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[Palculator]

For maximum effect, read the comment section while she speaks. Some people are gross.

 

[TimmiT]

It's convenient that if you need any proof that she's not just making up all the shit she gets, all you need to do is scroll down to the comments section.

 

[Fury451]

Simply because she wants certain changes and change means bringing different things to the medium. Look at human history and people generally look at change with skepticism and/or anger. So what may seem rational enough to say you, and me, may be crazy in another person's mind.

The internet is a vast place, so you can find a large number, if yet a small minority percentage wise, of people who cannot handle basic factual information and do not wish to look at their favorite activity with any amount of critical eye.

Extremism and hate, in all their forms, are based in ignorance and often paired with blatantly ignoring reality.

It's never okay, and it's never excusable. But people don't need reasons to hate. They just do.

All good points. I guess the issue being that I don't know people that act this way on reality (well hopefully they don't in secret at least), so even though I understand that hate for change and taking a stand; forcing critical evaluation and self-critiquing is uncomfortable, it is also highly necessary for progress.

I just cannot even fathom being in the same mindset as people who would threaten death and other awful statements, just based on a call for better representation. It's literally incomprehensible. And I've been gaming for a long, long time now- id love to see more progress and equality, so I don't get what types of gamers could support this behavior. Progress is happening- unfortunately at times it is so gradual that it seems nvisible, but I see it here and there, and I'm glad there are people and developers willing to start pushing back.

 

[kubus]

I have mad respect for this woman. Everytime I see her in the headlines again, I'm amazed she hasn't given up the fight yet despite the constant harassment and death threats.

 

[benicillin]

Oh? Hmm. I wonder if this true. Nope, it's not true. When you make false statements over and over expect criticism of those false statements. People say shit to each other online all the time. Fear mongering about it won't fix it. That's just society

"That's just society" is such a bullshit and lazy response to stuff like this, I don't even know why people bother to type it out. In the real world if you went out and said even half the shit I read in comments people would think you were part of Westboro or something.

 

[fantomena]

Loved every word that came out from her.

 

[Jebral]

It's been way past time to start outing these punks that send such vile threats for a woman just having a discussion about video games. If Curt Shilling can make it happen for those idiots that were sending his daughter rape threats and comments, someone can make it happen for Anita as well. I'm sick of this behavior having no consequences.

What. What? WHAT? Dude started a company that made a pretty rockin' arpg... And was thanked with rape threats to his daughter?

edit: http://nation.foxnews.com/2015/03/0...ughter-curt-schilling-shares-their-identities

Ah! So real life consequences to being a moron! This should happen more often.

 

[TatteredHat]

No, do not avoid the comments.

Look at them.

Look at them.

This is what the current state of our hobby has bred. This is the new generation that represents our hobby, formed by the media they consumed.

Look at them.

You want to change this, stop supporting what creates them. And actively rebuke it, and them.

Do not cover your eyes and ignore it. Anita sure as hell doesnt have that luxery.

I'd have trouble specifically pointing out what kind of games media turns normal people into misogynistic online death-threat hate machines, it's probably a bigger issue that has to do with online anonimity.

 

[Norse360]

I really don't understand where these people come from? Who are their parents? What kind of society are they a part of? Which school do they attend? I'm scared.

 

[Mesoian]

Oh? Hmm. I wonder if this true. Nope, it's not true. When you make false statements over and over expect criticism of those false statements. People say shit to each other online all the time. Fear mongering about it won't fix it. That's just society

It's not one person, its everyone who get they get a response from. Its how this works.

so no. The fact that you're on a board dedicated to gaming saying this shit means you are also part of it. Are you? Am I? I suspect the answer is no to both. So stop spreading their lies. Otherwise, what the fuck are you doing here? You say you don't want to be part of it. So don't visit it. By your basis, its guilty by association. So don't associated.

Fucking hell guys. Stop drinking the god damn kool aid for once.

Well, that's sort of the thing, disassociation right?

People get told all sorts of vile shit while playing online, so a lot of people stop playing online.

A lot of people get told all sorts of vile shit being on game forums (this one less than others, but still), so a lot of people stop visiting those forums

And now, a lot of people are saying that they don't want to be associated with the vitriol of the gaming world. So a lot of people step away from gaming.

That's how things are. Hell, even here, the only recourse we have a lot of the times when we see this sort of harassment is to, figuratively, pretend that the piss in our face is rain, because it's not going to change.

I really don't understand where these people come from? Who are their parents? What kind of society are they a part of? Which school do they attend? I'm scared.

The scary part is, you probably know a couple people who are like that, and you'd never know from talking to them.

That's humanity.

What. What? WHAT? Dude started a company that made a pretty rockin' arpg... And was thanked with rape threats to his daughter?

Haha, naw. His daughter was sent rape threats and called an ugly whore because she got into college and joined the softball team, and Kurt was proud and wanted to share the news with the world.

THAT'S the world we live in folks.

 

[benicillin]

What. What? WHAT? Dude started a company that made a pretty rockin' arpg... And was thanked with rape threats to his daughter?

His business with 38 Studios was unrelated, he tweeted out something congratulating his daughter about pitching for a college team and was greeted with a bunch of scumbags sexually harassing her. He subsequently identified quite a few of them and they were usually fired / reprimanded / etc. It was nice to read.

 

[RM8]

Uh no. This is the internet enabling morons to act like assholes. This is not new, it's not unique to gaming, and this is not meaningfully generated by the media they consumed.

I want to believe this, but man, how come we don't have FilmGate or BookGate as a result of critics? This thing paints gaming in a really terrible light. And it sucks These monkeys think they're "defending" gaming when in reality they're the most damaging thing to ever happen to the medium.

 

[gruenel]

No, do not avoid the comments.

Look at them.

Look at them.

This is what the current state of our hobby has bred. This is the new generation that represents our hobby, formed by the media they consumed.

Look at them.

You want to change this, stop supporting what creates them. And actively rebuke it, and them.

Do not cover your eyes and ignore it. Anita sure as hell doesnt have that luxery.

Assholes will always exist, video games do not "create" them.

 

[spared]

I like her, I've been following her doings for a while now.

Anita - if there's even the slightest chance that you're gonna read this, don't put all the online gamers that are male in the same basket. I, for one, have total respect for what you're doing and cheer it up all occasion I get. I'm sure I'm not the only GAFfer as well!

 

[Palette Swap]

This isn't a FF video, but this is certainly why she turns comments off.



This is one reason to always disable comments, the likelyhood that a noteworthy nugget is lost is minimal.

That's when she apparently gets unethical because she's refusing to have a conversation with people like this guy or read hundreds of comments like that.

 

[Overside]

That doesn't work though.

That has never worked.

It's the conundrum of how to actively combat online harassment. Most of the people who are posting in those comments know what they're doing and don't care that they're being toxic.

ANd they continue to do it, because they are never confronted about it, because of attitudes like this.

'Im just one person' 'nothing I do matters' 'Theyll keep doing it anyway, and If i get involved then I might have to deal with them'.

The simple fact of the matter is, if enough people show them that their behavior is unacceptable, if nothing else, the difficulty they encounter in getting their way of abusing their target uncontested is enough of an irritation to make them eventually stop. Ive done it hundreds of times.

But most importantly the people they are attacking see they arent ALONE in a swarm of cackling hyenas.

And yes, changing the problem will change the symptoms. My generation was NOT like this.

These people are obnoxious, terminally socially clueless, with poor critical problem solving skills, poor reading comprehension, poor deductive reasoning, bad inductive reasoning, morons who believe they are always right no matter how stupid, broken, or disproven their arguments are, who play games that are obnoxious, socially clueless, that require no critical problem solving, no reading comprehension, no deductive reasoning, stupid inductive reasoning, and always win no matter how bad or stupid they play, and are constantly told how great and awesome they are extrinsically by being given constant trophies and achievements, for doing and accomplishing nothing.

Its not a coincidence.

 

[Mesoian]

Assholes will always exist, video games do not "create" them.

...no one said they did.

 

[Willkiller]

Why couldn't she say fuck you?

 

[Violence Jack]

What. What? WHAT? Dude started a company that made a pretty rockin' arpg... And was thanked with rape threats to his daughter?

The rape comments came in after a tweet he posted about 2 weeks ago congratulating his daughter for making the softball team where she will be attending college. Some people apparently thought it would be cool to send nasty messages about what they would do to his 17 year-old daughter thinking there would be no repercussions.

 

[TxdoHawk]

That doesn't work though.

That has never worked.

It's the conundrum of how to actively combat online harassment. Most of the people who are posting in those comments know what they're doing and don't care that they're being toxic.

There are certainly a percentage who will exhibit this behavior simply because they are rotten to the core, but there are definitely a subset of trolls who feel comfortable and able to do this because society shrugs their shoulders and turns their back.

Online harassment is like terrorism. We will never create a world where it doesn't go on in some capacity. But it is our obligation as a society to promote an environment where it isn't encouraged, within reason.

 

[Darklord]

I'm all for equality and more diversity in gaming but she rubs me the wrong way. I don't even give a shit about GG, it's just putrid filth but here she talks about fighting for women's rights but when people tried to reach out to her to help a female gang rape victim who was raped in her own home as her kids slept, she completely ignored her.

 

[dreamfall]

I have the utmost respect for her. How she's managed to persevere past constant death threats, harassment, and still have the courage to speak very publicly requires incredible strength. And even here, discussing her emotions- that really is courageous.

 

[Stilton Disco]

Man, I can't imagine how just soul crushing her day to day existence must be dealing with this shit endlessly. I have so much respect for the fact she's still standing up to these despicable little wankers, and wish more were being done to stop those actively threatening her safety and those around her.

Still, it does seem she's affecting those actually steering the industry. Her work has at least been acknowledged by the writers and developers if nothing else.

 

[IvorB]

Avoid the comments guys...

I don't understand how Google is okay with YouTube comments being this cess-pit, bottom-feeder paradise that it is now.

 

[Instro]

Assholes will always exist, video games do not "create" them.

Video games were a boys only club for a long time. That kind of environment tends to attract and breed these kinds of people.

 

[Cmagus]

The comments section is embarrassing I can't believe people act like this. It sucks that people are acting like this towards women in the industry especially since there is so many talented female artists and programmers working in the industry.

 

[Gestault]

This is a brilliant talk. Her choice to pursue public discourse as a result of her experience as a lightning rod of politically-motivated abuse is as much as can be expected from any person, given that situation.

 

[LapinAgile]

I don't agree with some of Anita's views or modes of discussion but I will always defend her right to carry on the discussion and have support (and opposition) to it. Not to over simplify the matter but I feel the same way about people who bemoan and hate on the new Ghostbusters franchise gossip.... am I crazy about everything I am hearing? No. But it won't erase the movies I loved... it might even be good. And if it's not I won't support it. Similarly I feel that Anita is asking not for homogenization of games but for a bit more diversity. No one should feel threatened for having an opinion (unless you love kicking puppies... then you fucking suck)

 

[Circle Jerk]

...no one said they did.

Overside very much said they did.

This is what the current state of our hobby has bred. This is the new generation that represents our hobby, formed by the media they consumed.

 

[Dynomutt]

That was great! I do have a question? Why don't you ever see other feminist or women's rights leaders working with Anita Sarkeesian? Or furthermore I don't think I've ever seen any woman in the gaming field approach her either? Makes the movement seem compartmentalized.

 

[MrNinjaSquirrel]

Bloody hell. I seriously don't know how she manages to not go insane with all the hate being directed toward her. I'd have long since disconnected from the internet and abandoned games because that's just not something I could ever deal with. That her and so many other women are forced to endure it just to be able to be part of the games industry and community is truly appalling.

 

[kittens]

Fantastic. Thanks for posting, OP. My heart reaches out to Anita as she continues to fight the bullshit.

 

[RedAssedApe]

No, do not avoid the comments.

Look at them.

Look at them.

This is what the current state of our hobby has bred. This is the new generation that represents our hobby, formed by the media they consumed.

Look at them.

You want to change this, stop supporting what creates them. And actively rebuke it, and them.

Do not cover your eyes and ignore it. Anita sure as hell doesnt have that luxery.

lost me after the first three sentences.

 

[jokebreath]

The amount of abuse she has had to put up with is so horrible, and what's more horrible is the "serves her right/she deserves it" attitude of so many people that may not have personally sent her death threats, but don't agree with her views.

No one should have to put up with constant streams of death threats and personal attacks for engaging in media criticism! This is insane! The amount of damage Gamergate has done to the gaming community at large is horrible.

This article on the impact of Gamergate in the academic community is more depressing fodder.

 

[Overside]

Video games were a boys only club for a long time. That kind of environment tends to attract and breed these kinds of people.

Yeah.

The terminology used at the last DICE Summit was, and I quote:

'We carefully cultivated, exploited and profited off of their entitlement'

 

[Mesoian]

ANd they continue to do it, because they are never confronted about it, because of attitudes like this.

'Im just one person' 'nothing I do matters' 'Theyll keep doing it anyway, and If i get involved then I might have to deal with them'.

The simple fact of the matter is, if enough people show them that their behavior is unacceptable, if nothing else, the difficulty they encounter in getting their way of abusing their target uncontested is enough of an irritation to make them eventually stop. Ive done it hundreds of times.

But most importantly the people they are attacking see they arent ALONE in a swarm of cackling hyenas.

The problem is, no one is interested in doing that for the internet. Have you ever tried curbing online harassment through the internet? It doesn't work, it's meaningless to try because the people you're trying to rebuke are getting off on the fact that you're trying to stop them. They KNOW their behavior is unacceptable. They love it. It gives them moments of glee.

And yes, changing the problem will change the symptoms. My generation was NOT like this.

That's false. Your generation was totally like this, you simply didn't have the windows into people's personal lives that social media provides to see it.

These people are obnoxious, terminally socially clueless, with poor critical problem solving skills, poor reading comprehension, poor deductive reasoning, bad inductive reasoning, morons, who believe they are always right no matter how stupid or broken, or disproven their arguments are, who play games that are obnoxious, socially clueless, that require no critical problem solving, no reading comprehension, no deductive reasoning, stupid inductive reasoning, and always win no matter how bad or stupid they play, and are constantly told how great and awesome they are given constant trophies and achievements, for doing and accomplishing nothing.

Correct. These people are human.

Nothing will change unless the systems that people use change. Social media vendors need to step up when it comes down to protecting people from their users. But that comes off as a violation of privacy, even in the face of horrible acts like doxxing and swatting, so they do nothing.

One day, we're going to get to the point where we don't get to be anonymous on the internet anymore and everything will be tied to our identity, and everyone's going to hate it, but the people for it will point to things like the harassment of Anita Sarkeesian and say, "That's why" and no one will be able to say shit. We are bringing the end of anonymity on ourselves because we don't know how to behave.

Why couldn't she say fuck you?

Because then she's being confrontational.

I know, right?

 

[not_so_special]

I'm all for equality and more diversity in gaming but she rubs me the wrong way. I don't even give a shit about GG, it's just putrid filth but here she talks about fighting for women's rights but when people tried to reach out to her to help a female gang rape victim who was raped in her own home as her kids slept, she completely ignored her.

u have a link for that?

 

[Interfectum]

No, do not avoid the comments.

Look at them.

Look at them.

This is what the current state of our hobby has bred. This is the new generation that represents our hobby, formed by the media they consumed.

Look at them.

You want to change this, stop supporting what creates them. And actively rebuke it, and them.

Do not cover your eyes and ignore it. Anita sure as hell doesnt have that luxery.

Youtube comments are a cesspool across all videos, not just gaming related.

 

[Sapphire Dreams]

While I don't agree with her videos, I don't think anyone deserves the harassment she gets.

 

[TheAdmiester]

I don't understand how Google is okay with YouTube comments being this cess-pit, bottom-feeder paradise that it is now.

I doubt they're okay with it, but it's just far too big to moderate. If a comment gets enough reports then they'll block it, I'm sure. But trying to keep up with comments as they go would be literally impossible, almost like trying to keep up with the amount of video uploaded to check every new submission for TOS violations.

 

[CherryIcee]

There's a classy shout out to GAF in the comments and that's the least worst of the insults being flung around there.

 

[Corpsepyre]

Interesting video. This is the first time I'm hearing her talk. Should look up more of her videos.

Also, came across a Neogaf mention in the comments. ...Yeah.

 

[TheSlySoul]

Remember to press the like button.
I agree with her, online harassment has really gone too far regardless of gender.

 

[benicillin]

Yeah.

The terminology used at the last DICE Summit was, and I quote:

'We carefully cultivated, exploited and profited off of their entitlement'

Full context by Tracy Fullerton of USC Games:

Games quite simply have the potential right now to become the aesthetic form of this century. Between their expanding reach into more ubiquitous platforms and broader audiences, and their emerging cultural status as an entertaining, expressive and educational medium, games are poised at a critical moment of definition. But in order to move past this moment and into what may be called an “age of play,” we, as an industry, must first earn the right to claim this next phase of possibility for our medium. And in order to do so, we need to battle some fairly important bosses that stand in our way. In this order, we will need to defeat our own limited view of games, their place in entertainment and in culture. We’ll also need to overthrow our own exclusive and heterogeneous community of development. And, we’ll need to defend ourselves against our own carefully cultivated hardcore audience — those who want to keep games to themselves and see the advancement of the form as a threat to their identity and their own sense of entitlement. As decision makers, creative leaders, financial backers and educators, we will all play important roles in defining how the future of games will play out. This talk is a challenge to each of us to maximize our efforts towards helping games to reach their maximum potential influence as a global medium of expression, for all players and creators of play, everywhere.

 

[DICKS AHOY]

I'm still in disbelief how much shit someone can get over such a simplistic YouTube series which in any other industry would garner far less violent responses, regardless of whether people agreed with it or not.

 

[RipperGrim]

What. What? WHAT? Dude started a company that made a pretty rockin' arpg... And was thanked with rape threats to his daughter?

edit: http://nation.foxnews.com/2015/03/0...ughter-curt-schilling-shares-their-identities

Ah! So real life consequences to being a moron! This should happen more often.

Jesus that was grown men as well, one of them had a job....

I can not understand this mentality at all, it would sicken me to ever actually type out a rape threat and yet there are people who definitely should know better and are actually full adults doing this? fucking sickening and just makes me think they have real issues that doctors should be looking at.

 

[Mesoian]

I doubt they're okay with it, but it's just far too big to moderate. If a comment gets enough reports then they'll block it, I'm sure. But trying to keep up with comments as they go would be literally impossible, almost like trying to keep up with the amount of video uploaded to check every new submission for TOS violations.

There are little things they could do. Filters, repeated strikes, automated transparent blocking, probation from features, things that make outwordly trying to harass people more difficult.

But they don't.

No one does.

 

[RelentlessRolento]

Shes sacrificed alot but she's making change happen. Nice to hear her open up from a more personal place.

 

[Einbroch]

She's looks like she's aged 10 years. Much like the President or anyone else constantly stressed, she looks awful...

 

[Alienous]

She shouldn't have to deal with the amount of vitriolic harassment she gets.

But the idiot mob mentality prevails.