#Gamergate, the war on nerds, and the corruption of the left and the free press

[Aikouka]

I look at the term "SJW" as being kind of like a modern day political version of a Crusader (from the middle age Crusades)... except without the religion. The people tend to be rather fervent about their topic, which is usually some sort of social issue (hence the 'S'). I do think the term gets thrown around way too much, and possibly even improperly. Just because someone has an opinion on a social matter doesn't make them a "SJW".

Do you read video game reviews? Do you visit video game-related websites (Kotaku, PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Escapist, Gamespot)? Do you care if game journalists have been bribed, manipulated, or coerced to give false or misleading information, or to show favoritism towards a specific company or game? If so, Gamergate has already benefitted you.

Well, the interesting thing about it is that he said that he's a PC gamer, so it doesn't affect him nearly as much as it used to. Ever since Steam added the ability to refund your games through an automated system, PC gamers have had a method of circumventing biased or just lackluster reporting. (I'll get into what I mean by lackluster in a minute.) What that means is that even if a game gets glowing reviews without deserving them, he can request a refund.

However, this is not the case for console gamers. If I open up a game, most stores will refuse to take it back. This is a huge problem when it comes to game reviews and previews that may have a bit of bias (obvious or not). A console gamer buys a game because of the good and supposedly legit press, and goes to find that it was misrepresented. The gamer is screwed! What's really silly about the return policies in stores is that they're meant to stop people from buying, copying and returning multimedia, but that's really not an issue when it comes to most video games (except for the Wii and 3DS). So, these stores should take games back; however, they don't and the end user suffers for it.

I mentioned lackluster/inadequate coverage earlier, and that's another problem that PC gaming tends to suffer from. The problem boils down to a multi-platform game being covered using a single platform only, and what usually happens is that a console game performance/stability differs in a significant way compared to the PC game. Unfortunately, it's not always easy to find this information as most large gaming sites focus on the console side. TotalBiscuit usually creates good videos referred to as "Port Report" where he'll discuss the options available (resolution, AA, FoV, etc.) and general performance characteristics.

Now, that's a bit of a diatribe on this, but in short, users need proper representation of what they're buying. Fortunately, PC users have a way around shadily represented products, but console gamers are still screwed.

 

[CitizenKain]

Just out of curiosity...As a PC gamer. How is this gamergate thing directly going to effect my PC gaming way of life?. I asked my 18 yr old son about this and he never heard of it. This looks like a bunch of millenials on social media hating and trolling on each other more than anything else.

And, aren't the people that are so into this "threat" of "SJW" social justice warriors themselves?. How does one get labled a SJW?

Not at all. At most a lot of women who would have made games got tired of harassment and threats and left.

 

[werepossum]

Various asshats around here keep throwing that 'SJW' label around as if it actually meant something. Apparently the whole world is filled with the EVIL SJWs except for the brave band of little culture warriors fighting for Truth, Justice and the American way.

Meanwhile the rest of the world looks on while wishing the twits would just grow the fuck up and get on with their lives.

And the bolded part really does speak for itself. Apparently the context completely escaped you. Again, the utter lack of self awareness boggles the mind.

"SJW" DOES mean something. Absolutely no one is claiming that the whole world is filled with the EVIL SJWs, they are pointing out that a very small but very vocal subgroup (radical progressives) within a dominant larger group (liberals) can do a lot of damage if not opposed, because after awhile people tend to accept that their views are widespread. Already we have an appellate court ruling that within an American school a Mexican flag is acceptable free speech but an American flag is hate speech that can be banned. You will find only a tiny minority of the nation believes this is anything but idiocy, yet it has the force of law.

A person can say, "I was being edgy" or "I was trolling" or "It was all make-believe", but the fact (and it is a fact) that Nyberg distributed lude photos of his pre-teen niece tells a different story. You then have to decide, do you believe the evidence or what he/she is saying? My hope is that the FBI will move with haste, there's no telling what that sick bastard has done in the last decade, because that type of behavior doesn't just go away on its own.

Not to support Nyberg because I know very little about her and none of it good, but it's entirely possible that she was trolling. We've seen the radical ring wing white supremacist who claims to have taught Shanley Kane to be a successful ass hat as a career be exposed as operating as a radical left winger as well. We've also seen trolls that do the same on both sides of even a single issue. Evidently there are significant numbers of people who just want to be assholes to everyone. I don't know anything about lewd pictures of minors and the FBI should definitely investigate that, but I don't think it's beyond the realm of the possible that she (or maybe he at the time) is just a miserable, confused individual looking to make angry as many people as possible, any way possible.

 

[MagickMan]

Not at all. At most a lot of women who would have made games got tired of harassment and threats and left.

Name some, name established female developers who ditched game development due to harassment. The reality is, the numbers of female developers are growing by leaps and bounds and the only ones failing (like with male devs) are the ones who aren't any good at it. However, instead of eventually going into a different line of work, like failed male devs, many like to whine and complain that it's too hard to break into the industry, and that it's "unfair", and that no one else appreciates their "vision". Well, sorry to tell you this cupcake, but it's an extremely competitive field to enter, the vast majority of those who try don't succeed, and often when they do they only hold on by the skin of their teeth, regardless of gender. It's every bit as much a meritocracy as professional sports, only the hours are worse and so is the pay.

 

[MagickMan]

Not to support Nyberg because I know very little about her and none of it good, but it's entirely possible that she was trolling.

That was a possibility, until the logs surfaced showing Nyberg distributing lude photos (crotch shots) of a preteen cousin, then all bets were off.

 

[BoberFett]

Not at all. At most a lot of women who would have made games got tired of harassment and threats and left.

No they didn't. You're just an idiot who believes propaganda.

The silent majority of women in game development haven't been harassed and think all this focus on Brianna Wu and her paranoia are what is making things worse for females in gaming, not the bogeyman of misogyny.

 

[Phanuel]

Not at all. At most a lot of women who would have made games got tired of harassment and threats and left.

{Citation needed}

Most of the vocal women devs I've seen on the side against GG aren't what respected devs would even consider devs.

 

[werepossum]

I look at the term "SJW" as being kind of like a modern day political version of a Crusader (from the middle age Crusades)... except without the religion. The people tend to be rather fervent about their topic, which is usually some sort of social issue (hence the 'S'). I do think the term gets thrown around way too much, and possibly even improperly. Just because someone has an opinion on a social matter doesn't make them a "SJW".

Well, the interesting thing about it is that he said that he's a PC gamer, so it doesn't affect him nearly as much as it used to. Ever since Steam added the ability to refund your games through an automated system, PC gamers have had a method of circumventing biased or just lackluster reporting. (I'll get into what I mean by lackluster in a minute.) What that means is that even if a game gets glowing reviews without deserving them, he can request a refund.

However, this is not the case for console gamers. If I open up a game, most stores will refuse to take it back. This is a huge problem when it comes to game reviews and previews that may have a bit of bias (obvious or not). A console gamer buys a game because of the good and supposedly legit press, and goes to find that it was misrepresented. The gamer is screwed! What's really silly about the return policies in stores is that they're meant to stop people from buying, copying and returning multimedia, but that's really not an issue when it comes to most video games (except for the Wii and 3DS). So, these stores should take games back; however, they don't and the end user suffers for it.

I mentioned lackluster/inadequate coverage earlier, and that's another problem that PC gaming tends to suffer from. The problem boils down to a multi-platform game being covered using a single platform only, and what usually happens is that a console game performance/stability differs in a significant way compared to the PC game. Unfortunately, it's not always easy to find this information as most large gaming sites focus on the console side. TotalBiscuit usually creates good videos referred to as "Port Report" where he'll discuss the options available (resolution, AA, FoV, etc.) and general performance characteristics.

Now, that's a bit of a diatribe on this, but in short, users need proper representation of what they're buying. Fortunately, PC users have a way around shadily represented products, but console gamers are still screwed.

Good points. You seem to have taken over Jackstar's role of dragging reason back into this thread, so, thanks.

I agree that SJW probably gets thrown around too much, although I stay fairly up to date politically and I don't know that I'd heard it prior to this kerfuffle. I think part of this problem is that most gamers are either liberal or libertarian, so they are tasked with the dual role of fighting off social conservatives and also fighting off radical progressives with whom they actually agree on many things. That's uncomfortable at best, as one tries to balance working alongside allies of the moment while simultaneously working against their extremes, and is doubly uncomfortable since most gamers aren't particularly political anyway. They just want to be free to choose the games they wish to play without being limited to Depression Quest OR Christian Duck Hunter 32.0. And they want to have a free press that (A) doesn't hate their guts based on some ludicrous stereotype and (B) is fairly reporting on every gaming development, not just the ones that fling the bling their way or are roommates, lovers, friends and/or fellow Social Justice Warriors. Every site or magazine has a limited number of articles it can and will produce, so if articles are based on personal friendship, personal gain, or personal politics then some deserving developer and/or game won't get covered.

 

[Victorian Gray]

You're a disappointment, but I'm not the first to say that, I'm sure your parents felt the same way (and anyone else you've ever met). :\

""Waaaah, people said mean things about me on the interwebz! Muh feelz!"

 

[werepossum]

That was a possibility, until the logs surfaced showing Nyberg distributing lude photos (crotch shots) of a preteen cousin, then all bets were off.

I didn't know about those, but it's still possible that she (or he; damn that's confusing to old Tennessee boys!) was taking & distributing such pictures not from attraction but simply from a desire to be as loathsome as possible. Hard to say, that mindset is as difficult to understand as is that of a pedophile. But I agree that either way, the FBI needs to be aggressively investigating this. Such behavior (I think - not a lawyer, don't play one on TV, did not stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night) is illegal regardless of true motive.

 

[BoberFett]

""Waaaah, people said mean things about me on the interwebz! Muh feelz!"

You accidentally included quotes around that.

 

[Victorian Gray]

You accidentally included quotes around that.

Quick, check under your bed. The scary SJWs might be hiding under there.

 

[MagickMan]

You accidentally included quotes around that.

It's a script not a real person, just place it on ignore.

 

[MagickMan]

I didn't know about those, but it's still possible that she (or he; damn that's confusing to old Tennessee boys!) was taking & distributing such pictures not from attraction but simply from a desire to be as loathsome as possible. Hard to say, that mindset is as difficult to understand as is that of a pedophile. But I agree that either way, the FBI needs to be aggressively investigating this. Such behavior (I think - not a lawyer, don't play one on TV, did not stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night) is illegal regardless of true motive.

Quite illegal, and it's worse that Nyberg took the photos. So you not only have interstate distribution, you also have production of child porn.

 

[0roo0roo]

https://twitter.com/OppressedFart/status/643845659112677380

The beeb just aired a rather fair take on gaming and the science on how it affects players.

BBC: Are Video Games Really That Bad?
YTheAlien
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEbWzg_rxO4

Watch it while the links still up, ythealiens been wiped several times already.

 

[0roo0roo]

Just out of curiosity...As a PC gamer. How is this gamergate thing directly going to effect my PC gaming way of life?. I asked my 18 yr old son about this and he never heard of it. This looks like a bunch of millenials on social media hating and trolling on each other more than anything else.

And, aren't the people that are so into this "threat" of "SJW" social justice warriors themselves?. How does one get labled a SJW?

Some people choose to be oblivious, but that's how these things work. Its how such a small clique of sjw's were able to control the indie game industry and got to pick the winners at those awards festivals, they became the gate keepers while people were not looking. Academia has a small clique laundering bad studies through shoddy science journals which again feed a clique of outlets which push a narrative which ripples through the rest of media. They work to influence the common understanding of topics through misinformation so they can work from a distorted default position that "everyone knows" is true. Like the 1 in 5 myth which even Obama is parroting at this point. They've become well placed to shame and blame, call for changes and even demand legislation on things like "internet harassment" which can be defined as they like.


Right under peoples noses things are changing, comment sections are closing...

Sjw's goals are to label everything they don't like as harmful, and then it must be changed, or censored. Their power is currently in the indie scene where they hold the most power to gate keep and blacklist, the AAA, they still have to rely on campaigns of shaming. They tried to claim a game set in medieval poland was lacking "diversity" ..and of course everything is sexist.. mgsV, no exception.
The series on the sjw corruption in the indie-scene.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkq5lqVabDjzWHB4E30T2W76Yhd_O5R2l

and no, a free speech advocate is not the same as a censorship advocate just because they are both "advocates".


Yesterdays South Park Premiere took on the sjws..

http://southpark.cc.com/full-episodes/s19e01-stunning-and-brave?xrs=synd_premiere
https://archive.is/https://twitter.com/ThePCPrincipal*
The PCPrincipal account, before it got suspended


Looks Like Zoe Quinn Missed a Court Deadline
http://matthewhopkinsnews.com/?p=2418

 

[woolfe9998]

Already we have an appellate court ruling that within an American school a Mexican flag is acceptable free speech but an American flag is hate speech that can be banned.

That's not a terribly fair description of that particular court ruling. The court ruled that one particular school could ban American flag t-shirts during their Cinco de Mayo celebration, not because an American flag is "hate speech" either in general or in this specific context, but because some Mexican students were making violent threats in conjunction with the flag wearing. The court opinion describes the history of inter-racial violence in this particular school and these specific threats. Nowhere does it state that an American flag is hate speech. It doesn't even remotely imply it. Nor does it approve of a general ban on the American flag in schools. It concludes only that this particular school could ban it on this particular day because of specific violent threats made by certain Mexican students. That is all.

While it sucks that a few white kids couldn't wear a flag t-shirt one day because a few Mexican kids were threatening violence, the school nonetheless had an over-riding interest in preventing violence on its campus. As was pointed out in the thread about the Muslim kid who got arrested for bringing the clock to school, schools are hyper-vigilant about avoiding violence or any serious troubles on campus. If a student gets hurt, the school will probably be sued for failing to protect him. And think how much worse it is for the school if it comes out in court that the school heard about these threats and let the white kids wear the flag shirts anyway. The school couldn't do anything about the threat makers because their threats were conveyed to the school second hand and they would have denied making them. The only thing they could do was tell the white kids to turn their shirts inside out for the rest of the day.

Try reading the opinion instead of articles about it on conservative websites. Fortunately this particular right wing cite provided a copy of the opinion itself along with its biased article describing it.

http://www.americanfreedomlawcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/11-17858.pdf

You tell me where it concludes that an American flag is "hate speech" or where it draws any broad conclusions whatsoever about it which aren't particular to the circumstances of one school on one day.

 

[Watwatwat]

"SJW" is an acronym without meaning to most people, they have no farking idea what it means. If you were to tell them what the letters stand for and ask them to define the people the acronym is supposed to slur from those words, they wouldn't have a clue. It's an insider acronym that derives its meaning from those who created it and embrace it. It's a part of a cause, it proves to them that their movement can actually do something (even if it is to just create an acronym!). It means nothing to anyone else, they're just letters strung together by whiny people who want attention. I notice that many GGers like to dismiss criticism of their cause as "SJW tears", as if what they are doing is upsetting to everyone who criticizes them. The way they use dismissals like this means that they are right and everyone who disagrees with them is a feminist or feminist sympathizer, there's no room for anything else. Black and white, it's that simple to them. They have created the SJW and they have created the SJW tears, all to prove to themselves that they are right and their cause is a just one.

The only way these morons will grow up and move on is when they realize that being a GG gamer doesn't mean you are a special snowflake, it means that you're a kid or an asshole.

Probably both.

http://archive.today/ZsztX

Don't let facts get in the way of opinion
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/social-justice-warrior
These things are recent, but so many things are these days, "no platforming" on campus's and "personal pronouns", "safe spaces", trigger warnings and other tumblr internet concepts are being adopted and legitimized in the real world.

http://jonathanturley.org/2015/08/2...-like-ze-hir-and-xyr-to-avoid-discrimination/
https://reason.com/blog/2015/04/22/interview-wih-christina-hoff-sommers-saf#.emzvn8:RXni
http://www.spiked-online.com/newsit...le-of-censorship-on-campus/16658#.VfvhxtxViko

 

[werepossum]

That's not a terribly fair description of that particular court ruling. The court ruled that one particular school could ban American flag t-shirts during their Cinco de Mayo celebration, not because an American flag is "hate speech" either in general or in this specific context, but because some Mexican students were making violent threats in conjunction with the flag wearing. The court opinion describes the history of inter-racial violence in this particular school and these specific threats. Nowhere does it state that an American flag is hate speech. It doesn't even remotely imply it. Nor does it approve of a general ban on the American flag in schools. It concludes only that this particular school could ban it on this particular day because of specific violent threats made by certain Mexican students. That is all.

While it sucks that a few white kids couldn't wear a flag t-shirt one day because a few Mexican kids were threatening violence, the school nonetheless had an over-riding interest in preventing violence on its campus. As was pointed out in the thread about the Muslim kid who got arrested for bringing the clock to school, schools are hyper-vigilant about avoiding violence or any serious troubles on campus. If a student gets hurt, the school will probably be sued for failing to protect him. And think how much worse it is for the school if it comes out in court that the school heard about these threats and let the white kids wear the flag shirts anyway. The school couldn't do anything about the threat makers because their threats were conveyed to the school second hand and they would have denied making them. The only thing they could do was tell the white kids to turn their shirts inside out for the rest of the day.

Try reading the opinion instead of articles about it on conservative websites. Fortunately this particular right wing cite provided a copy of the opinion itself along with its biased article describing it.

http://www.americanfreedomlawcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/11-17858.pdf

You tell me where it concludes that an American flag is "hate speech" or where it draws any broad conclusions whatsoever about it which aren't particular to the circumstances of one school on one day.

I stand corrected. However, is there any practical difference between the American flag being banned as hate speech and the American flag being banned because some violent Mexicans (who we are assured are really, truly Americans) see it as hate speech and threaten violence if it isn't banned? Obviously it isn't a blanket ban, but it certainly sets the precedent that any school can ban the American flag for the same reason. This isn't just illegal aliens either - progressive Social Justice Warriors have long been attacking the American flag as hate speech. Couldn't a few anonymous bombs threats serve just as well as a few second hand threats?

It's all well and good to say the American flag wasn't banned as hate speech, but for the life of me I'm not seeing much difference in effect.

http://archive.today/ZsztX

Don't let facts get in the way of opinion
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/social-justice-warrior
These things are recent, but so many things are these days, "no platforming" on campus's and "personal pronouns", "safe spaces", trigger warnings and other tumblr internet concepts are being adopted and legitimized in the real world.

http://jonathanturley.org/2015/08/2...-like-ze-hir-and-xyr-to-avoid-discrimination/
https://reason.com/blog/2015/04/22/interview-wih-christina-hoff-sommers-saf#.emzvn8:RXni
http://www.spiked-online.com/newsit...le-of-censorship-on-campus/16658#.VfvhxtxViko

Exactly. Unless exposed and vigorously opposed, such idiocy becomes policy and then law with the majority of people not even aware there is such a movement. And it's worth pointing out that Social Justice Warrior is not a tag created to mock these people; rather, Social Justice Warrior is a tag created by these people to describe themselves and we mock them for their actions and beliefs.

 

[Spungo]

Looks Like Zoe Quinn Missed a Court Deadline

People should leave her alone. She's just a person who made a point and click game. She doesn't deserve the kind of harassment she gets. Zoe is not the enemy. Companies like Gawker are the enemy.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

Looks Like Zoe Quinn Missed a Court Deadline
http://matthewhopkinsnews.com/?p=2418

Or maybe not. Update from your link.

[EDIT – UPDATE 17/09/2015] – Interesting and cool update. The online court system has been updated, and Zoe Quinn has indeed filed an opposing brief – only a day late. Most likely it will be accepted and the appellate Court will allow her lawyer to speak.

 

[norseamd]

People should leave her alone. She's just a person who made a point and click game. She doesn't deserve the kind of harassment she gets. Zoe is not the enemy. Companies like Gawker are the enemy.

Seems like she relished getting involved in the bullshit just as much as all the other journalist, developers, and publishers did.

That makes her not more or less of the enemy, but the same exact enemy as all of the other bullshitters.

 

[Exophase]

People should leave her alone. She's just a person who made a point and click game. She doesn't deserve the kind of harassment she gets. Zoe is not the enemy. Companies like Gawker are the enemy.

Nobody deserves the kind of harassment she gets, including Gawker employees.

It's stupid how people get obsessed over anything they can say to try to make her look bad, but the core thing this is about - the gag order and the court process where it's being fought - is a pretty interesting topic.

 

[Phanuel]

Nobody deserves the kind of harassment she gets, including Gawker employees.

It's stupid how people get obsessed over anything they can say to try to make her look bad, but the core thing this is about - the gag order and the court process where it's being fought - is a pretty interesting topic.

The same Gawker that wants to bring back bullying? The same Gawker that posted Hogan's sex tape because it was important news but condemned the icloud celebrity leaks?

They should all get on a safe-space Titanic somewhere and sail off into the sunset.

 

[werepossum]

Nobody deserves the kind of harassment she gets, including Gawker employees.

It's stupid how people get obsessed over anything they can say to try to make her look bad, but the core thing this is about - the gag order and the court process where it's being fought - is a pretty interesting topic.

Agreed. So a girl you hardly even knew cheated on you. Man up and move on and just be glad you dodged a bullet before you procreated or married her. Stalking her just lets everyone else know you're a whiny bitch with issues.