The War on Terror V 3.5.2 coming to a MMO near you!

[Silver1Wolf2]

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/02/nations-spies-w.html

Well I don't know what to say, I'm still quite in shock (had to call the ambulance as my brother keeled over from so much laughter, they say he popped a vein in his nose, nothing too serious) and the fact I'm a known Talibani in at least 2 MMOs... makes life look really pink in the next couple of months, if anyone needs me I'll be having water poured on my face by CIA agents.

 

[Singing Gremlin]

Excuse me while I take after your brother. Ohhhh I love the Yank's intelligence (or lack thereof) agencies.

 

[portuga-man]

Dear god! Profiling online gaming behavior?! It will take them centuries, for god's sake! how can you profile a world where everyone's crazy? My guess is that they'll quit the profile idea and just label us all terrorists.

 

[Calobi]

I hope they don't look too closely at our behavior. All the little kids and mental patients running rampant online, it will only increase their perception that games ruin people's minds.

 

[Thaliur]

I don't think this is real. The second sentence starts with "Having eliminated all terrorism in the real world". No one can possibly believe that.

 

[gibboss28]

So this is what it feels like to find something so funny that you cant laugh anymore..wow

I don't think this is real. The second sentence starts with "Having eliminated all terrorism in the real world". No one can possibly believe that.

Ever heard of a thing called Sarcasm?

 

[Enemy_Combatant]

Hey people, I hope everyone is well.
Having read through (skimming briefly really) the DNI's Datamining Report that this post refers to, the focus isn't simply limited to MMOs specifically. Certainly they're a target. Interpreting this report completely and fairly would require one to have a broad and informed understanding of the many associated pieces of legislation and agencies involved. I am not that person. However, if my humble interpretation is on-base, this report describes more than the examination of behaviours associated with on-line gaming. There are a number of areas of examination related to dissemination of data collected primarily from a behavioural standpoint. While behaviours suggestive of potential "terrorists" are certainly a focus, another stated desire is to target "nefarious" activity.

Browsing through these forums brought this topic to my attention, resulting in my poking around elsewhere as well. Common on other forums was the perception that the surveillance was simply directed towards WoW or MMOs in general. This is not so.

An effect of goverment surveillance is thus: Whether our words, actions or behaviours are in reality under observation or not, the FACT that some are under scrutiny will cause each of us to believe we are under scrutiny and live in FEAR of the investigator knocking (or not) on our doors.

In Sam & Max episode 104, at the White House there's a little alcove with a payphone and a poster near it on the wall. The poster reads, "Suspect Yourself!"

"May God Bless These United States of America"

 

[Jakeb Smith]

"May God Bless This United States of America"

Believe me, if there is a God, he hates Americans. The US are the most sophisticated international terrorists that ever were, largely because the CIA trained most of them.

The west has religious extremists as well, we just have government funded invasions and economic sanctions to sate our lust for human deprivation.

 

[Enemy_Combatant]

"May God Bless This United States of America"

Believe me, if there is a God, he hates Americans. The US are the most sophisticated international terrorists that ever were, largely because the CIA trained most of them.

The west has religious extremists as well, we just have government funded invasions and economic sanctions to sate our lust for human deprivation.

Okay, but please understand that I was quoting the President of these United States.

 

[Gisgo Elim]

I used to be some what of a wanna be online terrorist, but I was an radical christian boy with a fascination with Islam, of which I knew nothing about. After finally deciding Runescape was a waste of time I started playing WoW mooching off my older brother. I learned from both that radical thoughts tend to be over dramatized by the radical type and that people will take weeks out of their online lives to make fun of you. Plus on both I sucked at PVP so all I ever did was mind numbing grind tasks such as Mining. So truthfully MMORPG's have helped bore and insult me out of radicalism making them the ultimate domestic weapon on Terrorism.

 

[Jakeb Smith]

Okay, but please understand that I was quoting the President of these United States.

I was just using you as a platform to vent. I understand you weren't trying to be overly patriotic.

 

[Copter400]

Think terrorists will role Alliance or Horde? Oh, and the following conversation will come up:

Terrorist: Hail Allah, infidels!
*gets owned*
Douchebag 1: lol
Douchebag 2: n00b

 

[dehawaiiansupaman]

Terrorists playing online? I didn't think you could get internet in a bombed out cave.

In all seriousness though, my faith in any redemption from the US intelligence agencies has just shrivelled up and died in the corner. I'm moving back to Scotland...

 

[Hey Joe]

I guess I have to stop yelling out 'Allah Akbar!' every time I frag someone.

I'm just wondering what would constitute unpatriotic behaviour in an MMO, given that everybody who has ever played an MMO is bat-shit crazy, and that's a FACT.

Seriously though, it is the next step of internet monitoring, as websites and email servers are being checked for any terrorist chatter, it's only a natural progression that online gaming would be monitored too.

The crackpot in me yells out '1984 BIG BROTHER OMG OCEANIA IS OUR FRIENDZ!', but the somewhat rational person in me sees this as a sad, sad, misguided attempt at public safety. So much for the dreams of a utopian world known as the 'internet' where exchanges of ideas could take place on a level playing field, without fear of censor.

 

[Arbre]

G-zus.

Hunting witches in a fantasy world? Hey, it actually makes perfect sense!

 

[Sniper_Zegai]

Oh dear, just when you thought you could take the CIA seriously they go and do something like this. I read about this on Kotaku and I still cant beleive that they are terrorist hunting in MMO's.

However on a more serious note, I agree with Hey Joe. This seems to be one of the early steps being taken towards monitoring the internet. Its easy to laugh at this policy but how long until all your emails are being looked at and all your downloads are being checked out. We should be wary of whats actually happening here.