Thoughts on the Great PSN Outage
by Burbie52, HSM team writer
Let’s face it: none of us have been very happy the past week or so. The complete loss of our beloved PlayStation Network has been hard on everyone who has a stake in it, whether monetarily or just in lost downtime with friends. I have been following the PS Forums every day – several times a day – hoping for that new nugget of information that will tell me when I can go back into Home, and I am sure that many of you have done the same as well.
Quite a few new articles in this magazine have been produced on this subject already. It is amazing how productive we become. The expression of a loss – any loss – is a very human thing to do, and occurs in many forms. It is also amazing to me how either the best or the worst of humanity comes out during a time like this. If you have been in the forums you know exactly what I mean.
I think we are now at the point in this where we need to realize that since we are not in control of this situation – and we never were to begin with – why not have some fun with it? Have any of you seen the great, funny videos that are coming out about this outage? I have had to hold my sides as I laughed watching a few of them.
People are putting their creative juices somewhere besides Home and gaming on the network, and I think all in all that’s been a good thing. It’s certainly a healthier alternative to ranting on a forum about what Sony “owes” them. I myself have found the inspiration to write this article, hoping to add my own take on all of this, because I can’t go into Home to research the article I intended to write next.
WANT.
I think that people need to make the best of it, since we really have no choice in the matter anyway. I have been trying to be a voice of calm and reason in the forums where the worst of young angst is being displayed. The biggest subject there right now seems to be they think that they are somehow entitled to compensation for the loss of their game time. You don’t have to be much of a rocket scientist to realize they’re naive if they think Sony will give us all a free game or something because of this outage. They may credit those days that are lost on paid services like Plus or DCOU at the end of the term it is set for, but I doubt anyone who has this free service we all enjoy will get anything at all, myself included.
When it comes down to it, I really don’t think we should; after all it is free unless we choose to invest money into it. You don’t get an extra day of free electricity when you go without power, do you?
Within Sony’s PlayStation 3 terms of service, it says under section 15 (WARRANTY DISCLAIMER AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY):
No warranty is given about the quality, functionality, availability or performance of Sony Online Services, or any content or service offered on or through Sony Online Services. All services and content are provided “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE” with all faults. SCEA does not warrant that the service and content will be uninterrupted, error-free or without delays. In addition to the limitations of liability in Sections 1, 2, 11 and 13 of this Agreement, SCEA expressly disclaims any implied warranty of merchantability, warranty of fitness for a particular purpose and warranty of non-infringement. SCEA assumes no liability for any inability to purchase, access, download or use any content, data or service.
(Note that this is for North America and not Europe, although I’m sure they have a similar clause.)
Look at your future, Hackers!
So I want to open up a discussion for fun (and maybe therapeutic reasons) right here, right now. If you could do something to catch the people responsible for all of this, and punish them within the confines of Home, what would you do? Have fun with your ideas and let’s make this a time to replace the fun we are missing in Home with our friends.
My idea is to have the perpetrators put in old-fashioned stocks in the middle of Central Plaza and have a game where we can throw things like garbage and rotten fruit at them and score points and earn a T-shirt that says I Survived the Great 2011 PSN Outage! Maybe that can be our reward from Sony for the down time.
I have already gotten some ideas from HSM staff and others on this. Terra says they should always load into Home straight into the Blue Void of Death and never be allowed out! Tristalex said to feed them to the sharks off the Sunset Yacht. Cynella suggested hanging them in effigy in Central Plaza and then perma-banning them. What do you think? And please – keep it reasonably clean and legal!
I know that on the day that the PSN returns we will all be dancing in the streets of Home…albeit hopefully to something other than Chain Swing.
April 28th, 2011 by Burbie52 | 15 comments
Burbie52 is a 62 year-old published author and founder of the Grey Gamers group within Home. Born and raised in Michigan, she has lived there her entire life, with the exception of a twelve-year residency on the Big Island of Hawaii. She enjoys reading and writing, as well as video games, especially RPG's. She has one son in his twenties.
Like you, I have been reading some nasty things -- to be put politely light -- on all sorts of forums about the PSN outage these past few days.
At first I was, too, most annoyed by this apparently unprecedented network breach.
But on second thoughts, i realized that any company, whatever it’s “size” may/can and will be confronted by some cyber attack. No matter how secure their online infrastructure may be.
Hackers are always a few steps ahead. Unfortunately.
It’s understood that Sony did take time to reveal what most had already feared: Possible personal info leakage.
The reason of the delay being that Sony had brought in experts for forensic investigation in the matter. And this research took time.
We are all now admonished to proceed in password changes as soon as the PSN hops back online.
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I remember watching the Making Of James Cameron’s exelent movie: “The Abyss” (1989).
The shooting had been extensively difficult on all levels to make.
And during the wrap-up party, director Cameron issued the whole cast a T-shirt which said this: ” I survived The Abyss”.
So yes, Burbie, I’d like an analogue one to wear on Home. Letting Sony Network exects deal with ‘em hackers.
One thing that I could perhaps add is this: The playing experience on Home may considerably change.
Hoping for the best.
Thank you for your thoughts Burbie.
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Hey guys!: HSM is a great site!
I think Google maps should have a pin stuck where ever they are at all times. And God help them if they are in, or pass through Texas. We don’t take kindly to their kind round here. I am a woman of vast understanding and peace. That said, I also am a state ranked marksman and can find an airtight alibi if need be. Rule #4 the double tap. But if we are taking the “Black Ops” remedy off the table, my second choice would be that a tempered glass rod be inserted in their “manhood” and then pounded on with a dead blow hammer to the beat of “Pokerface” by Lady Gaga…lol
Hope I didn’t offend anyone and hope this doesn’t change anyones opinion of me. I am a sweetheart but you just don’t mess with Home!
LOL Olivia I didn’t think you had it in you! But you are supposed to use something in Home as the place for punishment. Since they have tampered with our virtual lives I wanted us to have fun with a way to virtually punish them! (Though I can’t disagree with your real world desire for revenge).
Oopsy… well sorry… I misread the criteria…lol..but I needed to get that out of my system. I don’t want the ever to be able to darken the doors of PSN. I wave extradition, he/she/they/it can never step foot in my Home again!!!
1:no jail time, just made to stay at home. 2:only entertainment, ps3. when turned on, it goes straight into home. no text available, just a new list of preset answers. instead of volunteer, has ‘LOSER’ fixed above the head. if acts innapropriate, in home, avatar starts sucking thumb then beats own head with pipe wrench. funny for them at first but try watching it happen to yourself 100 times a day. in real world, electrodes on his yambag goes off. ahhh, fun times. lil mouse
We also agreed to the privacy policy which states that:
“Personal information is stored in secure operating environments that are not available to the public and that are only accessible to authorized employees. We also have security measures in place to protect the loss, misuse, and alteration of the information under our control. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as perfect security. As a result, although we strive to protect personally identifying information, we cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information transmitted to us through or in connection with our websites, that we store on our systems or that is stored on our service providers’ systems.”
Looks like they covered their rears.
To answer the posed question: I think there should be a space created with a mini-game of Wack-the-Hacker where you get to just smack the crap out an npc “hacker” with which to take out your frustration.
AHH chit, my idea was the same as yours Burbie *great minds* lol,.. but just have’m on the Slap Happy stage in the stocks & instead of the ” I SURVIVED PSN OUTAGE 2011″ we would win 1 item they LEGALLY purchased on the PSN, (games, themes, movies, HOME accessories, etc.),.. 2nd choice, judge sentences them to house arrest & they must sign into PSH for 10 hrs a day, while in HOME they would be placed on a leash & passed around too EVERY LOYAL PS user like our own personal side show, until every last PSH user got a turn (maybe 2) lol,.. but i’d settle for sum real world justice ie. bein Big Bubba’s girlfriend for the next 10 to 20 yrs
ps. i think PSN should scan the PS Forum/Blog & every true PS fan that didnt ask for compensation or blame Sony for this should receive the ” I SURVIVED PSN 2011″ tshirt/hoodie
This has Given me time to dust of my other consoles, and check out what the “other network” has been doing. I got to say I’m impressed, and IM having fun gaming.
new target in trigger happy game
That would be sweet,i’d come out of retirement,dust off my old trusty pea-shooter and break my own high score just for the laughs.Just thinking of the O_O’S they would display everytime they got hit makes me he he he in delight.
Hey everyone!! Just thought I’d leave a comment and let you all know the four of me are Itching to get out..”lol”..I have played Spelunker HD so many times now I have unlocked the mining suits for all my guys..So when Home goes back online I’ll be ready to hit the IREM cave…and dance baby..woot..Miss all of you from the Home community..Keep on gaming and see you soon
Strap the culprits into strait jackets, put them in a padded cell, and pipe in “Chain Swing” full blast 24 hours a day.
LOL thats a awesome idea too!
LOL! I had the same idea bout the tee shirt no doubt we will get that the first time we wander into cp.. as for the culprits? A hefty jail sentence with the clause that bans them from ever makin money outta this mess, ie, they cant be hired as an anti hacking expert when they get out.. and they should have to write 1 million times “i will not hack again, i am a bad person for doin it ” They are plain evil, as theyre only reason for doin it was to put millions of users out, and cost sony a fortune.. theyre no less evil then the rest of the cons out there.. did they really think they cud use a stolen cc and not get caught? guess they shud be taught financial laws also A big durr to them!