One heck of a letter

[Nel Celestine]

https://medium.com/@andreaszecher/open- ... 4511032e8a


I'll just leave this here and ask that if people agree or don't to not bring it into the forums without reasonable thought before pressing submit. I can understand it's a touchy subject, especially in the last week or so but more awareness is better I feel.

[Axe_336]

It's becoming a more common place thing. Honestly, I don't tread in many spaces where that sort of thing is prevalent, so it's hard for me to say... But maybe it's because my brain auto-filters out those sort of comments as irrelevant, that is, when I actually tread into the comment section on an article or a video.

Generally, this is nice and all, but if we can't stop bullying in the real world, how are we gonna do it online?

[Darth Plagueis]

I concede with the petition, as long as censoring is discouraged. It goes with the "right to [...] criticize games," but it needs to include the community as well. People should have a right criticize others, esp. for their actions, so that they can correct themselves and move on.

The problem why this petition was reinitialized was because the people being criticized were falsely accusing of "hateful, harassing speech," or slander, when in fact they were objectively stating factual evidence, and admonishing for change.

I am not one to encourage actual hateful, harassing, or spiteful speech, but I would not condone censoring someone from doing such, as long as no actual harassment or threats are made. For that, I take it to the authorities.

You cannot have freedom of press without allowing criticism and shaming. The two of which where used.

[inclining]

Criticism, especially of the constructive, academic sort, is to be welcomed and encouraged. All legitimate forms of artwork deserve a critical eye and invite criticism, of many forms. The discussion and debate around a medium are a healthy part of its community, and essential for its success. One can enjoy, even love, a work, while still remaining critical of aspects of it.

Harassment and threats are uniformly detrimental and to be avoided.

Censorship is a serious problem, but some people forget that only the government can truly censor anything. Private individuals choosing to block or moderate comments in their own forums does not equal censorship.

[Darth Plagueis]

Harassment and threats are uniformly detrimental and to be avoided.

Indeed, depending the context. Most times in the video game niche, it's not warranted, which is the point of the petition. In war and infiltration, it maybe necessary.

Censorship is a serious problem, but some people forget that only the government can truly censor anything. Private individuals choosing to block or moderate comments in their own forums does not equal censorship.

Private individuals, as well as groups like corporations, can censor material, regardless of the governments laws, which is exactly what happened when this petition was reinitialized.

I do not mind private individuals moderate their own content, even self censor themselves. The issue was that those "private individuals" were not so private, and went as far using their connections to censor on other media and spheres their criticism.

While it may not be mass political censorship, it was commercial media censorship, in particular the video game sphere.

[Axe_336]

Yeah, the government isn't the only one who can cause the same end result of censorship.

[MetalShadowOverlord]

I can't take something like this seriously. Why? I've noticed the same people who cry "diversity" are the first people to censor opposing views by calling it "hateful". Look at Gamergate, for example.

[Bodie]

I can't take something like this seriously. Why? I've noticed the same people who cry "diversity" are the first people to censor opposing views by calling it "hateful". Look at Gamergate, for example.

Could you elaborate on censorship in GG? I'm not familiar with the scenarios you're referring to.

[MetalShadowOverlord]

I can't take something like this seriously. Why? I've noticed the same people who cry "diversity" are the first people to censor opposing views by calling it "hateful". Look at Gamergate, for example.

Could you elaborate on censorship in GG? I'm not familiar with the scenarios you're referring to.

I'll leave these here, both so people who don't know about Gamergate can familiarize themselves with it and since they also discuss some of the censorship that has been going on. Warning: They are all rather long videos, but they all discuss the scandal itself and the censorship that has come with it.

1- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5-51Pf ... gfGGJR2yxQ
2- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKmy5OK ... gfGGJR2yxQ
3- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Km3DZQp ... gfGGJR2yxQ

[Bodie]

Aw, I was hoping to have a discussion. I got a game to make, I don't have time to watch an hour and a half of videos. Oh welllll.