

Gamergate Shows Tech Needs Far Better Algorithms - ijk
http://techcrunch.com/2014/10/18/gamergate-tactics/

======
camperman
"This rage-ful, over-entitled, Internet-connected fraternity of kids share one
core skill: playing games. Little wonder, then, they have proved so expert at
driving a toxic hellbrew of misogyny into the mainstream media — and all over
social media — by gaming popular online channels using a sophisticated
playbook of disruption."

So many lies and misrepresentations in such a short space. GamerGate has
nothing to do with misogyny, it's about ethics in game journalism. There has
been almost NO coverage of the other side by the mainstream media so if
there's any toxic hellbrew in there, it's been carried by the anti-GG people.
GamerGate stands for dialogue, inclusivity, ethics and transparency because of
the reprehensible behaviour of some game journalists and individuals connected
with them. There is absolutely no evidence connecting the movement with death
threats made and even if there was, you cannot judge the core by the fringe.
If that were true then we could judge the entire anti-GG side by Zoe Quinn who
is a manipulative, hypocritical sociopath who has done a great deal of harm to
women in gaming.

And as for gaming online channels? It works both ways.

~~~
smacktoward
_> GamerGate has nothing to do with misogyny, it's about ethics in game
journalism_

Which is why the targets are overwhelmingly women, I'm sure.

 _> There has been almost NO coverage of the other side by the mainstream
media_

People tend not to be interested overmuch in hearing what the side brandishing
the rape and death threats thinks.

 _> GamerGate stands for dialogue, inclusivity, ethics and transparency_

I have never seen the causes of "inclusivity" or "dialogue" furthered by
threats of physical violence.

 _> because of the reprehensible behaviour of some game journalists and
individuals connected with them_

[citation needed]

 _> There is absolutely no evidence connecting the movement with death threats
made_

Well, except for how the death threats keep landing on people who are at the
top of GG's list of targets. What an incredible coincidence.

 _> Zoe Quinn who is a manipulative, hypocritical sociopath_

Gosh, I cannot possibly understand how anyone could think GG is misogynistic
or disrespectful, when you are always so careful to use measured, even-handed
language.

~~~
ASneakyFox
The crazy death threat people are 4channers. They're not actual people
concerned about video game journalism.

The real problem is people don't realize that Anyone can call themself a gamer
gate activist, or a feminist, or anonymouse, or al quada.. They don't need to
have any kind of affiliation or share any views. and this happens online more
than in person due to only having a virtual presence.

~~~
ijk
One might suggest that a movement that refuses to police itself is
deliberately courting such plausible deniability. [1] Or one might mention all
of the people with documented links to both harassment and the hashtag.[2]

> _They 're not actual people concerned about video game journalism._

I agree with you! Pity that so many of them seem to keep saying that they are
concerned with journalism, instead of just admitting what they are doing.

[1] [https://storify.com/a_man_in_black/gamergate-and-
harassment](https://storify.com/a_man_in_black/gamergate-and-harassment)

[2] [https://storify.com/a_man_in_black/gamergate-is-a-
misogy](https://storify.com/a_man_in_black/gamergate-is-a-misogy)

~~~
Goladus
> One might suggest that a movement that refuses to police itself is
> deliberately courting such plausible deniability.

Perhaps you didn't hear about the time when someone created a new board on
8chan specifically to harass Brianna Wu, and the Leaders of Gamergate from the
/gg/ board went and flooded the new board with nonsense until mods woke up and
took care of the problem.

Or when they tracked twitter attacks on Anita Sarkeesian to a journalist in
Brazil...

Seriously, the standards you are trying to hold GamerGate to are completely
and utterly ridiculous.

------
j2kun
What tech needs are better _models_ of user intention, which could admit
algorithms or allow one to prove the hardness of algorithmically doing
something. You can't ask for an algorithm if you can't rigorously define the
problem.

------
jeffgreco
Gamergate is insanely obnoxious, but I'm curious exactly what functionality
the author wants out of these social networks. Are Twitter and Facebook
supposed to ban people who tweet "#FeministsAreUgly"?

~~~
DanBC
No one cares if anyone posts a #FeministsAreUgly hashtag. What people actually
have to read are things like:

"I'd do a lot worse than rape you. I've just got out of prison and would
happily do more time to see you berried [sic]. #10feetunder."

"I will find you, and you don't want to know what I will do when I do. You're
pathetic. Kill yourself. Before I do. #Godie."

Caroline Criado Perez was not complaining about one or two people sending a
few dozens of messages that were a bit mean. She was inundated with thousands
of messages, from many people, threatening sexual violence and death. One man
was sending 50 messages per hour, over about 12 hours. Another woman sent
hundreds of messages. Perez's "crime"? She campaigned to have a woman on
British banknotes after the Bank of England phased out Elizabeth Fry on the £5
- leaving no women on the banknotes.

