GamerGate Bomb Threat

10 Comments

1. 

   Unbound

   May 3, 2015 at 2:56 pm

   This.

   GG supporters sit up and take note. Yes, some dirtbag called in a threat. But, most importantly, look at the difference in reaction between the pro-GG and anti-GG groups. This is how the world easily understands that the pro-GG groups are in the wrong.

   There is no cheering by Damion and others that are opposed to the GG movement when an anti-GG person does something stupid or unethical. There is condemnation.

   Contrast this with the leaders of GG. They cry victory when pro-GG people do something stupid or unethical. GG leaders encourage this type of behavior.
   • 

     INH5

     May 3, 2015 at 5:19 pm

     What leaders, specifically, are you referring to, and do you have any specific examples of this behavior?

     Because I was under the impression that GGers repeatedly and emphatically state that they have no leaders, and most of them condemn this sort of behavior.
     • 

       Daniel Minardi

       May 3, 2015 at 9:01 pm

       Exactly. Additionally, the real difference here is in the reactions to these bomb threats. The vast majority of Gamergaters don’t seem phases by them. They under the almost 100% probability that the threat is fake, and that the proper response is honesty and ridicule, rather than feigned existential fear contradicted by accompanied trolling.

       What’s almost certain is that this threat was inspired by Arthur Chu’s despicable attempts to have the group kicked from the bar. It was done either in solidarity with him or just to make him look even worse. He’s the boss level dishonest unethical troll of gamergate opponents.
       • 

         Consumatopia

         May 4, 2015 at 8:25 pm

         They evacuated the bar, you know. Which implies they took it seriously. As we all pretty much have to.

         IMHO, you have to dig pretty deep into GG to find anyone who inches towards the line of actually cheering on threats.

         OTOH, you don’t have to dig very deep at all to find someone blaming victims for taking threats seriously.
         • 

           Daniel Minardi

           May 4, 2015 at 8:38 pm

           The police and the bar took the threat seriously, sure. The people gathered at the bar did not.

           You only have to go to the Kotaku article about this incident to find people happy about the bomb threat.

           I don’t blame victims for taking threats seriously. I blame people for lying about how many threats they receive and lying about how seriously they do take threats in order to gain political advantage. I’ve had polite e-mails sent under my own name quoted on twitter out of context and reported as “scary.” That makes clear to me that for some, receiving threats is nothing but a political game.
         • 

           Consumatopia

           May 4, 2015 at 10:34 pm

           “The police and the bar took the threat seriously, sure. The people gathered at the bar did not.”

           Then the police and bar are a lot smarter and more responsible than the people gathered at the bar.

           “I don’t blame victims for taking threats seriously. ”

           Glad to hear it. That sort of behavior is far too common among GGs, e.g. blaming Sarkeesian for taking the threats in Utah seriously.
2. 

   Ocho

   May 4, 2015 at 3:07 pm

   A bomb threat? Seriously, who cares if they have a meet up, especially enough to warrant bomb threats? Ridiculous. Just leave them be, it’s not like they’re relevant anymore anyway. They talk big, but have accomplished very little.
3. 

   Josh

   May 4, 2015 at 5:00 pm

   They probably faked the bomb threat for the attention

   Twitter really needs to get their shit together on the harassment front.
4. 

   Joel Hruska

   May 5, 2015 at 9:32 pm

   I have previously made my opinions of Gamergate extremely clear.

   Those opinions have not changed.

   Screw whoever did this. Screw the people who call in bomb threats or death threats. Screw people who SWAT other people with a ten foot pole, sideways. Shit like this, combined with the militarization of police forces and the amped up social tensions we’ve seen over the past 12-24 months, creates near-perfect conditions for calamity.

   Sooner or later, someone really *is* going to get killed because of this shit. It may have happened already (I’m not sure on this point) but if it hasn’t yet, it will.

   I don’t care if a person identifies themselves as pro-or-anti-GG. If you engage in these kinds of activities you’re a psychopath.
5. 

   Adam

   May 8, 2015 at 9:54 pm

   Sorry Damion, once again you are factually incorrect. The person who phoned the bomb threat is not an asshole. They’re a criminal.