What I learned during the fall of NeoGaf...

        


After 18 years of existing, and being a focal point of breaking news of the gaming industry (for better or for worse) Neo Gaf has been burned to the ground in the span of one night. Accusations of sexual misconduct implicating  one  Tyler Malka, known on the forum as EviLore, have caused mods to quit in protest. Posters, who now didn't have the pressure of the ban hammer over their heads, finally began to put out their two cents, and air their grievances before requesting to be permabanned

Above: Another satisfied customer!

It appears that even Developers Journalists and Industry folk are taking the time to get in one last stab as Caesar goes down in a pool of his own blood on the senate floor and Rome burns to ashes around him.

Tim Soret's response after GAF suffered it's last night. 

In the midst of all the chaos, A forum called GeoNaf appeared for a bit, having discussions about the things people couldn't talk about in NeoGaf's previous form. Of course that site went down just as quickly as it's predecessor. But it's short lifespan left me thinking...

Social Justice is really oppressive.

An ideology that turns most people into cry-bullying tyrants, and digital mafioso, has forced a popular forum that was for all intents and purposes to be the heart of the gaming sphere into a spirit crushing elitist community.  This was Neo Gaf, the place where stories would break and where the majority of news outlets would get the inside scoop on the newest game, or console tech that was making the rounds. Anonymous peddlers leaked information, here.  Hell, I can remember back in 2007 when I had first taken an interest in blogging about video games, that I looked into how I could actually get an account  on the forum. Of course, Now, in hindsight I'm glad I did not, because I'm sure I would have been eventually banned at some point. If you're a regular to this blog, you certainly know why.

You got a minute?

Getting back to the point. The opinions of Gaf's mods, and the prevailing SJW bent of the forum served as a weight to hold down discussion about things that were actually important. Threads lambasting Pewdiepie and JonTron over their political leanings seemed more important than spending time enjoying games such as A Hat in Time. The name of the game was more collecting political "attaboys" over having individual thought, with any stray thinkers and dissenters being punished for their transgressions in the form of bannings.

If this is what it truly means to be "Progressive" or a "Social Justice Warrior", Then I'm glad I took my stand against this nonsense back in 2014, with the rest of the "shitlords". I'm not here to score intellectual points, or dazzle the masses with how "woke" I can appear to be on social media.  I started this blog, because I wanted to talk about things I found fun and interesting. Once I found my footing, I wound up covering things that were my own personal gripes within the industry and with Gaming Journalism.  Along the way I reviewed games and movies, interviewed video game musicians, Discussed sales figures with members of the industry and eventually got completely back into gaming and rediscovered my love for Art and Design. All in all I feel like I've had a really good run.

Had I ate the fruit from the tree of "progressivism" or "Social Justice" would I have been able to accomplish these things?

Considering the people who tout this ideology seem to only enjoy destroying things instead of creating, and forcing others to be pushed out of the things they so love, Personally I feel the answer would be no. 

- I'll See you Next Bossfight!