Kickstarter "Tropes vs Women in Videogames"

[ZeroAX]

We broke Dave

oh dear, I just went to her twitter page. It's really THAT bad. This thing must consume her entire life.

I still think she'd better stop replying to the trolls and focus on finishing her work, regardless of what I think of it, if that's really what is getting to them (which I repeat, I don't think that's what is happening here, since all those people are clearly mentally sick), then all the better to stick it to them by continuing with your work and not even paying attention to what they say.

[Exhuminator]

then all the better to stick it to them by continuing with your work and not even paying attention to what they say.

If I were her, I would show zero care or attention to the cyber bullies. I would ignore their presence as much as possible and refuse to acknowledge them. I would continue with my work, be productive with my message, and post reinforcing positive feedback whenever I got it.

[dsheinem]

Do any of you have women in your life you care about?

Come on man, take it down a notch. I haven't seen anyone in this thread say Anita deserves the cyber abuse she's getting thrown at her. You cherry picked one comment out of my paragraph above and disregard all surrounding context to make it fit a bias.

I don't think it's cherry picking. Here's the surrounding bit:

While I agree that the harassment she is receiving is terrible and not deserving, I also realize she publicly reveals this negatively as a catalyst to bolster a martyr status, and in turn gain more support for her Feminist Frequency project. I'm not saying "she's asking for it", but I am saying she's using this harassment to her advantage. Strategically that's a smart move for establishing herself as a victim of ignorant male oppression. But making a big deal out of the negativity she receives is also fueling a negative feedback cycle.

It's just as ridiculous. You are implying that she is posting about the harassment she gets so as to cast herself as a victim of something that she's concocted as a problem to prove her own point. Instead, you go on to argue, she should acknowledge the positive feedback and support she gets (which she has done in the past, by the way) as that will keep the trolls away. You aren't saying she "deserves it" but you are suggesting "she finds it helpful".

Maybe you are a believer in prayer, but I believe that it takes more than praying/wishing for threats to stop for them to actually stop. People who do it should absolutely be called out publicly for doing it, they should be charged where appropriate, and they need to be dealt with by authorities and/or communities.

So no, I don't think asking "what if it is your sister?" is over the top -- I am trying to humanize her a bit since all her detractors seem to want to see is this demonized construct of a narcissistic, man-hating, ignorant, anti-gaming villain. She's none of those things...she is someone who has offered criticism that is polarizing and controversial. Her opinions should be subject to reasonable discussion and debate, but her person should expect to be free of threat. And, if and when those threats come, they shouldn't be discounted as self-fulfilling prophecies that actually help her.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Whole lotta victim-blaming up in hurr.

She can "share" as many harassing tweets/comments/etc. as she so chooses. The onus is not on her to "not feed the trolls" - the people harassing her are the ones completely and solely at fault.

[dsheinem]

The onus is not on her to "not feed the trolls" - the people harassing her are the ones completely and solely at fault.

No no no no she brings this on herself to help make her point. See, the real problem in gaming culture is HER! I knew it ALL ALONG!

[Exhuminator]

It's just as ridiculous. You are implying that she is posting about the harassment she gets so as to cast herself as a victim of something that she's concocted as a problem to prove her own point.

I didn't say she concocted the problem. But I would say she's further courting drama by spotlighting it. Doing so gives the cyber bullies the message that she is actually affected by them, and therefore encourages amplification of their negative behavior.

Instead, you go on to argue, she should acknowledge the positive feedback and support she gets (which she has done in the past, by the way) as that will keep the trolls away.

I'm not saying it will keep the trolls away. In focusing on her supporters more and her detractors less, I am saying that it will show she's more affected by positive feedback than she is negative. I believe that would have a cumulative effect.

You aren't saying she "deserves it" but you are suggesting "she finds it helpful".

I would say she found a way to use the abuse as a strategic angle to further her agenda.

People who do it should absolutely be called out publicly for doing it, they should be charged where appropriate, and they need to be dealt with by authorities and/or communities.

Do you know if she has gotten the FBI involved in this matter?

I am trying to humanize her a bit since all her detractors seem to want to see is this demonized construct of a narcissistic, man-hating, ignorant, anti-gaming villain.

I do not personally recall anyone in this thread calling her that. On this forum I have only seen her method criticized, not her actual being.

[Niode]

[Overly long strawman]

Completely irrelevant to the issues we have with her critique. I don't give a shit about her as a person or the difficulties she is facing as a woman in the public eye. That does not concern me one bit. She doesn't deserve harassment, nobody does. I don't think anybody would argue against that. The problem is whenever she is challenged or somebody points out flaws with her critique they are instantly lumped in with 'haters' and their opinion is dismissed as noise regardless of how valid it is.

[ZeroAX]

She can "share" as many harassing tweets/comments/etc. as she so chooses. The onus is not on her to "not feed the trolls" - the people harassing her are the ones completely and solely at fault.

Ethically you are completely correct, I'm just talking about a practical solution. Calling the police on them and ignoring them are the 2 best actions in this case :/.

Specially the first one, since all those people clearly don't understand that online behavior has real life repercussions

[Exhuminator]

Calling the police on them and ignoring them are the 2 best actions in this case :/.

Bingo.

The problem is whenever she is challenged or somebody points out flaws with her critique they are instantly lumped in with 'haters' and their opinion is dismissed as noise regardless of how valid it is.

Ah, you've noticed this too 'eh?

[dsheinem]

I know that y'all are interested in a discussion about the critique...we had that discussion in earnest over the past few days and little to none of it was about her personally.

What you are disingenuously calling a "strawman" was my response to how people responded to Key's refocusing on the harassment itself. I'm not equating harassment of her with critique of her views. I am disheartened by people who see her discussion about harassment as self-serving, strategic, and itself tied to her critique of tropes.