mm324: some "political correctness" crap
Just a couple of words on this. Actual genuine excesses of "political correctness" were and remain a genuine problem. Your point about the "cripples' hospital" being renamed is one. Attacks on somewhat naughty but by no means malicious sexist or racist humour is another. The relatively recent upsurge in misandric brands of feminism is another.
However, since then, the far right have basically abused the term to refer to anyone who dares challenge their behaving like utter cunts. Being admonished for calling for the deaths of Jews and Muslims? "Political correctness." Getting railed on for claiming that a woman who wants equal rights is allegedly on the rag, should shut the fuck up and know her place? "Political correctness."
Personally, I've found that this expression has been rattled out by the alt-right so much that I'm sick to death of fucking hearing about it, to the point where I'm past caring about even legitimate excesses of political correctness, and honestly, I think the mere complaint from an alt-right moron that "political correctness has got out of hand" should be taken as a serious warning sign that the poster is likely to go off on some defamatory racist or misogynist rant.
Honestly, looking at the Brexit, Trump and infowars forums, this place has descended to the intellectual level of 4chan, and that is largely to do with the lack of moderation. Racists, misogynists and other political extremists know they can get away with anything here, and they know that it is one of the few mainstream forums where they have a captive moderate audience, unlike sites where LiveLeak or 4chan where sane people don't reside. The only thing that really is missing here is an Islamist representative and the extremist circle would be complete.
This forum needs clear rules against racism, against sexism, and against hate speech in general, and it needs to actually fucking enforce them. People can whinge all they want about "censorship". It isn't censorship. GOG is not a government. They are not removing the right of these people to spew their crap elsewhere. They can always go to somewhere like 4chan to post it. They can set up their own websites and forums. These are house rules in the same way that I prohibit anyone who sets foot inside my house from behaving like a cunt.
I will also point out that, from the moment GOG decided to offer their website in German and French and offer pricing in pounds sterling, GOG agreed to be bound by the relevant laws of those countries regarding the handling of hate speech. The UK, France, Germany, Austria and Poland all have similar laws that require website operators to remove such content when it is indicated. Indeed, Facebook is now under investigation in Germany for failing to act on reports of holocaust denial, calls for murder and other incitement to hatred.
Tyrrhia: One thing I'd really like if hate speech will now be condemned is that hate speech towards hate speakers will also be condemned. I know that sounded confusing and probably not well-worded, so here's an example (with less crude terms than what might happen):
I think you're confusing the definition of hate speech. Simple insults and personal attacks are not hate speech. Hate speech is a form of defamation in which fabrications or deliberate bias are used with the relatively clear intent to defame or publicly humiliate a group of people based on their gender, race, religion, sexual orientation or similar characteristics for the purpose of inciting hatred, discrimination or violence against that group.
