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Brianna Wu, head of the independent gaming studio Giant Spacekat, was the target of a series of tweets containing death threats on Friday; one published her home address (since redacted). The poster's Twitter account has been disabled.
Wu responded on Friday night with the tweet:
Brianna Wu @Spacekatgal
The police just came by. Husband and I are going somewhere safe.
Remember, #gamergate isn't about attacking women.
GamerGate supporters denounced the threats and "doxxing" against Wu and disavowed the poster. However, several suspected that the tweets were a false flag created by anti-GamerGate forces:
Sun Knight @SunKnightO
@Sen_Armstrong @Spacekatgal @chatterwhiteman It's clearly either a troll or false flag shame that people actually think its legit.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 12 2014, @03:08PM
Follow the reaction at one gamer site [nichegamer.net].
Yes, the threats were created by one individual, but there's an entire community in denial. And this has happened several times before
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 12 2014, @03:44PM
An "entire community" you say?
Hmm, you're right, all of those SJW are a community of denialists.
And this has happened before, someone should really tell them to STFU already.
(Score: 2, Flamebait) by velex on Sunday October 12 2014, @05:27PM
Ok, this fucking irritates me.
Why does this concern a "community" if we've identified one individual who is responsible?
Cut off his balls, inject him with estrogen, and be done with it. Yes, I am aware of how cruel that is. Do it. He deserves it.
I will not be held accountable for the actions of someone else. I am sick of being assigned the male gender and apparently being a borg collective.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 12 2014, @05:38PM
> Why does this concern a "community" if we've identified one individual who is responsible?
Because he's just an exemplar of the community of gamerassholes.
Your argument is like saying, we should all have respect and love for members of the KKK because only a couple of them have actually burned crosses on people's lawns, all the others in the KKK just fantasize about it and tell each other how those people totally deserved it, those guys are above criticism.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by velex on Sunday October 12 2014, @05:41PM
You're a fucking idiot.
I didn't ask to be assigned the male gender.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 12 2014, @05:48PM
But you do seem to have decided that you want to be not just someone who plays games, but to be a member of the gamerassholes.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by velex on Sunday October 12 2014, @05:51PM
I've decided that I am sick of being held accountable for the actions of others because of my assigned gender.
I just want to play Gran Turismo, Armored Core, and Civ. Why the fuck do I need to be held accountable for the actions of others?
If I had been assigned the female gender at birth or if this gods had allowed me to transition as a child, like the fucker in my house at the moment, there wouldn't be a problem.
In fact, if I were legally female, I'd probably be held up as an example of a woman gamer!
So fuck you and your cissexism.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 12 2014, @06:50PM
> I've decided that I am sick of being held accountable for the actions of others because of my assigned gender.
The only one holding you accountable for that is YOU.
I never thought "professional victim" was a real thing until now.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by velex on Sunday October 12 2014, @07:04PM
Haha, you've made me lol.
In order to be a professional, I'd need to have some profit motive. How do I profit by gamer-gate?
I am simply fucking sick and tired of sexism. This shit needs to stop.
I am an individual. I will not be held accountable for the actions of others.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 12 2014, @07:39PM
Its not, its only used as an ad hominem and strawman. Kinda like that whole "social justice warrior" label; there's no such thing, but its a useful way to collect and direct hate at everyone who disagrees with you.
(Score: 2) by velex on Sunday October 12 2014, @07:45PM
Not necessarily.
I hope that some day you come under fire on the basis of your assigned gender at birth. Then maybe you'll understand the irritation directed at SJWs.
Is social justice a good goal? Absolutely. However, the tactics of SJWs, mainly targeting individuals who are not causing the problem on the basis of sexism, are questionable.
When you find yourself attacked because of your assigned gender at birth, irrespective of any other biological or physical factors, you might understand.
And no, all of the sexism that was directed at me in the name of getting women into programmer, apparently has not resulted in more women programmers. However, my cisgendered female apprentice (who is a very impressive person!) might vouch that a non-sexist strategy is more functional.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 13 2014, @04:04AM
I don't see how, because the first sentence is unrelated to the second. You're just trying to demonize [wikipedia.org] everyone who says or does something you dislike by giving them a label [wikipedia.org] so its easier to collect and direct hate at them. Such a thing doesn't actually exist beyond a tiny minority, but using propaganda techniques is useful when trying to make something insignificant appear as something to be concerned about, isn't it?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 13 2014, @04:10AM
That sounds just like the techniques that social justice warriors use. They demonize their opponents by labeling them as racist or sexist or homophobic or transphobic or misogynist or even just "privileged", so it's easier to collect and direct hate at them.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by cafebabe on Sunday October 12 2014, @09:55PM
If I may heavily paraphrase one of your earlier comments [soylentnews.org]: When you fire up a car driving game, you just want to drive a car. You don't want to engage in a session of gender politics or be subjected to a 30 second public service announcement about misogyny.
Indeed, it is offensive that some people think this is an appropriate venue for debate. It would be more appropriate for people to compete in a free market of ideas. Unfortunately, digging yourself out of the Turing tarpit [catb.org] is hard work and it is far easier to complain that [soylentnews.org] programming is a tool of the clandestine patriarchy [theregister.co.uk].
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 12 2014, @10:02PM
When you fire up a car driving game, you just want to drive a car. You don't want to engage in a session of gender politics or be subjected to a 30 second public service announcement about misogyny.
Because that's precisely what's going on here. Fight the good fight!
(Score: 2) by velex on Sunday October 12 2014, @05:48PM
Let me expound on why you're a fucking idiot for comparing me to the KKK.
I will not be held accountable for the actions of others. I'm an individual.
I was assigned the male gender at birth despite several objections I raised early on, which were dismissed because of 1. transphobia 2. cisgender blindspot 3. some "bathroom rape" issue 4. the circular argument that I must be injected with testosterone because I'll make more money that way!
Fuck all those arguments. I refuse to be held accountable as the male gender.
So what are you telling me? I will never put my copy of Gran Turismo V and Civ IV away just because I'm assigned a certain gender against my will.
In short, fuck you and fuck all sexists, especially cissexists that are involved here.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 12 2014, @06:48PM
> Let me expound on why you're a fucking idiot for comparing me to the KKK.
No, I compared gamergate to the KKK.
Are you claiming that you have voluntarily joined the group collectively known as gamergate?
If no, then quite your bitchin.
If yes, then birds of a feather.
(Score: 2) by velex on Sunday October 12 2014, @07:39PM
Ah, ok, point taken.
I simply will not be affected by whatever sexist policies come about because of gamer-gate. That's my position here.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 12 2014, @07:18PM
> I was assigned the male gender at birth despite several objections I raised early on,
Holy shit! I just re-read your post. Now I know why you are soooo fucking brain-dead about this topic.
It has nothing to do with gamerasshole misogyny, you are just fucked in the head as a result of being a square peg stuffed into a round hole.
I won't argue with you any more, I will just cite your post going forward in case anyone else thinks your arguments come from a place of reason rather than mental distress.
(Score: 2) by velex on Sunday October 12 2014, @07:28PM
And you suffer from transphobia. You clearly need sensitivity classes.
I mean, what the fucking hell!?
Yes, I've admitted before that I'm mentally ill. The American Family Association (or someshit like that) has put forth evidence that being raised as a gender one is not can cause long-term mental illness. Despite their transphobic intentions, they're right!
The point you seem intent to ignore is that I am sick of being held accountable for the actions of others. Being held directly accountable for the actions of others is what's led me to post in this troll article. I do not want to be held accountable for the actions of others ever again, which is where gamer-gate is headed.
Do you not understand that?
(Score: 2) by velex on Sunday October 12 2014, @07:31PM
And in fact, I will not be held accountable for the actions of others ever again. That's my decision.
If it means leaving this shit life I currently lead, so be it. Let the gods decide. I am fucking sick of sexists, to the point I'm willing to just leave. I am an individual .
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 13 2014, @12:01AM
Or, ya know, you could, just continue on playing your video games and stop putting yourself out there as some sort of cause celebre. It would probably be a great relief for everyone. I know I'm getting a little tired of seeing you strut your martyr complex before the world. Just sayin'.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 12 2014, @07:36PM
> And you suffer from transphobia. You clearly need sensitivity classes.
You brought it up. Multiple times in a discussion where it is completely irrelevant.
I'm not particularly transphobic, in fact it is my personal experience with other transgender people who were transitioning, witnessing how societal pressure warped their outlook that makes it easy to see the symptoms in you. But you are an adult, you don't get a free pass to be irrational online just because of your personal trauma.
> Yes, I've admitted before that I'm mentally ill.
> The point you seem intent to ignore is that I am sick of being held accountable for the actions of others.
Your illness prevents you from rationally evaluating the situation.
(Score: 2) by velex on Sunday October 12 2014, @08:03PM
It is very relevant. It's an example of someone assigned the male gender and held accountable for "rape" (to the point my genitals were mutilated to prevent cervical cancer in these theoretical women I was supposed to fuck).
It's an example that whatever sexist policy comes from this will do nothing to stop the problem.
And it is a problem, but targeting all assigned males will do nothing about it.
I want action to actually hold the fucker responsible… well, responsible. I don't want to be targeted because I was assigned the male gender against my will and because I like Gran Turismo.
(Score: 2) by cafebabe on Monday October 13 2014, @10:32AM
So, the argument for infant male genital mutilation is that, on the balance of probability, the patient is likely to identify as male and be heterosexual therefore any reduction in pleasure for the assumed self-identifying male will increases pleasure for zero or more females, has health benefits which may only benefit females and negative outcomes are of little consequence even if patients commit suicide [wikipedia.org]. Whereas, best practice, as followed in intersex cases, is to wait until the patient can make an informed choice.
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(Score: 2) by cafebabe on Sunday October 12 2014, @08:58PM
I would like to inject and note that it is circular argument to describe a transgendered person as mentally ill because the diagnosis appears in the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-5 [Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition] [wikipedia.org]. This controversial guide [newscientist.com] has input from discredited experts [wikipedia.org] and, in addition to pathologizing male heterosexual attraction to breasts [wikipedia.org], it is generally stuck in a medieval practice of diagnosing humors and impressions rather than following any evidence-based medical practice. As noted by one member of the Other Place [slashdot.org]:-
Homosexuality was a mental illness? Why, yes! Until 1980, openly gay people were also considered to be mentally ill [wikipedia.org]. By today's standards, this treatment of homosexuals is considered abhorrent and cruel. However, that's exactly the situation where transgendered people are today.
If we extrapolate forward, I'm concerned that if and when transgenderism gains parity with homosexuality, "professionals" will just move their money-making quackery onto the persecution of intersex people and other minorities using this well-practised but discredited methodology.
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 12 2014, @09:15PM
> I would like to inject and note that it is circular argument to describe a transgendered person as mentally ill because the diagnosis appears in the DSM
I think you are arguing a completely unrelated point. Neither velex or myself are saying that being tg makes you ill, but society putting pressure on you to deny your gender can make you ill.
(Score: 2) by cafebabe on Sunday October 12 2014, @10:40PM
I think we agree. This [soylentnews.org] and this [soylentnews.org] can be interpreted both ways. (Specifically, transgenderism is a mental illness and transgenderism leads to mental illness.
Bi-sexuality, homosexuality, transgenderism, intersexuality and other conditions are normal variations which should not be pathologized. However, some individuals endure considerable distress because they are penalized for not fitting into other people's simplistic, hetero-nomative, gender-binary model of the world.
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 12 2014, @08:26PM
In exactly the same way that Osama bin Laden was an exemplar of the community of Muslims. Or Muslimassholes, if you prefer.
Oh, look, there's an asshole who identifies with a social, ethnic, or gender group: that can only mean all members of the group are assholes! Hang 'em all!
(Score: 1) by mojo chan on Sunday October 12 2014, @06:37PM
It was never about men, it's about the GamerGate community and other asshats. Even the original ciriticisms of the gamer community were about some specific issues related to the lazy way women were often portrayed (tropes).
The GamerGate community immediately weighed in and claimed it was a false flag operation. They would rather believe elaborate conspiracy theories than a woman. Publicly condemning these actions, both the original trolling and the reaction from the GamerGate guys, further marginalizes them and sends out the signal that it really isn't okay. That's how we deal with this stuff, that's how we make progress. The same way racism was made unacceptable by people calling it out.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
(Score: 2) by frojack on Sunday October 12 2014, @07:03PM
It was never about men, it's about the GamerGate community and other asshats.
If that's what it is all about, why is there not even a single link or word of explanation of what the hell Gamergate is all about?
I could easily see that someone so ensconced in their basement gaming cave might just assume this tempest in a teapot was common knowledge, and submit a half baked story about it. But why would the editors let it pass in such a disheveled state?
Yes, I know Google works, but FFS would its hardly a household term, and the quality of the article would have been improved 200% by a cut and paste of the first sentence of the Wiki Article. [wikipedia.org]
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 12 2014, @07:11PM
>> It was never about men, it's about the GamerGate community and other asshats.
>
> If that's what it is all about, why is there not even a single link or word of explanation of what the hell Gamergate is all about?
Because it is a household name to the intended audience.
But, lets turn that logic around. Not only are there no links to explain how men are collectively to blame here, the words "gamers," "men," "males," "boys" or any other synonyms aren't even used in the article itself.
(Score: 2) by mojo chan on Sunday October 12 2014, @07:38PM
I think the poster assumed everyone knew what GamerGate is, since it has had so much coverage lately. Okay, that was their mistake, but that doesn't change the fact that it isn't an assault on men or anything like that.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday October 12 2014, @07:19PM
No he does not deserve that you fucking feminist.
(Score: 2) by velex on Sunday October 12 2014, @07:36PM
Me, a feminist?!
Feminism believes that every morning when I take my estrogen, I'm raping all women in some metaphysical bullshit.
Then again the MRM believes that despite my history of voting Libertarian, I'm a fucking communist.
Somebody mod parent funny.