Chris Mason of Attack the Blog (www.attacktheblog.co.uk) published a great little write-up about GAB, which is posted below. Check out the original article here, an be sure to share it with a friend or twenty.
Following is the article:
Sam Killermann over at It’s Pronounced Metrosexual has recently launched a great new site called Gamers Against Bigotry.
A helpful Metaphor
The idea is to promote a more inclusive gaming community: one which doesn’t resort to close-minded, offensive exchanges of bigoted insults; one which doesn’t push people away because of their race or gender; one which could well form the foundations for games to finally be taken seriously as an artistic medium, rather than dismissed as merely host to an infantile slurry of hate-mongering.
Now, before you get all worked up about the Politically Correct Brigade stealing all your fun, as if you’re part of one of Cameron’s anecdotes, think about it this way: if, in the heat of the moment, you feel the compulsion to unleash verbal fury upon your competitor, but the only thing that you can think of to pull them up on is where they were born, the colour of their skin, or what kind of fun-parts they might have, then it really isn’t worth the air it takes to say it; at the very least, you should try to be inventive with your rapport!
To help you on your way, here’s a short list of exciting new profanities you can try out (which are all suitable for humanitarians):
“Eat hot death, you cheese-jockey!”
“Where did you learn how to play, IKEA?”
“You’re so bad at this game, I’ll put a carp in your breakfast!”
“Curse your locational advantage, I am bested!”
“What is this?! Gears Of War, or Dodge Socks?!”
We all enjoy a good shout at the television (and maybe even a swear word or three) when we’re playing against other people online – by all means, curse, criticise, and otherwise smack-talk your opponents, but bigotry in the community can not be tolerated.
If any of you out there play online games, on any level, then please, go to Gamers Against Bigotry and sign the pledge, and share the link with as many people as possible. What’s more important, if you hear anybody using bigoted language, pull them up on it! You may find that you’re not the only person who objects.
If you have any issues or queries about this, please consult the FAF before commenting!
Frequently Assumed Falsehoods (FAF):
1) “It’s Political Correctness gone mad!”
No, it isn’t. That’s just a phrase bigots invented in an attempt to justify bigotry. What it is, is common human decency.
2) “Online gaming is the last place where it’s acceptable!”
Wrong again! Nazi Germany was the last place where it was considered “acceptable” to gas millions of Jews to death. That doesn’t mean it was acceptable.
3) “But it’s just a bit of harmless fun!”
Harmless fun is by definition, fun that doesn’t harm people. Bigotry does harm people, whether you intend it to or not.
4) “But it’s part of the culture!”
Witch burning was a part of our culture, until people came to their senses. Half the bigoted put-downs people use in online games are newborn in gaming years. It isn’t part of gaming culture, and never has been; it’s just unfounded hatred, masked by anonymity.
Huge thanks to Chris for the great shout-out. If anyone else sees an article about GAB around the web, please let us know. We’d love to feature it here.
glhf,
Gamers Against Bigotry