Please. Stop.

All I want to do when I launch my Xbox is play games. That is all. I don’t want to be shown messages about anything other than that. Ads, wishlist suggestions, new releases, whatever. Jim dandy. But I continually encounter a message that has bothered me to the point where I’m actually taking the time to write this all out.

The message isn’t crass, vulgar, or gory, nor does it use profanity or slurs or any other type of offensive vocabulary. No, the message I’m seeing repeatedly show up after work—where I deal with pretty intense situations and all I want to do is blow up aliens or build a simulated city when I get home—is as follows:

“Treat others how they want to be treated.”

Please take a moment to follow me, I don’t intend to be rude or offensive. That doesn’t help anything, and I am genuinely hoping that Microsoft/Xbox Corporate takes me seriously here.

Put aside the fact that this message is in fact terrible advice. I mentioned my job earlier: I work with homeless and addicts for much of it. Now, I am 'not' about to treat someone as they want to be treated when they want to be treated in such a way that would cause harm to themselves or others. Most people would agree that’s reasonable, and I’m not going to be pedantic so I’m thinking your message’s author would agree with that sentiment; yet the reason I do vigorously disagree with that message on its face is the same reason I am actually writing this. Ultimately, you’re appealing to some moral code and encouraging your customers to appeal to that same moral code.

Please. Stop.

I said it at the start, all I want to do is get on my Xbox to play video games. Goodness knows the world is full of people who can’t wait to express their opinions about how to treat people and why. Add to that the very real and difficult nature of work—and I’m not singling my job out in particular! I’ve been a sales manager, didn’t want it then. I’ve been a line cook, didn’t want it then. I’ve been a bookkeeper, retail worker, barista, I worked at Little Caesar’s and my very first job was picking berries: at none of those times did I want to sit down to play a game and first be greeted with an admonition about societal mores.

Please, just let me play my games. That’s what I paid you what amounts to, frankly, unreasonable sums of money to do.

:)