The impassioned hysteria over 'ethics in video game journalism' is the problematic part, not the issue itself.

And, to be frank, that ridiculous level of hysteria makes it clear that it's not really about ethics in video game journalism. No-one is dead or has been maimed by it. Lives aren't destroyed by it. Basically, it's a good example of dog whistle politics, using a term that is more palatable to push a less palatable agenda: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog-whistle_politics

I've been a heavy gamer for 25 years, with literally hundreds of games in my Steam account (I started out with Amiga floppies), and my heaviest-played games in that steam list have over half a thousand hours on them, each. I'm a heavy gamer, it's my vice, and I've been part of the 'scene' for a long time.

So I'm not commenting as an outsider when I say that gamers, as a demographic, are the most self-entitled bunch of whiners I've ever seen. I've worked in tech support, in medicine, in retail, with children... and nothing holds a candle to the gaming community when they feel wronged. Every issue is blown way out of proportion. And they need to be called on it, because otherwise they keep on doing it. I'm so tired of this manufactured outrage. I see less passion in the comments when there's an article about child sexual abuse on a newspaper website, and that's a crime that raises pretty much everyone's hackles.

So, speaking as a lifelong heavy gamer, this GamerGate bullshit has little to do with ethics in gaming journalism - a field that is so tangential to the important things in the human experience. Note also that I never said it was nothing to be concerned about or no right to complain; I said that the levels of hysterical concern were ridiculous and overblown.

But of course, if you were actually interested in integrity, you wouldn't have characterised my comments of 'ridiculous levels of hysteria' as 'expecting complete calm', as if that's the only other possible option. A classic strawman fallacy. Perhaps you should show some of this integrity that you demand of others?

Perhaps I should put it a different way: Issues with the supply of your entertainment are never worth a death threat.

> nothing holds a candle to the gaming community when they feel wronged. Every issue is blown way out of proportion. And they need to be called on it, because otherwise they keep on doing it. I'm so tired of this manufactured outrage.

I have the same feelings but about other online communities, for example certain sports fan communities. It also applies to serious political issues, such as the hatred of certain politicians or viewpoints -- arguably these issues legitimately would get strong responses but really we all know what most of it is, as you said very well:

Manufactured outrage.

I've seen otherwise intelligent people I know get swept up in it. It's a danger to our society and I don't think I'm exaggerating. The same online brush-fire that rages against women in gaming today will rage for war, ethnic hatred, or other catastrophes tomorrow. Cynical leaders will manipulate it (and these people are easily manipulated).

It also ruins people's lives. Every victim of it that I've seen talk about it in retrospect, even public figures or those who played it cool at the time, has talked about how traumatizing it was.

"It's about ethics" yet most of the moderators of the subreddit /r/KotakuInAction are also moderators of distinctly misogynstic subreddits http://i.imgur.com/3j7uzXZ.jpg

EDIT: You might be taking downvotes too personally.

You can be concerned about ethics in game journalism and try to do something about it even though other injustices exist, by my book at least. But the gamergate tag has been effectively taken over by the misogynists and haters. That may not be fair, but it's a fact. If people in the first group continue to use that umbrella they are aiding the people in the second group. Again, not fair, but that's the way it is.

It's incredibly unfair because the members of gamergate that aren't spewing misogyny and hate can't really start another movement, that movement would just be taken over by the same people they are trying to distance themselves from. So they can't distance themselves from the hate and their movement is being attacked because of the hate coming from these interlopers and Gawker/The Media is going to just continue to inflame the haters.

How are people supposed to get anything done?