Poll: Why do gamers discriminate other gamers???

[SinisterGehe]

I am just curious what you think about this and if you been discriminated by fellow gamers for some reason.

Here is my story shortly that has happened during the past 2 days. That is if you care about it, if you don't please ignore it and move along to make a reply about why you think gamers discriminate other games and tell us your story.

My story:

Spoiler

I been part of this one gaming community/wow guild for almost 4 years, but few days ago I got kicked and banned from the community board when I got offended by the material they posted in to my "Who is who" topic (Basically a topic everyone has to make, telling everyone who they are where they are from and why they are part of this community, everyone in there had one). The whole things started about 6months ago when a bunch of founding members, who don't play wow anymore but play other games that we play in the community, learned that I do not drink alcohol or smoke weed - well that was just little teasing and snappy comment now and then. Then they learned that I take pain medication for my neurological condition and then started the "lol you addict" insults. But where it peaked and when I got enough was when the founding members learned that I am a-sexual - and therefor also a virgin. They started to post extremely offending and sick porno in to my profile and started to call me gay and other such words for not being interested to see boobs or porn in general - in a sense they tried to "teach me to like porn", according to them.
Well I might have over-reacted a bit the way I responded to this, I told them they they were breaking the rules, which stated that pornographic pictures are only allowed in the "Work unsafe" section and demanded them to be removed from my profile (I can not delete posts made by others since I wasn't a admin). It turned in to a fight in which 6 people were making fun of me while I wanted them to follow the rules and respect me even a little bit. So they decided to ban me before I could speak with the owner of the forum board and delete all the evidence about the situation. I was crushed emotionally. spending 4 years in a gaming community only to be banned because I happen to be the only a-sexual there. hell, even the gay people there got better treatment than I did.

So I wondered, what the fuck is wrong with people? Why they have to insult and make fun of me for such thing that I do not happen to have sexual desires. And why did they decide to ban me for asking them to remove the material from my profile.

I would get it if they made fun of me being gay or something, but how come (EDIT: ACCORDING TO THEM) being a-sexual is worse than being gay? Even the women of the group were respected and not sexually harassed. But it was so wrong for me to be a-sexual (I DO NOT MAKE FUN OF OTHER PEOPLE'S SEXUALITY!!! Just pointing that out since people apparently misunderstood me a it.

Now I am all alone. No gaming community, no more ways to really keep in touch with my friends in the community. I got no reason to play multiplayer games anymore. I don't want to find a new community, I have grown too much in to these people, and now it is all gone. I don't know what to do! Please help me if you can, are there gaming communities for people like me - for a-sexuals. Because I am sick of hearing constant harassment from the the average straight gamers because I am not straight...

So have you been discriminated by gamers because of some stupid reason, or because of your, beliefs, sexual orientation, nationality or similar reasons. I don't count gender here - sorry! I know it matters also but we know that happens. I wanna know if there been other reasons also.
Why do people act like this?
How did you respond to it.

Because I don't want to feel all alone as a victim, I want to know if there are others who been discriminated like I have.

Please tell me your experiences, I want to know!

Edit:

To clarify few questions that have come up in the discussion this far.
No I am not minor, I quite much an full aged adult with adult responsibilities and all that depressing stuff that makes you hate the world.
I have played with them for 4 years!!! During that time everyone gets to know each other quite deeply... It is kinda bound to happen when you spend 14-25+ hours a week in the same VoiP channel.

AND NO I DO NOT MAKE FUN OF OTHER PEOPLE'S SEXUAL ORIENTATION! I find it extremely distasteful. But the thing is, the guys made fun of me more than they made fun of the gay guys, they said worse things to me than they ever did to them.

And if you misunderstood me somehow, I am sorry - I am not native English speaker and I have problems understanding social context and references in speech and text. That is why I am really bad at writing stuff.

 

[vehystrix]

Sounds like that community in question was made up out of twats. Lots of gaming communities are filled with similar juviniles. 12 year olds screaming over XBOX Live come to mind.
It all comes down to 'whatever-it's called' s law (can't remember the name, its a PA comic) that the internet makes a twat out of everyone. While that's not entirely true, it does seem to raise its head quite often.
There are communities that are mature and respecting, but it's not easy to find one. Most of the people of the online gaming community are teenagers, and teenagers are exactly like that (remember highschool, well it's that, only worse due to the anonimity of the internet). You can have some fabulous wow social guilds who's only requirement is that you're over XX of age, to weed out exactly that kind of behaviour(not sure if they apply to you).

That said, I can't say I've ever been discriminated against online, mostly because I don't tend to stick around that long, and even more because I almost never tell them anything personal (I make up an alter ego under the vice of rolaplaying). Especially that last one has helped me get out of some sticky situations.

 

[Wuggy]

Well this isn't a case of "gamers discriminating gamers" per se, it's just people being asshats. It's not like gamers as a whole is a unified group, or that gaming is something that prevents us from being the dicks we are to each other.

That being said, you got really unfair treatment, no one should be discriminated, not for their sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender. Anything. It makes you wonder if that community was such a good place to begin with.

And lastly, no, I don't really have been discriminated against in any gaming communities. There has been an instance in a former wow guild of mine, where a person hated my guts, mostly because he saw me as a "humorless tight-ass", as I didn't tolerate his offending remarks and lazy gameplay in raids. After that he took every chance he got to snap at me, eventually I used the fact that I outranked him and got him removed from the guild. The decision was widely accepted, and I haven't talked to the guy since.

 

[Rawne1980]

Nope, because I don't discuss my private life with random people.

I tell them the basics like i'm married with kids and what my hobbies are but thats as "in depth" as I get.

It's nobody else's business what I get up to.

Pretty much the entire reason I care very little about anyone else's sexual orientation or beliefs. If they choose to tell me thats fine but I won't judge a person on it because I don't care who they do or don't want to fuck or if they believe in god or flying pink elephants. It's really none of my business.

I did have an argument in a bar once with some muppet who couldn't understand why, as a married man, I have gay friends. It was like arguing with a brick wall. Couldn't quite grasp that I really don't give a shit about a persons personal life enough for me to judge someone on it.

I do get "judged" a little bit sometimes. I'm not a cynical type but occasionally I can be a bastard. MY wifes pet name for me when we first met was "****" (sorry for the word people hate but trying to make a point so stay with me) because I like to take the piss a bit and I can be a bit of an arse to people. I was in my early 20's and a bit of a gobby shit. I'm still a bit of a dick sometimes but usually only when a situation warrants it or if i'm in a mood and had a bad day. Never to my wife though or she'd probably lock me in the basement with the spiders or at the very least make me sleep on the sofa. As much of a bastard as I can be she's still the boss of the house.

So yeah, sometimes I get "judged" because I can be a bit harsh to folk, or a bit outspoken on certain things.

But not discriminated against no.

Nor would I discriminate others .... unless I could crack a few jokes off but only then if the person could take it as a joke.

Or if I really didn't like them.

Or they supported Man U.

Or lived next door to me and tried singing to Celine Dion in a loud wailing screech that made my ears bleed .... I hate my neighbour.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Well...I've never been in any rela gaming circles enough to be discriminated against, but, people have been harassing people for being different more or less forever.

I'd be much more surprised if the mere fact that the played videogames made people get along.

 

[Dandark]

It's not gamers discriminating against other gamers. It's just people being assholes.

As I posted in the thread about what you hate most about modern society, people have trouble accepting anything different from their own view. You said you don't drink and smoke weed, which im assuming they did so they already saw you as different, then they found out your asexual which I am assuming was a completely foreign concept for them.

This kinda thing happens a lot, it's why gay's were discriminated against. You should just find another community that can actully be somewhat decent about differences. Also age doesn't make that much of a difference, you will still find people like this in age restricted communities but it's true that it's more common in teenagers.

 

[Cowabungaa]

Many people discriminate. All gamers are people. Therefore, some gamers discriminate.

[HEADING=2]Logic![/HEADING]

 

[Zero47]

Online communities have a hierarchy just like the real society, difference being that online there is annonymity. Every bit of drama increases popularity for the "victor". Being different marks you as a target, responding the way you did enabled them to exploit this.

I understand you feel like a victim but internet being the way it is you're expected to not give a shit, for good reason. You could've known this was going to happen and preemptively not given a shit about their opinions. Don't victimize yourself because man, this is the internet, deal with it (though it sucks if you really lost good friends over something like this). Like many others I expect people to build a shield and not take it too seriously.

For example when people go berserk 'cause I used the N word I feel like it's just petty of them (yes, even though I'll never know what it's like to have to deal with this race issue), if they mention that's hurtful to them I'll apologise and do my best to respect that. I don't mean to be rascist I just talk shit while gaming (in a small skype community).


I've been discriminated against over my autism and didn't give a shit. Because of this attitude the situation doesn't progress and people forget the same day.

 

[krazykidd]

Wooooow that sucks, haven't really been discrimanted against , but i tend to get shunned back when i used to play wow , because i have the kind of personallity that you either love or hate . I joke around way too much and my sense of humour is really american cartoon-like ( i quote family guy/south park way too much) . So either people love me because they think i'm funy or hate me because i talk too much and joke all the fucking time .

Also , never put on personal information on the internet EVER. People will always make fun of you no matter what . Thats how the internet is . L

 

[Blunderboy]

As others have pointed out, you weren't discriminated against for being a gamer, but for being 'asexual' (which I can't really get my head around).
Every group of people will have dickheads to be honest.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

but how come being a-sexual is worse than being gay? Even the women of the group were respected and not sexually harassed. But it was so wrong for me to be a-sexual

Probably because a lot of people who claim to be asexual on the internet are whiny, attention-seeking, fucktards. Not saying you are, but that's usually what's going on.

 

[Laser Priest]

Because gamers, like almost all groups of people, have their fair share of fucking assholes.

 

[Indeterminacy]

Many people discriminate. All gamers are people. Therefore, some gamers discriminate.

[HEADING=2]Logic![/HEADING]

Many people have testicular cancer. All women are people. Therefore, some women have testicular cancer.

[HEADING=2]Fallacy![/HEADING]

 

[Flare Phoenix]

I would get it if they made fun of me being gay or something, but how come being a-sexual is worse than being gay?

Really?! So it's okay to make fun of people who are gay?! I was actually feeling sorry for you, but not after reading that statement! Unbelievable...

 

[Cowabungaa]

Many people discriminate. All gamers are people. Therefore, some gamers discriminate.

[HEADING=2]Logic![/HEADING]

Many people have testicular cancer. All women are people. Therefore, some women have testicular cancer.

[HEADING=2]Fallacy![/HEADING]

Nope.avi, because only men can get testicular cancer, as women don't have testes. And in my example such parameters aren't there.

[HEADING=2]Faulty example![/HEADING]

 

[Wintermoot]

kinda weird they banned you for something you couldn't fix still that was a dick move by the other users.

OT
I never got discriminated on a gamer community.
(then again I only have The Escapist)

 

[5t3v0]

Many people discriminate. All gamers are people. Therefore, some gamers discriminate.

[HEADING=2]Logic![/HEADING]

Many people have testicular cancer. All women are people. Therefore, some women have testicular cancer.

[HEADING=2]Fallacy![/HEADING]

Nope.avi, because only men can get testicular cancer, as women don't have testes. And in my example such parameters aren't there.

[HEADING=2]Faulty example![/HEADING]

Um...

[HEADING=2]Bold Text![/HEADING]

Sorry... Just wanted to be a part of the group...

But O/T yeah, just looks like you've come across the Interdouche. They are everywhere, even on the little gaming forum I frequent, but luckily that one is a lot more tight nit so the moderators are generally on most peoples sides bar the Trolls/Annoyingly outspoken to the point where you are WRONG WRONG JUST PLAIN FUCKING WRONG! (not directed at anyone in this thread)

 

[Steppin Razor]

There are a lot of fucking stupid people out there. Fucking stupid people suffer from being unable to understand anything that is different to them. In the case of sexual orientation, most of these paragons of intellect can not comprehend how somebody could not be attracted to the opposite sex, let alone to not be attracted to anyone at all. The idea is so utterly alien to them that their little minds are broken and the only thing they know how to do is react negatively towards whatever it was that caused it.

Or they supported Man U.

It's ok, I won't discriminate back against you. I'll just make passing comments about Giggs and his overly developed biceps from having to lift that trophy so many times.

 

[tunderball]

I don't think this is an issue with gaming so to speak more with childish people being childish.

The internet and the anonimity that comes with it is a powerful thing that is often abused, the immature nerdy members of any community can sit down at a computer and suddenly become..... Jock Studdly - captain of all the sports teams, conquerer of many a girls heart, able to bench press a car who plays MMOs when he's got time off from being awesome.

My advice would always be to never give away in depth personal information over the internet just stick to the basics. As for your community - well they seem like a pleasant bunch, why not see this as a time to move onto better things? If you care about it so much however why not message one of the more mature members and try to get the situation resolved?

And seriously you've got to really think about the benefits of being associated with a group of people who think its ok to bash anybody for their beliefs, why not go out and get some real friends?