Gatekeepin' it real: On the natural condition of fandom

[Sadras]

Gatekeeping does indeed have a definition. Feel free to look it up.

To be fair the title of the thread also speaks to the relationship between gatekeeping and fandom. Broadening the gatekeeping beyond the scope of this relationship changes the discussion which I do not believe was the intention of the original poster.

Regards,
Thread Gatekeeper

 

[jasper]

This is getting out of hand, folks.

Like I said before: people know when they are being jerks. Don't be jerks.

Please send me $1,000,000.00 so I can move to where you live...

Some self aware people know when they being jerks. but most of then don't know... well I am not going talk bad about my family.
Or some of my gamer friend
Or myself
or one my preachers

 

[Anoth]

AND LOW! THE ROTTEN DM! HOLDER AND DECIDER OF ALL! NOW! PROCLAIMS THE FOLLOWING.
What Anoth is doing is now called PLAYPENNING.

What does that mean?

 

[Xenonnonex]

Excellent post as always Lowkey.

Frankly the invalidation of others through any form of gatekeeping is a stain upon any hobby.
It just exposes an insane degree of pettiness and insecurity.

I would also go so far as to say gatekeeping behavior is bullying behavior.

 

[Xenonnonex]

But for better or worse (mostly worse) I also think it's just a symptom of human nature. That doesn't excuse it.

If it really is a symptom of human nature people should have better natures. Inexcusable behavior should never be excused.

 

[Celebrim]

Note, the term has several definitions, depending on context. In the current context, the Urban Dictionary has probably the best definition:

Right, because clearly the 'Urban Dictionary' has a more definitive definition than an actual dictionary.

I'm sure the Newspeak dictionary will need an entry as well.

You're insisting that all discrimination is gatekeeping, when that's obviously not the case at all.

No I'm not. Please cite.

There are perfectly good reasons to deny someone access to an activity, depending on all sorts of factors. However, that's not what's being discussed here.

Maybe it ought to be.

Someone decides that they don't like X, therefore they must make sure that X is not accepted into the group, since, if it is accepted into the group, that would mean that they are wrong, and since they cannot possibly be wrong, X must not be accepted into the group.

It doesn't matter how many people believe something to be right. If it is wrong, then it is still wrong. It could be that the group is right. It could be that the group is wrong. But they are never right or wrong just because they are the group.

Likewise, something is never right or wrong just because it is "gatekeeping". We can't assume that the party in the wrong is the one denying entry, nor can we assume that the party denied entry is the one wronged. We can only decide these things by an examination of the individual facts of the particular case.

 

[Xenonnonex]

You know when someone is being a jerk, so call them out on it.
You know when YOU are being a jerk; so check yourself and apologize.

Add human nature and stubbornness into the mix and you are just asking for a fight.
Sometimes people won't ever admit that they are in the wrong.

 

[Xenonnonex]

To some extent it might have been people wanting to feel superior to other people.

Gatekeeping is all about feeling superior over other people.
And it is combined with massive amounts of entitlement.

 

[Maxperson]

A large part of it is just the internet. Sometimes I think we should just turn it off.

I think the internet gives these guys a vehicle to intrude on many more conversation than they could before. Prior to the internet the number of conversations of a particular type that they were exposed to was very limited. Even at a bookstore, there wouldn't be that many conversations that they came across about Star Wars. And even at a game convention, most conversations weren't about who could play and why.

Along comes the internet and now people are coming from around the world and having these conversation fairly frequently and it's easy to search them out. It allows even a small number of these kinds of people to step all over discussions of whatever type that they gatekeep.

 

[Xenonnonex]

I think the internet gives these guys a vehicle to intrude on many more conversation than they could before. Prior to the internet the number of conversations of a particular type that they were exposed to was very limited. Even at a bookstore, there wouldn't be that many conversations that they came across about Star Wars. And even at a game convention, most conversations weren't about who could play and why.

Along comes the internet and now people are coming from around the world and having these conversation fairly frequently and it's easy to search them out. It allows even a small number of these kinds of people to step all over discussions of whatever type that they gatekeep.

A large part of it is just the internet. Sometimes I think we should just turn it off.

But how else would people hear about MY OPINIONS?