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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: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 13 2015, @06:11PM
This is just like the NSA spying apologists. What is with this wave of deny, Ignore, point out as obvious? There has to be a name for this weasely political tactic. This shaming of anyone that does not recognize or accept this obvious corrupt hidden agenda as being naive or "lacking a brain" makes it worse than merely being an apologist as it is an unprovoked attack on anyone that isn't an apologist.
This is something that human beings with any decency need to kill.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 13 2015, @07:50PM
So clearly you've never pointed out to anyone that Facebook collects all sorts of personal information on people and does all sorts of questionable things with the information they gather. As I am sure you have never shamed them for being so cavalier with their personal information.
You're just an apologist sonofabitch.
(Score: 2) by wantkitteh on Friday August 14 2015, @08:57AM
Equating a world-wide multinational illegal data dragnet with some video game publishers trying to get good reviews from journalists. Can you see where you're going wrong here? Simply pointing the finger at both and screaming "Dishonesty!" doesn't even begin to show the slightest awareness of the repercussions of these issues. You have the choice of who you listen to when it comes to video game recommendations and no-one is going to die, be tortured, disappeared or doxxed because someone gave Battlefield Hardline a few extra %age points in return for a 3-day junket to Visceral's HQ, ostensibly to get early hands-on access for a preview a couple of months before the final release.
Also, what's with the putting words in my mouth? I've been a gamer for 30 years and I fully acknowledge there's a problem with video game journalism, but I'm perfectly capable of an adult response to someone blatantly trying to lie to me for money - I ignore them. I don't try to intimidate or harass them, forcibly censor their entire publication or out their every little secret in public to silence them through shame. There is such a thing as overkill and GamerGate (and their opponents) are pretty much the living embodiment of that right now. There is nothing appropriate about having any level of pride that a website is in financial difficulty and considering downsizing and/or closing down because they said something you disagree with. Only a complete arsehole would support that kind of response to anything about a video game.
Wow, replying to ACs again... where am I picking up these bad habits from?