How You Can Make Xbox Live a Better Place, Part 1 : Do Unto Others

If you have played any multiplayer games over Xbox Live that support interactions with random people, you know it tends to be a primarily negative environment. There are endless examples of offensive language, sexism, racism, bad sportsmanship, and cheating (to name just a few). I believe if we all make an effort to change the general atmosphere of Live, we can indeed make Xbox Live a better place.

Don’t think you are capable of making a difference? Think again. Yes, we only have control over our own actions. But by doing a few small things that really require very little effort, we can all make everybody’s playing experience just a little better. Starting with our own.

We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee. ~Marian Wright Edelman

Suggestion 1 : Do Unto Others
Remember the golden rule you learned back in kindergarten, do unto others as you would have them do unto you? They are words of wisdom that are useful at any age. This phrase can easily be applied to your actions on Live.

Ever hear a simple “good game” at the end of a match? It’s so nice, isn’t it? I say these words after every single game. The only time I do not say them is when the other team is cheating, modding, or glitching. Occasionally I will find myself not saying it if I am horrendously trash-talked, but even during those circumstances I still try to dig deep within myself and pull out that “good game”. It is during those times especially that I hold my head high and know that my standards are my standards, regardless of how other people treat me. Try it, it feels good. Sometimes the other team will continue trash-talking. Sometimes they will be so stunned that you are being nice to them even after their poor behavior that they are speechless. Sometimes you will find yourself utterly amazed when they say “good game” back to you.

It is my hope that with each good game I say, one person will continue the tradition. Sometimes simply seeing and hearing a good example is enough to plant the seed in somebody’s head. And that seed will eventually bloom into a “good game” against different opponents. And perhaps that person will like how that sounds, saying it and hearing it back, and will pick it up as a regular habit.

If you set the example, others will follow. Say it enough and your regular teammates will begin saying it too. Their regular teammates will pick up on it, and hopefully a few of everybody’s opponents will as well. Slowly but surely, one by one the numbers of good sportsmanship will grow.

If you are involved in a good game, say it. It’s two simple words that take two seconds to say. The effort involved is minimal but the results can be spectacular. One person can make a difference.