Should web culture go up in flames?

[Ahri_Blaze]

So I'm new here. Long time stalker of the Escapist and finally just up and made an account because why not. This is probably going to be a bit heavy and for all I know I'm putting it in the wrong place as because of the content it might entail.

Given....recent events we all know the internet is in utter turmoil. Lines being drawn in the sand and people at each other's throats on a near constant basis. Web culture and video game culture are probably the two most closely tied cultures on the planet right now. Pretty much everyone that engages in forum discussions like these are also gamers to one degree or another. I like to think of myself as an optimist. I've played video games for basically my whole life and try to see the good in all people. Given what I've witnessed lately though you'll forgive me if I don't see that second thing anymore.

So my question to you Escapist people. Should web culture just go up in flames now and never come back? No more forum chatting. None of this. Sites exist, you read them, but no engaging. I'm honestly at the point that I think it should. People hate each other. Extra Credits and TB are getting into it now. I've seen people call one side monsters. I've seen others try to make the other side look like a fool and not leave them alone even when they ask to be left alone.

We don't deserve to interact with each other it seems. This has gone from being simple opinion based nonsense and straight into "This side is right no matter what and anyone that disagrees I'm going to go out of my way to humiliate them, make them feel awful, and maybe even possibly enrage them even if I don't mean to!" At this point being completely isolated from each other would be better than anything I have witnessed lately.

Yeah I like to make a strong first impression.

 

[tilmoph]

Not to be a smartass, but that is the Internet, since there has been internet. Pre-internet, the only differences were these fights turning to actual fights when tempers got high. The current gaming divide is not new, the current broader left vs. left arguments, progressives vs. liberals kind of thing is nothing new. A few years ago, there was the same thing amongst US conservatives. People being assholes isn't anything new. People sending death threats isn't anything new. Pre-internet, people mailed that shit. People holding up the dumbest of their critics to make all their followers laugh at how dumb the opposition is while actively ignoring anyone who made sense and wasn't an idiot or jackass isn't new. It isn't unique to gaming. It isn't unique to any political alignment, any era of history, any means of communication, any controversy, any hobby, any movement. Nothing about anything going on right now is new, in any way shape or form. The internet is just the current arena for this. Nuke the internet, nuke Twitter and Tumblr and Facebook and Youtube comments and Reddit and all the forums and whatever other thing the kids like these days and absolutely nothing will change, except the lose of those things.

 

[Eclipse Dragon]

Welcome to the Escapist.

I don't personally think so. I have gained so much from interacting with people online and I believe I have become a better person for it. Of course there are the major assholes, who take things way to seriously and look to bully and harass others who don't share the same opinion, but people like that aren't the majority and aren't exclusive to the internet. At least in my own experience, most of the typical forum arguments come from misunderstandings and people just getting overly passionate about topics that mean a lot to them.

 

[Ragsnstitches]

If by internet you mean a "relatively small demographic"...

I think a few people would like to think that the stuff that's happening now related to gaming is some massive cultural shift, but in reality it is pretty minor (only important to a tiny portion of the entire online "community") and the shift already happened... this is just growing pains.

OP seems a little naive, as if this is the first time in human history that 2 ideologically opposed groups have clashed. A few people have entrenched themselves into the argument and are just flinging shit at each other. The vast majority of people are either unaware of the controversy, have no interest in the controversy or have long since washed their hands of it.

If I can make a suggestion, stop looking for this nonsense. You can only find it if you actively seek it out (the escapist is, sadly, one such place where it's happening since allowances were made where other sites foresaw the shitstorm and cut it off at the pass). There is in the ball park of 99.9995% of the rest of the internet for you to explore (though I'd say a good 20% of the internet is trauma inducing, so be careful).

Personally? People need to stop fighting social issues on twitter, tumblr, youtube and gaming forums. Few people in general are willing to listen to opposite opinions and fewer still have the knowledge and ability to argue their own stance. Add suspect sources, trolls and the effect of "echo chambers" and you have the worst environment for discourse.

It's a glorified pissing match.

 

[Fappy]

Twitter and other social media venues have been the product of nothing but bile for years. The problem is that a lot of professionals tied to this culture are shit at PR and many of the most vocal fans are nothing but entitled brats. I honestly think that if we could actually hold people accountable for what they say on the internet (beyond terrorist threats) we would see a lot more pleasantness all around.

Just as an example: go look at any news post about a police shooting within the last year. If the article has Facebook comments integrated, you are bound to see some truly terrifying declarations. It shouldn't be hard to find a post that says something a long the lines, "all these pigs and their families deserve to get butchered". That's an opinion, yeah, so you can't really press any charges for that... you know what could and should happen though? Their employer should be made aware as should anyone in the future who intends on hiring them.

A social network wall-of-shame site would be a great resource for employers and could potentially improve people's behavior on the internet... problem is that it could be easily abused :/

I don't think we need to burn down the entire city, but we definitely need to fight back. We shouldn't let a few loud assholes bring us all down with them.

 

[PsychicTaco115]

I didn't do anything wrong so why should I have my posting privileges taken away by idiots in the minority who've abused them?

Internet culture is the best culture

 

[EscapeVelo]

Youve got to fight for your right to PARTY!

 

[Ahri_Blaze]

Welcome to the Escapist.

I don't personally think so. I have gained so much from interacting with people online and I believe I have become a better person for it. Of course there are the major assholes, who take things way to seriously and look to bully and harass others who don't share the same opinion, but people like that aren't the majority and aren't exclusive to the internet. At least in my own experience, most of your typical forum arguments come from misunderstandings and people just getting overly passionate about topics that mean a lot to them.

Forgive me if I don't quite believe that majority bit anymore these days because I frankly don't anymore. I've slowly become of the opinion that there are actually in fact more terrible people on the web than actual good and logical people. Yes they aren't exclusive to the web of course but the kind of stuff that goes on on the web is different than everywhere else. Take away their tool for speaking and at least no one has to hear it anymore there. I know a certain faction of people would scream censorship at me for having thoughts like that but yeah we clearly can't play nice with each other. I mean if web culture goes bye bye so does doxxing and swatting.

 

[Ahri_Blaze]

I didn't do anything wrong so why should I have my posting privileges taken away by idiots in the minority who've abused them?

Internet culture is the best culture

I see your point. I honestly do. I was the good kid in school that when the rest of the class acted out they just did a blanket punishment and they roped me into it too even though the teachers knew for the most part that I was innocent. Blanket punishments never sat well with me when I was younger. "Just punish those that committed the act. Case closed." Though I think now I understand why they used it. Its kind of self policing. Once the big punishment is lifted they don't act out. At least for a good length of time. Students would often make others fall in line because they don't want it to happen again. Do it to the web and it might happen. People might not get so riled up in a hurry anymore.

 

[EscapeVelo]

Cultural Marxist Progressive Identity Politics is tribalist and agitates grievance, resentment, hatred of "the Other" to advance a political agenda. This is embraced by all Center Left parties in European Christendom, thus empowering it to the Zeitgeist, legitimizing it. So what you are witnessing is just this powerful movement getting around to video games, creating a toxic atmosphere, as it demonizes the industry & it's community of gamers.

If you dont like this. You have to disempower the Left political establishment that promotes this tribalist resentment & grievance, race & sex & gender & class warfare. Because this strategy has been very successful for the Left and it's gaggle of organized minority Hate Groups.

 

[Ahri_Blaze]

Cultural Marxist Progressive Identity Politics is tribalist and agitates grievance, resentment, hatred of "the Other" to advance a political agenda. This is embraced by all Center Left parties in European Christendom, thus empowering it to the Zeitgeist, legitimizing it. So what you are witnessing is just this powerful movement getting around to video games, creating a toxic atmosphere, as it demonizes the industry & it's community of gamers.

If you dont like this. You have to disempower the Left political establishment that promotes this tribalist resentment & grievance, race & sex & gender & class warfare. Because this strategy has been very successful for the Left and it's gaggle of organized minority Hate Groups.

I would've really really REALLY appreciated it if no one had brought political buzz words here. Those never help the situation in any circumstance whatsoever. Especially when it comes to video games. Political buzz words do one thing and one thing only. They enrage and piss people off. That's it. Definitions be damned. Those words only exist to tick other people off and offer no real solution or definition of how to fix anything ever in the history of the modern world.

 

[EscapeVelo]

Well, if you dont want to actually look at what has happened, to address/correct the problem, and instead just want to wring your hands, and commiserate about the toxic environment that they created without pointing fingers. That's your prerogative. Enjoy the New Toxic Zeitgeist of Class, Race, Gender, Sex Warfare, it's not going anywhere without being actively confronted and ostracized from civil society. It will be the new norm in perpetuity.

 

[Teoes]

I would've really really REALLY appreciated it if no one had brought political buzz words here. Those never help the situation in any circumstance whatsoever. Especially when it comes to video games. Political buzz words do one thing and one thing only. They enrage and piss people off. That's it. Definitions be damned. Those words only exist to tick other people off and offer no real solution or definition of how to fix anything ever in the history of the modern world.

Don't worry, I have a feeling he won't be around for long.

OT: No. To descend into a different form of dramatic hyperbole: spears shall be shaken, shields be splintered.. ere the sun rises.

This nonsense will pass, only to be replaced by a new nonsense. Things can, should and will change. Web culture overall will not go up in flames; for good or ill.

P.S. Welcome to the Escapist! We've had our share of bat-shit newcomers lately, but it's not too hard to fit in and get along swimmingly.

 

[Kolby Jack]

"Freedom is life's great lie."

You've observed an insignificant, tiny portion of the vast, VAST amount of communication that occurs over the internet. Even in the category of video games, what you've seen is barely scratching the surface. Don't make sweeping proclamations and judgments based on your own small observation window. I'm guessing you're young.

Well, if you dont want to actually look at what has happened, to address/correct the problem, and instead just want to wring your hands, and commiserate about the toxic environment that they created without pointing fingers. That's your prerogative. Enjoy the New Toxic Zeitgeist of Class, Race, Gender, Sex Warfare, it's not going anywhere without being actively confronted and ostracized from civil society. It will be the new norm in perpetuity.

I don't even know what to say to you, dude. You're certainly a character.

 

[HardkorSB]

Given....recent events we all know the internet is in utter turmoil.

Is it?
Last time I've checked, the internet was doing fine.

Lines being drawn in the sand and people at each other's throats on a near constant basis. Web culture and video game culture are probably the two most closely tied cultures on the planet right now. Pretty much everyone that engages in forum discussions like these are also gamers to one degree or another. I like to think of myself as an optimist. I've played video games for basically my whole life and try to see the good in all people. Given what I've witnessed lately though you'll forgive me if I don't see that second thing anymore.

Oh, that thing.
Here's something to consider, 99.9999% of people using the internet don't care about this... at all.
Most of them are unaware that it's even happening.

So my question to you Escapist people. Should web culture just go up in flames now and never come back? No more forum chatting. None of this. Sites exist, you read them, but no engaging.

In my opinion, having the ability to engage anyone and everyone online is one of the best things ever.
It's a thing that doesn't exist in any other medium.
It's something that should be praised and celebrated, not destroyed.

I'm honestly at the point that I think it should. People hate each other. Extra Credits and TB are getting into it now. I've seen people call one side monsters. I've seen others try to make the other side look like a fool and not leave them alone even when they ask to be left alone.

People are assholes? This cannot be!
You know that you can turn off your computer and not deal with that if you don't want to deal with it?
Or even change your nickname and start over with nobody bothering you?
Another great thing about the internet.

We don't deserve to interact with each other it seems.

Maybe you don't but I do and I will continue to do so.
You can quit if you want to.

This has gone from being simple opinion based nonsense and straight into "This side is right no matter what and anyone that disagrees I'm going to go out of my way to humiliate them, make them feel awful, and maybe even possibly enrage them even if I don't mean to!" At this point being completely isolated from each other would be better than anything I have witnessed lately.

You know what?
Having been heavily bullied in real life, both physically and mentally, throughout half of my life, I can't help but to laugh at how seriously you're taking internet comments.
Anita, is that you?

 

[Redd the Sock]

The problem with that thesis is that the internet just enables what's already there. We don't like to admit how tribal we are as a species. We avoid the family member that disagrees with us. We don't make friends vastly outside our sphere of interests and values, usually keeping to the same social class as well. We watch the news that aligns with our political viewpoint, as well as TV, movies and other entertainment. The lack of internet didn't stop people from trying to pull TV shows with certain political messages to be pulled, or write angry letters to newscasters, or protest any political action they didn't like. All it's done is make the voices louder, both those endlessly signal boosting their particular issues, and those shouting their rebuttal. Silence it, and it's still there, but now the guy that hates that political views he doesn't like still have prominence just mutters it to the TV on election night instead of tweeting to the world.

The reality is, as much as it's been ugly, it's been necessary growing pains for online communication. Right now we put so much importance on what is said online without a heck of a lot of thought behind it's worthiness, both in the sayer and the viewer. Content is now easy to produce and distribute, and in such we forget that by being so, a lot of stuff not worthy of the bandwidth even a 140 character tweet takes gets out. The angry tweet insulting gamer culture or whatever holds less meaning when you fully accept it is not a thesis coming from a well researched and reasonable person, but a brain fart from an angry fanbrat upset that what they like isn't popular, what they believe is true isn't universally accepted, and more often than not, get irate that people aren't agreeing with them or saying how brilliant they are.

hopefully as time goes on, we'll realize how little what gets tossed out on social media is worth to our lives and stop listening, which will in turn make those that make content raise their game to competent ideas if they want people to keep watching their youtube channel or follow their twitter. That as professional as they look now, most of them really are just people going "you know what I think" without extended thought about anything. As soon as we realize the net and its celebrities are just a mass extension of the people that used to call radio shows, the better we'll be.

 

[nightmare_gorilla]

Especially recently I could really get on board with a campaign to basically nuke twitter and make it go away, i think twitter makes the world an objectively worse place. but forums and internet culture? nah, couple of womenchildren who can't take it start balling their eyes out about the internet being mean and the internet basically going "i'll show you mean." isn't a good reason to argue against web culture in general.

So, here's the thing, the internet is a pretty decent place and the vast majority of people on it are in fact good people, but I can confirm beyond a shadow of a doubt that if you go online and in a relativley public space stand up and go "now look the absolute last thing I ever want to have happen is for one of you dicks to hit me in the head with a hammer!" within seconds at least 12 hammers will be soaring at your skull. that doesn't mean the internet is a "bad place" or these people are bad people it just means if you paint a big ol target on yourself someone is going to bite and other people are going to laugh. that's just how it works.