CGTalk - BBC:Thailand is to impose a night curfew on online gaming

moovieboy

07-08-2003, 11:15 PM

Talk about using a sledgehammer solution...

Can the Thai government not see past their noses to notice that these "addicts" will either pop over to a game server in Singapore (for example) or find one of a million other things on the Internet to stay up all night with??? Are all ISPs then going to be curfewed?

And how is a game you play all night without being on-line any different? Might as well pull the plug on those power stations to make sure they can't fire up a game cube :D

Hopefully, the sensible parents in Thailand have their say and things turnaround over there... But hey, I live in America... Our governments can do more dumb-ass things before 9 a.m. than most countries do all day! :p

-Tom

erilaz

07-08-2003, 11:45 PM

Because of course the best way to stop a "problem" is to restrict people.:surprised (That was sarcasm, if you didn't realise).

psumo

07-09-2003, 12:04 AM

How is this different than a U.S government that prohibits certain language and pornography on T.V. or how clubs have to close down the bar after a certain time (2:00 am in many places)

Not to say that I don't love my midnight gaming habits.

Some games really are an addiction. I have known people who dropped out of college because they played too much quake2, diablo or everquest.

moovieboy

07-09-2003, 12:23 AM

Originally posted by psumo
How is this different than a U.S government that prohibits certain language and pornography on T.V. or how clubs have to close down the bar after a certain time (2:00 am in many places)

????:surprised You're serious?

Bar closings and pornography are both things that can affect the public as a whole. People being allowed to party and drink as much as they want in public has some definite dangers (drunk driving incidents being the most obvious) and liability issues... Pornography is freely available everywhere, except over the "open" airways so your average kindegarter doesn't have "X-Men" followed by "XXX-Men" on FOX...

Obviously these are broad strokes... Whatta expect, a thesis? :D

Online gaming is in no way in the same league as an impact to a society...

-Tom

psumo

07-09-2003, 12:40 AM

so you think foul language on TV has more effect on children
than children spending 6-8 hours a day playing videogames?

Anyways I think they are wrong. Parents should be in control
of the amount of videogames they play. The government
shouldn't be taking a role.

moovieboy

07-09-2003, 01:05 AM

If you had only brought up foul language instead of bundling it up with free TV porn and all night bars, you would've gotten a different response...:rolleyes:

Why glom onto such a non-issue? There are, what, five words you "shouldn't" say on certain open TV channels at certain times? We have roughly the same rules here on CGTalk... wanna rally against them too?

Of course cursing on TV doesn't have the same impact on a kid as a solid week of all night gaming... But, as far as I know, the government, short the FCC pulling a broadcaster's license really has little control over what "The Shield" says compared to the strength of advertisers and conservative parents groups...

I've seen nipples on CSI and The Shield, heard "assh*le" and "sh*t" a number of times on prime-time (not counting Cartman!)... so it's barely an issue anymore, imo...

The moment they finally let Spongebob say "F*ck You!" ... we'd have nothing left to aspire to :D

-Tom

psumo

07-09-2003, 01:15 AM

They are both censorship.

Why try to judge another countries censorship with western morals?

We draw the line somewhere: sex alchohol drugs

yet something that is really affecting people such as
guns are not being prohited

They draw the line at things that they think are affecting their
youth and their future

Hookflash

07-09-2003, 01:27 AM

I am opposed to all forms of censorship. I should be allowed to think, do, and say *anything* I wish as long as it doesn't directly harm others. This is the basis of my personal moral standards.

moovieboy

07-09-2003, 02:06 AM

Originally posted by psumo
They are both censorship.

Why try to judge another countries censorship with western morals?

We draw the line somewhere: sex alchohol drugs

yet something that is really affecting people such as
guns are not being prohited

They draw the line at things that they think are affecting their
youth and their future

You realize that you're constantly shifting the empahsis/focus of your main point from post to post... you talk of censorship, then alcohol and sex... then guns... which is it?

"Judging other countries with western morals?" Well, ya got me there because I'm not up to speed with Thai's societal mores. Although if it's anything like Singapore's then it makes our "social" laws look like we're the wild west...

And the new entry of guns? Look, alcohol sex and drugs (especially lumped together like that) have a far greater "affectation" on the U.S. than all of our guns... in death tolls alone.

If you're just ultimately saying "don't judge (Thailand) lest ye (Americans) be judged," fine... judge away. We (U.S.) got plenty of "head-up-our-collective-tushies" rules in everything from local city ordinances to the wonderful 18th/21st pair of "WTF?" Amendments to our otherwise sane constitution. :D None of that has any bearing on whether I can have an opinion on another country's decisions..

Or, are you trying to censor me on that? :p

-Tom

psumo

07-09-2003, 02:54 AM

drug death rate is somewhere between 9.3 per 100,000
gun death rate is 14.24 per 100,000

Anyways I responded because I'm hearing "totalitarianism" and "does not respect peoples freedom".

Thailand is a democracy you guys

Chewey

07-09-2003, 03:58 AM

And once again another thread slowly but surely takes a detour into a bag on guns and the usa thread.

:rolleyes:

psumo

07-09-2003, 04:02 AM

sorry chewy I'll stop

Hookflash

07-09-2003, 04:51 AM

Originally posted by psumo
sorry chewy I'll stop

Yeah! This is a CG forum! We must stay on topic.

*looks at title of thread*

Hey, wait a minute...:curious:

moovieboy

07-09-2003, 05:09 AM

Originally posted by psumo
drug death rate is somewhere between 9.3 per 100,000
gun death rate is 14.24 per 100,000

Okay, last nitpick, honest :D We had lumped sex/drugs/alcohol into the death tolls, remember?... so add in HIV fatalities, homicides where drugs/alcohol played a factor, 42% of all fatal car crashes (which is THE biggest killer in most age groups) being caused by alcohol, and let's not forget the deaths caused by cigarettes (since that too is a drug) and you got yourself a lot of dead folks...

I'm done too... man this topic detoured! My bad:blush:

-Tom

linus3d

07-09-2003, 06:59 AM

Originally posted by psumo
How is this different than a U.S government that prohibits certain language and pornography on T.V. or how clubs have to close down the bar after a certain time (2:00 am in many places)

Not to say that I don't love my midnight gaming habits.

Some games really are an addiction. I have known people who dropped out of college because they played too much quake2, diablo or everquest.

You can't compare online-game curfews with national TV/clubs because... you do the first thing in the privacy of your own home on your computer, but both TV and clubs have a direct influence on the public.

PhilOsirus

07-09-2003, 12:55 PM

There is a difference between keeping porn off TV at certain hours and banning online videogames after midnight.

There are TV channels that you can register to where there is porn 24/7. I think those people PAY to play the games online, so it isn't for the government to meddle in.

Here the government controls all gambling, and they do what they need to do to reduce gambling addictions by soon removing any slot-machines and the likes that are not at the casino, but they don't make it illegal.

linus3d

07-09-2003, 08:35 PM

I wonder what will happen if our gov't (the US) tried what the Thai gov't did. ...Masses of gamers protesting on the streets?

slaughters

07-09-2003, 09:03 PM

A more important question:

"What about people who work the night shift?"

Isn't Thailand interested in their morality and online game playing addictions ?

Just to be fair I think they should ban day time play as well.

</Sarcasm mode off>

kiaran

07-09-2003, 10:25 PM

This is a ridiculous "solution" to a so-called "problem" that hasn't even been proved to cause any harm. Before video games, kids often stayed up late reading novels and such. I imagine even back then there were people who thought novels were destroying the minds of the youths. We now know this to be wrong. If anything they stimulate the mind and improve reading and comprehension skills. Well, video games are the new media and it will undoubtedly take some time before the crusty old politicians finally realize that there are doing no more harm to children than novels did in the early 1900's. Honestly, when is the last time you played an online rpg? Those things are like a conglomeration of massive amounts of reading, problem solving, teamwork and rewards. In my opinion video games are *better* for ones mind than a novel because they stimulate the mind on so many levels. I would even go so far as to say that regular gaming is *good* for the mind.

It's a helluva lot better than sitting on your ass watching FOX for 6 hours after school, which is the only alternative for children in cold climates (like here in Canada during the winter).

Sorry about this little rant but I feel very stongly about these popular misconceptions.

Cheers,
Kiaran

linus3d

07-09-2003, 11:13 PM

I agree that video games do provide some exercises for the mind, but it isn't anywhere near the educational value of reading a novel. I think the Thai gov't is stupid anyway, though.

Hookflash

07-10-2003, 12:02 AM

Whether or not video game "addiction" causes harm shouldn't even be an issue. As I've stated in many other posts, I don't think the government (or anyone else) should be able to prevent me from harming myself. This is *my* mind & body, and I'll do whatever I please with them.

Meaty

07-10-2003, 02:03 AM

Originally posted by Hookflash
Whether or not video game "addiction" causes harm shouldn't even be an issue. As I've stated in many other posts, I don't think the government (or anyone else) should be able to prevent me from harming myself. This is *my* mind & body, and I'll do whatever I please with them.

My thoughts exactly. My right to swing my fist ends where your face begins.

Chewey

07-10-2003, 02:49 AM

I think it will be interesting to see if there's any follow-up news on how well this "curfew" impacts the activity of concern.

fwiw, a curfew isn't censorship.

huydoan.com

07-10-2003, 05:26 AM

so the government puts a curfew on late night online gaming, yet in downtown Bangkok, you can throw a rock in the air and it will hit a prostitute or a homeless person.

Hey, let's worry about the little things and the big things will sort themselves out, right?

Per-Anders

07-10-2003, 05:54 AM

well there's some wisdom in sorting out the little things and the big things will sort themselves out... but it depends what timeframe you're looking at, and what exactly you determine to be little :)

personally i think this sounds terribly draconian, but on the other hand i don't know the full situation. it may be they're getting huge numbers of drop outs from college and a loss to the economy as a result of this... who knows, some people don't seem to mind the curfew at all, others are against it.

maybe it's symptomatic of a society where people are over eager to escape their reality (always a dangerous sign), and that's what should be being sorted out, why don't the kids wanna be out doing other things (that's suggesting they really are as addicted as they claim)?

Hookflash

07-10-2003, 06:02 AM

Originally posted by mdme_sadie
personally i think this sounds terribly draconian, but on the other hand i don't know the full situation. it may be they're getting huge numbers of drop outs from college and a loss to the economy as a result of this...

Do you think the government should be allowed to take away our personal freedom for the sake of the economy? Or, perhaps for the sake of our stability as a society? That's a pretty dangerous line of thought, imho.

Per-Anders

07-10-2003, 06:22 AM

?!!?!!?

actually no, it's dangerous the other way. there's no such thing as a society of the individual. society is all about interaction and cohesion, and playing your part. if you don't play your part... then don't expect society or anyone else to owe you anything.

without stability and economy then society turn into... well... it's not nice, you have anarchy. you want examples of what's happened with this situation in the past. Far left regimes like Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia, any of the totalitarian dctatorships regimes that have blighted the world.

i'm going to say this once, stability has come at the cost of millions of lives, we should not be so disrespectful to those peoples sacrifice for us, for their children, for us to have the luxury of peace, and the luxury ne decadance to even question it.

Xylemman

07-10-2003, 01:34 PM

well... i used to live in bangkok. people is that country think of games as a disease. adult dont want children to play video game but spend 5 house in front of the tv with some stupid tv program is ok. i did computer game design from the university but people here think it is funny. thailand is the country where you can find pirate game much easier than legal game. i think people here should have a open mind and accept new things.

slaughters

07-10-2003, 01:55 PM

Originally posted by huydoan.com
so the government puts a curfew on late night online gaming, yet in downtown Bangkok, you can throw a rock in the air and it will hit a prostitute or a homeless person.

Hey, let's worry about the little things and the big things will sort themselves out, right? The problem is that online gaming companies are not paying off the offcials the same way that pimps and prostitutes are.

linus3d

07-10-2003, 05:35 PM

Originally posted by Hookflash
Do you think the government should be allowed to take away our personal freedom for the sake of the economy? Or, perhaps for the sake of our stability as a society? That's a pretty dangerous line of thought, imho.

I agree with you, but you know, I think we've been buttered up too much with the huge degree of freedom we have here. I mean, if you think about it, some Asian countries like Japan and S. Korea make their elementary and secondary school students attend class 6 days out of the week (not sure about Thailand, though). I wouldn't consider their stricter way of education a "loss of freedom," but just their way of doing things--their culture, in a way. Just a thought with no direction, hehe.

Hookflash

07-10-2003, 09:00 PM

Originally posted by mdme_sadie
?!!?!!?

actually no, it's dangerous the other way. there's no such thing as a society of the individual. society is all about interaction and cohesion, and playing your part. if you don't play your part... then don't expect society or anyone else to owe you anything.

I agree. As with most things, you reap what you sow. However, there's a difference between

a) Facing the consequences of being unable to get along with the rest of society.

and

b) Being *forced* to conform to some supposedly ideal social standards so that there will never be any consequences.

I just don't like the idea of an elitist few sitting in their tower deciding what's best for me. Sure, video games may be harmful in the long run (like drugs, prostitution, etc.), but it's *my* body/life to harm. If this is going to "destabalize" society (not likely;)), that's just tough.

Besides, most of us will live short, unhappy lives, followed by long, drawn out, terrifying deaths (despite the peaceful "drifting away" that we see in the movies), regardless of how stable our society is. Stability is a pretty minor issue in the overall "scheme" of things, if you could even call it a "scheme".

slaughters

07-10-2003, 09:54 PM

Originally posted by Hookflash
Besides, most of us will live short, unhappy lives, followed by long, drawn out, terrifying deathsDude. Relax, take a break. Have some fun.

Hookflash

07-10-2003, 10:01 PM

Originally posted by slaughters
Dude. Relax, take a break. Have some fun.

I often do. I just like to maintain a realistic outlook at the same time;).

slaughters

07-10-2003, 10:16 PM

That's not realism. It's nihlism.

Chewey

07-10-2003, 11:36 PM

Originally posted by Hookflash

snip...

Besides, most of us will live short, unhappy lives, followed by long, drawn out, terrifying deaths (despite the peaceful "drifting away" that we see in the movies), regardless of how stable our society is. Stability is a pretty minor issue in the overall "scheme" of things, if you could even call it a "scheme".

:rolleyes:

You should seek professional help.

Really.

Hookflash

07-11-2003, 12:50 AM

Originally posted by Chewey
:rolleyes:

You should seek professional help.

Really.

Um... What? I think you guys are misinterpreting me. Unless you actually believe your life will by long & happy (~80 years is NOT long, and who is truly happy?), and death is just a peaceful "transition" into some sort of afterlife. If so, congrats... Seriously, I envy you. I was only able to fool myself for ~15 years.

Of coarse, you probably understand exactly what I was saying, and have somehow been offended by it (hence the cutting, yet suspiciously empy, retort). :shrug:

Chewey

07-11-2003, 01:05 AM

Originally posted by Hookflash
snip...

I was only able to fool myself for ~15 years.

snip..

Looks more like 23 years going on 24.

:scream:

Good luck in your search for help.

Hookflash

07-11-2003, 01:14 AM

Originally posted by Chewey
Looks more like 23 years going on 24.

:scream:

Good luck in your search for help.

I was trying to say I was a "Christian" for the first 15/16 years of my life:rolleyes:. I fell away in my late teens, and now I'm very much an atheist. I find it interesting that you are attacking me personally. Did I hit a nerve or something?

Chewey

07-11-2003, 01:26 AM

No. You'd have to start posting coherant thoughts before they'd have any type of impact on anyone other than plain old amusement.

moovieboy

07-11-2003, 01:46 AM

Ahhhhh, to be 23 again...

Sorry, Hookflash. You'll get the joke around 2009.

And trust me, it's nothing personal. Just the happenstance of you having your age in your signature is all. :beer:

:D -Tom

Hookflash

07-11-2003, 01:47 AM

Originally posted by Chewey
No. You'd have to start posting coherant thoughts before they'd have any type of impact on anyone other than plain old amusement.

http://www.readingcomprehensionconnection.com/

gmask

07-11-2003, 01:58 AM

Well this is surprising.. I thought at first that the gaming they were talking about would at least involve gambling. Should it be illegal for people to waste their own time I suppose not.

But if the game was so addictive that there was a noticeable increase in parents not taking care of children or children not going to school because they stayed up all night playing a computer game.. parents should be watching this but what if they are also addicted?

Isn't this also the country that canes people and use corporal punishment?