Fuck NO Video Games · @EffNOVideoGames
10th Oct 2014 from TwitLonger
Discussion with Alexander Macris (@archon) of @TheEscapistMag
In a public exchange on Twitter, I asked Alexander Macris about the details of The Escapist's recent series of interviews about the "GamerGate" movement. In particular, I referred to the inclusion of James Desborough, a known harasser who specifically namedropped someone he'd been attacking on Twitter. Mr. Macris asked to take the discussion to DM; once we finished, he allowed me to post it publicly.
Alexander Macris: I just re-read the interview and I didn't see where he called attention to harass someone. Could you point it out?
AM: We had these vetted by several editors to screen for stuff like that.
AM: As far as his inclusion, several pro-GG folks wanted to exclude him because they don't like his association with their movement, but I
Fuck No Video Games: Mention of "[Redacted: privacy]", a Twitter user he has been harassing.
AM: decided I did not want to cherry pick people and so I simply included all those who responded.
AM: OK, we'll remove that. Thanks for letting me know.
FNVG: Another of your interviewees is RogueStar, who participated in the IRC raid chat against Zoe Quinn.
AM: If people think he's an awful human being, and I know many do, they will have to judge his involvement in the movement for what it's worth.
AM: See above. I could have only included the most prestigious and well-spoken reps on both sides but I didn't think that was appropriate.
FNVG: So you included anyone who wrote in to defend the harassment campaign. Including someone who wanted to hack Quinn. https://twitter.com/TheQuinnspiracy/status/520682857313095682
AM: I just emailed the content team and asked them to remove the [Redacted: privacy] reference.
AM: Any game developer. I had a lot of non-game developers who were excluded.
FNVG: You didn't think that including people with a vested interest in whitewashing GGate's abuses was a bad idea?
FNVG: Rather than investigating their background and claims, realizing that you were legitimizing their behavior, you gave them a platform?
AM: You're asking me rhetorical questions that you obviously have already made your mind up on. I explained my reasoning.
AM: My own views on GamerGate are closest to those of Dave Rickey and Oakheart.
AM: If I am legitimizing their views, I'm also legitimizing the views of the 7 anti-GG women I posted 2 weeks ago, and Damion, and Greg's views.
AM: In truth I am simply presenting a collection of views and allowing people to judge for themselves.
FNVG: You are giving space to proponents of a harassment campaign that has driven at least four women out of the industry.
AM: It sounds like you have already reached your conclusion on what #GamerGate is about, so what the developers have to say doesn't matter to u.
FNVG: I'm more concerned about you and your organization giving credence to a movement that is, transparently, misogynistic garbage.
AM: Several AAA developers did not think it was transparent or misogynistic garbage. Nor do many gamers.
FNVG: "Many gamers" being around 3700, if the recent Thunderclap campaign is any indication. But we know these folks love sockpuppet accounts.
FNVG: Meanwhile, outside the games press, people are willing to address this movement for what it is: an astroturfed hate campaign.
FNVG: When you entertain the possibility that "maybe the answer is somewhere in the middle", you're turning a blind eye to the harm GG has done.
AM: Slate doesn't think so; Real Clear Politics doesn't think so; Breitbart doesn't think so.
AM: I understand that you will immediately say that RCP and Breitbart are right-wing and therefore part of the problem. But The Escapist is
AM: not DailyKOS. Some of our writers are Republicans, some of our readers, too.
FNVG: Do you regret giving MRAs, harassers, hackers, etc. a chance to defend GamerGate, without criticism?
AM: They are able to be criticized in the forum thread we have made available for that purpose.
FNVG: So you're abdicating responsibility for challenging interviewees' statements to forum commenters?
AM: All the devs were invited to share their thoughts without criticism from me-do you have a problem with me treating all of the devs the same?
AM: Do you believe we should only have posted the views of anti-GG devs?
AM: What process ought I have used to decide if they were sufficiently anti-GG?
FNVG: I believe journalists have a responsibility to question their subjects, rather than immediately treating their word as gospel.
FNVG: I believe journalists have a responsibility to look into the motivations of the people making these claims.
FNVG: I believe journalists have a responsibility to recognize when their work will do harm to vulnerable people.
FNVG: With that in mind: would you object to me making this discussion publicly available, minus the name of the harassment victim in question?
AM: Do as you wish. Thanks for asking.
FNVG: Thank you for your time.
AM: As a heads up,
AM: While you and I were chatting, Greg Tito received material that has persuaded him to remove Slade Villena's interview.
FNVG: Thank you for letting me know.
AM: Of course. Take care. Thanks for the chat.