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[Remf]

Btw, he's on the ps4 livestream playing warframe right now.

 

[jadedm17]

This is basically what I got from that.

"Sorry I've been an asshole but people were assholes to me as children so it's ok for me to be an asshole as a fully-grown adult."

It gets better as it goes on but I feel like he spends the first two paragraphs painting himself with the most sympathetic brush available.

Its a step in the right direction if nothing else.

I've known people like this and sometimes that's all we can expect is steps.

Its better than nothing so I hope he continues down this path.

 

[Chinner]

i'm sorry momma

i didn't mean to hurt youuu

i didn't mean to make you cry but tonight i'm cleaning out my closet

 

[RedNumberFive]

Is this an apology or a sob story to make me feel bad for him?

As always, first post nails it. This reads like a child seeking attention.

 

[tensuke]

Reading some of the vitriol in this thread would make one think Gabe was the anti-christ Hitler clone who punched babies and took pleasure in eradicating endangered species over live TV.

 

[OniBarubary]

I don't understand how people who want the world to be a better place can be so hostile when someone who they feel is making it worse is taking steps to change themself and it's not instantaneous.

I just don't get why this is being met with such hostility and sarcasm and biting wit.

He's trying to be a better person. He's trying to fight against years of conditioning and life and everything that shaped him as a child that has lead him to be in this state. Why is this a bad thing? Why do you have to shit on him and make fun of him? Do you actually want a better world with people improving themselves to be better people?

I don't understand. What is the world you want? What is the end purpose in mind? What are you doing to achieve that by doing this?

 

[Deified Data]

Is this an apology for something in particular?

 

[Zabka]

It took a lot of courage to admit such a personal failing in a public manner. He'll need that courage when the scourging begins.

 

[Brashnir]

I just don't get why this is being met with such hostility and sarcasm and biting wit.

Because most of those people are the same kinds of people that they profess to hate.

 

[timetokill]

Is this an apology for something in particular?

Seems more like a bit of self-reflection heading into a new year, with introspective commentary on what he believes led to himself being a self-described asshole, and that he wants to change.

I don't think it's anything in particular. The new year is a time of introspection for a lot of people.

 

[moondoggerr]

I don't understand how people who want the world to be a better place can be so hostile when someone who they feel is making it worse is taking steps to change themself and it's not instantaneous.

I just don't get why this is being met with such hostility and sarcasm and biting wit.

He's trying to be a better person. He's trying to fight against years of conditioning and life and everything that shaped him as a child that has lead him to be in this state. Why is this a bad thing? Why do you have to shit on him and make fun of him? Do you actually want a better world with people improving themselves to be better people?

I don't understand. What is the world you want? What is the end purpose in mind? What are you doing to achieve that by doing this?

This x 100

 

[aggro crag]

I don't understand how people who want the world to be a better place can be so hostile when someone who they feel is making it worse is taking steps to change themself and it's not instantaneous.

I just don't get why this is being met with such hostility and sarcasm and biting wit.

He's trying to be a better person. He's trying to fight against years of conditioning and life and everything that shaped him as a child that has lead him to be in this state. Why is this a bad thing? Why do you have to shit on him and make fun of him? Do you actually want a better world with people improving themselves to be better people?

I don't understand. What is the world you want? What is the end purpose in mind? What are you doing to achieve that by doing this?

Because people aren't interested in giving Mike K a million chances to change?

 

[daycru]

I don't understand how people who want the world to be a better place can be so hostile when someone who they feel is making it worse is taking steps to change themself and it's not instantaneous.

I just don't get why this is being met with such hostility and sarcasm and biting wit.

He's trying to be a better person. He's trying to fight against years of conditioning and life and everything that shaped him as a child that has lead him to be in this state. Why is this a bad thing? Why do you have to shit on him and make fun of him? Do you actually want a better world with people improving themselves to be better people?

I don't understand. What is the world you want? What is the end purpose in mind? What are you doing to achieve that by doing this?

They want to be angry. No one really cares if problems are fixed. They want to attack people, raw meat.

 

[kuroshiki]

hmm.

if I learned something from my 30+ year of life, is that man don't change, unless some kind of divine intervention struck him.

Yeah.

 

[timetokill]

I don't understand how people who want the world to be a better place can be so hostile when someone who they feel is making it worse is taking steps to change themself and it's not instantaneous.

I'm imagining a lot of these people at an AA meeting, listening to some guy talk about his past and his addiction, and booing them afterward and saying, "I'll believe you'll stop when you fucking stop, you pathetic addict. Nice try with the fucking sob story though!"

 

[Team Filler]

I don't understand how people who want the world to be a better place can be so hostile when someone who they feel is making it worse is taking steps to change themself and it's not instantaneous.

I just don't get why this is being met with such hostility and sarcasm and biting wit.

He's trying to be a better person. He's trying to fight against years of conditioning and life and everything that shaped him as a child that has lead him to be in this state. Why is this a bad thing? Why do you have to shit on him and make fun of him? Do you actually want a better world with people improving themselves to be better people?

I don't understand. What is the world you want? What is the end purpose in mind? What are you doing to achieve that by doing this?

They achieve nothing, it's just another outlet for them to grind their (intolerant) ax in the name of tolerance and inclusiveness.

I think what Mike is trying to do is brave, I think he has a long and difficult road ahead of him, and it's unfortunately not a road where success necessarily means any kind of victory. I also hope that he doesn't hinge any of his success on how his detractors behave towards him in the future, as many (as evidenced here alone) have already shown they're more interested in holding grudges than "letting" him be forgiven.

I'm imagining a lot of these people at an AA meeting, listening to some guy talk about his past and his addiction, and booing them afterward and saying, "I'll believe you'll stop when you fucking stop, you pathetic addict. Nice try with the fucking sob story though!"

Pretty much. These type of supporting comments would probably drive anybody back to the bottle. I know I'd have been fucking furious to ever hear reactions like this whenever I took my dad to AA back in the day.

 

[EdibleKnife]

Because people aren't interested in giving Mike K a million chances to change?

Why not? If the chance for change exists I think its better to give that chance than deny it and turn said person into a pariah. Maybe I'm just optimistic but even if he hasn't made a 180 degree turn from his original attitudes, he is at least making some incremental moves and learning something about how the people he's hurt are feeling and why.

 

[Mononoke]

Because most of those people are the same kinds of people that they profess to hate.

Or because some people never change. The proof is in their actions. You act as if he only had one little screw up and people are being mercilessly unforgiving.

See:

No, I'm not. The idea that people must be forgiven regardless of what they've done is one of the most insidious and powerful tools in the abuser's toolkit. This is what drives people back into the arms of parents who mistreated them their whole life; what keeps victims of physical abuse from leaving their spouses; what prevents serious institutional reform of organizations like the Catholic church that have cosigned and hidden abuse for decades.

If you talk to people who have serious training in counseling abuse survivors, one of the things they'll tell you upfront is that you don't have to forgive people, and that in many cases, it's much healthier to never forgive people who have mistreated you; it's much more important to keep the knowledge of why what was done to you was fucked up, and break the cycle by not repeating any of it.

So yeah, I'm not big on forced forgiveness.

 

[aggro crag]

Why not? If the chance for change exists I think its better to give that chance than deny it and turn said person into a pariah. Maybe I'm just optimistic but even if he hasn't made a 180 degree turn from his original attitudes, he is at least making some incremental moves and learning something about how the people he's hurt are feeling and why.

Because people don't have to, and I don't think that's a fucked up at all. Maybe you're not there yet, but for me, I'm not really interested in his apologies or sob stories. We hear about it after every awful statement he makes. People aren't expected to have infinite patience for a serial dickhead.

 

[Cyrano]

I don't understand how people who want the world to be a better place can be so hostile when someone who they feel is making it worse is taking steps to change themself and it's not instantaneous.

One, who said this? Alternatively, what is the better you are describing?

I just don't get why this is being met with such hostility and sarcasm and biting wit.

Because it reads as being self-serving?

He's trying to be a better person. He's trying to fight against years of conditioning and life and everything that shaped him as a child that has lead him to be in this state. Why is this a bad thing? Why do you have to shit on him and make fun of him? Do you actually want a better world with people improving themselves to be better people?

Is he? He avoids this language in the statement. He talks about "our" being better, he talks about PAX being better. He doesn't talk personally about being better. He spends the first four paragraphs blaming his past for his current attitudes, then moves on to say that he wants what he creates to be better.

This is about as close as he gets to actually talking about his problems, and not his problems as they relate to the problems they've caused for others:

I take medicine to control my anxiety and depression but there is no pill I can take to stop being a jerk. That’s a deeper problem and it’s something I’m working on.

I don't understand. What is the world you want? What is the end purpose in mind? What are you doing to achieve that by doing this?

These are more philosophical and not really questions anyone but oneself can answer so uh... ???

The other thing is, once you answer them, they aren't likely things anyone can articulate well. Or rather, if one were to articulate them, they aren't realistically containable in a forum post.

Joke response: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LISmPmdUhYA

 

[Warm Machine]

I think PA business is trying to downsize to just the comic. He is distancing himself from PAX and Child's Play and spinning them off to their own unrelated entities.

I think PA has been bashed as of late with the very trendy video gaming is everything for everyone mentality that was a broad 2013 brush. The internet doesn't seem to allow more famous people to be people with faults they seem to need to be paragons, or at least appear that way.

I don't think he needed to apologize. The success of PA over the years was due to the two of them and who they are. Changing the personality changes what PA is.

 

[charlequin]

I don't understand how people who want the world to be a better place can be so hostile when someone who they feel is making it worse is taking steps to change themself and it's not instantaneous.

I'm kind of curious what positions you (and the other posters who offered similar sentiments, but in content-free drive-by fashion) think are being unreasonable here. I don't think I've seen a reaction, either in this thread or elsewhere on the Internet, that says "too late, you can never be forgiven at all." I have seen a mix of cautious positivity (because this is a good step) and wariness (because lots of people who misbehave apologize, then go back to it).

I'm imagining a lot of these people at an AA meeting, listening to some guy talk about his past and his addiction, and booing them afterward and saying, "I'll believe you'll stop when you fucking stop, you pathetic addict. Nice try with the fucking sob story though!"

Well... there's a reason there are 12 whole steps to AA, and two of them involve making full restitution to every person you have ever harmed. Taking the first step is already valuable, but taking those later steps is both much harder and much more meaningful.

Pretty much. These type of supporting comments would probably drive anybody back to the bottle.

The reason AA is a community of fellow recovering addicts who support one another is that it recognizes, correctly, that people who are not also going through the recovery process cannot fairly be expected to forgive you or give you credit for your intentions.

 

[WanderingWind]

Reading some of the vitriol in this thread would make one think Gabe was the anti-christ Hitler clone who punched babies and took pleasure in eradicating endangered species over live TV.

Right? So, he's an insensitive guy with a temper. Sounds like, well, most people. I find this entire thing utterly ridiculous and I wonder if the people rubbing their hands together in glee over him having to do this see the irony here. I'm guessing not.

And talking about him having to make some sort of restitution? Are you fucking kidding?

 

[boogie2988]

I have read mike's little thing and I have read most of your comments on it and I wanted to come in here and just... i dunno. I don't know what this post will be but I'm writing it anyways.

I grew up in hell. The things Mike went through would be what I'd have considered a 'relaxing sunday afternoon' compared to the actual shit I waded through. I most certainly did not grow up to be a bully, or an asshole, or anything in between.

Mike has most certainly been a bully. Mike has most certainly been an asshole. I'm so very glad to see him recognize that and decide its something that he wants to change. Its something he NEEDED to change because he was doing his company, the people that work for him, and himself a terrible disservice. He was also negatively impacting gamers.

While I pride myself in trying to 'rise above' the shit I went through I spent a good amount of my life angry. I'm still pretty angry about it now and I can get angry at the drop of a hat. I used to scream, rage, break shit, and bully people. When the internet was still new I raided message boards and posted profane pictures and took out that rage on the internet.

I have zero judgement though for Mike. I honestly don't. Some people would say that we're different. I'd say we're exactly the same, though we may be at different stages of our recovery. I honestly think none of us have any room to judge the guy and I hate seeing people here doing so.

Mike is at a point that I was at about 10 years ago. I hope that 10 years from now he is an infinitely better man that I will ever be. I have nothing but love and hope for the guy and I'm so glad to see he has seen the error of his ways. It will do the gaming community and his company a world of good.

 

[plufim]

hmm.

if I learned something from my 30+ year of life, is that man don't change, unless some kind of divine intervention struck him.

Yeah.

Jim Sterling proves you are wrong. His change over the past 5 years has been impressive.

THIS IS NOT ABOUT REVIEW SCORES.

 

[Imperfected]

Unforgivable. It's become clear now that he concocted this entire run of public bigotry and apology fully intending for this to be re-posted onto GAF to expose the glut of GAFers who are incapable of fully reading a first-post. That's going too far for a troll, Mike. That's going too far.

 

[Cyrano]

I have read mike's little thing and I have read most of your comments on it and I wanted to come in here and just... i dunno. I don't know what this post will be but I'm writing it anyways.

I grew up in hell. The things Mike went through would be what I'd have considered a 'relaxing sunday afternoon' compared to the actual shit I waded through. I most certainly did not grow up to be a bully, or an asshole, or anything in between.

Mike has most certainly been a bully. Mike has most certainly been an asshole. I'm so very glad to see him recognize that and decide its something that he wants to change. Its something he NEEDED to change because he was doing his company, the people that work for him, and himself a terrible disservice. He was also negatively impacting gamers.

While I pride myself in trying to 'rise above' the shit I went through I spent a good amount of my life angry. I'm still pretty angry about it now and I can get angry at the drop of a hat. I used to scream, rage, break shit, and bully people. When the internet was still new I raided message boards and posted profane pictures and took out that rage on the internet.

I have zero judgement though for Mike. I honestly don't. Some people would say that we're different. I'd say we're exactly the same, though we may be at different stages of our recovery. I honestly think none of us have any room to judge the guy and I hate seeing people here doing so.

Mike is at a point that I was at when I was about 10 years ago. I hope that 10 years from now he is an infinitely better man that I will ever be. I have nothing but love and hope for the guy and I'm so glad to see he has seen the error of his ways. It will do the gaming community and his company a world of good.

boogie, while I agree that I hope he's an infinitely better person in 10 years, I also feel like taking a non-judgmental approach means that you refuse to have a stake. It's like claiming to be apolitical. It's just a refusal to take part in the conversation or being willing to be worried about what that stake means.

I feel like as people have a greater stake in things, they begin to realize this. Judgment is not a personal attack (usually). It is attempting to understand, analyze and propose changes for improvement (in the ethical sense, not in the legal sense).

 

[Jobbs]

Here's the bottom line, boiled all down.

I used to read PA, the comic, and the news posts, and like them to some degree. Over the last few years, though, I've developed a very negative view of PA, due to a number of factors, most of them personality related. Gabe being a jerk was one of them.

If anyone who was a jerk apologizes and means it, then -- great, I accept your apology.

But I'm still not coming back to your website. If you're jerks and say hurtful things, then I don't want to participate, and you don't get to easily "come back" from it (if "coming back" means getting my own personal traffic/business).

I have read mike's little thing and I have read most of your comments on it and I wanted to come in here and just... i dunno. I don't know what this post will be but I'm writing it anyways.

I love you boogie and I am a subscriber of your channel. that said, I feel like sometimes you're a bit too measured and risk-averse when it comes to talking about anyone or anything (when not being francis, of course) and this struck me as a good example. it's like that hollywood thing where you have to say everyone was great to work with and everyone is amazing.

 

[WanderingWind]

boogie, while I agree that I hope he's an infinitely better person in 10 years, I also feel like taking a non-judgmental approach means that you refuse to have a stake. It's like claiming to be apolitical. It's just a refusal to take part in the conversation or being willing to be worried about what that stake means.

I feel like as people have a greater stake in things, they begin to realize this. Judgment is not a personal attack (usually). It is attempting to understand, analyze and propose changes for improvement.

This is the kind of irony I'm talking about. How do you not see what you're doing here? He's allowed to have his opinion to not feel very judgmental, just as you're allowed to have yours - and no amount of goading can change that. To keep your analogy going, if he was apolitical, that's perhaps due to his personal outlook that puts priorities on some things and lesser priorities on others. You do the same exact same thing. Humans are not built to be continuously outraged at everything in the world. Browbeating others for not viewing everything you personally view as the Most Important Thing Ever is no different that Mike being an asshole that one time and it's utter insanity that people who think and act like you believe you're any different.

 

[Toparaman]

I grew up in hell. The things Mike went through would be what I'd have considered a 'relaxing sunday afternoon' compared to the actual shit I waded through.

I'm interested. What did you go through that makes Mike getting his hair set on fire a 'relaxing sunday afternoon'?

EDIT: Apologies if I'm not able to make any future replies. I've got to call it a night, and I'm trying to drastically cut down my time spent on GAF.
EDIT2: Actually it's completely understandable if you don't want to recount traumatic experiences. So feel free to ignore my question.

 

[Cyrano]

This is the kind of irony I'm talking about. How do you not see what you're doing here? He's allowed to have his opinion to not feel very judgmental, just as you're allowed to have yours - and no amount of goading can change that. To keep your analogy going, if he was apolitical, that's perhaps due to his personal outlook that puts priorities on some things and lesser priorities on others. You do the same exact same thing. Humans are not built to be continuously outraged at everything in the world. Browbeating others for not viewing everything you personally view as the Most Important Thing Ever is no different that Mike being an asshole that one time and it's utter insanity that people who think and act like you believe you're any different.

1) I'm not browbeating him (though I would say that you are browbeating me).
2) I never said it was the most important thing ever; your hyperbole, not mine.
3) When was anyone "outraged" about this? I'm certainly not. I'm responding to it.

 

[WanderingWind]

1) I'm not browbeating him (though I would say that you are browbeating me).
2) I never said it was the most important thing ever; your hyperbole, not mine.
3) When was anyone "outraged" about this? I'm certainly not. I'm responding to it.

1) I simply will not accept, acknowledge or engage with anybody who employs the 'I'm rubber and you're glue' defense past 3rd grade. You say he needs to change his opinion on the matter, I'm saying you, him and everybody needs to allow people to make up their own minds. If you feel bullied by that, well, I don't really know what to tell you.

2) Yes, hyperbole is a device that is often used in conversation. You correctly identified one such usage.

3) Since when was anybody outraged? Seriously? How about since this entire thing began, leading up to and including this thread? How is that even a question?

 

[Cyrano]

1) I simply will not accept, acknowledge or engage with anybody who employs the 'I'm rubber and you're glue' defense past 3rd grade. You say he needs to change his opinion on the matter, I'm saying you, him and everybody needs to allow people to make up their own minds. If you feel bullied by that, well, I don't really know what to tell you.

Making up your own mind doesn't just "happen." It is an aggregate process.

Jump to minute 21 or watch the whole thing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D9Xq3Xr8aE

3) Since when was anybody outraged? Seriously? How about since this entire thing began, leading up to and including this thread? How is that even a question?

Creating a thread is not an indicator of outrage. Responding to a thread's topic isn't either. I would say this is a conclusion you drew on your own.

 

[WanderingWind]

Making up your own mind doesn't just "happen." It is an aggregate process.

Jump to minute 21 or watch the whole thing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D9Xq3Xr8aE

Creating a thread is not an indicator of outrage. Responding to a thread's topic isn't either. I would say this is a conclusion you drew on your own.

So, your position is that there is no outrage against PA and/or Mike? Explain how you came to this position. Perhaps I'm misunderstanding all of the posts calling him disgusting, acidic, horrible, etc.

 

[-COOLIO-]

hmm.

if I learned something from my 30+ year of life, is that man don't change, unless some kind of divine intervention struck him.

Yeah.

in ~24 years i've learned the opposite.

 

[DryEyeRelief]

Wait and see.

 

[DocSeuss]

Let's try to recontextualize this. Imagine you have a kid, and they do some bratty but normal kid thing, like not sharing a toy at recess. In response, this other kid's parent gets mad and socks them in the face, gives them a black eye, they have to go home, stay out of school for a few days, giant swelling, can't see right, the whole nine yards.

Are you telling me that in this scenario, you'd accept an apology for that? That you'd make your kid, who was defenseless and did nothing remotely proportional to deserve it, accept an apology? That you'd ever consider that person remotely safe to be around children again? Forgiveness is proportional to behavior.

I don't really think he ever did anything quite so crazy?

Punching a kid in the face is clearly, clearly wrong. Kids are innocent and nice. I'm not sure that being ignorant or finding certain topics amusing that might offend other people is a problem.

Let me try to describe my mindset in a similar situation. A lot of people like A Very Popular Company. I, personally, enjoy making jokes about this company people take seriously, for various reasons. So sometimes, when I make a remark, one not meant to be taken super seriously, or incredibly comprehensive... heck, maybe I just share my sincere opinion... well, people get REALLY ANGRY.

And, hey, maybe they have a good reason to feel strongly. But what they don't do, regardless of how important this thing is to them, is start flinging as much crap on me as they can. Which is what they do. The other day, I said something like "I like game X," someone added "yeah, I felt it was like game Y, but executed the things Y failed at really well," which led to a ton of insults, rage, and vitriol.

Now, my immediate response to that is to get upset. I'm saying something that's not really a big deal, and people are getting angry at me for it. Maybe I double down in my argument (easiest thing to do, not the best). Maybe I attempt to express that my belief is sincere and back up my point (ideal thing to do, because sincerity can defuse tensions and lead to a dialog that better increases understanding). Maybe I just walk away.

Mike clearly goes with his gut. If he says something he doesn't feel is upsetting, and people start screaming at him about how horrible he is... yeah. He doubles down. He gives back to them what they bring to him. He's not making the best choice, but he's not some horrible monster.

He's someone who has a mindset that people basically straight-away started attacking. Any attempt at diplomacy was lost amidst a crowd of angry people being angry. You can say "hey, they had good reasons." And that's your take on it. I have my reasons which I'm not comfortable sharing publicly for feeling otherwise.

Anywho, if you happen to respond to this, I might miss it, so you can always PM me or chat on Steam or whatevs.

tl;dr, Mike's responses two two major situations have been immature, but he's not someone who punches kids in the face. Please don't make such a false analogy.

 

[Cyrano]

So, your position is that there is no outrage against PA and/or Mike? Explain how you came to this position. Perhaps I'm misunderstanding all of the posts calling him disgusting, acidic, horrible, etc.

I'm somewhat curious as how you came to yours.

I believe that as public figures they elicit a response. Whether that response is good or bad is more related to time. I would say that selling T-shirts that represent an encouragement of or ambivalence to rape should generate outrage.

Him making a seemingly half-hearted resolution to fix some of these problems will probably generate a response, but I don't think outrage is it. Probably the same half-heartedness will be the response, one which largely seems to come across here: a "we'll see" mentality. As well as many suggestions for how to actually go about presenting these changes in a real way towards the community he cares about.

 

[urfe]

I don't think forgiveness can or should be forced. I don't think all people are able to forgive everyone for their actions, there are a few people who have hurt me that I probably won't be able to forgive.

However, that doesn't mean I don't believe these people shouldn't be forgiven by others, or by society.

If people bore the brunt of this guys words, and can't trust him, that makes perfect sense. However, I can't agree with not forgiving someone on principle. As stated, I can't and don't believe in forcing forgiveness, but I think it's a positive trait to forgive those that you can.

Honestly, forced forgiveness is either an oxymoron or a very superficial meaning of forgiveness.

 

[kyoya]

“To err is human, to forgive is divine.”

 

[NuclearSpy]

Thats cool. Are people going to stop pestering this guy now? Being completely honest, but he absolutely wants to be left alone.

 

[LordCanti]

I think people should forgive him already for the sake of PAX; I still occasionally see a tweet/post/etc from someone in the industry, either press or indie dev, that has misgivings about exhibiting at PAX, holding a panel, etc. That show has historically been such a positive thing and people are forcing it to get weird. It would also be a nice to know that forgiveness is possible on the internet, especially for people that haven't really done more than been ignorant on a few issues (I'd defend the dark humor portrayed in the "Dick Wolves" sketch to the grave, but he was undeniably and incredibly wrong on trans issues). We collectively hold these people to a far higher standard than ourselves, and are shocked when some can't live up to those expectations. I don't want it to be like this forever as far as this particular industry goes... I can remember a time when it wasn't.

 

[Turin Turambar]

Again, plenty of people had shitty childhoods and didn't behave like that.

And plenty of people didn't have shitty childhood and behave like that.

Your point is?

 

[DICKS AHOY]

Still feel mixed about this. It's great that he's publicly admitting his flaws and wants to better himself, but at the same time this isn't the first time by far and those other times were usually met with another drama that renders the entire thing void.

I still feel part of the problem is Jerry seems to sit on his hands way too often whenever Mike gets really upset over something. He really should have been there to reel Mike in during the original dick wolves thing on twitter, instead of basically just going "Well boy, I sure hope Gabe isn't going TOO far!"

 

[Jabba]

And he's apologized for those things and wants to change who he is. You can be leery of him, sure. You can wait and see if he's sincere. It sure seems that he is the way he wrote it. But holding onto past offenses after the offender has asked for true forgiveness from an open heart is now on you, not on them.

If I punch you in the face and then later apologize and say "I'm sorry, I realize now I shouldn't have done that. Please forgive me. I won't ever do it again, I want to change. Just watch me change, but give me that benefit of the doubt" And I said it in a deeply contemplative way that shows I'm sincere and I was foolishly ignorant that my actions caused true harm to you. And you said "screw you man, unforgivable!" Then... you're no better or less ignorant than that person used to be. Especially if my actions are counter to my past and then you say 3 years from now, "Nah you're a jerk you punched me in the face that one time!" I agree, it's too early to tell on his actions. I'm just saying benefit of the doubt should be given if sincerely asked.

Hence I find it ironic that some posters aren't saying "Well he was a serious jerk, but he seems sincere and sorry and has made steps recently. So I'll give him the benefit and see how it goes." but instead "Nah son, you're done. Unforgiven forever!" thus becoming the unsympathizing ahole they are rallying against.



Lol... Just like this poster below me.

Well thought out post.

 

[Hoho for breakfast]

I don't really know anything about Penny Arcade or who this guy is, but it's pretty clear what he said was genuine and I feel for anyone that went through that kind of thing. It's sad that he felt he needed to fight back the way he did right into adulthood, but at least it seems like he knows that now and can hopefully better himself.

On a personal note I had it rough and was bullied all through childhood, but I never lash out because of it. IMO you have to find the positive side of it (which isn't an easy thing to do) and let it help make you stronger and a better person. To me it's like the entire goal of a bully is to bring you down and so the way you really beat them is by using them to instead lift yourself up. At this point I feel more sorrow for them than anger. I wonder what must have been so bad in their own lives to make them act the way they did.

 

[Bar81]

WOW. That's really an unexpected heartfelt apology from a grand asshole.

He's trying to change and that's really the only way to apologize. Cut him some slack.

 

[system11]

Kids are innocent and nice.

Are you serious?

They're unrefined evil, monsters which haven't been trained yet and attack in packs, which is something you'll know if you were bullied at school.

And yes, it will teach you to use words against people - there's no better training for vicious sarcasm, and that's why PA has been occasionally funny. Honestly I look at it about 3 times a year now but I used to check it every few weeks, simply got boring.

As for the rest of it, Dickwolves etc - all I can say is online gaming media seems to be comprised of a whole dinner tray of teacups each with its own little storm. There's content out there I don't agree with or find somewhat unpaletable, so ... I don't read it.

 

[Shingro]

I find it very unsettling when people are heavily intolerant/judgmental of people (usually individuals) in the name of 'tolerance.' People judge you and to a lesser extent your cause based on how you present yourself. "Show, don't tell" and all that.

So when a group of people go out of their way to be spiteful and savage to someone in the name of tolerance, whether that person is a colossal penis or not, they do far more harm to their cause then their target ever did..



As for myself, maybe he's sincere, maybe he's not, but I don't ask anyone be perfect, I just ask that they try.

Still, it's super creepy the lengths people will go to to frame things in their already established opinion. If, after a post like that is the first thing you think ".... he's probably trying to trick me!!! D:<" then you might need to do some soul searching and introspection of your own.

Either way, time will tell.

 

[zeldablue]

I just read up on the issue and I just feel bad. I hope the guy feels better about himself so that others can feel good about him too.

Everything I read seemed pretty overblown and could've easily been fixed with some nicer PR. From the outside lens it looked like they were mocking rape victims and allowing fans to send out too many death threats. But I know it was really just them trying to laugh at sensitive people...who suffer from PTSD.

I wouldn't want to go to PAX either if I knew people typing up rape and death threats would be attending. That would be rather uninviting.