IGDA Planning Support Groups for Harassed and Threatened Game Developers

[compl3x]

The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) revealed that it plans to start a number of support groups for developers who have found themselves on the business end of harassment and threats of violence by angry gamers on a regular basis. The news was revealed as part of Polygon's report on online harassment and threats that are frequently leveled against game developers.

 

IGDA director Kate Edwards told Polygon in the report that the organization dedicated to developers plans to set up groups for developers who are the victims of death threats, threats of sexual violence, or generally repulsive comments from the community.

 

Edwards says that, while harassment isn't having a huge impact on the video game industry yet, "we're at the cusp of where it could... Harassment silences and repositions content creators in ways that protect the interests of certain fan groups, which again is no justification for the kinds of abusive behavior and language seen online today."

 

"We're getting to a point where we're thinking, 'Yeah, it's becoming something we're going to need to talk about.' It might be time to consider doing a more explicit support group or mechanism to help people who are dealing with this sort of thing," she added.

Source: Gamasutra

 

 

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[Dotdot]

Seems the internet as a whole is starting to step up to this kind of BS. About time we brought home the idea of acting online as you would in real life. Quite why people seem to think being a "fan" of something, or being anonymous online gives you the right to act and speak in such a way is beyond me.

Shame theres no mandatory "intro" to the internet, as some people are crying out for it.

Tho in saying this, Ive found generally that the people who are scumbag low lifes in real life are often the ones being arrested in these cases. Maybe the internet is just allowing for there already existant BS to be heard/seen by more?

[Arceles]

If anything, this is a phenomena almost exclusively of younger generations, they seem to think that you are free to have little to no respect in online "anonymous" places, what a different place it was when it was just beginning to spread....

[compl3x]

If anything, this is a phenomena almost exclusively of younger generations, they seem to think that you are free to have little to no respect in online "anonymous" places, what a different place it was when it was just beginning to spread....

 

I've seen more than a few examples of "adults" or the older generation engaging in bullying and harassment on-line. I seen a report about a week ago detailing examples of mothers going on-line and bullying peers of their children or other parents.

[DrunknMunky Veteran]

Sad that it has come to this but I fully support it (Y) **** like this needs to stop :no:

[ahhell]

Not sure why or when it happened but people are disrespectful ass holes today.

Thanks, Internet.