Pretty good news RealID didn't come in really.

So yeah I play computer games, you know this but people who don't know me that well don't know this because computer gaming is a mark of shame to some extent. Now while I would say some of people's dislike for gamers is a problem on their part there is good reason not to hold the hobby in high esteem.

RealID was Blizzard's (maker of the ever popular World of Warcraft) bully idea to make WoW and their other games more like Facebook. For a range of reasons users reacted very strongly against the plan and Blizzard backed down from the plan albeit without acknowledging any of the actual concerns of their customers. Instead they chose to pat themselves on the back for listening to the community. But anyway corporations exist to be hypocritical and evil so this isn't news.

However Kieron Gillen in his final Sunday Papers for RPS (he will be missed) linked a good example of why gaming isn't as culturally acceptable as some people would like and also just how horrible RealID would've been for women (and likely minorities, homosexuals and anyone else prejudiced people might not like).

Starcraft II is another game made by Blizzard and it widely agreed to be a very good game. It came out twelve years after Starcraft and to live up to the massive expectations highlights Blizzard's talent for game development. So with the myth that the majority of computer games players are teenage males is being dispelled one would expect women to play such a popular game. One of the biggest Starcraft fansites, team liquid however did not share this view.

A week The Hathor Legacy did a post about a woman posting on the team liquid forums wanting advice on how to set up an all female clan (a group of people who compete against other clans for prestige and sometimes in proper competitions). The response was the depressingly common mix of sexual harassment and the whining of privileged white males because there is one little thing their privilege doesn't allow them to do. The kicker was though that a moderator of the forum came out in support for the sexists and admonished the woman. However a second post shows the staff of team liquid trying to entrap and then intimidate the author of the original post. Calling people out on their prejudices just isn't right and deserving of retaliation apparently.

The Hathor Legacy posts explain things far better than I could but I do want to repeat their assertions about RealID. This level of harassment was directed towards a woman for volunteering she was female. If every woman (and other potential targets for the unpleasant types the internet abounds with)'s name was out there for easy datamining, harassment and stalking it would've been terribly unpleasant and struck the acceptance of gaming a near deadly blow. Now the death of gaming thing might seem a little selfish, a little myopic but this potential death blow wouldn't be delivered by a hostile act but by the general population of male gamers being given enough power to show the world what they're actually like. The views and culture of gaming is rotten and needs to be seriously addressed by everyone who considers themselves a gamer.

Sometimes the unfairness of the world makes me very angry.

This is one of those times:


(apologies about the MS Paint highlighting that was put on before I got it)

thanks jonny

Computer nerds privileged white manbabies???

Idly going around the bbc news website I happened upon a link to something interesting, a blog post detailing something really obvious that had never occured to me. Basically starting using computers at a young age is less a sign of deep interest in the field and more a sign your parents were rich enough to buy you a computer. Its quite short and very interesting do have a look

Of course just with anything else that suggest maybe affluent white males didn't succeed solely because of their amazing abilities but, ya know, benefited from entrenched privilege within society those white guys feel the need to point out that possibly poors, women and minorities have a little bit of a disadvantage they got to where they are based solely on merit so the crazy bitch who wrote this article should shut up. Theres few groups more right wing and self important than computer nerds so if you do so choose to read the comments you get to some truly hilarious levels of denial.

super secret note for tony: more proof YOSPOS is a terrible place populated by terrible people

Vicious imperialist react to percieved slight

It really does seem like the only people who ever actually play the race card are over privileged white people who can't handle the slightest amount of criticism or disagreement with them. Sure England has exploited and screwed over Scotland for centuries but not supporting England in the world cup? THATS RACIST!