Friday, October 17, 2014

Just some thoughts

At Carnifex.org, Chris has some thoughts on #GamerGate:
Biddle is actually an Editor over at Gawker media, specifically Valleywag. I think in just a few tweets he has summed up the whole Anti-GamerGate real agenda, pushing nerds back into the basement. Biddle’s problem here is very obvious, he hates nerds, he has nothing but contempt for them and he is openly admitting it. So my question is, why should I give my time and allow the company he works for to monetize me? 
I think Chris is a bit more into the Nerd culture thing than I am but I basically agree with his point - basically...

 By most measures I am a nerd, I like Sci-Fi (Fuck Harlan Ellison's pronouncement that anyone who uses the term sci-fi (in a 1979 / 1980 issue of Starlog) should be cast into the depths of the darkest star, or words to that effect BTW). I game, I enjoy comics and superhero movies, I work in the tech industry blah blah blah, you get the point, and more importantly that is basically how I define myself, but despite that I am not 100% on board with the #GamerGate thing.

First off, I think it's silly to be getting this worked up by the actions of the gaming press.  Yeah I get pissed off when they write something offensive about me or my circle of friends / interests so I point it out on facebook, twitter, etc. and I will argue the point if challenged, but really I think it's much more effective just to vote with your pocket book. This whining about ethics is just that -whining.  Welcome to the real world - journalists are even bigger shit peddlers than lawyers and politicians.  Get used to it.

Second, despite the protestations of Adam Baldwin (@AdamBaldwin) and others there has been harassment originating out of the #GamerGate camp.  I'm not saying it is organized or even that the major players in #GamerGate are condoning it, but some people who are associating themselves with #GamerGate are doing it.  Personally I think that's bullshit and it should stop.  (For the record I have also seen some rank shit coming from the other side too, and it is just as huge a pile of crap coming from them)

Third, when it really comes down to it I just don't give shit.  I don't read most of the gaming sites on a regular basis, so what do I care if they devote thousands of inches to Zoe Quinn and her interactive Suicide Quest.  I have watched a couple Anita Sarkeesian videos at a couple times over the last year or two.  I didn't find her either interesting or enlightening so I stopped.  I pointed out what I thought were the flaws either in a post here or twitter, facebook, Google+ whatever.  And moved on now I don't visit her channel any more.  That's how you win.  Point out the flaws in their logic and vote with your money.  The more attention you darw to them by doing things like a) making death threats, b) trying to slut shame someone, c) doxxing them, the more positive publicity you give them.  If you just refuse to visit their site they lose ad dollars and that will effect a change much faster than anything else.

So after all that I am back to where I started - basically I agree with Chris.  Don't patronize site that are going to treat you like shit and don't read anything by Cory Doctrow, because believe me he hates you.

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