The network architecture built in Gamergate helped propel Trump to the presidency and fuel conspiracies like Pizzagate and QAnon.

[RavenSky]

Interesting article:

This is an operational unit of information terrorists helping to transform the way Americans consume news in the age of Trump—some of the central nodes that give order to the information deluge and around which bot armies and human amplification networks can be organized, wiped out, reconstituted, and armed for attack.

Because that is what they do: attack. Many reporters who cover this phenomenon have themselves been swarmed by attacks and harassment from the digital insurgency that these information terrorists—call them the cadre—command. Information terrorism is not a term I apply lightly. But if you accept the core definition of terrorism as "the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims," then there are few terms more apt to describe what this group has unleashed against their fellow Americans.

The cadre coalesced and sharpened its edge starting in 2014 with Gamergate before throwing in with then-candidate Trump. It has promoted toxic conspiracies like Pizzagate and QAnon, and was ever-present around movements from Unite the Right to #releasethememo.

Some of the younger, outsized personalities that would eventually storm the 2016 GOP Convention in Cleveland on behalf of Trump first garnered attention during the confusing 2014–15 events now known as Gamergate—an internet culture war sparked when a group of women exposed what they saw as inherent misogyny in the production and culture of videogaming and argued for greater inclusivity.

First among these were the now-marginalized Milo Yiannopoulos, then a writer for Breitbart, and blogger Mike Cernovich. Cernovich latched on early, amplifying the theory of white-male identity politics long developed on his blog and arguing that Gamergate was a critical new front in the culture war.

Infowars jumped on the Gamergate bandwagon and, as the conspiracy flourished, continued to be a platform for Gamergaters to reach the masses, as did Breitbart.

Chuck Johnson would also weigh in in favor of the Gamergaters, learning from the event and realizing that it was a chance to take his marginal brand mainstream.

All this made clear that Gamergate wasn't really about gaming or even women—it was about identity, a bunker mentality that Trump would mobilize during his march to the presidency.

more at: https://www.wired.com/story/information-terrorists-trying-to-reshape-america/

 

[Jolly_Penguin]

Gsmergate was originally about game reviewers being in bed (in one case literally) with game developers.

It then for hijacked by Feminist SJWs like Sarkesian who played professional victim and exploited it.

It brought free speech advocates on the right together (ie, the pepe the frog stuff) and that did add fuel to the alt right, because that was how trolls knew they could push the authoritarian SJW buttons and expose them ("I wouldn't even rape you" said Carl Benjamin explicitly to demonstrate that a non-threat would be taken as a threat). I think it a bit of a stretch to then blame that for Trump's rise, but I do see a connection there between the rise of the illiberal authoritarian identity politics left and the authoritarian identity politics right that is a component of Trump's base.

 

[lpetrich]

("I wouldn't even rape you" said Carl Benjamin explicitly to demonstrate that a non-threat would be taken as a threat).

It's more like "I considered raping you, but I decided against it." How is that supposed to be reassuring?

Jolly_Penguin, how would you like it if someone told you "I thought of castrating you but I decided that it's not worth the trouble"?

 

[Jolly_Penguin]

("I wouldn't even rape you" said Carl Benjamin explicitly to demonstrate that a non-threat would be taken as a threat).

It's more like "I considered raping you, but I decided against it." How is that supposed to be reassuring?

Jolly_Penguin, how would you like it if someone told you "I thought of castrating you but I decided that it's not worth the trouble"?

He pushed the buttons and got exactly the reaction he predicted and was looking for. People took it as a threat. It was certainly insulting, but it wasn't a threat. It was the opposite of a threat.. He riled up the free speech right with this demonstration, which then provided cover for the alt-right. Sargon played a role in this (as a troll) and so did people like Smith here for demonstrating Sargon's point. The irony is that Smith and his illiberals actually have more in common with the alt-right than the free speech "shitlord" trolls do. The illiberal left and alt-right agree on pushing group identity over the individual and are a perfect match for one another. They frankly deserve each other, if only the rest of us were not caught in the crossfire.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Hx4w55KEvw[/youtube]

 

[Arctish]

Gsmergate was originally about game reviewers being in bed (in one case literally) with game developers.

Correction: Gamergate was originally about a guy getting revenge on his ex-girlfriend by spreading a nasty rumor about her having sex with a game reviewer in order to get a good review. It was a lie. Her new boyfriend never did a review of any of her work, the two began their relationship after her game was released, and she had no projects in the works that he might have touted. Misogynists and trolls flocked to the false flag of Female Privilege even after the lie was exposed. They started an online ruckus that continues to this day.

It then for hijacked by Feminist SJWs like Sarkesian who played professional victim and exploited it.

Correction: Gamergate misogynists pretended they were championing honesty in game reviews but couldn't name a single game reviewer who was suspected to trading favorable reviews for sex, or pizza, or beer money, or anything else. Meanwhile, the incessant death threats, rape threats, doxing, and other abuse of women online increased to the point that even people with little interest in games noticed.

It brought free speech advocates on the right together (ie, the pepe the frog stuff) and that did add fuel to the alt right, because that was how trolls knew they could push the authoritarian SJW buttons and expose them ("I wouldn't even rape you" said Carl Benjamin explicitly to demonstrate that a non-threat would be taken as a threat). I think it a bit of a stretch to then blame that for Trump's rise, but I do see a connection there between the rise of the illiberal authoritarian identity politics left and the authoritarian identity politics right that is a component of Trump's base.

So the reason misogynists and trolls threatened to rape and murder Brianna Wu was to expose how sensitive people who fight for social justice are to rape and death threats?

Well, good job Gamergaters! I'm sure no one realized that threatening to rape and murder someone would be perceived by some as threatening before you exposed that little secret.

 

[RavenSky]

Correction: Gamergate was originally about a guy getting revenge on his ex-girlfriend by spreading a nasty rumor about her having sex with a game reviewer in order to get a good review. It was a lie. Her new boyfriend never did a review of any of her work, the two began their relationship after her game was released, and she had no projects in the works that he might have touted. Misogynists and trolls flocked to the false flag of Female Privilege even after the lie was exposed. They started an online ruckus that continues to this day.

Correction: Gamergate misogynists pretended they were championing honesty in game reviews but couldn't name a single game reviewer who was suspected to trading favorable reviews for sex, or pizza, or beer money, or anything else. Meanwhile, the incessant death threats, rape threats, doxing, and other abuse of women online increased to the point that even people with little interest in games noticed.

So the reason misogynists and trolls threatened to rape and murder Brianna Wu was to expose how sensitive people who fight for social justice are to rape and death threats?

Well, good job Gamergaters! I'm sure no one realized that threatening to rape and murder someone would be perceived as threatening before you exposed that little secret.

Second everything above ^^^

Also wondering why everyone else is regurgitating the standard Gamergate fallacies while ignoring the actual point of this thread - that quite a few of the same people/groups who fed the toxicity of Gamergate are also involved in Trump's orwellian shitshow.

 

[Jolly_Penguin]

Here is another excellent take on gamergate that while not realizing it went back further in terms of honest game reviews, goes straight to the heart of your question:

[YouTube]https://youtu.be/STl7-_f4_eA[/YouTube]

He says it was a reaction to the calling of an entire industry sexist, and was the first time people stood up to the SJW authoritarians. There could be some truth to that, and I can definitely see how that would spark some hateful authoritarian and even misogynist and xenophobic types who would later support Trump. Gamergate was also one of the best examples of the game maker and reviewer industry grouping together to push a social narrative. We have seen that happen again since, and people are alert to it now.

 

[Arctish]

Interesting video. It reminds me of Lost Cause mythology, that only admits facts that can't be ignored (like the lie that started it all and the death and rape threats), sweeps as much of the ugliness under the rug as it can, and it plays the victim card by claiming that SJWs were oppressing people and the noble Gamergaters <cue violins playing Ashokan Farewell> were nobly fighting for something noble.

And of course it peddles the story that the whole thing really was about ethics in gamer journalism.

 

[Jolly_Penguin]

What it says is that the gaming press and developers stood up (or rolled over and went along with) calling the gaming consumers, and gaming industry sexist. I repeat. They did not just say "This guy X who did Y is a dirtbag". They spoke down to and wagged their fingers at gaming consumers generally. And many of the consumers then joined together in response with a collective raised middle finger. The analogy in the video of the banquet hall is perfect.

That drew out trolls, who of course succeeded and became the entire story as Arcrish sees it. To answer the OP yet again, these trolls as well as the good people standing up for gamers generally, then became something for actual misogynists to hide behind, and some of them, having found a cause to rally behind then supported Trump.

This is what happened. This is the answer to the OP's question, no matter how hard it may be to accept. The SJWs sparked a Streisand effect here, and a backlash that was far more powerful and long outlived any legitimate cry for justice they may have had.

 

[Worldtraveller]

Gsmergate was originally about game reviewers being in bed (in one case literally) with game developers.

It then for hijacked by Feminist SJWs like Sarkesian who played professional victim and exploited it.

It brought free speech advocates on the right together (ie, the pepe the frog stuff) and that did add fuel to the alt right, because that was how trolls knew they could push the authoritarian SJW buttons and expose them ("I wouldn't even rape you" said Carl Benjamin explicitly to demonstrate that a non-threat would be taken as a threat). I think it a bit of a stretch to then blame that for Trump's rise, but I do see a connection there between the rise of the illiberal authoritarian identity politics left and the authoritarian identity politics right that is a component of Trump's base.

As usual, your cause and effect is bass ackwards.

 

[lpetrich]

The Gamergaters claimed that it was a great conflict of interest for reviewers to have personal relationships with game developers. But they never addressed a worse problem: reviewers making glowing reviews of games in exchange for the game makers giving them previews and early versions.

 

[Arctish]

BuzzFeed did a pretty comprehensive article on the role Breitbart contributor and prominent Gamergater Milo Yiannopoulos played in developing the network of white nationalists, racists, sexists, and misogynists that fueled the rise of the alt-right and became Trump's staunchest supporters:

Here's How Breitbart And Milo Smuggled White Nationalism Into The Mainstream.

 

[Jolly_Penguin]

BuzzFeed did a pretty comprehensive article on the role Breitbart contributor and prominent Gamergater Milo Yiannopoulos played in developing the network of white nationalists, racists, sexists, and misogynists that fueled the rise of the alt-right and became Trump's staunchest supporters:

Here's How Breitbart And Milo Smuggled White Nationalism Into The Mainstream.

Buzzfeed? Milo? LOL

Milo was actually a troll who never would have had even a tenth of his influence if not for the fragile and mindless mob of reactionaries on the illiberal left. Jordan Peterson got started the same way. Neither would be much without these people.

 

[Arctish]

BuzzFeed did a pretty comprehensive article on the role Breitbart contributor and prominent Gamergater Milo Yiannopoulos played in developing the network of white nationalists, racists, sexists, and misogynists that fueled the rise of the alt-right and became Trump's staunchest supporters:

Here's How Breitbart And Milo Smuggled White Nationalism Into The Mainstream.

Buzzfeed? Milo? LOL

The article is based on a collection of e-mails Milo sent and received. You can check out the sources if you feel the need to verify them.

Milo was actually a troll who never would have had even a tenth of his influence if not for the fragile and mindless mob of reactionaries on the illiberal left. Jordan Peterson got started the same way. Neither would be much without these people.

Aren't you the same Jolly_Penguin who touted Milo's Dangerous Faggot tour as a vitally important exercise of free speech rights in the face of censorship? Because that Jolly_Penguin said Milo was much more than a troll.

Anyway, the article is another source of information on the network of pundits, personalities, bots, foreign nationals, the Mercers, the KKK, Nazis, Gamergaters, and alt-right hatemongers driving the GOP to extremes. You might want to read it before commenting on it.

 

[Jolly_Penguin]

Anyway, the article is another source of information on the network of pundits, personalities, bots, foreign nationals, the Mercers, the KKK, Nazis, Gamergaters, and alt-right hatemongers driving the GOP to extremes. You might want to read it before commenting on it.

I may. I don't have the energy or feel the inclination to right now, especially given the source. Is it another one of those "intellectual dark web" hit pieces? That graphic with the lines joining everyone and everyone together was pretty comical.

 

[Underseer]

Gsmergate was originally about game reviewers being in bed (in one case literally) with game developers.

It then for hijacked by Feminist SJWs like Sarkesian who played professional victim and exploited it.

It brought free speech advocates on the right together (ie, the pepe the frog stuff) and that did add fuel to the alt right, because that was how trolls knew they could push the authoritarian SJW buttons and expose them ("I wouldn't even rape you" said Carl Benjamin explicitly to demonstrate that a non-threat would be taken as a threat). I think it a bit of a stretch to then blame that for Trump's rise, but I do see a connection there between the rise of the illiberal authoritarian identity politics left and the authoritarian identity politics right that is a component of Trump's base.

That is such a load of horseshit. It was always about incel white nationalist snowflakes raising yet another shitstorm over nothing, because if anything happens that doesn't make you feel like a superior snowflake, you will go apeshit and start tearing everything down.

 

[Arctish]

Anyway, the article is another source of information on the network of pundits, personalities, bots, foreign nationals, the Mercers, the KKK, Nazis, Gamergaters, and alt-right hatemongers driving the GOP to extremes. You might want to read it before commenting on it.

I may. I don't have the energy or feel the inclination to right now, especially given the source. Is it another one of those "intellectual dark web" hit pieces? That graphic with the lines joining everyone and everyone together was pretty comical.

You mean the chart illustrating the connections between senders and recipients of the emails quoted in the article? What was comical about it?

 

[Politesse]

The Gamergaters claimed that it was a great conflict of interest for reviewers to have personal relationships with game developers. But they never addressed a worse problem: reviewers making glowing reviews of games in exchange for the game makers giving them previews and early versions.

But how would that help them justify open, public misogyny?