At Northeastern this week we had a GamerGate
town hall meeting and I thought it’d be useful to share some
resources as a follow-up. (For those that want to read up on the
particulars, I recommend the articles at RationalWiki and
The
Washington Post. If you really want details, Wikipedia
is exhaustive.)
First, for those who would like to help in efforts at combating
sexism and harassment I recommend the Resources
for allies article on the GeekFeminism
wiki. At the organizational level, I recommend anti-harassment
policies and codes of conduct.
For those facing harassment, I am sorry that there are no simple
answers. In Reading the Comments (due April 2015) I argue the
old axiom that “don’t feed the trolls” is no longer sufficient. In my
discussion of haters and Sarkeesian’s
experiences I write:
Unfortunately, hate and harassment are a part of online comment for
which there is no easy solution. Yet her [Sarkeesian’s] example does
indicate that for those that are brave enough, there is an option
between “feeding”and “ignoring” the trolls and haters: supporting their
victims. I am not suggesting that the target of abuse should engage with
the trolls or become a lone vigilante. Nor would I advocate for a
bully-battle. What I am hopeful for is that we all be more willing to
declare that such behavior is odious and unwelcome and we support
targets of abuse—be it emotionally, financially, or legally.
More practically, Ashe Dryden’s post
on how to deal with and help those facing online harassment is
excellent. Also, at a larger social level—and if one’s needs to invoke
legal help—I recommend Danielle Keats Citron’s recent book “Hate
Crimes in Cyberspace.” For students at university, I also recommend
they reach out to supportive faculty and student organizations.
There are comments.