lol wut

I've heard people describe Gamergate as many things, but it being about "sexual harassment in the workplace"? That's a first.

Whilst is wasn't sexual directly, they were targeted as they are women. And in my books that counts as sexual harrasment. Feel free to disagree with me.

But anyway this isn't the place to get into all that.

Women weren't targeted exclusively by either side, so no. Gamergate was about sex-negative feminism and "journalism" vs sex-positive gamers, with the game making companies in the middle trying to decide which side they were more interested in pleasing. It started with a "journalist" being accused of special interest (game making woman sleeping with someone, who, by pure coincidence, was in a relationship at that time, and the person she slept with was ultimately a game journalist). From there, it became about how video games were "objectifying women" that somehow lead to toxic masculinity which lead to people going after a woman for trying to bribe out a good review with her body. What surprises me is the clear double standard: women in games are too sexy, but totally OK for a woman to use sex to get a good review?

Disclaimer: Yes, i'm aware the review wasn't published, but that might have something to do with the controversy. I doubt the guy had any incentive to add fuel to the flames by either posting a positive or negative review. Seeing as it wasn't posted, that might be why he wasn't targeted as hard.

EDIT: Oh, and we have Anita Sarkeesian going after people then claiming to be mobbed by haters without provocation. That was fun.

From what I recall he did publish something along the lines of "monthly indie review" where the only game that had a whole paragraph dedicated to itself was from the conveniently friendly female developer. I think later on there was the "correction" that this happened before they were in a relationship, but it's not like you can reliably verify that claim, either. Nor establish just how friendly they were before the point they decided they were in a relationship to start with.

I found it extremely... silly... that the issue of undisclosed personal relationships affecting business practices was something apparently a lot of people thought irrelevant (presumably because it benefited the woman in question), but since the whole thing was almost immediately hijacked and turned into poo-slinging from questionable elements on both sides, can't say I paid much attention to it afterwards.

The original objection, though, seems as valid as it was the day it came to light. It does not help that, at this point, any information about this is suspect at best, since there is a high interest in pushing specific narratives from both camps.

Pretty much ended my interest in anything "game journalism" related, though.

This out of the way, after reading a bit about GOG's most recent social media fiasco, I think the whole catering to manufactured controversies intended to push specific agendas is long past the point of having gotten out of hand. Not saying the moderator was not at fault. I mean, that's some serious issue deafness involved if somebody does not realize co-opting a tag like that could not have consequences. That said, a single apology from GOG should have sufficed. Ignore "media" whose sole existence seems to be inflaming divisive conflicts for the pure sake of profit, and move on.

I do wonder if the people actually concerned about the issues they claim to represent (in this case the transgender part of our community) do realize that by such ridiculous attacks they merely ensure these issues to receive that much greater resistance from general population.

You can't force equality.

Can we please keep this thread on topic? I don't see how much of the recent discussion says anything about people's thoughts on Linko our moderator.

i think most have said their views about linko situation , gog should just offer a response and close the thread before it goes even way off topic than it is now.

Personally, I though Linko did a great job moderating the forums. I've never noticed a locked thread, that didn't deserve to be locked.

Also, I've always disregarded social media, so I can't speak about anything that has been happening there. However, if I understand correctly the "drama" about the Twitter posts, then I've clearly made the right choice to avoid all social media.

Having said that, depending on how much importance GOG puts on social media, and if Linko was responsible for the twitts that unfortunately generated so much negative publicity for GOG, I can understand why GOG would consider changing some things around. I just hope Linko was at worse reassigned, and not fired over something I consider so stupid.

Whatever happens, I hope GOG continues moderating the forums, because clearly the community has expanded to the point that it seems to be turning on itself.

One thing I can say about Linko gone...
There is certainly a bit more activity on the forums from some members I haven't seen here before or of late.

I don't know what I should be feeling. Should I be concerned that there is movement all over the place?

Linko was a good gamer, and a good man. He was one of us. He was a man who loved the outdoors... and gaming, and as a surfer he explored the beaches of Southern California, from La Jolla to Leo Carrillo and... up to... Pismo. He died, like so many young men of his generation, he died before his time. In your wisdom, Lord, you took him, as you took so many bright flowering young men at Khe Sanh, at Langdok, at Hill 364. These young men gave their lives. And so would Linko. Linko, who loved gaming. And so, Linko 90, in accordance with what we think your dying wishes might well have been, we commit your final mortal remains to the bosom of the Pacific Ocean, which you loved so well. Good night, sweet prince.

Well said. :)

Hello. Say, while you do understand that, don't you feel that one heads up about what actually happened could be actually precious (and a bit respectful) here? I think that witnessing pages long, days long, speculative discussions around an event that I would know would make me feel a bit bad for the futile, sorry spectacle of well-meaning headless chickens running in circle here.

Is that just me ? Is keeping people at that level of ignorance that useful to you ?

That could be Linko for all we know :p

I think I finally figured it out. It took me a lot of careful study but now I know.

chandra's avatar is telling us that Marie Antoinette was an alien!