GamerGate? Da fuq is a GamerGate?

[pochercoaster]

Originally Posted by shiney

All I know is, if 4chan is involved, I sure as hell don't want to be.

Far as I can see this whole thing is ostensibly about gender equality in the gaming industry used as a front to do what 4chan always does, harass and intimidate people online because it's fun. And get everyone's briefs in a tizzy because that's also what they do, and then deflect valid criticism through the use of misdirection, aforementioned sock puppets, and general dickbaggery.

All the while perpetuating myths and stereotypes that they claim to be combating, because after all someone's private sex life is definitely germane to the issue.

Is this essentially it?

Yes.

[Marc v4.0]

Originally Posted by shiney

All I know is, if 4chan is involved, I sure as hell don't want to be.

Far as I can see this whole thing is ostensibly about gender equality in the gaming industry used as a front to do what 4chan always does, harass and intimidate people online because it's fun. And get everyone's briefs in a tizzy because that's also what they do, and then deflect valid criticism through the use of misdirection, aforementioned sock puppets, and general dickbaggery.

All the while perpetuating myths and stereotypes that they claim to be combating, because after all someone's private sex life is definitely germane to the issue.

Is this essentially it?

Yes, that is essentially it. Some people *COUGH* get themselves all up in a huge huff, though, if you don't drink the koolaid about it actually being some SJW FEMINISTS MANHATER plot to ruin gamers and gaming, though.

[pochercoaster]

It's kind of sad that saying women shouldn't be sent death and rape threats = SJW FEMINIST like that's just being a decent human being. I don't approve of people being murdered or raped it's pretty basic.

[Premmy]

There's a lot of ANGRY people about to respond, you know who you are. Before you do that, please know that you can actually come talk to me privately first and get that out. I'll prolly use "fuck" a whole lot, because that's how I talk, but there's definitely a space for you to work that stuff out in a healthy way. I'm heading to work in a few but I'll pick back up with you in eight or so hours.

[shiney]

Please, let's leave the snide or snarky remarks (and coughing :p) out of it best as we can because that only degrades the discussion. It doesn't become us as a community to resort to that, even if we're upset.

People are going to react differently, and we have systems in place to lodge our objections to those reactions, which has been used today twice for this thread alone and acted upon. Let's leave it at that.

[pochercoaster]

Just to be clear, while my remarks sound snide they are also 100% serious. A lot of people defending GG literally don't understand the gravity of the harassment women face in the gaming industry and that often gets ignored in the discussion when it is a central, and indeed, its defining point.

Like especially the hilarious conclusion that Zoe Quinn was benefitting from all this somehow. Or the idea that how victims choose to respond to harassment is any way more important than the harassment happening in the first place. Or that this is a chronic and persistent problem yet is characterized as an anomaly. Or that online harassment has forced people out of their careers and in other online circles, has resulted in suicide as a response to the bullying.

Edit: To be MORE clear I don't know if this is directed at me but I am just saying this 'cause. I haven't told anyone to f-off and IMO am being pretty generous here, it's hard to be polite when you keep watching members of your own gender being harassed but I'm doing my best. I ain't being uncivil.

[Premmy]

I'm actually being legit there. Watching #Notyourshield take form kinda softened me a bit.

[shiney]

You have a friend and supporter in me, poch, I just want to be clear that I would prefer arguments and discussions remain civil because that's really the only way viewpoints can evolve and people can learn. As it stands, absent a few notable (and, viewed through historical perspective, relatively benign) exceptions I like this thread and I think the message that underlies everything, "Hey guess what women are actual human beings and simply put this conduct is unacceptable full stop no justification" is one that really needs to be widespread.

Shame that there is a huge contingent of people involved that are deliberately trying to muddy those waters by turning people against one another, and worse off, that they are doing it for their own amusement.

[Aerozord]

To me its already been muddied to the point of uselessness. Sure there are some people still trying to pry something positive from this whole mess but its devolved to the point that even if an actual point emerges anyone with any sense would have already distanced themselves from it.

It just shows how insulary the internet is, and how effective a tool it is for bullying and terrorism.

[Ryong]

I'm just going to tell everyone to read the links I posted again because the TL;DR approach to GamerGate is not "misogynists being terrible and literally nothing else".