ClockworkPenguin said:
Even if you leave, you're a victim, people are creating no-go zones, making you go to extra trouble, just because of your gender. That's not on. Imagine if this wasn't on-line. What if unpleasant people started heckling every girl who went into GAME? That's not really any different, but your argument says women should just suck it up and leave the shop until the idiots left. How is that fair?
I'm not saying you should leave or just not play the game. I'm saying you should use the tools and methods made available to you to stop the problem, instead of complaining about something you have complete control over. And if you can't be bothered to take those "extra steps"(pressing a few buttons), you have no right to complain and play the victim.
And your GAME analogy doesn't work. There's an obvious difference between completely avoidable in-game harassment, and someone physically in the same room as you harassing you. Although news media would like you to believe different.
I could sort of accept your point, if you were just offering advice, but you're not. You are telling people to stop complaining so that you can stick your hands over your ears and pretend there isn't a problem. We need more people to be complaining about this, not less. Otherwise the problem will never go away.
I am offering advice. Several times I've suggested muting and blocking. Not once did I suggest someone simply not play their game. It's only a problem as long as people let it be a problem. Despite the best efforts of others, I don't have that problem. Probably because I know how to use the mute button. Neither of the female members of my group have a problem, because they also know how to use the mute button, and they take control of the things they can control.
Nothing after the break is directed to the quoted person above, but to anyone that can answer this question.
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Read this:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.358872-TV-News-Report-Warns-of-Cyber-Bullying-on-Xbox-Live
Why is it that the majority of the comments in that article are about how the game is rated M(18+)(with a mixture of "mute them"/bad parenting accusations) and that type of behavior is to be expected(foul language and insults), yet here we have a different demographic being targeted(Children Vs Females), and it's suddenly a huge problem? "It's ok if they're children, but not if they're female."?
Why is it that every time a story comes out about someone being "cyber bullied", the people here suggest that the "victim" should just block them on Facebook/Skype/whatever program is being used to contact them, but in gaming, it's a foreign concept, despite having access to the same tools and features?
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.358526-Poll-Would-you-ever-hit-a-woman?view_results=1
Even here the general consensus is that you'd physically hit a person, regardless of their gender. But completely blockable, mutable, verbal harassment is off limits?
The Escapist community is fickle.
[small]I think it's important to note that I don't advocate immature online behavior. However, I do recognize that even though that type of behavior online uncalled for, it does exist. That's a fact.
What I do advocate is the use of the features and tools available to you to stop yourself from being harassed.
If your neighbor punches you in the face every time you go to their house, you stop going to their house. If someone is verbally harassing you online, you mute them.[/small]
