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Brad Glasgow over at GamePolitics.com did something unique when setting out to cover the gamergate movement, he asked people taking part in it questions rather than only their detractors.
I decided to run an experiment and see first-hand the difficulties one might encounter when covering an online movement. Rather than wait for GamerGate to come to us, I went to them. I joined their very popular Kotaku in Action (KiA) subreddit and interviewed several hundred GamerGate supporters from Tuesday, July 28 through Tuesday, August 4. It is my hope that what I learned will assist journalists with covering GamerGate and any similar movements in the future.
The Experiment
I asked one question on the KiA subreddit every 12 hours. The question was stickied (placed at the top in the most recognizable area) until I posted a new question. The new question was then stickied and they were given an additional 12 hours to submit replies to the old question and vote on their favorite answer. After I asked 7 questions I then asked 7 follow up questions on the final day.
The article was interesting enough but what I found hilarious was when he then tried to do a similar interview with the anti-gamergate types over at Gamer Ghazi, he was quickly banned.
I did experience some hostility from the anti-GamerGate side for covering GamerGate. While I was treated well by the people of GamerGhazi when I tried to speak with them, I was quickly banned by moderators, who said I have spent too much time posting on the GamerGate subreddit.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by wantkitteh on Thursday August 13 2015, @02:49PM
Ok, so a woman made a fairly simple game about depression and her boyfriend reviewed it positively. That's the original inciting incident here. Pretty much everything since then has been escalation and tit-for-tat with a healthy side-order of post-rationalisation and goalposts on wheels. Both sides have entrenched themselves and are trying to sound like they are the voice of reason and that the other side is irrational bullies with a strong "you're either with us or against us" factor to polarise that discussion wherever and whenever it happens. Quite frankly, everyone involved should be ashamed of themselves without exception.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday August 13 2015, @03:21PM
You're way out of touch if you think that's what #GamerGate does. Assuming truth of what you say for the sake of argument that's at most idle chatter to amuse themselves while they run email campaigns that do things like get advertisers to drop Gawker [nymag.com] like a hot potato.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 13 2015, @04:45PM
I can't figure out if you are bragging about that link or embarrassed by it.
Well, knowing you I can am sure that you are bragging about it. But having read your post before reading your name, it sure sounded like you thought gamergaters were a bunch of whiny little bitches.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Thursday August 13 2015, @07:23PM
Well, to be fair, I do think most humans are whiny little bitches regardless of their political affiliations. I try to always ask myself, What Would John Wayne Do, and then do that but more manly and awesome.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by wantkitteh on Thursday August 13 2015, @11:21PM
GamerGate go after Gawker for exaggerated failures of journalistic practice (that every press sector close to it's industry commits on a daily basis without similar "punishment", by the way) while accusing Feminist SJWs of going after targets outside the scope of their chosen original cause. Me'thinks I'm not the one out of touch. Goalposts on wheels.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 13 2015, @04:44PM
One side doesn't make bomb threats against meetups the other side has, that's about the difference in levels of rancor.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 13 2015, @11:15PM
No, they just call on their followers to do that for them by doxxing anyone that doesn't agree with them, because KILL ALL HEATHENS IN THE NAME OF OUR RIGHTEOUS LEADERS!
(Score: 3, Interesting) by kurenai.tsubasa on Thursday August 13 2015, @10:07PM
Let me add to this. One possibility I've never seen discussed (link plz if it has been) is that there's a 3rd party trolling both sides for the lulz. It would seem entirely plausible.
It seems impossible to separate out fact from fiction from false flag.