#GamerGate Needs Damage Control Badly (Small OP Update)

[Sleepy Sol]

I can't say I disagree heavily, Fappy. I put myself in the camp that supports #GamerGate, because I find certain criticisms brought up by the movement to be legitimate. But it's off-putting when I see a good number of people latching onto certain pieces of "evidence" that have no relevance to their purported goal.

It's been interesting to see this situation develop as a journalism student. I really do think many individuals in the "game journalism" sphere have committed what amounts to professional suicide in other job sectors.

There's just too much de-humanizing on both sides of the conflict rather than a want for debate, sadly. Everyone's an 'SJW' or a crying (obviously) white manbaby depending on their perspective. And the fact is such an assessment of either side's concerns is obviously not true.

Regardless, if any posters are getting harassed because they don't 'fall in line' with a side, that's not okay. It doesn't make it okay even if I support #GamerGate or otherwise. It doesn't make it okay period, and they need to report the people that do it.

 

[Doclector]

I'm just fed up of it altogether. I don't know what the truth behind this is. I don't know what the truth behind Zoe Quinn and kotaku is, I'm pretty sure the only thing I'm sure about right now is that Phil Fish is a goddamn asshole, and y'know what? That has nothing to do with this entire thing, and everything to do with the fact that he's a fucking asshole.

Y'know why I'm fed up though? Because as much as I don't know the truth, I know where it all leads, because It's already running it's course. Zoe and Kotaku won't be investigated properly because yes, the controversy has become their shield. SJWs will continue to spin out articles about how all gamers are somehow assholes, redpillers will continue to spin out articles about how one woman's stupid behaviour proves that women should "know their place" or some ridiculous bullshit, gaming journalism sites will support this circle jerk of extremes as a method to not confront the questions involving themselves that have been bought up, the videogamer stereotype will become the common scapegoat for any controversy in the gaming industry, and we will just end up where we were, only worse this time round the track, because now any real discussion of these issues, no matter how polite, is seen as discriminatory.

I'm having trouble believing sanity will ever return to the debate now, that we'll ever truly solve any of these issues in the industry, nor in gaming culture. We'll just keep going around a never ending cycle of shit until the culture can barely function anymore. And someone's gonna jump up and say that I'm blaming Zoe Quinn for the whole awful thing, well, I ain't. One stupid person can't harm much, not really, but what we have is a whole bunch of stupid people, and worse, smart, but cowardly people who would rather fuel the fire than confront any real issues.

 

[mitchell271]

You know, ever since this bullshit started, I've been thinking that I'm just going to stay away from any discussions about gaming for a while, and maybe even permanently. If gaming has such a vocal community of children (or at least, they have the maturity of children), I want to distance myself from them as best I can. So, thank you to the OP and most of the people posting here for rational thought.

 

[Otakun]

I'd rather not sit here and point out the people I see who are posting false and/or misleading info about #GamerGate or even try to rationalize with them about how lumping everyone who posts in favor of it is even fully aware of what completely happened. I will just say if you guys actually want to know more about what happened incident by incident that lead to #GamerGate then I suggest you guys go here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxXUQuvoiIAlpM2osoAitjQ since he has been at the center of this whole thing.

Anyone who says that #GamerGate isn't about gaming journalism have obviously not been reading the right information. The whole hashtag was started because of gaming journalism and journalists made it about Social Justice and Feminism to discredit the hashtag which is what formed #notyourshield. I didn't realize this needed to be said but don't believe everything you read online, especially on 4chan.

Lastly, for the people going on about how #GamerGate and Anita are involved, she's not. Anyone who spends 2 mins looking will notice that her videos views have been getting smaller and smaller and even after all the "harassment" she has received when making her videos that only after she recently released a new video (which was released quicker then her other videos) has she now been harassed enough to be "forced from her home" which any cop will tell you to NEVER TALK ABOUT, yet she tweets it for everyone to see. Anita is a professional victim, she uses trolls to fuel her popularity, another girl gets more notoriety for a time so she releases a video early and posts information to garner for more attention thus throwing her into this whole situation and journalists are using this to make #GamerGate look bad since they have no leg to stand on against it.

 

[DarkRawen]

I can't say I disagree heavily, Fappy. I put myself in the camp that supports #GamerGate, because I find certain criticisms brought up by the movement to be legitimate. But it's off-putting when I see a good number of people latching onto certain pieces of "evidence" that have no relevance to their purported goal.

It's been interesting to see this situation develop as a journalism student. I really do think many individuals in the "game journalism" sphere have committed what amounts to professional suicide in other job sectors.

There's just too much de-humanizing on both sides of the conflict rather than a want for debate, sadly. Everyone's an 'SJW' or a crying (obviously) white manbaby depending on their perspective. And the fact is such an assessment of either side's concerns is obviously not true.

Regardless, if any posters are getting harassed because they don't 'fall in line' with a side, that's not okay. It doesn't make it okay even if I support #GamerGate or otherwise. It doesn't make it okay period, and they need to report the people that do it.

This pretty much sums up my view of the whole situation as well (apart from the journalism student thing). I keep an eye on it, and I agree that there's definitely things that needs to be changed, but the way people act around it, as well as the thing with evidence being shared without ensuring that it's relevant/actually proves something sort of puts me off wanting to go from "Well, I think that some of it has merit" to "I support this". The harassment on both sides is certainly a deal-breaker as well.

To me, it seems like the whole situation has become muddled because different people on the same side want different things and have different methods. Different definitions of ethics, of proof and of corruption doesn't seem to make it easier, nor is not agreeing upon who should be considered part of it and who shouldn't.

Besides, there's the whole: "If you're not with us, you're against us" way of thinking. And that's kinda discouraging.

 

[m19]

If I may chime in with my two cents-

Just because something seems insurmountable doesn't mean you don't try. Plenty of things in history have seemed impossible; plenty of people do things that seemed impossible at the time every day. Speaking from my limited experience, nothing that was worth doing was ever easy. Especially the first time.

...and speaking more pragmatically, and as someone who isn't largely invested in the discussion, seeing one side not only level vitriol and abuse at the other, but seeing the other people in that group just ignore that vitriol and abuse makes the entire group seem complacent in the harassment, even if they aren't. The closest comparison I can make is to The Tea Party, here in The U.S.. I'm not a moron; I don't believe that everyone associated with them is a racist or sexist or wants to take The U.S. back to the 1400s. But there are people like that in the group, and by and large, none of them seem to be willing to address that. Similarly, that you and yours seem unwilling to tell these people to stop because they're damaging any goodwill you may have gotten tells me that some of you are willing to tolerate that kind of behavior, even if it isn't necessarily true. And it becomes something of a feedback loop; the less you speak out, the more people like that come over to your side and behave in that fashion, and the more people who genuinely despise that kind of behavior jump ship.

I'm all for integrity in journalism. Not just in gaming journalism, but all journalsm. But you ought to be able to make that point and decry the sexists and the slut-shamers and the "MEN ARE THE ONES WHO REALLY HAVE IT HARD" types at the same time. Does it take more effort? Certainly. But if you're serious about what you're saying, really, genuinely serious, you ought to be able to do it.

And if you can't...maybe you ought to re-evaluate your position.

When Jack Thompson was being harassed, threatened, had games made about him where you could beat him up no one was calling for us to police the entire internet. No one was dismissing the entire community.

And since you mentioned something an MRA may say. They receive threats too and plenty of them. But you would rarely see the media come out with a head line, "Man threatened by viscous feminists".

But now that a woman's feelings are at stake suddenly we are being held to a higher standard and told to shut up because we are siding with abusers. Suddenly everything anyone says is discredited. That's a double standard.

Ironically calls to police the internet comes from people who don't engage with it. The same people who close down comments sections of their articles and rarely respond to anyone expect us to go around telling people to stop. What is it exactly that we are supposed to do? Say that harassment is wrong? We been collectively saying that for along time.

 

[PoisonTaco]

Five guys, burgers and fries. I don't care about personal relationships but when you use them to promote your game, get favorable reviews and shut down game jams so you can start your own (read: scam) yeah that's not going to sit well with people.

If all you have to do is have sex with someone to move your career forward, where are the limits? Clearly the gaming press doesn't care about journalistic integrity. Does Reggie take an editor-in-chief out to dinner before a major game release? Does Cliffy B. high five a reviewer before Gears of War comes out? That is what I care about, how closely the game journalists are to developers and in the case of Zoe Quinn they are literally sleeping together.

Releasing articles claiming that "gamer is dead" or "death of an identity" all in the same day says that an agenda is being pushed. This isn't about harassment, it's about double standards, lack of ethics and also insulting your audience.

Case and point, remember Jack Thompson? Everybody hated him when he was saying "GAMES CAUSE MASS MURDER." People sent him death threats! People wore t-shirts saying "I hate Jack Thompson!" Nobody in the gaming press came out and said the hate wasn't cool, they didn't denounce the gamers who did it and they certainly didn't stand up for him when he was attacked by them. Compare that to Anita Sarkeesian. She essentially does the same thing as Jack, claiming that "GAMES PROMOTE SEXISM." Just like Jack Thompson, she's a lightning rod for hate and she loves to play the victim. What happens when she gets the typical hate messages and death threats? Oh you bet your ass all the sites are going to come to her rescue.

What we need is journalistic integrity. We need game journalists to be more critical and know how to recuse themselves when they are personally involved with what they are covering. Especially now when games cost more and more money, we need those critical eyes to give us red flags. Instead they just fall in line with all the marketing pushed out by AAA studios.

Anyways those are my thoughts. I support #GamersGate. Go ahead and burn me now.

 

[F4TK]

The primary issue with the argument of GamerGate Vs. SJW harassment argument is this.

The people that throw out abuse supposedly on behalf of #GamerGate tend to be anonymous, and those that aren't tend to be ousted byh the community for A being dicks and B making the movement look bad.

The anonymous nature of these accounts makes accountability impossible since you can only guess at who they actually are from their posts. Some are trolls just looking to stir up a mess on a controversial topic. One twitter account linked as a #GamerGate harasser had a tweet history of comments on Palastine/Israel, abortion and Islamic state. Obvious troll.
Others could be false flags. There have been some of those on both sides. Examples, lots of people making twitter accounts with a single letter difference to pretend to be a moderator or a journalist and then say horrible crap.
Others, genuine idiots. What are the percentages and numbers here? No way to tell.

On the other side of things, you have journalists, game developers, anonymous trolls all harassing gamers. How has their response been? Ignore its existence, or claim it has been justified.

In fact it was telling that of the "developers against hate" so many of the developers were espousing hatred themselves.
http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1s7k8i1

Those that were developers at least. The hypocrisy and lack of self awareness is astounding.

You see the problem is here that if you're going to say #GamerGate has to start some damage control, the SJW camp is going to have to start planning how to survive in the post apocalyptic nuclear wasteland they've created.

 

[wearesoneutralthatithurts]

Iam not a gamer anymore. Maybe i never was..

It wasnt
the press who say" the gamer is dead" did it, but "the gamer" itself.
The thousand sites of hate
The thousand messages, pressing and screaming, unrelenting force
"TAKE A SIDE" YOU ARE FOR US, OR AGAINST US "PICK YOUR FIGHT"
Exclamationmarks screamin. Hey, listen! I can't..

The blogs and posting, making justice into a weapon, breaking not bone but patience
and empathy.
Angry screaming on twitter, contempt pressed into so few letters..
FemiNAZI,C*nt, TAKING OURS AWAY,!
Misogynist, opressor, AIDING THEM!
PICK A SIDE, BE FOR US, NOT FOR THEM!
While others shreding old idols, programming, talking
Leading a force in a virtual raid. Landing the blows, on people and symbols alike.
This is no game. We are mere people, becoming fuckwads
All our, all their emotions, no holding back, nothing,
Nobody is safe.

Safe...
Once there was a time where we felt as one, marginalized but together.
Now all these trenches.. maybe they were there all the time, masked well
And only the changing time ripped off the cover,
Off the killing fields, where all is slain, in a war nobody wanted
(Because all argue for the best..)

But i dont want to be a part of it anymore, not even as spectator.
Seeing the shreds of my early love, friend and, my escapism,
my fantasy,
slain by people with the same feelings, love turned passion, burnt to the ground.

 

[themilo504]

The problem is that gamergate is a massive collection of people who really have no business being on the same side of any issue, not actually united by any central cause or issue, the only thing they have in common is a hashtag.

 

[eberhart]

But what the fuck is all this unrelated bullshit doing here?

In general there's a single thread that binds various people and groups that have different perspectives and secondary issues ("bullshit"). I'd risk a guess you have tens of thousands of people involved/interested/aware atm - so growing diversity shouldn't be a surprise. Imagine 10 people visiting the same restaurant, everyone receiving a smelly steak. Would you really be annoyed if, when trying to crucify manager, some of them started to complain about rotten salad and cold soup as well?

Right now it's like that - with some self-appointed experts on cousine insisting that this particular soup should be cold. Because sophistication, taste and progress. Salad? Oh please, get on with the times, it's simply natural, devoid of harmful chemicals. Also, fuck off, GMO-shill, you are on a wrong side of history.

Why have the lines been drawn between so-called 'SJWs' and 'misogynerd' (or whatever the fuck they're called)?

Because both sides wanted a stronger language, that allowed to paint the opposition in a bad light? "Gamergate" is not a name that could spawn great insults on its own... or any, now that I think about it.

Why is feminism a factor at all? Oh wait, I see, many of the 'misogynerds' are saying that the Indy/Gaming Press Illuminati is using feminism/misogyny as a smokescreen to censor debate. Well if that's the case, then why the fuck are women, some of which have NO connection to any of this (like Anita), getting bombarded with harassment in the form of death and rape threats in relation to this?

I am willing to bet she receives this stuff pretty regularly - and it's not like those nice people are sharing their affiliations and complex agendas while sending garden variety of "fuck you", tailored into "rape" or "death" to elicit maximum effect. Everything else about "#GG connection" depends on how far are you willing to go with "because it's obvious! I know those people! They are totally the same" evidence from armchair psychologist.

The only relation that does not need any kind of proof is in the timing - her new video gets released, some angry people reset their clocks and go at it *yet again*. Also, it happens during #GG. So?

Sure, I can bet some of that anger is overlapping both areas. But on the other hand it's AS who decides what specific harrassment attempt receives a spotlight, just as it's her deciding when to release a video. So if we are dismissing coincidences "because obvious", then at least let's do this fairly.

As for feminism - well, if a movement tries to describe/influence as many aspects of society as possible, it's hard to be surprised that it can be associated with every issue posible, not necessarily perceived as well as its enthusiasts would like.

You really wonder why people aren't giving #GamerGate the time of day? Really? It doesn't compute? STOP GIVING THEM AMMO! Teach the idiots within your ranks to keep their goddamn mouths shut.

I am sorry, was there anything I missed during those star chamber meetings? I didn't know secret handshake, application process and peer review was introduced. Damn, anonymity is gone too? That will make things so easy - I'll get right on that, once I consult with my regional manager on what tactics Eastern Europe and Middle-East should be using.

Whether you agree with their insane ravings or not, they are associated with your movement and their actions do reflect on your message. The only thing holding me back from supporting this movement is the simple fact that it is so over-saturated with immature, volatile and outright hateful people that I can't bring myself to support it.

Over-saturated compared with what? Is 50 people where it's at? 20? Out of how many potential millions and actual thousands? I know a group that IS easy to identify and to count - journalists, devs and so on. So far the analysis is not looking too good for "sane", "progressive" side. Why exactly should we assume that proportions among anonymous masses are reversed?

This is not corporate media campaign, if you are expecting adhering to the party line just look at anonymous (or not) condescending idiots, raging maniacs and hypocrites (especially hypocrites) "on a side of progress". Hell, that side is "supposed" to look nice, civilized and victimized, to have "higher standards". Not to mention we are trained to see non-mainstream attitudes as automatically more volatile, even though that supposed "mainstream" is an illusion created by a group of big websites in echo chamber mode.

If you want anyone to take responsibility for some random psychos, you should establish a direct connection between them first. Regardless of how "real" twitter activism might seem, using the same fucking hastag does not represent anything near that.

I cringe every time I see one of your ilk cry "Social Justice Warrior" and that Vivian James (or whatever) mascot is just a sad attempt at the "but I have black friends" defense.

Which lingo bubble are you referring to? The one where SJW means, roughly, "fighting 1st world problem with language, tone and actions that would be proportional to (the same) 3rd world problem"? Or maybe "a label used by those opposing social progress"?

As fo VJ - considering there's real money behind that, it's much more like a challenge now, "paying"/"doing" against "talking". Like in many historical examples, it doesn't really matter what the intentions of some anon few were - practical result of involvement of thousands does.

If you want a more accountable gaming press, you're going to have to prove that you deserve it.

Er... no. Just no. It's that "entitlement" lingo I am hearing, whether you wanted it or not. Deserving has nothing to do with obligations of professionals. Unless their ethical standards are suddenly tied to a specific number of anonymous maniacs.

I will not associate myself with a movement that is harassing and threatening people nor one that sees fit to blame everything on feminism of all things.

What ugly, threatening figurehead can you point me to? What criminal body organizes and coordinates its "rape mail" actions? Pointing at 4chan is absurd, the amount of its layers does that everytime. Those that do speak openly, industry insiders or not, are not threatening people. As for their condescension, arrogance and holier than thou - these are not hashtags you are looking for.

Add anonymity to any movement that encompasses a large number of annoyed people and every abuse imagineable will surface - but numbers? Irrelevant. The kind of messages you mention is easier to spot, retweeted X times "to show the abuse" and causes emotional reaction. "What? There were any moderates in here? You mean that white noise I just ignored?".

 

[Something Amyss]

There were also a lovely bunch of PMs sent out to people who, presumably, weren't explicitly on the "side" of GamerGate calling us all "subhumans" this morning.

I didn't get that. Dammit, I feel left out.

Though I did get some a few days ago. Maybe it evens out.

Anyway, more OT, I guess....

But what the fuck is all this unrelated bullshit doing here? Why have the lines been drawn between so-called 'SJWs' and 'misogynerd' (or whatever the fuck they're called)? Why is feminism a factor at all? Oh wait, I see, many of the 'misogynerds' are saying that the Indy/Gaming Press Illuminati is using feminism/misogyny as a smokescreen to censor debate. Well if that's the case, then why the fuck are women, some of which have NO connection to any of this (like Anita), getting bombarded with harassment in the form of death and rape threats in relation to this?

But this is totally about journalistic integrity. Just ignore the wild conspiracy theories about women and the rants about women and feminists getting out of "our" treehouse, this is totally about the journalism.

You're right. This is exactly why so few people outside the conspiracy theory aren't taking it seriously. Because it looks like gamers doing what we stereotypically do. Screaming profanity at people we don't like.

the thing is all I did was have opinions....like...feminist leaning opinions (that Ive always had) which apparently made me a "supporter" of zoe quin

if that's not paranoia I don't know what is

Conspiracy logic 101. If you're not with us, THEY got to you. You know, THEM.

Anyway, yeah. It's insane. I'm not on Quinn's side, save maybe in the loosest sense that for all these threads, I'm yet to see any proof that her sex life led to anything of an advantage in the gaming press, and without the supposed "lynchpin" of the whole conspiracy, I can't get on board with burning her at the stake. Oh, and I'm also on her side in the sense that she doesn't deserve the massive shitstorm she's received, but I think that's just human decency at play.

For all the responses, you'd think that she was sleeping with me specifically so I'd defend her or something.

It's funny. All you have to do to be a "social justice warrior" is to want some sort of evidence. And if asking for that is something worthy of such frothing hate, I can't imagine there's a solid case under it.

But then again, I don't know about that. This whole thing reminds me of Bill Clinton in the 1990s, where there was an actual possibility that the Clintons were guilty of wrongdoing in the Whitewater scandal. But the prosecutors, the GOP, and in fact the whole country made it about who he slept with, and on those grounds they really couldn't make the case.

Were the Clinton's guilty of all the things they were accused of? In many cases, we probably will not ever know. I doubt they were clean, but instead of going after them on the actual issues, they went after Bill in a sense of moral outrage. I really hopethe pound of flesh #GamerGate is getting by railing against women and feminists and SJWs is worth it, because they've completely poisoned the issue of journalistic integrity by behaving like....

Well, as I said before: like people expect gamers to behave.

 

[BlackMageBob]

Should every Feminist have to answer for the shooting of Andy Warhol? Should every Republican be held accountable for the assassination of JFK? Every Democrat questioned and cross-examined on how they feel about the death of Lincoln?

Don't enforce collective responsibility. How many words have been put down stating how much we detest the vitriolic hate poured out by the trolls in the middle and the faux-feminists, and the useless, clueless bastards using the combined banner to slag on old feuds? How many people have to genuflect, kneel deeply on the floor to decry harassment before given a chance to speak?

Its bullshit. You know it, I know it, and I still had to do it again. I cannot even begin a post without paying my respects to the specter of anonymity. Harassment and the allegations of harassment are not, and have not ever been a shield against honest criticism. Stop selling that, stop buying that.

And instead of keeping this in one thread, instead of taking your ideas to where it might face criticism, you instead hide here. Are you afraid someone might *gasp* refute your ideas? Are you unable or unwilling to display your ideas outside of a comfortable room with people you already know you agree with?

"My ancestors are smiling on me, Imperial. Can you say the same?"

 

[eberhart]

Harassment and the allegations of harassment are not, and have not ever been a shield against honest criticism. Stop selling that, stop buying that.

When there is so much harassment that you can't find the honest criticism,

You have someone else to thank for that. You know, certain clickbaiting ambulance chasers... or bloggers (it's changing too fast recently) who are responsible for skewing the narrative towards everything that's fucked up. Get enough websites playing that echo chamber and numbers or proportions stop being relevant.

 

[Fappy]

Should every Feminist have to answer for the shooting of Andy Warhol? Should every Republican be held accountable for the assassination of JFK? Every Democrat questioned and cross-examined on how they feel about the death of Lincoln?

Those are some heavy-handed analogies you are playing with there.

Don't enforce collective responsibility. How many words have been put down stating how much we detest the vitriolic hate poured out by the trolls in the middle and the faux-feminists, and the useless, clueless bastards using the combined banner to slag on old feuds? How many people have to genuflect, kneel deeply on the floor to decry harassment before given a chance to speak?

Anything someone says on behalf of your movement WILL reflect on your movement's message whether the majority agrees with it or not. As unfair as that is, that is just a fact of life. I never said I agreed with this reality, and it's naive to think you can ignore it. It doesn't necessarily reflect on what you as an individual believe despite your involvement with said movement, but when outside observers see nothing but hatred being spewed from your movement of course they're going to think that's what it's all about.

Its bullshit. You know it, I know it, and I still had to do it again. I cannot even begin a post without paying my respects to the specter of anonymity. Harassment and the allegations of harassment are not, and have not ever been a shield against honest criticism. Stop selling that, stop buying that.

Claiming these allegations of harassment are being used as a shield is a baseless accusation and you know it. #Gamergate supporters are alleging abuse as well, or have you forgotten? The only difference is that they're all anonymous, so none of their claims can actually be corroborated. I am not denying that this may be happening, but if that's the case then you have to admit that many of these allegations by the other camp are equally valid.

And instead of keeping this in one thread, instead of taking your ideas to where it might face criticism, you instead hide here. Are you afraid someone might *gasp* refute your ideas? Are you unable or unwilling to display your ideas outside of a comfortable room with people you already know you agree with?

How exactly am I hiding from anyone? In my opening post I welcomed my argument to be challenged. These forums have thrown in a lot of support for your camp and the Off-Topic sub-forum specifically has been a firestorm, so I don't understand where this is coming from. I didn't post in that mega-thread because it's become such an unfocused clusterfuck that I feel my point would have been lost in it all.

Listen, I want to help you. I really do. If my OP implied otherwise, I am sorry. I truly want the same things #Gamergate claims to be pursuing, but I am having a very difficult time coping with all the madness they're responsible for.

"My ancestors are smiling on me, Imperial. Can you say the same?"

Sorry bro, I'm Khajiit. And no, I am not going to behead you in my hometown of Helgan. That's just tacky.

 

[Namehere]

I've made several posts in the #GamerGate thread. I welcome you all to review them at your leisure if you wish to know why I think 3rd Wave feminism is involved in this. I also urge you to consider my statements on the long term damage this has done to not only concepts like 'progressives' and 'social justice' and 'feminism' but also to individual victims of harassment - sexual or otherwise. For every false claim another victim feels less able and less supported coming out in public. Further more for every false claim of sexism/racism - insert your ism here - that leads to a public media frenzy it becomes easier for people who do really harbor those beliefs to spread them and to find succor from those who either agree and will manipulate a situation claiming someone is crying wolf or those who really do think there's a problem with people crying wolf or levying false allegations.

Some of the statements from 3rd wave feminists of late have been damning to their cause. Including the notion that a recently developed drug detecting nail polish is just another effort by the so-called 'patriarchy' to somehow justify rape. To agree with these people is to see a world where the inventor of the 'rape whistle' is viewed as a rape apologist. After all, we all agree people should stop raping - except rapists and I don't presume to address those with this - that hardly means we shouldn't or can't take efforts to protect ourselves. Nor does it mean the lack of one or another effort should see your case thrown out. This is not Afghanistan where because you were raped and nobody heard you struggle you must be guilty of consensual sex out of wedlock. And to run around portraying the western world - which is the focus of this movement - and its many court systems in this way is destructive at best.

I urge everyone to keep a level head, regardless of 'what side' you find yourself on, especially if your just stuck in the middle. For those who have received threatening or harassing posts/messages - I don't care from who about what - related to the #GamerGate issue, please take images of them and post them. Do not obscure the name of the person who threatened you, they lost that liberty by acting outside the bounds of both decency and law. If you feel truly threatened or just feel like it, please report such threats and abuses to the police.

EDIT for grammatical error I detected... please for the love of whatever god(s) you believe in, don't tell me about the ones I missed. lol

 

[one squirrel]

So is this the thread where all the "reasonable" people come to pat on each others backs, where you can point fingers at people who disagree with you an can call them "whiny mysoginistic neckbeards, who are just afraid of change and don't want women in gaming"? Wow, you can truly be proud of yourselves.