Harassment in gaming

[Hussar]

You can't address all of those past experiences suddenly. If you ask a stranger for help, you should be specific and address what they can do then and there. It's understandable if you're upset, but the person you're talking isn't omnipotent.

In what way did the article not address, in very specific terms, what people can do there and then? Granted, it wasn't politely phrased, but, she's pretty bloody specific about what she would like to see from the members the hobby - stand up and denounce it, don't turn a blind eye, actively act on complaints and don't just brush them off.

What more specific things could she be asking for?

And, really, that's pretty darn good advice. I mentioned the efforts of the police in London, England to stop harassment on public transportation. Here's this snippet from their front page:

If you have experienced unwanted sexual behaviour
If you choose to report any incident of a sexual nature to the police or a member of rail staff, you will be always be believed and taken seriously, no matter where you are in the country. Your evidence can help us identify and catch offenders, and make sure our officers are in the right place at the right time.

You can call us on0800 40 50 40 or text 61016. For incidents that take place away from the railway, dial 101. In an emergency always call 999.

- See more at: http://www.btp.police.uk/advice_and...me/project_guardian.aspx#sthash.VDgl4m6h.dpuf

Bold and underline is mine. See, right there, even the police have to state that complaints will be believed. THAT'S how little faith women have that they will get any justice. How likely do you think it is that women think that if they make a complaint about harassment at a con or a store, that they will be believed.

Or, perhaps they will just be blamed for how they dress. I guess wearing a skirt means that I want my ass grabbed. It's all my fault.

 

[Max_Killjoy]

It's a thin and intensely difficult tightrope for those who make up "the system" to walk, when they're expected to believe every complaint (rightly so), AND presume that the accused is innocent until proven guilty (RIGHTLY SO).

I don't envy them.

 

[Eltab]

how does a smartphone record action that could occur from any angle?

I was replying to the question about proving a chant (audio), not the video aspect; I can see where 360* video equipment would be very conspicuous.

If you think you might run into trouble, yes indeed be prepared. A camera/mike -equipped cell phone is better than nothing at all. It's an amateur version of the police placing a 'bug' on a turncoat within a crime ring. If indeed "nobody will believe me without evidence", then the answer is to prepare to provide evidence if it happens a second time. THEN the authorities - police, con organizer, arena security, whoever - have something tangible to work with. And the nonsense can be brought to a stop.

 

[Nylanfs]

Here's the part that quite a lot of people aren't getting. Women since the second wave feminism started in the 60's HAVE been bringing up harassment, talking publicly about it, and asking men to stop. It keeps happening, so yes the inflammatory blog was necessary, because women have learned that nothing gets talked about unless white men are insulted.

Be courteous and kind. I don't like to get into confrontations with people, either, but you don't have to be confrontational to tell someone what they're doing is bothering you. Once people know it is, they usually stop.

If this were true we wouldn't have to be talking about this.

 

[Eltab]

Moderator Instructions

I have received your post #740 and understand.

 

[Max_Killjoy]

On the topic of speaking up when you see something, or calling out the harassers, it does come to mind that in online culture -- which overlaps heavily with gaming -- standing up for another person has come to be derided as "white knighting".

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

On the topic of speaking up when you see something, or calling out the harassers, it does come to mind that in online culture -- which overlaps heavily with gaming -- standing up for another person has come to be derided as "white knighting".

1) that is unfortunate

2) so THAT is what that term means

 

[Umbran]

On the topic of speaking up when you see something, or calling out the harassers, it does come to mind that in online culture -- which overlaps heavily with gaming -- standing up for another person has come to be derided as "white knighting".

Unfortunately, yes. It is a typical response when faced with resistance - find some way to declare the resistance improper, and dismiss it. As I understand the term, it originally referred to someone who jumped in to protect some person when no wrong had been done, or when the knight didn't actually know what was going on. Jumping in and defending against sexual harassment when no actual harassment was taking place, for example, would be white knighting.

But, more recently, it's come to refer to a person who is coming to defense disingenuously - that they are motivated by "political correctness" or a desire to make themselves look good than because any wrong was being done.

It seems to me that this defense becomes less tenable the more people come to denounce harassment, and the more people become informed in their stands against it.

 

[Ovinomancer]

Wowzer. Checked back in after a week or so. Still not talking about harassment, I see.

Perhaps it would be good to understand what you think talking about harassment looks like. That, at least, might help you stop feeling disappointed.

Nope. Tried to bring it back around a couple of times, but to not much avail.

I disagree that you tried. You took pains to jump on other posters, but you did nothing positive to discuss harassment.

The writer of the original letter sabotaged any attempt at a civil discussion when she chose to use the bigoted language she did.

I believe we could have a civil discussion on harassment if people stopped trying to defend her actions. What she did was wrong. It was inexcusable. It was needlessly inflammatory. Now, let it lie dead in the past and move on to a decent discussion of harassment, one which doesn't try to excuse away calling people "terrorist" and "coward".

And this is absolute BS. Nothing about the language poisons the ability to talk about the problem. The language can be noted as unhelpful, yes, but that doesn't prevent actual discussion unless you're 1) actually trying to derail the conversation or 2) insisting that no one say anything bad about the language because it's against your ideology. Both kinds in this thread.

You can note that the language was unhelpful and then talk about how a harassment policy should be structured to work effectively just fine. No poisoning at all.

EDIT: and I see that entire line has been shut down and the BSer booted. Sad for the former, happy for the latter.

 

[Ovinomancer]

On the topic of speaking up when you see something, or calling out the harassers, it does come to mind that in online culture -- which overlaps heavily with gaming -- standing up for another person has come to be derided as "white knighting".

I don't think we should take the excesses of online culture as a guide for how to deal with poor social behavior. Just sayin'.