#GAMERGATE: The Threadening [Read the OP] -- #StopGamerGate2014

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I still don't understand why anyone claiming to be "moderate" would still want to use that awful hashtag at this point. Make a different one! Do something else! It has been two months, do they still think we don't recognize it for what it really is by this point? Stop reaching out to shake with one hand and assume that I can't see the gun in the other.
I've actually been seeing quite a few former #Gamergate supporters abandon the tag because of the crazy people recently.
 
I had a bad habit of following anyone who followed me. And then I started seeing the kind of comments some of those people were making...

Have unfollowed and blocked quite a few accounts since all this started

I had to do that for Daniel Vavra. Dude won't stop going on about it. And then, wearing that shirt in the latest Kingdom Come video...

ibgARzUUVfEAyW.jpg
 
Brad Wardell has received plenty over his time. He's had to call the police a couple of times in the past that I know of.

It happened to Brad once several years ago, and it had nothing to do with this current situation. A crazy guy on a small forum who was mad about bugs in a game Brad made posted a link to a Google map with his home address on it. The crazy guy was immediately banned from the forum.
 
People keep saying "the assholes are the fringe." No they're not. They're the most popular and vocal members. How on earth does someone like @FarttoContinue get 5k followers if it's just a few people? RogueStar has 2 thousand. Both of these guys are mainly known for their inflammatory stance on GG. The assholes get
thousands of views on their videos and are incredibly popular with the movement.

I wanna say both of them had followers before GG, also a few thousand isn't exactly a majority.
That said, there certainly is people that got substantial boosts from this like Mundane Matt and Aristocrat, neither of which have made and really noteworthy attempts at objective critique and such.

I keep seeing this "both sides" stuff and have to ask, have there been any verified accounts of GG supporters being sent death/rape threats, having their personal info posted, or anything even remotely on the same level as what GG's are doing to multiple people? Because I've seen claims that those thing are happening but every specific instance I look into turns out to be fake.

I think somewhere in this thread someone mentioned boogie being doxxed. I'd expect not nearly as many incidents solely for the reason that there is less 'media coverage' / outcry over GGers getting doxxed. That's my own speculation though. I've only ever seen people claiming they have gotten the same exact mails Brianna Wu got.
 
It happened to Brad once several years ago, and it had nothing to do with this current situation. A crazy guy on a small forum who was mad about bugs in a game Brad made posted a link to a Google map with his home address on it. The crazy guy was immediately banned from the forum.

Wait. I'm pretty sure most of the hate/death threats he received were more recent when the allegations against him (harassment) were reported on by the media.

http://www.littletinyfrogs.com/article/448773/Vindication
 
I keep seeing this "both sides" stuff and have to ask, have there been any verified accounts of GG supporters being sent death/rape threats, having their personal info posted, or anything even remotely on the same level as what GG's are doing to multiple people? Because I've seen claims that those thing are happening but every specific instance I look into turns out to be fake.

I'm not saying it was "remotely on the same level" but didn't Boogie, Milo, and others get doxxed at some point?
 
Seems like a mistake in judgment combined with poor research into exactly who they were interviewing. Not really sure we should be shaming journalists for writing a piece that we find distasteful.

It's not just distasteful. It's deceptive. I know the word "journalistic ethics" has been much abused lately by the Gamergate people, but it does still have meaning.
 
That Brianna Wu thing just makes me insanely furious. I might not be able to tolerate anyone being a member of this shit movement any more.
 
At least one female GG supporter who works as a professor somewhere had information disseminated and published some death threats she was sent.

Milo received a syringe of unidentified liquid with no information attached which is like the weirdest threat ever.

Apparently one of the initial #NotYourShield members had his boss contacted and was fired over it.

It's safe to say with a movement making people this (justifiably) angry, some less together individuals are going to lash back out.

It's not part of a concerted campaign, not explicitly, or (importantly!) implicitly supported by any kind of general feelings, attitudes, or common beliefs from those who oppose it, and no, so far, it hasn't been as bad as most of the harassment faced by GG's targets.

It's not worth denying, or trying to explain away, but that doesn't mean the equivalences drawn between the harassment of both "Sides" are any less ridiculous.
 
Fuck how can some people be this horrible?

Och psch I'm sure those are just some extremyl innocent tweets made by a jolly young fellow. It's just a joker making jokes on the internet and MAYBE going a little bit too far haha. After all, just because a person tweets horrible awful stuff doesn't mean they are horrible awful people right? It's basically the 2014 equivalent of egging somebody's house.

I'm honestly just waiting for somebody to say that. No seriously, that already happened didn't it? Fuck Gamergate. There I said it. I guess I chose a side now. When do I get my badge?
 
Seriously, fuck over-privileged gamer bigots who threaten women with death and rape simply for having an opinion over fucking luxury toys. No one should willingly legitimize this movement and no decent person should knowingly support Gamergate. This is straight garbage making death threats and spreading hatred and I don't give a flying fuck if you have a problem under that bigot umbrella.
 
Och psch I'm sure those are just some extremyl innocent tweets made by a jolly young fellow. It's just a joker making jokes on the internet and MAYBE going a little bit too far haha. After all, just because a person tweets horrible awful stuff doesn't mean they are horrible awful people right? It's basically the 2014 equivalent of egging somebody's house.

I'm honestly just waiting for somebody to say that. No seriously, that already happened didn't it? Fuck Gamergate. There I said it. I guess I chose a side now. When do I get my badge?

Right Here! Enjoy!

Apparently she's gonna try and make these available Online in the future and print more classes, with the proceeds going to planned parenthood.

Holding out for Social Justice Paladin... Or maybe Barbarian...
 
http://ungaming.tumblr.com/post/99691588225/gamers-are-undead

A hypothesis: Gamergate is more powerful than we are.

An elaboration: we all know that gamergate, despite what its followers might intend or even believe, is essentially a (sometimes violent) defence of the status quo. It is those most privileged in games culture (young men who like particular kinds of empowering games) defending the top of their hill against those more diverse kinds of games creators and critics who dare attack their privilege. They are seeing the games they like go from being about 90% of all videogames down to about, oh I don’t know, 75% (at best). And that feels like a real attack on them! So they are defending the status quo. Now, if they are defending the status quo, then that suggests that they are the ones with more power and that we (those more in favour of diverse and progressive games cultures that isn’t afraid of criticism or indie games or walking sims or twine or whatever) are the margins trying to effect change and make space for more people. That’s what we’ve been doing for ages, I guess, but now we’ve squeezed the pimple of game culture to its pussy head and its not very happy about this.

So gamergate then are the ones with all the power because they are the status quo. That is not to say they are majority, but I think posts like this one that point out just what a minority they are run the risk of being like those kind of posts that point out white people are a minority in America now: quantity isn’t everything. ‘Gamers’ have been the underwhelming minority of videogame players for a long time, and they are only becoming less and less significant to broader play cultures. This is totally true. But they still hold a lot of the power, because that’s where the power has always been, especially through the 80s and 90s as the gamer identity was cultivated by games journalism and marketing as I’ve already discussed. So just as white people still hold the vast majority of the power in Western countries that may now have more non-white citizens than white citizens, the core homogenous gamer culture still holds a whole heap of the power in games, even if most videogame players are not gamers. They are the ones AAA publishers care about. They are the ones most core games journalism outlets cater to.

This is why I don’t think silence is necessarily going to achieve anything, because the silence of the marginalised is what the status quo depends on to keep its power. That’s kind of how it works.

This isn’t me trying to defend those people for their silence (rather, I am fuming at them) but rather to stress a point: every games journalism outlet who has not publicly condemned gamergate is either explicitly or implicitly worried about pissing gamergate off. Not because they are worried about violences against themselves the way every woman who has bravely spoken up is, but because they don’t want to lose a readership. It is craven.

What I’ve been trying (and failing) to build up to for three paragraphs is this: every core games journalism outlet should be writing editorials and op-eds explicitly condemning and distancing themselves from gamergate. They should be saying they do not support it. They should be saying they find their tactics vile. Beyond this, they should be reporting on every vile deed of the movement. Any core games journalism outlet that actually cares about contributing to games culture in a positive way, in making this a more inclusive culture, should be doing everything in their power to actively dismantle and disempower gamergate. Especially (if not exclusively) all those male games journalists at all those male-dominated games journalism outlets who have so little to lose from doing so.

Frankly, the sheer radio silence from most core games journalism outlets staffed predominately or entirely by men in full- or part-time games journalism jobs is nothing short of embarrassing, and continues to be so.

Instead, I feel actually happy when another amazing writer in games ‘leaves’ games journalism behind to go and write for outlets that are not game-centric, that talk about games-and-other-things. Because if games journalism isn’t going to stand up to gamergate, then gamergate can have its PR echos and reviews written about framerates and screen resolutions. Create a quarantine zone and those of us who are actually interest in videogames as a cultural form amidst other cultural forms can go and write and read for outlets that aren’t interested in putting videogames on some untouchable pedestal for consumers.
 
I detest the victim blaming, it really saddens me that the first thing these people do is to question and accuse them of being liars. Like what legitimate reason is there, it baffles me that they think this way.
 
I had to do that for Daniel Vavra. Dude won't stop going on about it. And then, wearing that shirt in the latest Kingdom Come video...

ibgARzUUVfEAyW.jpg
Wow, that's just.... His initial dismissive "b-but Amy Hennig doesn't say she's harassed, therefore harassment doesn't exist!" comment was awful enough but he's just been sinking lower and lower. This guy really wants to be sure I'll never give him my money, or something. Well, okay then. Too bad, I found the game interesting.
 
the person who made that storify with the Escapist apparently got doxxed as well and had people call his/her family.

escapistfvohs.png


And Eron Gjoni who is facing legal charges for harassment is asking Gamergate for help for legal defense. Imagine the response:

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Meanwhile, let's look some more around 8chan's #gamergate board, shall we? This is one of the posted images on that board:

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Finally I seriously can't believe someone actually said, wrote and published this:

BznMKr-CQAEUW9F.jpg:large


pure distilled garbage
 
Hahahaha Holy shit, that irony.... I have no words. The complaints about "supreme entitlement", followed by what is exactly that. Could it be more hypocritical and less self-aware?

"Please respect my right to hate your stupid game.... unless you slightly hate the game for having misogyny in it by giving it a lower score, in which case fuck you!"

rofl
 
With all the talk about "#GamerGate is not about this" and "#GamerGate is not about that" and "these guys don't represent #GamerGate", what even is it that the "moderate" supporters want at this point? Is it still about "game journalism ethics"? I seriously don't get how someone rational can support something that is clearly a hate movement.
 
One more for me and then I'mma sleep, but I simply can't wrap my head around how GamerGate's response to almost every single accusation has been "well, they are lying and really did that unfathomably horrible thing themselves in order to make us look bad" or "they doctored those police reports/chat logs/tweets".....

and people just up and believe them.

Of course. Zoe Quinn, Jenn Frank, Mattie Brice, Brianna Wu, Anita Sarkeesian, and others are all part of the vast SJW conspiracy to change games that treat women poorly into games that... treat women less poorly. Also part of the vast conspiracy to have games that have more plot / emotional / cultural depth than a Berenstain Bears book. That's definitely worth faking death threats and harassment and worrying all your friends and family.

I completely agree with you, I honestly don't get why people would jump to the idea of "they're lying about this!". What would be the point of lying? There's hardly any benefit to making any of this up, not to mention that these people likely don't have a history of habitual lying. It's mind-boggling to me. And it really drives home what Sarkeesian said in her XOXO talk: "One of the most radical things you can do is to actually believe women when they talk about their experiences."
 
With all the talk about "#GamerGate is not about this" and "#GamerGate is not about that" and "these guys don't represent #GamerGate", what even is it that the "moderate" supporters want at this point? Is it still about "game journalism ethics"? I seriously don't get how someone rational can support something that is clearly a hate movement.

that's the thing, right? setting aside all of the horrible harassers and trolls gamergate is a deeply confused movement that doesn't know what corruption and ethics actually are. donating to a patreon, being in an email group, writing about the death of gamers, none of these things are corrupt or unethical. just generally being for ethical journalism isn't saying or doing very much and is certainly not worth giving cover to terrible people.
 
'Giving a fun game a low score because it's not "inclusive" is like breaking up with an amazing woman because her boobs don't have jiggle physics.'

...What? What does this even mean? Is the amazing woman that I'm dating a Dead or Alive character? Is it a real person with no breasts? Is this whole statement just a roundabout way to complain about criticism in critical reviews?
 
Gjoni's GoFundMe was taken down.

This is the person posted above, right? What did they need the legal aid for?

With all the talk about "#GamerGate is not about this" and "#GamerGate is not about that" and "these guys don't represent #GamerGate", what even is it that the "moderate" supporters want at this point? Is it still about "game journalism ethics"? I seriously don't get how someone rational can support something that is clearly a hate movement.

There are only two ways that I can really understand it. Either they moderates are only claiming to be moderates and actually support the fringe members, or the moderates have sucked up only the specific propaganda that appeals to them and ignore everything else that comes out of the movement.

I think the fact that Gamergate simultaneously claims to be the "real feminists" while ragging on "feminazis" is pretty telling. They don't have any consistent position beyond wanting to harm women who speak too loudly and their supporters. They're just saying whatever they need to in order for that to happen.
 
I love the idea that they see a woman's body is so foreign and vague concept that they think that certain kinds of boobs can actually bend gravity.
 
The best advice to give either of these two sides is for them to to just start ignoring the other. Is there a sizeable clique of games journalists with very specific social and political views, and do they push them quite aggressively? Yes, but so what, let them do what they do. By making a big deal out of it, you're only adding to their (relative) celebrity and giving their cause more exposure. The haters have probably given Anita Sarkeesian and her videos much more exposure than her supporters have.

Similarly, there are a lot of social justice types who get off on antagonising nerds and "gamers", but all that does is make them more determined. The people who complain loudest about gamergate are without a doubt the people most responsible for creating it.
 
The best advice to give either of these two sides is for them to to just start ignoring the other. Is there a sizeable clique of games journalists with very specific social and political views, and do they push them quite aggressively? Yes, but so what, let them do what they do. By making a big deal out of it, you're only adding to their (relative) celebrity and giving their cause more exposure. The haters have probably given Anita Sarkeesian and her videos much more exposure than her supporters have.

Similarly, there are a lot of social justice types who get off on antagonising nerds and "gamers", but all that does is make them more determined. The people who complain loudest about gamergate are without a doubt the people most responsible for creating it.

Gamergate's agenda is to stop women from talking. That's why Anita Sarkeesian got the hatedom she did. Not because of any radical supporters or anything she said; most of the antagonism towards her are due to positions that she doesn't actually hold.

If we stop talking about Gamergate, there are two outcomes. Either they successfully stop women from talking or they keep harassing them until they do. Gamergate will never ignore their opponents because that goes against their very reason for existing as a label.
 
The best advice to give either of these two sides is for them to to just start ignoring the other. Is there a sizeable clique of games journalists with very specific social and political views, and do they push them quite aggressively? Yes, but so what, let them do what they do. By making a big deal out of it, you're only added to their (relative) celebrity and giving their cause more exposure. The haters have probably given Anita Sarkeesian and her videos much more exposure than her supporters have.

Similarly, there are a lot of social justice types who get off on antagonising nerds and "gamers", but all that does is make them more determined. The people who complain loudest about gamergate are without a doubt the people most responsible for creating it.
Wow you didn't even try to inform yourself before posting here huh?

So your post is basically both sides are as bad as one another but especially those 'social justice types'. No mention of the Brianna Wu doxxing, the ZQ hate mill, the LA whinefest for the deliberately ignorant and all of the other hateful shit. No the most important aspect to directly attribute blame to is a willingness to address games as an art form worth discussing in an adult fashion.

At least other GGers had the honesty to come out directly for their cause.
 
Leigh Alexander and her ilk are not victims. They're frequently, purposefully, antagonistic.

So they are responsible for the death threats, rape threats, angry phone calls to their family, their friends getting harassed who have nothing to do with GG, and all the shit that gets throw their way for their extremely non-controversial opinion.

Also what do you mean by "her ilk"? There is no "ilk". What a gross way to put that.

Edit: Let's not focus on the harassment. That's not the problem. The REAL problem is that the tone in their articles (that no one reads) is too harsh. That's that real issue here, right?
 
People who share her views and support them. And excuse all her shitty behaviour.

You should probably stop posting right now or retract your statements.
I think you have poor judgment of the situation. And someone being "antagonistic" doesn't mean they can't be victims of threats against their person and criminal activity leaking their private information.
So just stop.
 
So they are responsible for the death threats, rape threats, angry phone call to their family, their friends getting harassed who have nothing to do with GG, and all the shit that gets throw their way for their extremely non-controversial onion..
.

The people doing that are a minority, and it's in no way helpful to paint that kind of behaviour as somehow being indicative of "gamers" as a whole.
 
People who share her views and support them. And excuse all her shitty behaviour.
You mean like that time she published that persons home address, contact details on the web and proceeded to harrass them night and day online and off?

Because it didn't happen and that you think her article warrants such a response makes you a really shitty person.
 
You should probably stop posting right now or retract your statements.
I think you have poor judgment of the situation. And someone being "antagonistic" doesn't mean they can't be victims of threats against their person and criminal activity leaking their private information.
So just stop.


This is sound advice.
 
The people doing that are a minority, and it's in no way helpful to paint that kind of behaviour as somehow being indicative of "gamers" as a whole.

You are implicitly supporting that minority of douchebags by putting the blame on her and her "ilk", it doesnt paint a pictures of "gamers", it does paints a bad one of you.
 
The people doing that are a minority, and it's in no way helpful to paint that kind of behaviour as somehow being indicative of "gamers" as a whole.

Can you point us towards that claim? I've heard it alluded to more than once, but I've never seen anyone actually back it up.


It's pretty obvious at this point that there's a certain movement within Gamergate's proponents to try to silence criticism, and it's often through posts like Captainnapalm's above. Paint the criticism as problematic in order to allow Gamergate to continue unopposed. 'Just shut up and let us win.'
 
Writers, critics, developers, etc should be able to be provocative or controversial without having to fear for their safety.

If you could point to anything I said that made you think I don't agree with this statement, that would be great. In fact, my first post pretty much said that gamergate types should just let them be and let them do what they do.
 
write an article about how people who play video games are way more diverse than just a small group of vocal harassers --> get harassed by people who believe people who play video games are way more diverse than just a small group of vocal harassers

it's really kinda amazing.
 
The people doing that are a minority, and it's in no way helpful to paint that kind of behaviour as somehow being indicative of "gamers" as a whole.

But there are many, many people in GG who as you put it "excuse their shitty behavior". Many out right call it a false flag as we've just seen in the recent female dev being attacked. So we shouldn't excuse Alexander and friend's behavior but GG's behavior can be hand waived with "it's just a minority"

It's not just a minority.

It's the toxic behavior and mob mentality that enables the treats. It's the mob not fact checking if the conspiracy is true before the pitchforks come out. It's the hundreds of tweets and angry email that pile on people. It's the very real and organized harassment campaigns. It's people going after the advertiser of a website because of their completely harmless views.

Even the so called "moderates" have show some very awful behavior. There is a heavy stink of toxicity in the air where GG folks hand out. Edit: They are so mad and want to see things burn. They are obsessed with Feminists, SJWs, and game critics. Their behavior is stalkerish in the way they focus on certain people.
 
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