GamerGaters like to loudly profess that they oppose harassment. They also like to claim that most if not all of the harassment that has occurred comes from people that aren’t “real” GamerGaters.
So what do GamerGaters do when they’re confronted with evidence that someone in their ranks — not an anonymous nobody but someone with some standing in their community — is harassing someone?
Well yesterday we had an opportunity to see just that. I wrote about a couple of instances of sexual harassment from a GamerGater known as Cameralady.
While not as famous as GamerGate celebs like Milo Yiannopoulos or InternetAristocrat or, you know, Adam Baldwin, Cameralady is, at least in Gamergate circles, a bit of a player. She was an early and especially eager opponent of Zoe Quinn, and devoted a great deal of time and energy to digging up dirt on Quinn and others. Many of her “findings” made it into GamerGate propaganda on the web and in assorted YouTube videos.
And her sexual harassment was about as blatant as it gets. In the midst of an argument on Twitter, she tweeted a crude sexual come-on to a woman who opposes GamerGate, and was immediately told to get lost. A week later, in the midst of another Twitter argument, she Tweeted another crude come-on to the same woman. The evidence was as plain as day, and I included it all in my post.
So what happened after I posted a link to my post in the #GamerGate hashtag on Twitter? Did other GamerGaters call her out on her behavior?
Well, no. Instead I was besieged by dozens — hundreds? — of tweets from GamerGaters who assured me that the harassment wasn’t harassment at all.
The tone of the discussion was set early on by Cameralady herself, who insisted that her harassment was simple “flirtation” and that anyone who thought otherwise was some sort of anti-sex puritan prude.
https://twitter.com/The_Camera_Girl/status/524967395715477504
https://twitter.com/The_Camera_Girl/status/524968506480410624
https://twitter.com/The_Camera_Girl/status/524969608043044864
I’m not exactly sure how that would absolve her for her bad behavior. If you shoot someone and you miss, you’ve still committed a crime. If you crudely proposition someone who earlier told you to get lost and they for some reason don’t hear you, well, same thing. Also, the woman she harassed did in fact see her tweet.
She also tried to explain that what she was doing really was flirting, and that I didn’t understand because I’m not a lesbian.
@The_Camera_Girl @DavidFutrelle So it's okay to sexually harass people because you've had sex with other women?
— BlackFish (@BlackFish775) October 22, 2014
Later, she tried another excuse.
https://twitter.com/The_Camera_Girl/status/525087005823483904
Apparently she sends crude sexual comments to so many women she can’t keep track!
Other GamerGaters did their best to minimize, deny and deflect.
@The_Camera_Girl @alexvdl0 @DavidFutrelle I think hes jealous
— SteamPunk_Devil (@SteamPunkDevil_) October 22, 2014
Even those who accepted that what had happened was harassment did their best to change the subject.
https://twitter.com/DanielGauss/status/524965533234393088
https://twitter.com/DanielGauss/status/524970974744039424
But if you really want a sense of the sheer horror of dealing with GamerGaters on Twitter, well, you’re just going to have to jump headlong into the middle of it.
Here you can see all of the responses to my Tweet linking to my post. Here you will encounter every type of deflection known to humankind, as you scroll downward through an argument that never seems to end.
Witness the terror of endless arguments with people who ask for proof that is already in the article they are ostensibly discussing! Hear the demands for screenshots that have already been given to them!
I never know if they’re really this obtuse, or if they’re just screwing with me.
It reminds me a lot of this classic Monty Python sketch. The only difference is that the Monty Python sketch is over in six minutes, while Twitter never ends.
Real gamers shush you when you start talking too loud.
I wonder if they consider console games and PC games different media types.
What about console download-only vs disc? Not to mention the different systems…
And then there’s the DLC!
SO MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE GAMER DEWEY DECIMAL SYSTEM!
I’m not surprised some dolt said, “You can’t call yourself a gamer just because you play games.” Gamergate dudebros aren’t united by games, just misogyny and a fear of women making them feel inferior.
I think when one of those idiots is caught, fined and has his name publicized, all this might cool off. Maybe. I dunno.
I find the whole “true gamer” thing so senseless.
I’ve played videogames for over 20 years, but I’ve always wanted to share it. I never felt it made me “special” or anything, though the prejudice of it being “for boys” was predominant back then.
Sometimes, when I was a child, I’d bring my Sega Genesis to birthdays so I wouldn’t get bored. I invited the other girls to play, mostly Disney games that I loved and carried everywhere, and we all had fun. That later evolved on LAN parties as an adult.
When you truly enjoy something, you don’t want to keep it to yourself. You want everyone else to be able to enjoy it too, and spread it around.
By the way, I gave all my old consoles (the Nintendo and even the Sega Game Gear) and games to my godmother’s daughter a few years ago.
All of it.
Yep, I’m truly full of love… I guess.
Elektra: I loooooove retro video games. I too had a Sega Genesis that me and my brother shared (this was during the early 00s, my parents couldn’t afford an up to date console). It also had loads of Disney games! I remember Maui Mallard, Quackshot, Castle of Illusion, World of Illusion, and the Lion King, which IMHO is the best film to video game transition ever.
My Sega is now in the hands of my friend’s six year old autistic son, who LOVES it.
Sunnysombrera: Same! I could never even pay for a Playstation or anything, so I just kept on playing on PC instead, as I’ve played ever since.
Videogames are so much better when you share them with loved ones. I recently tried to make my mom play the Tomb Raider reboot, but she had issues with the keyboard, so maybe I’ll get a manual controller.
The first FEAR game was soooo intense. I could never play it alone, I had to keep the lights turned on and I’d skip some parts and make my (then) boyfriend play them instead. So scary, such a good game. (And I don’t dare to try Evil Within… yet.)
The old Disney games were so wonderful. Aladdin, The Lion King and The Little Mermaid were my absolute favourites. And then getting stuck somewhere and dying over and over again… no reload, no saves, nothing. You lost the 3 lives (+ bonuses from collectibles) and that’s it! Ahhh, the old days.
Thankfuly there’s “abandonware” for games like Maniac Mansion and many other jewels, plus the emulators for console games. “Ancient” Sonic still kicks @ss! I liked Knuckles more, though…
And still, there’s so many games I’ve never played or even tried! They’re really famous and even “cult” games, but for several different reasons (time, money, life) I never even tried them.
So then, what is it to be a “true gamer”? All it takes is for you to enjoy videogames. No big deal, at least not as big as self-titled “true gamers” want to make it seem. A “true gamer” will never rub its “truth” on your face. A “true gamer” shares the love for gaming!
I always suspected I would not be a “true gamer” cause 1. Most of my life I’ve played handheld systems rather than expensive, tethered to a tv systems 2. I only play to have fun, a known trait of “filthy casuals”…. 3. I do stuff that annoys the serious gamers… because who doesn’t love a parade of sea turtles in WoW? People are so touchy.
If you’re not willing to call out their shitty behavior and odious beliefs, they’re not a “fringe.”
@proxieme: Well, the Dewey Decimal system was numeric partly because it made life easier for people doing sorting. Since a video game library presumably has some kind of computers, I say we go with alphanumeric since it’s easier to follow, and I would propose:
CCCC.NNNNNNNNN.DD
Where the first four character slots make up a console or OS code, and the nine after a unique serial number for the game (but it would be shared by cross-platform version) and the final two a kind of version code where 00 would be the base game, number values would indicate DLCs and letter values would be overall version (GOTY, HD edition, etc).
The main limitation I see is that it would only hold 36^9= ~about ten trillion different games but you can always stick a leading or trailing zero on all existing serial numbers and add another character slot.
Of course, that system might be a little more nuanced than how the GGers categorize, which seems to be (let me know if I missed anything):
Anything that reinforces their worldview: PERFECT AND UNASSAILABLE
Anything that challenges it: OPPRESSION!!!!
Everything else: For Babies
Elektra: I’ve been watching a Let’s Play of Evil Within and by the look of the episodes so far that game is getting damn creepy. It’s a little disturbing but in the way of “wtf is that and why???” instead of, say, Silent Hill style disturbing . If it were a horror film I’d watch it and I’m pretty squirmy regarding horror films.
There are a lot of “babyish” games (according to GGers) that are actually very well made. One of my favourites ever is Paper Mario 2 which was for the Gamecube. Great storyline, developed characters, and the dialogue was funny as hell. It’s a very underrated game.
I would highly recommend not trying to engage GamerGate on twitter. I tried.
At one point, they agreed with me that they’d hoped Mike Cernovich does not actually hire a PI against Zoe Quinn, but because they don’t want her to end up some sort of martyr. They also said that it creates more drama for “e-celebs” and they need to stick to the main point.
… which is taking down Gawker and MSNBC.
I asked them, why take down two sites that really aren’t to do with games journalism? One person said it’s because Gawker owns Kotaku. When I said “but didn’t Kotaku change their policies based on what GG wanted?” I was told “no, that was Escapist”. I then reiterated that GamerGate is supposed to be about games journalism, so they shouldn’t be going after non-gamer sites just because those sites don’t like them.
here are the two responses I was given:
1: Getting rid of Gawker “frees up space” on the internet for gaming sites.
2: To stop trying to dictate to GamerGate who they should and shouldn’t protest.
At one point I was accused of being a shill, but the other GGer stood up for me that I’m “all right”.
JQ: That’s a thing of beauty.
Really, truly.
*tear*
Re: Troo Gamer classifications: Absolutely. And “real games” can be OPPRESSION if they don’t jibe with the GG POV:
http://www.themarysue.com/talking-female-characters-friendzoning-and-representation-with-the-writers-of-borderlands-the-pre-sequel/
Elektra: I can’t like this comment enuff.
…”frees up space on the Internet?”
Good lord. Has anyone tried telling these gamer geniuses how the Internet actually works? The stupid is too much for me to handle right now.
You know what gamergate should be focused on? Net neutrality. If they actually cared about having sites that aren’t corporate and focus on the games and the fans instead of money, they’d be worried that net neutrality has been under attack by entities like Comcast.
Of course, you can’t blame women for net neutrality being threatened. So it isn’t going to happen.
You can’t call yourself a gamer just because you play games
frees up space on the Internet
Really, GamerGators, put down the Twitter and get some sleep. So you really don’t know anything about anything – from the internet, to trolling, to SJW or feminism, or anything else in this vast and expansive open world Earth but clicking some buttons on a controller to make things move on a screen. The technology got so good they could engage in not just vidya games but harassment as well. Two fer One! But then technology also allowed women (and anyone else) to screenshot and post the harassment for all to see. *sadface* How were they supposed to know that people wouldn’t keep quiet and would embarrass them all over the internet? Don’t you know, nobody can see their super-secret posts and IRC channels and Twitter feeds and 4chan/8chan. No one else on the internet knows how to give fake email addresses or usernames. THE TECHNOLOGY IS ONLY FOR THEM.
So it’s not that they’re trying to fool anyone, as they are literally too stupid to attempt that, it’s that they’re trying to inflict your ignorance on the rest of us – they won’t succeed, as most us know how to wipe that shit off.
They are but a small segment of all gamers but pretend they’re not. Since companies like to do things like make money, said companies started to notice that they would make more money by doing things that this small subsection of gamers don’t like. To The Keyboards, Warriors! Except that a few companies will make games geared to them, only because that’s easy money – even if they hate the game, they will still buy it, because they have more money than sense. It’s like they haven’t noticed that virtually everyone else plays the same games they do, that they play way more games than GamerGators don’t, and have been playing longer than a lot of them ever have been playing.
This is worse than a trainwreck….I know I should look away and I CAN’T.
proxieme Oh man, Borderlands. Torgue’s progression as a feminist is pretty great, and that Fake Geek Guy mission with him is one of my favorites.
I haven’t gotten far in Pre-Sequel yet, but I’ve seen some of the nerdbrorage inspired by the fact that they were like ‘we want to put some characters who aren’t straight white guys’ despite the fact that there are also playable white guys in every game. Some of whom may be straight? I know Axton was bi, still don’t know much about Wilhelm-the-dude, and Brick I don’t think it ever came up? Either way the constant conflation of ‘this game has people who are not exactly like me!’ with ‘this game doesn’t have any people who are anything like me’ is tiring
weirwoodtreehugger I’m sure they could blame women for net neutrality problems if they put their minds to it. It’s not like these people need a shred of basis in actual reality in order to believe something
Oh come on, it’s obvious that the games ordering system would have to be in binary. 😛
Actually, it seems like no people here have got their facts straight about gamergates. Firstly, all gamergates are female, while you seem to be under the delusion that most of them are men. Plus you seem to believe that gamergates use the internet. I’m pretty certain that they don’t know how to do that. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamergate
you raise a good point, pallygirl, 36 means requiring six bits per slot but wasting most of that last bit. If we cut out four letters that’d get us down to thirty two characters, or five bits exactly.
It’d be a little confusing since you wouldn’t just want to drop the last four letters, you’d need to keep at the very least X and W (stupid microsoft), but a quick lookup table could solve that problem for humans and computers alike.
It’d also limit us to about three and a half trillion games to start, but, when necessary, we could go up past a hundred trillion with one extra digit. At a total of five extra bits per string, as opposed to one extra bit per each of thirteen characters per string, we’d be still be saving on space versus my original proposal while increasing possible storage tenfold. Good catch! 😉
(hi WHTMers, my normal job is data analysis and storage but my job right now is ‘sit here reading tumblr and waiting for IT to get the website up so I have somewhere to store said data’, please excuse my inane rambling. Either way tho, love this site)
@pallygirl:
That’d just make the codes really really long. The 9-digit alphanumeric code in the middle, for instance, would have to be expanded to around 47 binary digits to account for the same number of values.
Though lets see… If you wanted to convert the whole proposed representation (CCCC.NNNNNNNNN.DD) to a packed binary number…
You’d need around 19 bits to represent the console code, 47 to hold the alphanumeric game code, and 7 bits for the version code, for a total of 73 bits. Dang, doesn’t quite pack into a 64-bit value (standard value size for 64-bit machines).
However, according to extremely non-professional ask.com type sites, the estimated number of games made in the history of the world is less than one million. I suppose this doesn’t count cheap flash games that are produced by that gazillions, but the Dewey decimal system doesn’t have to assign a number to every piece of paper with words on it either. With 47 bits for the game portion, the number of games that can be represented is around 140 trillion.
The 19 bits for the console code probably is overkill as well, able to represent over 500,000 machines. On “A Guide to US Game Consoles” which starts with consoles from 1972, there are less than 100 consoles listed. And that includes the time before game consoles basically boiled down to a couple brands.
You could probably have something like 12 bits for the console (4096 unique consoles), maybe 4-8 bits for the version? (16-256 values, depending if you want to track code patches that modern games tend to release. Diablo III has had around 14 so far), then 44-48 bits for the game code, which still leaves over hundreds of billions of slots.
Then you get a nice 64 bit number!
Dang, JQ beat me to the punch.
I wasn’t meaning interpret the Dewey system directly into binary and then show the binary number, I meant have a binary system starting from scratch. Just like Library of Congress is quite different to Dewey.
🙂
I was thinking machine code, but that needs to be converted to binary as well.
What impact would library systems using quantum computing have? Discuss.
@pallygirl:
Huh, wikipedia has fun things. Apparently, it is theoretically possible to send up to two classical bits of information for every qubit (quantum bit) of data (Source). So presumably you could cut data requirements by half by using qubits.
Also, this page has some interesting theoretical implications for cryptography. Basically, current cryptographic systems would be broken, but new, more secure ones would become available.
I guess not a whole lot would change for the library systems. Storage might become smaller, and look-ups might become faster, and password-protection would require a new background system, but that seems like it would be about it.