to over react to things that are completely exceptable in the online communities. Yes, even in the teen chats these things are common place.
Teach your children to have discernment not disrespect. If they aren't ready for it, then don't subject them to the environment that contains it. That my friend is BAD parenting!!!
No wonder why I never liked any of his games. He has a very awkward way at looking at things. Plus his jealousy of WoW is not only assinine, but I think that is what makes him a very unprofessional CEO. SoE really needs to get this guy off the chair.
In a thread on the SWG forums Smed said that he forgot to add to his blog that the same person that asked his daughters age also asked if she'd be his girlfriend. That would seem the bigger issue of the two statements to me. Strange how he left that part out though.
Originally posted by Voodude In a thread on the SWG forums Smed said that he forgot to add to his blog that the same person that asked his daughters age also asked if she'd be his girlfriend. That would seem the bigger issue of the two statements to me. Strange how he left that part out though. Smed's response He's posted 3 times in this thread so far for any who is interested in the read. -Voo
Hmm, something tells me that he just added that due to how most there are responding to his original post.
Usually anything added later, especially something that would give logic to illogic usually is put there to create correctness. Something I think Smedley is use to doing to keep his job.
Originally posted by Gorukha LOL Jade, it's better for kids under 12 to meet the sickos online to prepare for the real world?
You said yourself that only a bad parent would let kids into a dangerous environment unsupervised - but you just can't supervise them all the time no matter how hard you try, so basically you are yourself doing exactly that. You have only two options: tell your children not to give out personal information and trust them to do as you ask, or don't let them play online games. If you trust spy programs, access controls, etc, you are severely underestimating the human mind.
Originally posted by Gorukha if you raise your kids as an authority figure instead of a buddy you won't sound like a total pussy reasoning to them about the facts of drug use?
I guess that depends on how smart your kids are. Stupid kids never question authority, and thus never rebel against it, so they are best brought up using authority (although some might argue that the cause and effect are reversed here). Smart kids will do as they please when they think they can get away with it, and will think of you as just an obstacle at best, and an enemy at worst. They will ignore everything you say, because in their view, anyone who is smart enough to have anything worthwile to say would not need to resort to authority. It's like an automatic idiot beacon to them.
Some of you people take these Games to seriously. If you dont like em, find something else to do, but to just sit on these forums crying , whining and bitching and basicly being Crappy to other people, is pathetic. Im ashamed to be part of this community, when such personal insults about someones kids are used to try and get back at a game developer who has changed your GAMES in a way that you disagree with. They are only Games. They are not that Important to warrant such hostility.
Well that is vary single minded to say......i mean thats what your doing right now, and at least we give solutions to our issues with other people.
Smed is nuts. His overreaction to cancel his kids account and report a simple question being asked about his daughter's age is amazing. He's instilling an unhealthy paranoia into his kids psyches.
Kids are smart, they know when a question is inappropraite and when something feels uncomfortable. Parents should communicate to their kids a desire to be informed of these things in a positive way and certainly monitor what their children do on the internet, but until something truly questionable occurs, there is no problem.
This type of knee jerk reaction on his part helps explain his poor business decisions with MMOGs. He doesn't think things through and apparently has no one to counter his beliefs.
"We feel gold selling and websites that promote it damage games like Vanguard and will do everything possible to combat it." Brad McQuaid Chairman & CEO, Sigil Games Online, Inc. Executive Producer, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes www.vanguardsoh
LOL you must have been a horribly spoiled child to think that Jade. Yes, the good kids are retards and the out of control maniacs are the smart ones. I see the common sense there, or lack therof. Wouldn't be surprised if your kids end up bashing your skull in after realising you are irrelevant and since they are so smart they can get jobs themselves.
It's better be hated for who you are, than loved for who you aren't.
Originally posted by Gorukha LOL you must have been a horribly spoiled child to think that Jade.
Based on your responses so far, I would agree that you at least are better off with an authorative approach. There's only so much one can do about genes...
Comments
Smedley has 4 children?! That explains everything.
No annoying animated GIF here!
I have to admit I am shocked at some of the reactions people are giving. I think it is rather foolish to assume another kid would be asking that question, why would I say that. Because the average mmorpg player is 15+. Anyone who has played World of warcraft especially on a roleplay server has seen their fair share of female characters dancing in the town square naked looking to cyber. Playing a female character myself I have gotten a few /tells with greetings such as "Are you a lez" out of the blue with no provokeing of it. Anyone who has played star wars galaxies back when there were enough people for player cities would remember pulling up the map and seeing player made buildings like the S&M cantina, or the slaves den. And even before that it wasn't all to common to see text based roleplaying games with "adult" content areas
Make no mistake online predators are out there and Smedley overseeing quite a few MMORPGs has probably seen the logs to prove it. Of course the question of "what’s your age" can be a pretty innocent one in the right context, but I can assure you for every 99 times it is asked innocently there is 1 time with a much darker intent.
Is he being overprotective or unreasonable I don’t think so. I have to admit I got involved in the shady side of the internet and online roleplaying games at a very early age. The reason for this was simply because I knew my parents weren’t smart enough to figure it out, we need more parents like Smedley in the world, were they at the very least instill fear of being caught doing such things. I think the issue is not fearing that your kids to be picked on by online predators, after all it is the internet no one can force you to do what you don’t want to do. I think the issue is making sure your kids are playing the games for the right reasons.
"It is our job as parents.."
Finally, someone who is willing to actually be a parent instead of trying to blame the video games or whoever.
They're your kids, it's your responsibility to look after them. I'm glad to see that even if Smedley sucks at running SoE, he's atleast a good parent. When parents take an interest in their kids activities, everyone wins.
"Because it's easier to nitpick something than to be constructive." -roach5000
I can't believe some of you actually think Smedley is being a good parent for doing what he is doing.
MMOG's are a "ONLINE COMMUNITY" not just RP wise but in a typical online setting. Smedley should know better, that all MMOG are is just an advanced Virtual chat with gameplay.
He allows his small children to play in game worlds that are not "aged-based" and open to the general Cyber public. He tells his children to judge others as dangerous for asking ANY personal information, even if it is just a common question that is asked millions of times in a Online community. He tells them also not to have anyone on their friends list that they don't know IRL. Well what about the ones that add his child as a friend so they can see his children log in and out all the time? Where is the danger in others being on his childrens list? I think he has gotten that backwards.
MMO games are where ANY player can gets together with other players to communicate and interate. WTH does Smedley think that MMOGs are for? You don't put your child in an environment and expect them to be anti-social and scream RAPE everytime someone asks them a OOC question. Smedley is teaching his kids that everyone online are perverts and anything of social interaction outside of the game are only words of a predator. Smedley is teaching his children to make victims of others because of his overbearing paranoia of online communities. Something tells me that Smedley focuses too much on the negative rather than what is really the right thing to do.
Infact, I was playing WoW the other day and this human female priest came up to me while I was hunting alone. She asked me if I wanted to group up so we could do the same together. I agreed, and we took these Defias brotherhood baddies down with good teamwork. As we progressed and cleared the area. She was talking to me about how she is learning english so she could come to America as a transfer student. I told her that I could understand her well. Being curious to what her native language is I asked her where she was from. She told me that her mom said she isn't allowed to talk about that online. I told her I understood what she meant, but all I wanted to know is really what country she is from, not her address or other personal information. Well, she then thanks me for grouping but since I had to become so personal that her mom is telling her to get off the computer now. She then breaks the group and logs out.
That reminds me of John Smedleys statement and how overbearing and paranoid some people can be.
I would like to say to you all that think this is completely normal behavior..... You shouldn't be in a community like this if you have social problems like this. Or having the incapability to judge when others are just being social verses info prying. First off, you are online. No one has the ability to force information out of you. There are such things as saying No...Sorry I can't give that information out. Or even STFU. There are hundreds of ways to say NO or GO AWAY!. But I think before you should be allowed to be in a online community like a MMOG and such is that you should know how to determine the difference between social interation that is acceptable and what isn't acceptable. If you think asking someone their age, sex, location,and other general information over the net is prying then I think you shouldn't even be in a online environment where you are subjected to this.
Just like John Smedley saying to report someone that asks you your age or even wants you to put them on your friends list if they don't know you IRL is a reportable offense then John Smedley should STRONGLY reconsider EVEN having his children play in a Online Community. What he is doing is teaching his children to harrass other players for talking OOC. His kids shouldn't be online in ANY chat and they should still be sitting in front of the TV with a PS2/Xbox360 controller with NO internet connection if he is that much concerned with his kids not judging well enough not to give out their phone, address or other dangerous information. Not make victims in the online gaming community so his kids are safe in the potential dangers of them communities.
It is like taking your 10 yr olds to a Rock concert and everytime someone looks at your child. Your kid flips them off and tells them "don't look at me you pervert". Then from your instructions she runs to the security guard at the entrance and says that the guy was trying to put his hands down her pants.
All I can really say to John Smedley about this whole blog of his is. If you don't want your children being exposed to online social commmunities, mature language and even the possibility of harrassment and being questioned outside of what you want for a 9 yr old girl. then I wouldn't expose her to it, however educate her more on how to detect when someone is being harrassive or questioning things that are unexceptable. But just teaching her to be anti-social when someone asks a friendly general question is only teaching her to over react to things that are completely exceptable in the online communities. Yes, even in the teen chats these things are common place.
Teach your children to have discernment not disrespect. If they aren't ready for it, then don't subject them to the environment that contains it. That my friend is BAD parenting!!!
No wonder why I never liked any of his games. He has a very awkward way at looking at things. Plus his jealousy of WoW is not only assinine, but I think that is what makes him a very unprofessional CEO. SoE really needs to get this guy off the chair.
In a thread on the SWG forums Smed said that he forgot to add to his blog that the same person that asked his daughters age also asked if she'd be his girlfriend. That would seem the bigger issue of the two statements to me. Strange how he left that part out though.
Smed's response
He's posted 3 times in this thread so far for any who is interested in the read.
-Voo
Hmm, something tells me that he just added that due to how most there are responding to his original post.
Usually anything added later, especially something that would give logic to illogic usually is put there to create correctness. Something I think Smedley is use to doing to keep his job.
You said yourself that only a bad parent would let kids into a dangerous environment unsupervised - but you just can't supervise them all the time no matter how hard you try, so basically you are yourself doing exactly that. You have only two options: tell your children not to give out personal information and trust them to do as you ask, or don't let them play online games. If you trust spy programs, access controls, etc, you are severely underestimating the human mind.
I guess that depends on how smart your kids are. Stupid kids never question authority, and thus never rebel against it, so they are best brought up using authority (although some might argue that the cause and effect are reversed here). Smart kids will do as they please when they think they can get away with it, and will think of you as just an obstacle at best, and an enemy at worst. They will ignore everything you say, because in their view, anyone who is smart enough to have anything worthwile to say would not need to resort to authority. It's like an automatic idiot beacon to them.
Smed is nuts. His overreaction to cancel his kids account and report a simple question being asked about his daughter's age is amazing. He's instilling an unhealthy paranoia into his kids psyches.
Kids are smart, they know when a question is inappropraite and when something feels uncomfortable. Parents should communicate to their kids a desire to be informed of these things in a positive way and certainly monitor what their children do on the internet, but until something truly questionable occurs, there is no problem.
This type of knee jerk reaction on his part helps explain his poor business decisions with MMOGs. He doesn't think things through and apparently has no one to counter his beliefs.
"We feel gold selling and websites that promote it damage games like Vanguard and will do everything possible to combat it."
Brad McQuaid
Chairman & CEO, Sigil Games Online, Inc.
Executive Producer, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes
www.vanguardsoh
It's better be hated for who you are, than loved for who you aren't.
