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Original: The SXSW panel was titled, "Overcoming Harassment in Games," and here is a description of the discussion:

A panel from experts on online harassment in gaming and geek culture, how to combat it, how to design against it, and how to create online communities that are moving away from harassment. The panel will dive into data around abuse in larger gaming communities. One of our panelists will talk about about ways to actually develop the social aspects of games - including UI decisions and how they can influence accuracy and usage of reporting abuse. Another will dive into UX design choices to stymy harassment in social media spaces.

See more at: http://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/54068#sthash.zObUu9Aw.dpuf

According to the panel's speakers (Caroline Sinders,Katherine Cross, and Randi Harper), SXSW has decided to cancel the panel due to the number of threats of violence that they have received.

SXSW just canceled our panel due to the number of threats of violence they have received.

The number of tweets I've received gloating about our panel being canceled and being "triggered" is depressingly not surprising at all.

SXSW has made no offer to reimburse our airfare or hotel deposits.

https://twitter.com/randileeharper/status/658742655652909056
https://twitter.com/randileeharper/status/658762954482020352
https://twitter.com/randileeharper/status/658763955075174400

so @SXSW just canceled our (@Quinnae_Moon and @randileeharper)'s panel due to the number of threats of violence they have received.

https://twitter.com/carolinesinders/status/658743209808568320

Also, SXSW decided a few days ago to host a panel that is linked to GamerGate:

Prospective SXSW attendees are asking the festival to clarify its security plans after a panel about the controversial online movement about video game culture GamerGate was approved this week.

Although the event, "SavePoint - A Discussion on the Gaming Community," is not described on the schedule as explicitly GamerGate-affiliated, several of its panelists have been involved in the hashtag movement.

The panel will be moderated by Perry Jones. It will feature speakers Mercedes Carrera, Nick Robalik, and Lynn Walsh from the Society of Professional Journalists, who appeared on another GamerGate panel in August that was interrupted by a bomb threat. The August incident was not the first time a GamerGate-related event was shut down by bomb threats.

In light of those incidents as well as past harassment and threats from members of GamerGate, many people have expressed concern about the panel on Twitter and some have vowed not to attend the festival.

More here: http://motherboard.vice.com/read/sxsw-has-approved-a-gamergate-panel

Update #1: It also looks like the Pro-GG panel was removed (article about it can be found above):

Apparently the pro-GG panel was also removed: https://twitter.com/AsheSchow/status/658753510880759808?s=09

Update #2: Official Statement by SXSW:

On Monday, October 26, SXSW Interactive made the call to cancel two sessions for the 2016 event: "SavePoint: A Discussion on the Gaming Community" and "Level Up: Overcoming Harassment in Games." We had hoped that hosting these two discussions in March 2016 in Austin would lead to a valuable exchange of ideas on this very important topic.

However, in the seven days since announcing these two sessions, SXSW has received numerous threats of on-site violence related to this programming.

SXSW prides itself on being a big tent and a marketplace of diverse people and diverse ideas.

However, preserving the sanctity of the big tent at SXSW Interactive necessitates that we keep the dialogue civil and respectful. If people can not agree, disagree and embrace new ways of thinking in a safe and secure place that is free of online and offline harassment, then this marketplace of ideas is inevitably compromised.

Over the years, we are proud of the healthy community of digital innovators that has formed around SXSW. On occasions such as this one, this community necessitates strong management to survive. Maintaining civil and respectful dialogue within the big tent is more important than any particular session.

Sincerely,

Hugh Forrest
SXSW Interactive Director

http://www.sxsw.com/news/2015/sxsw-statement-hugh-forrest

And Randi Harper's response:

These panels were in no way related to each other. Our panel was not about GamerGate, but instead making design decisions in abuse systems.

We also made no statement about the SXSW GamerGate panel at any time.

On the other hand, the GamerGate panelists have a history of tweeting at and about us. We let it slide and said nothing.

To see SXSW equate our cautious silence about the GamerGate panel and the abuse we have received is unfortunate.

It was worth our silence to get out the larger message about how harassment can be affected by design decisions. A topic not well covered.

https://twitter.com/randileeharper/status/658770204525219841
https://twitter.com/randileeharper/status/658770601692307458
https://twitter.com/randileeharper/status/658770973731233792
https://twitter.com/randileeharper/status/658771131768381440
https://twitter.com/randileeharper/status/658771439315759104

And Katherine Cross's response:

I had zero interest in litigating or discussing the GG panel at SXSW. Me and my panelists were focused on our broad, solutions-oriented talk

Our panel was not about GG, it was about the wider issue of harassment in the online world.

For my part, while I consider GG an important case study, the fixation on it leads to an unproductive myopia; we wanted a wider focus.

https://twitter.com/Quinnae_Moon/status/658771530143240192
https://twitter.com/Quinnae_Moon/status/658771798566137857
https://twitter.com/Quinnae_Moon/status/658771989272760321

And Zoe Quinn had some things to say:

http://www.sxsw.com/news/2015/sxsw-statement-hugh-forrest … equivocating a hate group and its targets isn't good community management. Shame on @sxsw

Online harassment is much, much larger than GG or even games. Equivocating a panel of experts on that with a dogwhistle GG panel is gross

And in doing so, @sxsw is showing that threats to be levied at the places we speak about threats in will silence us

"We are shutting down a panel on online harassment because of online harassment"

Cowards. Cowards far as the eye can see

I'm pissed about this because I emailed them about my concerns with their hosting a GG panel, as a former speaker, only to be ignored btw.

Great community management, that.

The fact that folks would call an online harassment solutions panel an "anti gamergate one" is hilariously telling.

I've watched numberous people for *weeks* try to politely, quietly, privately express their concerns to @sxsw and this was the outcome.

So the fact that @sxsw is spinning this as strong community management is total horseshit. Its false equivalence and cowardace. That's all.

https://twitter.com/TheQuinnspiracy/status/658770611842355200
https://twitter.com/TheQuinnspiracy/status/658770922938044416
https://twitter.com/TheQuinnspiracy/status/658771366867435520
https://twitter.com/TheQuinnspiracy/status/658771997061607424
https://twitter.com/TheQuinnspiracy/status/658772326788415488
https://twitter.com/TheQuinnspiracy/status/658772438210101252
https://twitter.com/TheQuinnspiracy/status/658773314341507072
https://twitter.com/TheQuinnspiracy/status/658774309922443264
https://twitter.com/TheQuinnspiracy/status/658774649325510656

Update #3: Zoe Quinn has a lot to say about the panel related to GG:

https://storify.com/athenahollow/sxsw-the-gamergate-panel

I'm gonna drop some super gross facts about the sxsw panel here too since they decided to do the shitty thing instead of the right thing

The GG panel was another weird smokescreen to hide that it was GG, but it was openly planned on KiA https://t.co/k88knJW72h

One of the panelists pulled the same shit on a gaming charity stream. https://t.co/NmIJQtCqOJ

GG has a habit of this insincere dogwhistle shit as you may remember https://t.co/GRkNyl6W3k

This is one of the other @sxsw panelists. https://t.co/ulJSTLloLM

Theres a photo he took there of one of my panels that he decided to turn up to in person at btw. Calling me a slut wasnt enough I guess.

This is the moderator, the guy running the open gaming society. You've probably never heard of them because they were created during GG

Here are some of their SXSW-worthy contributions

This is the final panelist. https://t.co/czOZwGEpOf

I'm telling you all this because to equivocate these randos-at-best with the professionals and experts on the online harassment panel is...

Quite frankly, fucking digusting at best.

Btw, @Sxsw knows all of this. I sent it to them a while ago and they confirmed reciept.

Never received a response.

@Masterdoctorn7 i had. Multiple organizers.

https://twitter.com/TheQuinnspiracy/status/658779650529751040
https://twitter.com/TheQuinnspiracy/status/658779932483432448
https://twitter.com/TheQuinnspiracy/status/658780105813004288
https://twitter.com/TheQuinnspiracy/status/658780429869166594
https://twitter.com/TheQuinnspiracy/status/658780609196625922
https://twitter.com/TheQuinnspiracy/status/658780747038265344
https://twitter.com/TheQuinnspiracy/status/658781225386020864
https://twitter.com/TheQuinnspiracy/status/658781470429831168
https://twitter.com/TheQuinnspiracy/status/658781680929411072
https://twitter.com/TheQuinnspiracy/status/658781866032390144
https://twitter.com/TheQuinnspiracy/status/658782273454542848
https://twitter.com/TheQuinnspiracy/status/658782477322883073

Update #4: The email that SXSW sent to one of the speakers of the anti-harassment panel:

This is the email we were sent by @sxsw. Reminder: our panel was not GamerGate-related.

https://twitter.com/randileeharper/status/658780409765994496

.

 

[VoltySquirrel]

Bad form for SXSW. Like, seriously, what the fuck.

 

[FromTheFuture]

the irony

 

[oti]

Forget panels, just make podcasts.
Man, this whole thing is so fucked up since GamerGate started. Such a shame.

 

[Success]

wow!

 

[Possumowner]

Dear me,the irony in that is colossal

 

[Mael]

To be fair one of the panel made the other irrelevant.
At least they're coherent, having a GG panel next to an anti-harassment panel wasn't going to work.

 

[ZealousD]

I don't want to live on this planet anymore.

 

[Suzushiiro]

Apparently the pro-GG panel was also removed: https://twitter.com/AsheSchow/status/658753510880759808?s=09

 

[dickroach]

legit question: has there ever been a case of someone following through with online death threats? just curious.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

I consider this the wrong decision. You have caved to the demands of the bullies you were trying to stop.

That said, having a GG panel alongside this tells me they were never serious in the first place, they do not understand the context of the problem at all, and that this is for the best.

The Canadian Prime Minister tried to warn us.

 

[BaronMonstro]

It's always delightful when the opposition prove your point for you inadvertently.

 

[Toxi]

legit question: has there ever been a case of someone following through with online death threats? just curious.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Isla_Vista_killings

 

[PillarEN]

legit question: has there ever been a case of someone following through with online death threats? just curious.

Not that I'm aware of but it wasn't that long ago that a conference (or speech?) by Anita Sarkeesian was cancelled because of threats of detonating a bomb at he place.

There are some nutters out there.

 

[crimsonheadGCN]

Apparently the pro-GG panel was also removed: https://twitter.com/AsheSchow/status/658753510880759808?s=09

I updated the original post with this.

 

[Stone Ocean]

Were they seriously gonna host a GG panel? What the fuck

 

[The Technomancer]

Were they seriously gonna host a GG panel? What the fuck

Yeah people were upset and amazed at that at first. This is icing on the cake. Good to see the GG panel remove, but there's no reason the other one shouldn't be reinstated

 

[BY2K]

Apparently the pro-GG panel was also removed: https://twitter.com/AsheSchow/status/658753510880759808?s=09

The mere fact that there was a Pro-GG panel planned is nothing short of baffling.

 

[VoltySquirrel]

Were they seriously gonna host a GG panel? What the fuck

Technically, no. They weren't officially a GG thing, but all but one of the panelists were GG people and the stated focus of the panel is basically "ethics in games journalism.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

The mere fact that there was a Pro-GG panel planned is nothing short of baffling.

Can you even imagine it? An entire panel dedicated to arguing to nuances of "keeping SJWs out of the games industry" and "outlining the perils of modern feminism"?

Oh, wait, it's actually about ethics in games journalism, right?

 

[aGuyInaBearSuit]

GG'ers will keep on acting like they're some justified, misunderstood heroes while continuing to carry out textbook acts of terrorism.

Morons.

 

[Akuun]

Disgusting.

On the plus side, the panel made a point that this shit exists without the panel actually taking place.

 

[Loxley]

I'm half expecting GG to form it's own half-assed passive aggressive political party next.

Then again, that would require them leaving their mother's basements, so nevermind.

 

[adamantypants]

Wow the irony. You can't make this stuff up

 

[Pizza]

It's like that time north korea threatened to take out every movie theatre showing "the interview" so the movie wasn't shown anywhere.


People are ridiculous.

 

[Teknoman]

I seriously don't think any threats related to panels of these kinda are anywhere near reliable. Just go ahead with the panels and beef up security if they think its a credible threat.

 

[bigwinnerx]

Oh hey, no "reliable" threats. Buddy just gave the all clear. Thanks for helping out. Phew.

 

[Lalalandia]

Official Statement from SXSW http://www.sxsw.com/news/2015/sxsw-statement-hugh-forrest

...However, preserving the sanctity of the big tent at SXSW Interactive necessitates that we keep the dialogue civil and respectful. If people can not agree, disagree and embrace new ways of thinking in a safe and secure place that is free of online and offline harassment, then this marketplace of ideas is inevitably compromised...

So because of threats and harassment they cancelled the panel on how to deal with threats and harassment. Best part is that folding to threats is apparently 'strong community management' now!

Edit: Missed the update to the OP

 

[SolicitorPirate]

There was going to be a fucking GG panel? What idiots were running SXSW?

 

[Teknoman]

Oh hey, no "reliable" threats. Buddy just gave the all clear. Thanks for helping out. Phew.

Well it really is dumb how things are constantly canceled or shutdown these days based on threats, when all that is needed is to raise the amount of security personnel on site. If every event or discussion was canceled every time someone threatened the venue because they disagreed with the subject matter, we would never be able to talk about anything.

 

[BlueDEF]

That is very unfortunate. I think there should be a dialogue.

 

[Merc_]

How did they not realize that having anything to do with GG was going to lead to a shitfest?

 

[bigwinnerx]

Well it really is dumb how things are constantly canceled or shutdown these days based on threats, when all that is needed is to raise the amount of security personnel on site. If every event or discussion was canceled every time someone threatened the venue because they disagreed with the subject matter, we would never be able to talk about anything.

And what you're describing is terrorism. Striking fear, making threats, nobody really knowing if they're real or not.

 

[Dueck]

the irony

That was my first thought.

The anti-harassment camp lost out to the pro-harassment one. It's like pacifists and militants butting heads. The same team's always going to win without a fresh approach.

I think the biggest hurdle for the whole "bring up the issues to combat them" crowd (other than immature people) is that some tend to come across as pretentious or pushing a harder agenda than simple equality. Like the difference between an actual feminist and a female chauvinist.

The vocal minority who childishly choose to make death threats to simply disagree with the message are inexcusable. They are the polar opposite of the extreme left "force everyone to respect others or censor/ban them" bunch but the pair of them on either side do little more than annoy the majority and have no real influence.

As a liberal, open-minded guy, it hurts my brain that these agitators think they're fighting for freedom or something. Money dictates more than anything. Within reason, if there's a market, the product will be sold.

That's just my two rambling cents...

 

[ClayKavalier]

Disappointing, but when it seems like there's a shooting in the news every other week I can't blame anyone running a festival too much for erring on the side of safety.

 

[InsaneTiger]

Shame when threats deter the free and open exchange of ideas.

 

[Dictator93]

Since when is giving into threats of violence a good way to go beyond them?

I think they should still hold it and bring out a swat team to guard it, stand in the schoolhouse door style baby.

 

[QuantumZebra]

A panel on online harassment shut down due to online harassment.

What a world we live in.

 

[Mobius 1]

Cowards. No other way to describe it.

 

[hydrophilic attack]

What a shitty decision

"We are shutting down a panel on online harassment because of online harassment"

Cowards. Cowards far as the eye can see

The fact that folks would call an online harassment solutions panel an "anti gamergate one" is hilariously telling.

Damn at these truth bombs

 

[Slayven]

I want to laugh and cry at the same time

 

[Hylian7]

Fuck Gamergate.

I live in Austin and was at the SXSW Gaming expo earlier this year with the developer I was working for at the time.

This shit is utter insanity and needs to stop. This is the umpteenth time something like this has happened, and really tells a lot about the bullshit that is GG when they stoop to threats over merely DISCUSSING the issues this brings up.

Gross and disgusting.

SXSW usually has good security too, and the fact that they caved on this one is really cowardly in my opinion.

 

[Palette Swap]

Over the years, we are proud of the healthy community of digital innovators that has formed around SXSW.

Well yeah, shutting down a panel on harassment because of threats emerging 5 months before the panel is healthy as fuck.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Who do I tweet at to express my disgust?

 

[ShadowSwordmaster]

This just sucks.

 

[Alfredo]

Gross.

I hope they reverse their decision on the anti-harassment panel and buff up security.

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

It wasn't even about GamerGate.

Le sigh....

 

[darthsontin]

The worst part of this is that they are empowering the harassers and letting them know they can shut down these women if they send enough disgusting threats of violence. That is the exact opposite of what should happen.

 

[Finale Fireworker]

Holy shit at Zoe Quinn's info dump.

What a world.

Hate is institutionalized. SXSW is a premiere event. I can't believe this kind of blindness pervades their organizers. This should be a scandal.

 

[QuantumZebra]

Who do I tweet at to express my disgust?

@SXSW is getting some heat right now

What's funny in all of this is that not only are the anti-harassment organizers and sensible people in general pissed at SXSW, but GG is now pissed at them for "censorship" and of course closing the GG panel.

They're getting flak from all sides on this one.