Abuse of the Gamergate Hashtag

https://twitter.com/femfreq/status/522204937178976257

This is utter and complete nonsense by a media whoring individual determined to keep the spotlight on herself rather than the issues.  Utah is a right to carry state and demanding that state officials break the law for her to give a "talk" at Utah State University is hypocrisy personified.

To carry a concealed firearm in any state in the Union requires a background check by state and federal governmental bodies.  Not any crazy can legally carry a concealed weapon.

Look it is horrible that some nut job or nut jobs called in threats against Ms. Sarkeeshian.  If she didn't feel her personal protection or the security measures taken by Utah State and local authorities were sufficient then cancelling her speech was her only choice.  However, that doesn't give her the right to act indigent and angry that state law was enforced.

If the threats made were real, and I admit I have my doubts, then any violence would most likely have been perpetrated by individuals that did not have a concealed weapon permit.  The leaked details of the threat clearly indicate no intent to use a concealed weapon to carry out the threat.

It is much more likely that the "threats" were made by some lunatic fringe supporter of Ms. Sarkeeshian to keep her name in the spotlight and thus "relevant" in gaming.  She by no means speaks for the whole gaming community or for women in the gaming community.  She is one voice among a chorus but the difference is her voice is the loudest and most strident.

https://twitter.com/femfreq/status/522218360763731968

This tweet is just utter crap and nonsense.  I haven't been a vocal supporter of #Gamergate and honestly I believe that gamers should realize that all journalism, not just gaming journalism, is corrupt and opinionated.  Supporters of #Gamergate are the furthest thing from supporters of violence against women.  They are striving to improve the journalism ethics from gaming journalists, companies, and bloggers.  They are not trying to perpetuate an atmosphere of harassment, hate, or fear for any gamer.

For any of you confused about Ms. Sarkeeshian she does not represent all women in gaming by any stretch of the imagination.  She in no respect speaks for me or my views in gaming.  Her continued use of the Gamergate hashtag is to keep herself relevant and in the public eye.  She wants to diminished and tarnish the supporters of #Gamergate so that her voice, and those of her cronies, are the only voices heard, reported, and published by mainstream media.  She is nothing more than a bully in feminist clothing, the flip side of the coin of the misogynist bully who fears women in video games.  Expose her for the bully and media spotlight junkie she is.

Elder Scrolls Online: Enjoying Life Immensely

We stopped playing Elder Scrolls Online within a month of launch, mostly because the little things were so highly irritating they were driving both of us bonkers.  We resubbed two weeks ago and while Hubby hasn’t had much time to play, I’ve been enjoying the game once again.  I’m fully immersed in the word, loving every quest and off the beaten path I find. 

As reported by Tamriel Foundry this week from the guild summit meeting with Zenimax, there are upcoming quality of life improvements coming to the game.  A collection system for maps, pets, and trophies immediately springs to mind.  I have so much inventory space that will be freed up with this implementation.  There are also changes coming to crafting which will result in non-faction specific foods and fewer ingredients.

Admittedly, there was no discussion of housing coming and I’m still waiting (impatiently admittedly) for an announcement about housing.  I’m pleased with the state of the game.  The world is full, community is friendly, and there is no pressure to rush to the end game.

I’ve gotten three characters, one per faction, to approximately the same level where they can move on to the next zone.  I am undecided about which character to concentrate on moving forward, so undoubtedly I will continue with my normal play style and play what character and faction I want on any given day.  I’ve taken the pressure off myself with my RP blog and now all my characters are free to write glimpses of their lives.

I am having fun, and after all isn’t that why we play video games in the first place?

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Gaming & the Decisions We Make

So, darling hubby has had this theory for years that gaming turns us all into virtual mass murderers on a horrific scale.  We log into the game of our choice and set about questing, battling, destroying the enemy and/or the other side.  And what do we have to show for it at the end of the day?

Now, this isn’t going to turn into some anti-gaming, politically correct piece, or a rant against the current state of games we all play.  Rather, it is more about the decisions we make as parents and families when we aren’t gaming. Do we offset the hours spent slaughtering the enemy in pursuit of videogame justice with acts of kindness and beauty in the real world?

It is easy to lose yourself in the world created by video games, there is always something just over the next rise that needs to be done just before logging off.  I’m as guilty as the next person when it comes to regulating game time sometimes.  However, I’ve decided to take a moment or two each day from here on out to make the world around me a more positive and beautiful place. 

Will one gamer doing a a positive, personal thing for those around her change the world?  Nope, it won’t change the world at large but it will change my immediate world which is enough.  If every gamer stopped and took a couple of moments out of the day to improve their immediate world, imagine how much positive change would be wrought in the world at large.

Positive changes don’t have to be large, showy acts.  Make dinner or do the dishes, pick the kids up from school, pick up flowers for someone you love, or stop in the elderly neighbor down the street and see what you can do to make their life more enjoyable.

So, what am I going to do to make my immediate world better?  Well, I’m starting with returning to my first and second, albeit frustrating, loves writing and stitching.   I’ve stopped writing every day and that needs to change.  It seems trivial and small but I’m a better person to live with when I write daily.  Stitching is also integral to the health and happiness of our home.  Stitching forces me to relax no matter how stressed life around me might be and keeps my fingers limber preventing the possible onset of arthritis.

So, small steps but they will make a difference in my immediate world.  Does it make me any less of a mass murderer in video games?  Not in the slightest, but it will offset the pile of digital bodies I leave in my wake.

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