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GamerGate Explained!!! [locked]
 
It's this thing on the Internet.

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09/13/14, 05:42    Locked 01/04/16, 01:39
 
   
 
I try not to retweet everything I see, myself, because I'm aware that people are fatigued of it. It gets to me as well. But I've decided against blocking because then I'd miss out on interesting stuff like that video. Also tweetdeck sucks.
10/23/14, 20:05   
I'm so sick of "Gamergate" and I don't even know what it is other than a whole bunch of people taking a childish pastime way too seriously... something about feminists and online death threats from 12 year olds? Those always pan out and should be taken super seriously!

I really don't intend to find out because I couldn't give the slightest damn, but I'm sick of seeing all this political crap on my gaming sites.
10/23/14, 21:53   
Edited: 10/23/14, 21:55
Seems like the whole point of your post is to let us know you don't like the fact that we're discussing it. It's too bad, but we'll just carry on. Simply avoid the thread.
10/23/14, 22:26   
Not really this one thread on NegativeWorld, which is easily avoided, but every single gaming website and subreddit I frequent, which isn't. Hell, there's even something about this on my Facebook news story thing right now. Is the plan to make an already frowned upon medium and the people that enjoy it look even worse than their current reputation suggests, because that's all that seems to be happening here.

The commentary on the next inevitable school shooting should be a lot of fun.

And really, "Gamergate?" That's the silliest shit I've ever heard.

Anyway, I'm using this thread to vent my frustration over having to hear about this crap everywhere... not attacking my esteemed NegativeWorld friends or discouraging you guys from discussing it. <3
10/23/14, 22:39   
Edited: 10/23/14, 22:43
@Hinph
I recommend watching the video Guillaume posted earlier. If nothing else it might help you direct your anger in one specific direction.
10/23/14, 22:45   
@Hinph @Guillaume I don't think we are even discussing it in here much anyway. It was a bad attempt at a joke thread that sort of loosely turned into random posts after.

As for threats though, I don't think it is fair to say anyone who takes them seriously is wrong. For one, lots of hacking has taken place and personal information has been released, which, even if it is never "acted" on, can still be scary as hell. I know I wouldn't feel too good if someone hacked my stuff and posted my exact address and told me they were coming to murder me, no matter how unlikely it seemed. For two, people have been using that personal information to try to (and, apparently at times, succeeding) get people fired from their jobs. Including a teacher that people were trying to get fired yesterday, so as a teacher myself... that's pretty scary. For three, people who hate feminists and decide to harm / kill women because of it actually exist. Elliot Rodger is one example. This guy is another. We might be in the position to say no one should take threats seriously, mostly because we aren't living under threats. Others are not so lucky.

And that is really part of the issue, right? That the game industry tends to treat women like crap.

So yeah, it's nice and all to say why can't we just talk about games? But if gamers continue to create and support a toxic environment where doxxes, harassment and death threats have become the norm, doubly so if you are a woman, then I think the gaming media damn well better be talking about it.
10/23/14, 22:50   
Edited: 10/23/14, 22:52
Hmmm, okay. I've obviously always been aware that the gaming community is full of shitty, immature people that feel a strong need to identify with this "gamer" title and feel threatened when "casuals" or others want in. I fully welcome anybody in as both players of games or content creators free to develop whatever they want to develop and try to sell it, and I'd never associate with somebody who threatens or harasses women, gays, minorities, etc., so I guess I'm not a part of that problem.

There's nothing that can really be done about any of it other than letting the industry naturally evolve, hopefully into a more mature and enlightened direction. I've always felt that a solid 10-15% of the human population consists of extremely shitty people that the rest of us would be better off shipping into the sun, but we can't exactly do that, so we are unpleasantly stuck with them and the messes that they make of everything.
10/23/14, 23:33   
Oh yeah, this exists too.

10/24/14, 00:24   
@Hinph

How in the world is gaming frowned upon? It's one of the biggest businesses in the world and gamers are catered to to an unbelievable extent.
10/24/14, 00:28   
@Jargon

There's still lots of misunderstanding and frowning out there, though it has gotten much better over the last decade. The Jack Thompson's and Leland Yee's of the world seem to have accepted the fact that they have lost this one, but you don't possibly believe that the image of gamers is squeaky clean, especially as far as older generations are concerned. They are still a huge scapegoat for the ills of society, and you only need wait for the same tired violence in videogames debates to crop up the next time some sad nutbag shoots a bunch of people.

The death threats sure as hell aren't helping this image, though I still maintain that the last thing these women should do is cancel their planned speeches and events over some tweets. Rocks through windows and severed dog heads in the mailbox, sure, but tweets? Pft. These little turds aren't going to kill anybody.
10/24/14, 00:51   
Edited: 10/24/14, 00:56
@Hinph The cancelled university speech was not over Tweets. It was an actual long letter sent by email to the University. And it specifically referenced the Montreal massacre, something which most "normal" Americans don't know much about, but many MRA types do because they glorify the guy. The fact that this dude knew and referenced it makes me think he is not some random troll but someone who is seriously angry at feminists and most likely involved in serious anti-feminist groups, many of which condone violence against feminists.

He also used the same language that the Montreal killer used, including the whole feminists ruined my life thing. Some people truly believe this. And once they believe it, they don't see it as a bad thing to take revenge on feminists.

Furthermore she only cancelled after she learned that the University she was appearing at allowed carried guns. So anyone serious about shooting her could literally walk right in with a gun (provided they can legally own weapons) and do so.

Frankly, it is sort of a bit insulting to maintain what these women "should" or "shouldn't" do. We're not the ones receiving death threats. And if we are honest, we have absolutely no way to determine how serious the threats are from the sidelines. And we're definitely not the ones who have received mountains of abuse from obviously very angry people for a long long time. If my life was Anita's, I'd be scared to leave my fricking house, let alone go and speak publicly at a place where a massacre was promised if I spoke.
10/24/14, 01:43   
Edited: 10/24/14, 01:44
@Zero

Didn't know any of that. Seriously just thought it was the typical shenanigans of idiot kids and internet tough guys which are always easy to dismiss. Lots of edumacating of Hinph going on.
10/24/14, 02:14   
@Hinph

That's like saying the NFL is "frowned upon" because of the bad press it gets for domestic violence and concussions. Sure, that negativity exists, but it's the most popular sport in the country and makes billions and billions of dollars. Gaming is exactly the same.
10/24/14, 02:15   
Speaking of being like the NFL, saw this image recently, apparently it was the League of Legends World Championship.


I honestly feel so disconnected from video game culture nowadays. I never much got into watching real sports, don't particularly find watching "esports" that interesting either.

@Hinph Yeah but "Internet tough kids" are very Internet savvy nowadays and have all kinds of ways to make your life hell even if they will never be anywhere near you IRL.

But also real life. "Swatting", for instance, is an actual thing now, and god knows someone is going to get seriously hurt from that eventually.

On August 27, 2014, YouTube gaming celebrity Jordan Mathewson, known online as Kootra, live streamed a game of Counter Strike: Global Offensive on Twitch. A viewer called 911 claiming that there was a shooting in the building with hostages. A SWAT team raided the office that Mathewson's gaming company, The Creatures LLC, was operating out of. Mathewson was thrown to the ground and searched as officers searched the room. The events were broadcast live on the internet, until law enforcement set the camera lens-down on Mathewson's desk.[9] Videos of the swatting went viral, gaining over three million views on YouTube and being reported on news programs all over the world.
10/24/14, 02:22   
Edited: 10/24/14, 02:25
I disagree. Sports are and have always been looked at as an all-American, healthy activity. Ask an old man how he feels about Timmy being the captain of his football team. Go Timmy! Leader of an online Call of Duty guild? The damn videogames are making kids fat, anti-social, and violent. There is still a huge stigma about the types of people who play certain games, though it's going to keep improving as old people die off and gaming becomes more of a staple activity... some of these old people loved Wii Sports, and I think we'll convert many others with some of the compelling virtual reality experiences that are on the horizon as well.

I agree, Zero. My last roommate would watch live Starcraft tournaments on our TV in the living room, and it was the same annoying noise to me as a sports game is.
10/24/14, 02:22   
Edited: 10/24/14, 02:24
@Hinph

Old people don't speak for society writ large, it's weird that you seem to think that their negative opinions are the only ones that count. The average person will not look down on your playing video games. That's not a "huge stigma".
10/24/14, 02:37   
@Jargon

In my experience I tend to agree with you. Sometimes I feel like the stigma exists more because I presume it's there and so I might make a pre-defensive comment alerting someone that I'm a gamer in a particular conversation. Yet, I haven't had a weird look or comment over it in ages.
10/24/14, 02:41   
@DrFinkelstein

Yea, I definitely do the same things sometimes and I think that's typical. It's more of a projection at this point. But if you actually realize no one cares, it feels very liberating and you'll inevitably find people to talk to about gaming that you might not have otherwise.

For example, I spent a lot of time talking about video games with a judge who worked at my court last year. No profession represents stuffiness and old guard thinking more than a judge, but we talked for hours about whether he should get a PS4 or XB1. He's now on the state Supreme Court. That's anecdotal of course, but it's a great representation of how much things have changed.
10/24/14, 02:45   
I'd definitely say the stigma comes from older people. When I started teaching I was a tad bit worried about whether me talking about games in class a lot would get back to parents who would hate on me. Instead I just end up hearing from kids how much their dads (and sometimes moms) play *insert game here*.

*insert game here* usually is Call of Duty. Blah.
10/24/14, 02:56   
my take:
I pretty much agree with everything Hinph is saying. I've been loosely following Gamer Gate for a while, and think it's the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. And, the fact that some people are using it as an excuse to hack, dox and/ or threaten people/women for no reason is just disgusting.But, people spitting vitriol both ways isn't gonna put an end to it any time soon. So I've just stayed away from it, silently despising those on the GG side who are taking shit way too far and hoping someone crashes a car into the side of their house / dingy basement.

10/24/14, 03:11   
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