Gamer Gate, Holy Crap NaNoWriMo

Holy Crap guys, its still here. I really don’t want to talk about Gamer Gate too much because of how deep it goes. Sadly, when people hear I study videogame culture, their first question is about the gamers and the gate they built. There are already tons of people commenting on the matter, and most of them are being paid somehow to explain it. I for one, do not really think I have the time or the depth to understand in the way the other commentors are going at. Yet, I can explain parts of it, and thats why I am writing this.

The first thing we have to know is that the subject itself is time travel in how much you need to study. Next is that both groups are using two different arguments to beat each other to death with. The second is that this is expected, since many of the ideas being fought are not particularly surviving. Lastly, I sort of wanted to write something else for NaNoWriMo.

I have studied the matter just about every day. This means checking sources, websites, and watching hour long video debates. This takes hours of my time, which could be spent playing videogames or analyzing gaming culture through some other topic. The problem is that I get really absorbed by the topic itself.

A friend of mine describes certain things as time travel. You start into it, and suddenly its three hours later. He uses going to church as his example. Video editing feels about the same, especially when doing super technical stuff.  World of Warcraft, or any long and consciousness absorbent videogame can do the same trick. The game didn’t take six hours of your life away, it was time travel.

GamerGate has been my time travel the last few weeks. I start to study it, and three hours pass by. There is so much to see, and so much happening at the same time that it becomes difficult to follow it all. Trying to understand the various points of view slowly sucks on my time, and time travel happens.

To give you an idea, my links document to try to explain it all is well over two pages long. This is just links, no description, or great placement. It is more than any article I have prepared otherwise. Most articles I use memory, and find the links needed as I go. Some take more research, like the levels articles. Others take longer simply because they needed an entire convention to properly study. This one has made me list out links, because it is not working correctly.

The reason why is that the two camps are using completely different arguments to attack each other. The first is that there is sexism within videogames. The other is that there is obvious problems with videogame journalism. They both have truths to them, and thus feel that it is ok to bash the other. It becomes a war of words, and attacks. People choose sides, and then don’t see what the other is arguing. It gets dumb.

Why are they arguing two different things? Because there is a whole other subject of Pokemon here. Part of the problem is the strength of the attacks is making it difficult to see the arguments themselves. The other is that NEWS folks are choosing sides. This goes into a subject that would take several articles to explain.

Pokemon of Politics is something that happens all the time. Israel and Palestine are a great example. Someone chooses a side, and then expects a winner.

Another problem is that most of the really vicious attacks are being done by small groups within the larger argument. Most people discussing this are pointing at the other’s attacks, and not realizing the majority are not doing that. The sting of being doxed creates fear, and giant public NEWS folks report only the stereotypes, and their own opinions.

Another subject that needs to be explained is that there is a dual method of attack. The first is a nationalistic build up to attack, and then a globalized way of attacking. As nationalism is slowly eaten away by Globalization. We get a weird mix as things transition. It becomes the FAX machine, too early for email, but open paths to send messages.

Once again, this subject will take several articles to write, and explain what all this means. The first would have to do with how cultures go from dominated to dominant. It can take centuries for this to happen, and usually not through the way most imagine. The other is how technology for a specific type of culture has been growing and opening ways for nomadic lifestyles to begin again. Either topic could be someone’s PhD thesis, and yet, it is an obvious part of the subject.

I do have some time on my hands. In fact, that time has been anticipated for months. I have some non videogame related books I want to finish up. The one on my mind right now is about an Elf in Victorian England hunting down monsters with her Engineer buddy. Or how about that story about a Lawyer that represents various gods? Yeah that would be fun to finish up. Instead, I would have to dedicate most of my time to writing these articles.

Here is an open secret. Most non fiction articles take longer to write than fiction. Fiction flows like water, whereas non fiction -especially in the style I am presenting with- takes hours just to get enough links for a single paragraph. I could have several books done if I just take that time.

The thing is, as much as I would love to do write that wonderful fiction, I have been researching these other topics for a long time. My thesis paper was on other civilizations, and dominance theory. I would love to share that with this blog, and then release a nice book on the matter.

So, I will write the essays, but I claim nothing on how long it will take. I want to write the other stuff as well. You get articles when you get articles. Sorry, it has to be that way for everything to work out.

So GamerGate is time travel. You start studying it, and suddenly its three hours later. The two groups are attacking each other constantly. Part of the problem is that neither is using the same argument. The small groups using Dox attacks are being noticed more than the arguments themselves. The other is that they are using a hodge podge of Nationalistic and Globalized methods, which makes things even more confusing. I will write some books during this time -and hopefully have time to make a game- so please understand that the articles arrive when I finish them, and no schedule.

This is the first day of NaNoWriMo, and I fully intend to write, and write and write. I haven’t spoken about GamerGate because the subject itself is such a difficult thing. Please understand I am trying to look at it culturally, and also go play some games. Thank you for your understanding. Here we go.