[SIGCIS-Members] New Book: Oral history of Gamergate’s aftermath — out today

[David Wolinsky]

Hello all,


I’m a former Onion and NBC editor turned documentary researcher, oral
historian, and now author. While I’m not an academic, Stanford has
recognized the significance of my independent oral history work on Gamergate,
which has officially become a book as of today: The Hivemind Swarmed
<https://www.beacon.org/The-Hivemind-Swarmed-P2122.aspx>.


For the past 10 years, ever since Gamergate began, I’ve been on an odyssey
to make sense of it by interviewing everyone humanly possible — a quest
I’ve pursued whenever my schedule as a scraping-by freelancer would allow.
I’ve conducted over 500 interviews, bringing together a group of
interdisciplinary narrators from all over the world. Most of these
interviews have been made available online as time allowed (this project
has been only me) at Don’t Die <https://nodontdie.com/>. Stanford houses
everything <https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/13768655> I haven’t been
able to find time to transcribe, polish, etc. from the last decade.

THE HIVEMIND SWARMED, an oral history exploring Gamergate’s aftermath,
examines where we are today as a result, and what has (or hasn’t) changed
in videogame industry and culture. It represents stories from 90 additional
narrators, and where they think the whole debacle got us.

I believe this book could serve as a valuable resource for scholarship or
classroom instruction, offering a comprehensive and diverse perspective on
a pivotal moment in digital culture.

If you need a quick refresher on Gamergate, The Week
<https://theweek.com/culture-life/what-was-gamergate-and-why-are-we-still-talking-about-it?refid=A8506E9FB9200E1EA0177122960D2546&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=afternoon_newsletter_20240807&utm_source=afternoon_newsletter>
just ran a good overview of why it still matters, and Wired
<https://www.wired.com/story/gamergates-legacy-lives-on-in-attacks-against-kamala-harris/>
has a pretty timely update on how what it set in motion continues to live
on.

Sincerely, I hope my book helps people. And just wanted to make you all
aware!

https://www.beacon.org/The-Hivemind-Swarmed-P2122.aspx

/////

“Out of the transient and ephemeral effluvia of the internet comes
something ivied, revelatory, permanent. Bravo.”

—Ken Burns, filmmaker

Description:

*An incisive oral history that brings together the voices of major figures
in gaming, tech, media, and politics to reflect on the long shadow of
Gamergate*

With *The Hivemind Swarmed*, oral historian and documentary researcher
David Wolinsky invites readers to sit in on a series of urgent, intimate
conversations between some of the most distinguished voices across
entertainment industries and media as they reflect on the longstanding
impact of Gamergate. What went wrong, and what can we learn from Gamergate
to help us build a more equitable online world?

The backstory: 10 years ago, a disgruntled software developer named Eron
Gjoni posted online to accuse his ex-girlfriend, game developer Zoë Quinn,
of sleeping with game critics in exchange for positive reviews. He offered
no evidence to back up his claims. However, his posts were picked up by
extremists in the gaming community who built a vicious online movement
targeting women, minorities, and progressive voices. Rallying under the
hashtag #gamergate, they sent their victims round-the-clock death and rape
threats. Game companies, for the most part, declined to take action as
their female employees were harassed out of their jobs. The FBI launched an
investigation but found “no true threat.”

Gamergate holds the grim distinction of being the first modern online
harassment campaign. It arguably served as a model for the alt-right
movement that would help propel Donald Trump to the White House. And it
highlighted a toxic media culture—not just in gaming, but in film, TV,
journalism, and more—in which leaders, through their passivity, took the
side of the oppressor. Now, 10 years later—in the wake of #MeToo,
Charlottesville, the Trump years, and the January 6 insurrection—the
questions discussed here are more important than ever.
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