They say timing is everything.

I keep being told that #gamergate started as a harassment and threat campaign.  Maybe they’re right if you treat #gamergate as having started years ago when people under the guise of “Social Justice” started harassing and threatening people they didn’t like.  I don’t just speak of myself.  What is happening now in the gaming community has been building up for years. 

So let me be succinct: People have the growing, creeping feeling that “pull” and “politics” rather than merit are becoming the driving force of our society. They believe it’s infected the coverage of their hobby. And they’re now pushing back.

Bullying

But let’s talk about bulling. Let’s make sure we understand each other:

Let me address those friends and colleagues who are vocally anti-GamerGate who have told me I need to be careful not to be associated with “GG”:

Don’t tell me that I must disassociate myself from #gamergate because it’s become a “harassment” movement when many of you personally witnessed the harassment, threats and hate I have been receiving for years on forums and social media that you knew was undeserved but did nothing about.  You didn’t say a word. You didn’t speak up. You just didn’t want to get involved.  Some of you participated in the very threads where I was being attacked and just looked the other way.

And mind you, I didn’t hold it against you that you didn’t want to step up and come to my defense.  I didn’t expect you to. I have a thick skin. And I am the bigger person.  That’s what I keep being told. In essence, I’m told I have to put up with the abuse and harassment and threats by the virtue of having the ability to crush them if I wanted.  Therefore, as an “overdog”, you felt no need to say a single word in, say, a thread that was full of personal attacks you knew were false because, hey, I can take it.  And you’re right. I can.

But it also means that your outrage against harassment, threats and abuse is selective. When you saw me being defamed for years and just ignored it (no tweets, no comments, etc.) you clearly made a distinction that some people need to be supported and others do not. 

In fact, in all those years, only one person who knew the details spoke up for me. (and you can look at the thread to see the hate thrown at me and then see that these haters now, 100% are the ones bullying and smearing #gamergate supporter today. Go ahead, check. These aren’t anonymous people. These are the people claiming to be “the good guys”).  And you know what they did to him? My friend? They suggested disgusting things about us. Ridiculed him. Of course, some of you know that because you saw what they said on other forums but you said nothing. Didn’t want to get involved.

I’ve seen the tactic used over and over: Delegitimize your critics and disperse their support base.  That’s what you’re trying to do to these #gamergate people through insults, bullying, ridiculing. 

And if that doesn’t work, economic punishment:

He’s using a word I don’t think he understands. Basically: I should be fired because…reasons (unspecified) Tolerance.

If I say something or do something or write something that you think is inappropriate, inflammatory or unfair then call me on it.  I can take it. 

But don’t tell me that I have some “guilt by association” thing going when you were perfectly okay associating with people and groups that have spent years harassing others.