WRT comments I’ve heard here and there about “Well, he might not be as in the wrong as the reaction seems to demand.”…
CORRECT. Personally, I think he is, but there’s a thing called “innocent until proven.” See, that’s what goes out the window in the sort of community of persecution that was cultivated there. Here too, back in the day, which is why I’m not a daily presence for a decade like I used to be. I think QT3 resolved its internal struggles, but over at GAF and some other places the rule is “drink the koolaid or be cast out.”
There was an incident years ago where a celebrity was accused of a heinous crime. I made a statement about it being perhaps premature to demand his death sentence, because as a celebrity there’s a possibility the accusation was an extortion attempt. Well, that got me called an “MRA” - a term I had no understanding of at the time - a “PRO RAPIST!” label and banned off the #QT3 chat channel.
When you factor in that I am one of the three original creators of this site, you could say I was considerably disturbed at this turn of events. I walked away. But I never let a grudge get too cold, and I’ll have my settlement eventually. You cannot believe how delighted I am to dance on the grave of NeoGAF. It’s off my jolly scale.
So, about the guilt or innocence of the accused guy… it doesn’t matter. And this is what pleases me so deeply, because it’s going to be a community wide lesson on the subject. It doesn’t matter. Let’s talk about WHY.
When you cultivate an echo-chamber mindset of unquestioning persecution based on rumor and accusation, where such an outrageous offense as hesitating to #FullKoolaid the group-think gets you fed feet-first into the social woodchipper by people who were your close comrades moments before… eventually you will become the target of your own monster.
If you choose to live in a shark tank, remember that at the first drop of blood in the water the frenzy will strike them and it won’t matter if the blood is one of their own - or yours. And truth be told, the pecking order of the society we’re desperately trying to create both online and IRL these days is one where the most accusatory, most judgemental, and most offendable can justify their intolerance and anger by projecting it on the accused du jour. If there is nothing to feed on for a while, the sharks start sizing each other up - because the mob must feed or become insolvent. Their only cohesion is the group identify of being judge and executioner.
So, what matters here is that we all remember that this incident is an example of social collapse in a society that derives identity from judgementalism of individuals external and ultimately internal, based on something so tenuous as a screenshot of a facebook comment that was then passed around social media. Ultimately I find it MOST interesting that this vehement proponent of “believe the accuser always” is himself immediately reduced to making statements like “She’s bitter and jealous and has a history of mental issues - don’t listen to her.” Oh my fucking god. That’s so glorious, I cannot gaze upon it without shading my eyes. This is the same guy who trumpeted that such statements were to be interpreted as certainty of guilt. He’s so textbook with his response that I’m surprised he didn’t move on to say “also, she was dressed like she wanted it.” Oh, how you deserve everything you’re going to get and for how long you’re going to be getting it, sir.
I’ll say this for the NeoGAF community… they had the dignity to burn down their village without delay and move on. That’s commendable. Now, maybe we can have a discussion about how their glorious leader turned out to be a heinous predator, and nobody noticed for 18 years. Why is it always the guy at the pulpit who turns out to be the devil all along? Society keeps falling for it.
Next time someone starts a cult of judgement, take a good hard look at their leadership.
