| Poll |
| How toxic do you find FUMBBL's culture? |
| 1 (One of the most healthy communities I've ever been a part of) |
|
51% |
[ 81 ] |
| 2 (Nothing the article describes happens at FUMBBL) |
|
24% |
[ 39 ] |
| 3 (About average for an online community) |
|
13% |
[ 21 ] |
| 4 (I'm worried about some of it's elements) |
|
7% |
[ 12 ] |
| 5 (So toxic that I tried to avoid it as much as I can) |
|
2% |
[ 4 ] |
|
| Total Votes : 157 |
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PsyPhiGrad
Joined: Dec 22, 2007
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 Posted:
Apr 05, 2016 - 05:44 |
 
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It's been a while since I was on FUMBBL. I came across a really good article that I would like to share about online gaming culture.
It's one of the reasons why I stopped coming to FUMBBL. I hope things have improved in the time I've been away. Well, here's food for thought.
| Quote: | Tabletop Gaming has a White Male Terrorism Problem
I am a gamer. I followed the call of Cthulhu and ran in the shadows with hackers and shamans. I traversed the ancient lands of Greyhawk, Faerun, and Eberron with companions new and old. I swung from an airship and buckled swash over London for the Kerberos Club. I threw dice and flipped cards and ground men into dust playing table-top wargames.
I don’t do that anymore.
Since July of 2015 fans of the game Malifaux have been attempting to overwhelm me with death and rape threats for no other reason than I am a woman who has opinions on the game. Wyrd Miniatures is silent on this matter and hangs up whenever anyone attempts to discuss the harassment. Given that a large number of threats identify the senders by name as Wyrd staff members, I do not find this surprising.
But that’s not what this article is about.
This isn’t the first time I’ve received an avalanche of threats from pathetic and insecure men. It isn’t the second time or even the third or fourth. At this point, I know that if I speak out against the abuses myself and my friends have suffered as a result of our participation in the “friendly gaming community†I can expect to be silenced with extreme prejudice. Section 83.01 of the Criminal Code of Canada defines terrorism as an act committed “in whole or in part for a political, religious or ideological purpose, objective or cause†and with the intention of intimidating the public “…with regard to its security, including its economic security, or compelling a person, a government or a domestic or an international organization to do or to refrain from doing any act.â€
Astute readers will note there is no specific provision for internet harassment, although death threats are one of the most prominent and effective ways of driving women and POC from communities. While the topic of online harassment has centred around white women, it is not uncommon for any minority to receive death threats and other forms of intimidation when they express their concerns with the gaming community’s acceptance of racist, sexist, homophobic, and otherwise bigoted behaviour.
++++
I am thirteen years old and in a game store for the first time. I examine their selection of dice and take them to the counter to pay.
“How old are you?†asks the balding, middle-aged man behind the counter.
“Thirteen.â€
“Old enough to bleed, old enough to breed!†he chuckles in glee. The Warhammer 40K gamers at the table behind him take up the refrain. “Old enough to bleed, old enough to breed! Old enough to bleed, old enough to breed!â€
I run.
++++
Make no mistake that this is terrorism. The men who e-mail me rape threats have a vested interest in anyone perceived as “lesser†being expelled from the community. And the tragic thing is that it works.
Law enforcement is woefully unequipped for dealing with the multiple-jurisdiction headache of online harassment. Most police are unwilling to file a report without a name, address, and IP number and many regard “cyber-bullying†as unimportant. When combined with the sexist attitudes towards women and sexual assault, reporting rape threats is almost impossible.
|
The article is a lot longer and definitely worth reading the whole thing:
http://latining.tumblr.com/post/141567276944/tabletop-gaming-has-a-white-male-terrorism-problem
And for the court ruling that inspired the post:
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:AJ-tUvRWHwUJ:www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/taking-a-stand-against-abuse-284204591.html+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca |
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WhatBall
Joined: Aug 21, 2008
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| Posted:
Apr 05, 2016 - 05:49 |
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FUMBBL gives back exactly what you put into it. Best site on the interwebs for me. |
_________________
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Zed
Joined: Jun 04, 2004
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| Posted:
Apr 05, 2016 - 05:56 |
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Come on, some SJW feminist "special snowflakes" edition playing the victim, tell me something new, does the regressive left has to come on fumbbl too ? Please spare me the couplet about "rape culture"..... |
_________________
"Be somebody or be the fool of somebody" Mr T |
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coombz
Joined: Oct 12, 2010
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| Posted:
Apr 05, 2016 - 05:58 |
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http://i.imgur.com/5OrW3if.jpg
anyway, as to the topic, i've been (and still am) part of at least one incredibly toxic gaming community, a few fairly average (and thus fairly scummy) ones, and one or two nice ones
although FUMBBL has a few nasty types lurking in the woodwork, overall it's one of the nicer communities by far, in my considered and experienced opinion
i think this is because most of the FUMBBL population are tabletop gamers first, and electronic gamers second...although i'm more of a video gamer myself, i recognise that (most) TT gamers tend to have much more manners and acceptable behaviours  this is, obviously, because if you act like a complete *snip* in real life you have a fair chance of getting your face smashed in, or at the very least not being invited back to play again
video game communities have the whole anonymity thing exacerbating the natural inclination of people to be mean to one another |
_________________
They found 10 grams, seized my whip and took my knife...
That's Trailer Park Life.
Last edited by coombz on %b %05, %2016 - %06:%Apr; edited 2 times in total |
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PsyPhiGrad
Joined: Dec 22, 2007
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| Posted:
Apr 05, 2016 - 06:02 |
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Faulcon
Joined: Aug 02, 2003
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| Posted:
Apr 05, 2016 - 06:11 |
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I basically only play league in the SWL and as far as I'm concerned the culture there is great. The rest of the site, I rarely dip my feet into except for the occasional forum link across the top so I couldn't tell you. |
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Beerox
Joined: Feb 14, 2008
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| Posted:
Apr 05, 2016 - 06:15 |
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Terrorism? Well then what are train bombs? Nevermind.
Fumbbl is cool. I'm not a card carrying member of any other gaming circles really. I tend to wander from game to game, but have stuck on fumbbl for longer than any other. There are some toxic members, and some grumpy old maids. But plenty of good people to drown them out.
I have sort of sequestered myself to league though... my opinions are void if you're asking about the Box |
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SirIndigo
Joined: Sep 10, 2015
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| Posted:
Apr 05, 2016 - 06:18 |
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I've seen some online nerd cultures be unwelcome to women, but have never witnessed any harassment on Fumbbl, or any Blood Bowl event/community I've taken part in. |
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Zed
Joined: Jun 04, 2004
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| Posted:
Apr 05, 2016 - 06:18 |
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Psy i don't see why this article is in any way relevant to fumbbl ? It's one of the nicest online community i know of, we killed the last troll a century ago, tell us maybe more about your personal history about why you left the site, would make more sense so. |
_________________
"Be somebody or be the fool of somebody" Mr T |
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buuface
Joined: Apr 23, 2014
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| Posted:
Apr 05, 2016 - 06:20 |
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Coomz i think are wrong.
Firstly I doubt the majority of Fumbllers are TT gamers first and computer gamers second. Though i don't think we can prove that without a poll. Please correct me if there are already statistics.
Secondly when we talk about the ratio of general computer gamers/tabletop gamers who are also sexually frustrated dorks, and therefore more likely to be a bit rapey, the latter wins out simply because being a general, gamer is so much more common and accepted in this day and age.
Tabletop gaming communities are much more enclosed. Tabletop gaming communities are much more more niche and isolated. Nasty members within these communities can feel secure in sexually harassing females because of this isolation, and the fact that they are more likely to be surrounded by 'like-minded' individuals within the immediate environment.
What do you say to that? |
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Sutherlands
Joined: Aug 01, 2009
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| Posted:
Apr 05, 2016 - 06:35 |
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I expected something funny. Failed to deliver. |
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mrt1212
Joined: Feb 26, 2013
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| Posted:
Apr 05, 2016 - 07:07 |
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Ask Kryten how many awful images he's had to reject to understand the underlying mentality of some fumbbl coaches. |
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DustBunny
Joined: Oct 14, 2008
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| Posted:
Apr 05, 2016 - 07:15 |
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| mrt1212 wrote: | | Ask Kryten how many awful images he's had to reject to understand the underlying mentality of some fumbbl coaches. |
"Reject" is a strange way of saying 'saved for personal use'  |
_________________
[13:11] <;@Prinz> i can't ban bunny for being funny |
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licker
Joined: Jul 10, 2009
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| Posted:
Apr 05, 2016 - 07:20 |
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| mrt1212 wrote: | | Ask Kryten how many awful images he's had to reject to understand the underlying mentality of some fumbbl coaches. |
I'd think there's a difference between 'inappropriate' images' and 'terrorism'.
But some of it is in the eye of the beholder.
Not that I haven't had a few pics rejected myself. |
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pythrr
Joined: Mar 07, 2006
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| Posted:
Apr 05, 2016 - 07:24 |
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it's not terrorism. it is a bunch of socially retarded geeks being dicks.
to call this terrorism is an insult to people who are victims of lunatics such as ISIL etc.
get a sense of perspective. |
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