Poll: NYTimes covers sexual harassment in the gamer community

[Noetherian]

This morning, there's a front-page article on the NYT website (and in the print edition) with the headline In Virtual Play, Sex Harassment Is All Too Real [http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/02/us/sexual-harassment-in-online-gaming-stirs-anger.html]. The article itself will sound like old news to most of you in terms of the events it describes: Cross Assault, the Kickstarter Women in Games debacle, the ExtraCredits guys' work to get Microsoft to better police XBox Live, etc. On the other hand, this isn't an opinion piece on a gaming blog; this is the front page of a national American newspaper for a general audience. Our issues are being presented to the country/world at large.

So, how do we sound? I for one was pleasantly surprised by the sometimes hopeful tone of the article, despite its headline and opening focus on the problem itself. "The gaming industry is actually in the process of changing," Ms. Sarkeesian says, attributing the main issue to a small group of male gamers. Microsoft also makes an effort to sound like it's growing up. On the other hand, by this point we've heard all the negative points before, so I might be too eager to focus on the positive.

I'd like to open up this thread to your reactions and thoughts on the article-- I know the escapist has had plenty of room for debating the underlying issues themselves, so please try to avoid that. Feel free to expound on your poll answers as well, and thanks for your time.

 

[Fappy]

Good read. Despite that fact that this is very much our "dirty laundry" on display, it is something that needs the spotlight so that we can really begin to see change. In the end, this can only improve the industry and the community as a whole.

 

[Zaik]

Who is we?

And more importantly, why does my "we" even include some weird fighting game tournament perverts and a few "trolls" who got entirely too butthurt over someone running a small time con on kickstarter.

I don't even know or care about any of these people.

 

[Smooth Operator]

A good read for the most part, however a few things are left out.
- they write the article as if gaming is the only place of bigotry
- they make it seem like bigotry is exclusively flung toward women
- they never mention Sarkeesian went trolling on 4chan to get her "proof" of abuse

Other then that it's a well written article, and it does outline the very real problem with this ever growing community.

 

[Erttheking]

This is very much our dirty laundry being aired out but you know what? We might need it being shown to the world. I never got people who said that "dicks with be dicks" shrugged his shoulders and moved on, I'm pretty sure Martin Luther King Jr. didn't change anything by just saying "well that's the way things are". If we want to improve the online community for the better (and it's in serious need of improvement), we might need a wake up slap to the face.

 

[Fappy]

This is very much our dirty laundry being aired out but you know what? We might need it being shown to the world. I never got people who said that "dicks with be dicks" shrugged his shoulders and moved on, I'm pretty sure Martin Luther King Jr. didn't change anything by just saying "well that's the way things are". If we want to improve the online community for the better (and it's in serious need of improvement), we might need a wake up slap to the face.

Or several. I imagine it is going to take A LOT to make any kind of large-scale change. I just hope things like this can help us towards that eventuality.

 

[Erttheking]

This is very much our dirty laundry being aired out but you know what? We might need it being shown to the world. I never got people who said that "dicks with be dicks" shrugged his shoulders and moved on, I'm pretty sure Martin Luther King Jr. didn't change anything by just saying "well that's the way things are". If we want to improve the online community for the better (and it's in serious need of improvement), we might need a wake up slap to the face.

Or several. I imagine it is going to take A LOT to make any kind of large-scale change. I just hope things like this can help us towards that eventuality.

Well we have been getting a couple lately, hopefully we can get a couple more or at least some people who want to change for the better. It's kind of weird, I never run into these people when I play Halo (well...most of the time) but they seem to be everywhere when I'm not looking. I've yet to encounter one person online being sexist towards a woman, but I'd have to be blind and deaf to say they don't exist.

 

[Fappy]

This is very much our dirty laundry being aired out but you know what? We might need it being shown to the world. I never got people who said that "dicks with be dicks" shrugged his shoulders and moved on, I'm pretty sure Martin Luther King Jr. didn't change anything by just saying "well that's the way things are". If we want to improve the online community for the better (and it's in serious need of improvement), we might need a wake up slap to the face.

Or several. I imagine it is going to take A LOT to make any kind of large-scale change. I just hope things like this can help us towards that eventuality.

Well we have been getting a couple lately, hopefully we can get a couple more or at least some people who want to change for the better. It's kind of weird, I never run into these people when I play Halo (well...most of the time) but they seem to be everywhere when I'm not looking. I've yet to encounter one person online being sexist towards a woman, but I'd have to be blind and deaf to say they don't exist.

When I used to play a lot of FPS' a few years ago (primarily Halo 3 and Modern Warfare) I heard sexist remarks and harassment every time there was a female in the game. Not sure how bad it is today since I don't play many online games.

 

[Erttheking]

This is very much our dirty laundry being aired out but you know what? We might need it being shown to the world. I never got people who said that "dicks with be dicks" shrugged his shoulders and moved on, I'm pretty sure Martin Luther King Jr. didn't change anything by just saying "well that's the way things are". If we want to improve the online community for the better (and it's in serious need of improvement), we might need a wake up slap to the face.

Or several. I imagine it is going to take A LOT to make any kind of large-scale change. I just hope things like this can help us towards that eventuality.

Well we have been getting a couple lately, hopefully we can get a couple more or at least some people who want to change for the better. It's kind of weird, I never run into these people when I play Halo (well...most of the time) but they seem to be everywhere when I'm not looking. I've yet to encounter one person online being sexist towards a woman, but I'd have to be blind and deaf to say they don't exist.

When I used to play a lot of FPS' a few years ago (primarily Halo 3 and Modern Warfare) I heard sexist remarks and harassment every time there was a female in the game. Not sure how bad it is today since I don't play many online games.

Most people don't even have their mikes in (in Reach at least) but there still are a couple of assholes, but they seem to be general assholes, the ones that throw a temper tantrum when they lose and mock people when they win. They're asses, not sexist...then again I think I can count the number of times I played with a girl with a mike on my fingers...using one hand.

 

[Fappy]

This is very much our dirty laundry being aired out but you know what? We might need it being shown to the world. I never got people who said that "dicks with be dicks" shrugged his shoulders and moved on, I'm pretty sure Martin Luther King Jr. didn't change anything by just saying "well that's the way things are". If we want to improve the online community for the better (and it's in serious need of improvement), we might need a wake up slap to the face.

Or several. I imagine it is going to take A LOT to make any kind of large-scale change. I just hope things like this can help us towards that eventuality.

Well we have been getting a couple lately, hopefully we can get a couple more or at least some people who want to change for the better. It's kind of weird, I never run into these people when I play Halo (well...most of the time) but they seem to be everywhere when I'm not looking. I've yet to encounter one person online being sexist towards a woman, but I'd have to be blind and deaf to say they don't exist.

When I used to play a lot of FPS' a few years ago (primarily Halo 3 and Modern Warfare) I heard sexist remarks and harassment every time there was a female in the game. Not sure how bad it is today since I don't play many online games.

Most people don't even have their mikes in (in Reach at least) but there still are a couple of assholes, but they seem to be general assholes, the ones that throw a temper tantrum when they lose and mock people when they win. They're asses, not sexist...then again I think I can count the number of times I played with a girl with a mike on my fingers...using one hand.

Yeah... come to think of it I can't remember very many at all D:

When I used to play a lot of FPS' a few years ago (primarily Halo 3 and Modern Warfare) I heard sexist remarks and harassment every time there was a female in the game. Not sure how bad it is today since I don't play many online games.

I can tell you: Unless it is a server with strict and active admins who go out against of any kind of bad behaviour (like insulting in chat or voice / flaming) it isn't any better. Especially if you go to the mainstream stuff.

I don't doubt that for a second.

 

[Erttheking]

This is very much our dirty laundry being aired out but you know what? We might need it being shown to the world. I never got people who said that "dicks with be dicks" shrugged his shoulders and moved on, I'm pretty sure Martin Luther King Jr. didn't change anything by just saying "well that's the way things are". If we want to improve the online community for the better (and it's in serious need of improvement), we might need a wake up slap to the face.

Or several. I imagine it is going to take A LOT to make any kind of large-scale change. I just hope things like this can help us towards that eventuality.

Well we have been getting a couple lately, hopefully we can get a couple more or at least some people who want to change for the better. It's kind of weird, I never run into these people when I play Halo (well...most of the time) but they seem to be everywhere when I'm not looking. I've yet to encounter one person online being sexist towards a woman, but I'd have to be blind and deaf to say they don't exist.

When I used to play a lot of FPS' a few years ago (primarily Halo 3 and Modern Warfare) I heard sexist remarks and harassment every time there was a female in the game. Not sure how bad it is today since I don't play many online games.

Most people don't even have their mikes in (in Reach at least) but there still are a couple of assholes, but they seem to be general assholes, the ones that throw a temper tantrum when they lose and mock people when they win. They're asses, not sexist...then again I think I can count the number of times I played with a girl with a mike on my fingers...using one hand.

Yeah... come to think of it I can't remember very many at all D:

When I used to play a lot of FPS' a few years ago (primarily Halo 3 and Modern Warfare) I heard sexist remarks and harassment every time there was a female in the game. Not sure how bad it is today since I don't play many online games.

I can tell you: Unless it is a server with strict and active admins who go out against of any kind of bad behaviour (like insulting in chat or voice / flaming) it isn't any better. Especially if you go to the mainstream stuff.

I don't doubt that for a second.

It's a shame really. Gaming can be such a freaking sausage fest that I really wish more girls would play it, if nothing more than to add variety.

 

[Fappy]

-Snip-

I played with a lot of women back in my WoW days. Some of them were really good, but they got tons of shit anyway. Talk about sexist community D:

 

[Erttheking]

It's a shame really. Gaming can be such a freaking sausage fest that I really wish more girls would play it, if nothing more than to add variety.

Well, female gaming population is rather close to half (and even if I exclude Farmville and stuff I can't think that the number is less than 1/3). But sadly most have realised that unveiling their gender online (and be it just a nickname that is somehow girly) is a stupid idea. From ingame harassment to after-game spamming of messages containing insults or asking to show them their tits, everything is there.

But hey, not a problem in the eyes of many *sigh*.

I actually expirienced firsthand what kind if whisper messages a friend of mine got in WoW from guildmates that behaved like normal players in other chats. Just because during raid she opened her mouth (so that they could know her gender).

Sad but true, I'm starting to think this myself. It's a shame really, but then again people are starting to stop using mikes in general on Xbox live unless they're in a party, and the people who aren't are the reason why.

 

[RaikuFA]

Good thing they started with CA on there. Did you see Aris and SRK's(BTW, one of the shittiest sites I've ever seen.) apologies?

It was more like "We're sorry we got caught doing what we do best, harassing women and newcomers"

CAPTCHA: fade away, just like the FGC should do.

 

[Two-A]

It's a good read, it presents the information without villifying gamers

 

[Phasmal]

I think sometimes for nerdy people we can get into our own echo chamber where such things are completely normal so it's good for the rest of the world every now and again to go `Excuse me wtf are you doing?`. So I voted positive.

It's annoying for me to not be accepted because I'm a girl, especially in a community where many people understand what it is like to not be accepted and then just turn around and do it to other people. I really wish it wasn't an issue. Sometimes I just wanna talk games.

I spoke up when my boyfriend and his workmate were talking about Skyrim, dude was saying he was pretty new to the game but was getting quite far, I asked him what he was up to now and told him I was trying to complete the daedric quests but had one that was bugged.
Dude froze.

It easier to be a bloke gamer, I know. I've experienced it, pretending to be a guy does make it easier so I don't blame any girls who do.