kfwyre's recent activity

  1. Comment on Introducing Steam Families in ~games

    kfwyre
    Link Parent
    To me, the previous one was much more restrictive. My husband and I often play games at the same time, and if he was playing a game from my account, I couldn’t play anything from my library. With...

    To me, the previous one was much more restrictive.

    My husband and I often play games at the same time, and if he was playing a game from my account, I couldn’t play anything from my library. With the new setup we can both play games concurrently, even if they’re both from my account. The lack of a lockout like that is huge for me.

    15 votes
  2. Comment on Introducing Steam Families in ~games

    kfwyre
    Link

    Steam Families is a collection of new and existing family-related features. It replaces both Steam Family Sharing and Steam Family View, giving you a single location to manage which games your family can access and when they can play.

    Family Sharing enables you to play games from other family members' libraries, even if they are online playing another game. If your family library has multiple copies of a game, multiple members of the family can play that game at the same time.

    10 votes
  3. Comment on Tildes Book Club - We will be discussing Piranesi the third week in April in ~books

    kfwyre
    (edited )
    Link
    I unfortunately didn’t get to read Cloud Atlas in time, but that’s only because right before I was about to start it I got a lucky “skip-the-line loan” from Libby for my hold on Project Hail Mary...

    I unfortunately didn’t get to read Cloud Atlas in time, but that’s only because right before I was about to start it I got a lucky “skip-the-line loan” from Libby for my hold on Project Hail Mary (which had 28 weeks left). I opted to read that instead, so I’m actually ahead of the game!

    I’ve already read Piranesi. I probably won’t have time to re-read it before the discussion, but I remember enough of it that I’m excited to talk about it and hear others’ thoughts on it.

    4 votes
  4. Comment on The small company at the center of ‘Gamergate 2.0’ in ~games

    kfwyre
    Link Parent
    The most recent post on the discussion board for the group is from an admin who explicitly asks the group’s 100,000+ members to stop harassing others.

    The most recent post on the discussion board for the group is from an admin who explicitly asks the group’s 100,000+ members to stop harassing others.

    I would like to ask everyone who really cares about what's going on to stop harassing other people. I know how you guys feel, and yes I'm aware of the articles, but bear in mind that this is not the way to solve anything.

    5 votes
  5. Comment on How do you keep your home smelling nice? in ~life.home_improvement

    kfwyre
    Link Parent
    I totally get it. Our dog is often “Little Loaf” or “Little Croissant” depending on how he is sleeping.

    We lovingly call her little baguette.

    I totally get it. Our dog is often “Little Loaf” or “Little Croissant” depending on how he is sleeping.

    1 vote
  6. Comment on The small company at the center of ‘Gamergate 2.0’ in ~games

    kfwyre
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    I don’t know if you intended this as subtext or not, but in case you didn’t: that’s normal these days specifically because of GamerGate. The internet has always been a somewhat hostile place, but...
    • Exemplary

    I just don't understand why it had to come with death threats and sexism.

    I mean, most things that catch that many people these days do.

    I don’t know if you intended this as subtext or not, but in case you didn’t: that’s normal these days specifically because of GamerGate.

    The internet has always been a somewhat hostile place, but GamerGate’s “innovation” on that formula was to apply mass coordination and exploit features of social media to drive a culture war, as well as targeting individual everyday people to create a wider chilling effect beyond those directly in their sights.

    Twitter shares a ton of the blame too — GamerGate was like catnip to a platform that ran on engagement, conflict, and context collapse.

    Even though GamerGate was nominally limited to the gaming community, it also had a wider negative effect on online discourse as a whole.

    I imagine there are many of us here that have developed emergent and default “defensive” online commenting stances that stem from the fundamental assumption that the internet is a hostile place and that we could, at any moment, be subject to coordinated mass harassment. We have GamerGate to thank for that.

    33 votes
  7. Comment on Automakers are sharing consumers’ driving behavior with insurance companies (gifted link) in ~transport

  8. Comment on The small company at the center of ‘Gamergate 2.0’ in ~games

    kfwyre
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    It was the other way around: the death threats and sexism used the spectre of ethical violations in gaming journalism as a pretext to make the movement seem more palatable. The "concerns" followed...

    I just don't understand why it had to come with death threats and sexism.

    It was the other way around: the death threats and sexism used the spectre of ethical violations in gaming journalism as a pretext to make the movement seem more palatable. The "concerns" followed the hate.

    34 votes
  9. Comment on The small company at the center of ‘Gamergate 2.0’ in ~games

    kfwyre
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    I appreciate you talking about a tough topic in good faith. As a queer person, I share similar concerns about the commodification of identity. I've been lucky enough in my lifetime to see the...
    • Exemplary

    I appreciate you talking about a tough topic in good faith. As a queer person, I share similar concerns about the commodification of identity. I've been lucky enough in my lifetime to see the widespread opinion of people like me go from outright hostility to something significantly more supportive, and it's frustrating that now that my star is rising a lot of marketers and ad agencies have glommed on to that to try and get more money out of people like me and those that support me. It smacks of the "empty corporate exploitation of good ideals" you identified.

    That said, I am going to push back on some of your comment here in good faith myself, because I think our experiences and takeaways from GamerGate were very different. I was not an active participant in GamerGate, nor an active anti-GamerGater. At the time, I was just someone who liked talking about videogames online.

    GamerGate pretty much put a stop to that. I stopped talking about games altogether because it sucked all the oxygen out of seemingly every conversation about games. To this day I remain pissed at them for poisoning the well on some genuinely valuable discussion points, because it still remains impossible to discuss certain issues without standing under their shadow. I don't think this gets enough scrutiny because GamerGate drove the "outside forces are ruining games" through line so forcefully that nobody sits down to appreciate just how much GamerGate completely shat all over gaming discourse as a whole (to say nothing of what it did for normalizing combative online interaction across the entire internet).

    One thing I would encourage you to consider is that your experience relative to GamerGate's harassment was presumably non-representative because you were not a target. I had the unlucky misfortune of accidentally stumbling into their firing line once, and it was staggering:

    A few years ago I created an account on reddit that was completely gender-neutral. I'm a guy in real life, but I liked the idea that I could be agender on the internet. I was just a name. I didn't reveal any personal information.

    In one of the threads I posted in, an argument grew to be pretty heated, and I sided with one of the other commenters who was openly female. The argument grew big enough that it got linked elsewhere and received much, much more attention than it should have.

    And guess what? I got a ton of shit, incommensurate with the magnitude of my comments, from people who assumed I was a woman. I got nasty responses, abusive PMs, even a few inappropriate pictures. And let me clarify: there was nothing in my post nor in my post history that at all identified me as a woman. I simply defended one.

    I've been openly gay online since the late 00s, so believe me when I say that I have a pretty thick skin. I've been called a "fag" more times than I care to think about. At the time, I probably had a higher tolerance than most people for random internet hate, but what I experienced that day was unlike anything I'd ever witnessed before. It took my breath away.

    You mentioned the tension of gaming journalists being out of touch and bad with their jobs as a galvanizing force for GamerGate. I think there's some merit there, but I think to frame that as the primary focus is to ignore the other major, arguably much larger galvanizing force of GamerGate: misogyny.

    There was already a sort of longstanding, extant misogyny online. We weren't that far removed from the "TITS OR GTFO" era, after all. After I told my sister about the harassment I faced, she said that I had "committed the crime of being a woman on the internet." I am not a gaming journalist. I am an internet nobody. They went after me all the same, and they did so because I defended a woman and because they mistakenly thought I was one. That is not the hallmark of a movement based on sound, earnest principles aimed at reforming journalistic practices. That is something that is indicative of a movement that saw everyday, no-name women as targets.

    Like you identified, it's very possible that it was maybe only 5% of the people involved in the movement. At the time I experienced it, however, it didn't feel like 5% of anything. It felt like 100% of everything. I am sure it felt this way to the many other people who entered their crosshairs too, the majority of whom were not individuals in the industry.


    I don't want my entire response to hinge on that one thing though, because that was only one tiny (though significant) experience in the ocean that was GamerGate. I instead want to talk about something more relevant to their stated aims:

    I mentioned that I loved talking about games online. I was excited for games as "an artform" and at people applying literary criticism techniques to games. I still remember when I first read Clint Hocking's take on ludonarrative dissonance in BioShock. It was a fresh, exciting, and altogether groundbreaking way to think of games and their meaning. Inspired by pieces like that, I made it a point to try and dive into, think about, and discuss games deeply -- the way people do with literature and film.

    GamerGate put a stop to that because it became very clear that they were interested in targeting the fringes of gaming. I was already hanging out there, looking for new, novel, and innovative stuff. I played The Stanley Parable and Dear Esther before they were household names, back when they were just mods made as labors of love!

    So, cue my surprise when Dear Esther became a GamerGate target. They invented the pejorative term "walking simulator" for it and games like it, initially meant to dismiss the title as not being a "game" at all. Dear Esther is so unassuming and so unthreatening that I couldn't imagine anyone responding to it in anger, much less rage, but I would find screeds about how it and games like it were outright ruining gaming as a whole. Gone Home got the same treatment. Neither of these were major releases from the industry -- representative targets for the ills of gaming at large. They were two small titles that tried to do something new, but GamerGaters shouted them down -- hard.

    I bring this up because you mentioned that GamerGate was a reaction to "the establishment" of gaming and talked about the dilution of innovation. That absolutely is a phenomenon in the industry -- the soulless "hollowing out" of some gaming experiences. What I saw targeted by GamerGate, however, did not match that at all. They went after experimental games on the fringes -- the kind you'll now commonly find coming out of game jams or on itch.io. It was a gatekeeping effort -- in part because many of those games were being made by minority individuals. By far the most targeted game by GamerGate was Zoe Quinn's Depression Quest, and I genuinely cannot think of a game that is less representative of the gaming establishment than that one.


    Anyway, I know I've said a lot, and I hope you don't see this as me trying to argue with you, because I'm genuinely not. If any of this comes across as bickering, please know that's a product of me being imprecise with my words and failing to convey the tone that I want to. What I want to convey more than anything is that it is relatively easy for someone to look at GamerGate from a distance and find a place to hang their hat. They worked very hard to make sure of that. There genuinely are concerns with gaming journalism and the establishment and commodification of art, etc. They pushed that angle hard because it made them look good.

    It was my personal experience, however, that GamerGate, as it actually happened, completely divorced itself from any legitimacy on those fronts because it so aggressively and actively pursued ends related to the hatred, harassment, and gatekeeping of targets. Furthermore, because those targets -- fringe games and non-industry individuals -- were inconsistent with the stated goals of the movement, it ended up having a crisis of credibility. That's why people are here, now, rolling their eyes at the mere mention of it. Get close to GamerGate, and it's easy to see how they ran their believability into the ground.

    You said that Gamergate lost and had its story overwritten by winners, but I feel that the truth is that GamerGate lost and there were no winners. I think online discourse, to this day, remains measurably worse because of GamerGate. I think it normalized some of the worst things about online discourse -- things that are now taken for granted internet-wide. I'm on Tildes largely because this is a place that has decided to actively reject those norms.

    In the wake of GamerGate, I stopped talking about gaming online for a while and then when I finally came back to it, my joy for it was gone. I don't really care about games as art anymore. I'm not particularly excited by innovations or thoughtful criticisms. It's hard to un-see the ugliness in people that GamerGate surfaced, and it's hard not for me to associate that with the gaming community at large. Experiencing their hate and harassment first-hand made gaming, as a whole, un-fun for me and doubtless many others.

    100 votes
  10. Comment on The small company at the center of ‘Gamergate 2.0’ in ~games

    kfwyre
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    I don't know anything about the current situation outside of the posted article, but, honestly, this sounds like the exact same pretext that Gamergate used as a cover story. That movement relied...
    • Exemplary

    I don't know anything about the current situation outside of the posted article, but, honestly, this sounds like the exact same pretext that Gamergate used as a cover story. That movement relied on misdirection to let its harassment go unchecked, and one of the biggest misdirections was the idea that the people doing the harassing were justified and principled in doing so.

    It was always framed as lowly gamers vs. lofty media, to make it sound like it was a group of relatable little guys nobly taking down awful people in power. That wasn't true. It was an ugly internet bloodbath -- inflicting pain was the purpose of it, though nominally they said it was about "reform." Gamergate outright reveled in harassment and discrimination while hoping that people bought the lie that it was really about "ethics in gaming journalism." Enough people did that it was able to continue far longer than a hate mob ever should have been able to.

    I don't want to be too forward with you, but it feels like you could be falling for that same misdirection here. The beats are all the same -- nearly identical.

    41 votes
  11. Comment on Automakers are sharing consumers’ driving behavior with insurance companies (gifted link) in ~transport

    kfwyre
    Link Parent
    Nope, I’m not paying for OnStar (I think it’s a huge ripoff!). Without it, the app is still technically functional but nearly useless. The only things I can do are see my charge status, range, and...

    Nope, I’m not paying for OnStar (I think it’s a huge ripoff!).

    Without it, the app is still technically functional but nearly useless. The only things I can do are see my charge status, range, and tire pressure. The bottom third of the screen is a permanent ad for me to “Shop Accessories.”

    3 votes
  12. Comment on Steam Spring Sale suggestions in ~games

    kfwyre
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Me and My GuysTM (4 of us total) have enjoyed: Raft, Grounded, Valheim, Stardew Valley, Terraria, Killing Floor 1/2, Sanctum 2 We tend to like survivaly, base-buildery stuff. Of those games, I...

    Me and My GuysTM (4 of us total) have enjoyed:

    Raft, Grounded, Valheim, Stardew Valley, Terraria, Killing Floor 1/2, Sanctum 2

    We tend to like survivaly, base-buildery stuff. Of those games, I personally had the most fun with Raft and Killing Floor. Valheim was neat but unfinished at the time (not sure how much more developed it is now). We also actually bounced off of Deep Rock Galactic — I think we’re the only group of people out there who didn’t love the game.

    2 votes
  13. Comment on Automakers are sharing consumers’ driving behavior with insurance companies (gifted link) in ~transport

    kfwyre
    Link Parent
    Update: sent this article to two of my friends who are also Bolt owners. Smart Driver was active for both of them as well. Also pinging fellow Bolt owner @Akir, just in case you missed this news.

    Update: sent this article to two of my friends who are also Bolt owners. Smart Driver was active for both of them as well.

    Also pinging fellow Bolt owner @Akir, just in case you missed this news.

    5 votes
  14. Comment on Death of nonbinary teen Nex Benedict after school fight is ruled a suicide, medical examiner says in ~lgbt

    kfwyre
    Link
    There's a lot I want to say, but it comes from a place of despair. As someone who long ago tried to do what Nex did, the last thing I want to do is open up that despair to others. I know how dark...
    • Exemplary

    There's a lot I want to say, but it comes from a place of despair. As someone who long ago tried to do what Nex did, the last thing I want to do is open up that despair to others. I know how dark and deep it goes. I know how one's own despair looks around to validate itself in the despair of others. I'm almost certain there are people here who are struggling with that darkness right now, especially because of this news.

    When I was in the depths, I was helped by sporadic, unexpected things that had a seemingly magical ability to pierce through the despair. These weren't usually big deals. They were often mere moments of beauty. Small kindnesses. Simple supports. Each one was a tiny breath of fresh air -- a spot of sunlight -- a glimmer of hope. These were fleeting, and at no point did they completely offset or reverse the despair, but they carried a significance and a meaning far greater than I could ever put into words. Despair was a pitch black night sky for me, but those moments acted as the faintest flickering of stars.

    I want to share one of those moments here, in case it helps anyone.

    After this news item broke today, I was walking around my classroom. I happened to see a tab open on one of my students' computers.

    It had a simple search query: how to help trans kids

    I had to fight back tears when I saw it. It was a moment of beauty -- simple, and small, but somehow worth the world.

    If you are struggling with despair, please know that there is beauty out there. There is kindness and support and love. There are still stars shining in that dark black sky. I know -- believe me, I know -- how hard it can be to see them, but please try to remember that they're there, and that they never go away.

    25 votes
  15. Comment on Do you have any game sub-genres that you have a name for, but aren't big enough to be "official" sub-genres? in ~games

    kfwyre
    Link
    Active Character Tower Defense These are like traditional tower defense games, but during the waves you're not playing a top-down management role: you're a character in the world and can directly...

    Active Character Tower Defense

    These are like traditional tower defense games, but during the waves you're not playing a top-down management role: you're a character in the world and can directly move around and attack the enemies. Examples include the Sanctum and Dungeon Defenders series.

    If anyone has any more examples of this genre, I'd love to know about them!

    7 votes
  16. Comment on Automakers are sharing consumers’ driving behavior with insurance companies (gifted link) in ~transport

    kfwyre
    Link
    Bolt owner here. I am certain I never signed up for OnStar Smart Driver. Just checked my app. After tapping on the Smart Driver section, it gave me the onboarding tutorial and then dumped me into...

    Bolt owner here. I am certain I never signed up for OnStar Smart Driver.

    Just checked my app. After tapping on the Smart Driver section, it gave me the onboarding tutorial and then dumped me into my stats screen. I could see detailed information on every single trip I’ve taken since November 2023.

    It gives the following:

    • A map of the trip which also shows locations of hard brakings and accelerations
    • The time, date, and duration of the trip
    • The number of hard brakings and accelerations
    • Percentage of the trip traveled over 80 MPH
    • Average speed
    • Percentage of the trip that was a “Late Night Drive” (I think this refers to 12:00 AM - 4:00 AM)
    • Percentage of the trip that the driver’s seatbelt was buckled

    I toggled it off and it said my data would be deleted. I’m pissed it was even being tracked in the first place, but I’m also pessimistic enough to believe that the toggle is probably just a placebo and they’ll keep gathering my data anyway.

    27 votes
  17. Comment on Mundane Musings Monday in ~talk

    kfwyre
    (edited )
    Link
    I was traveling this weekend, and I renewed one of my prescriptions yesterday, for pickup today after I got back. I went to go to pick it up for my designated time, and it wasn’t ready. Turns out...

    I was traveling this weekend, and I renewed one of my prescriptions yesterday, for pickup today after I got back.

    I went to go to pick it up for my designated time, and it wasn’t ready. Turns out their system offset my pickup time because of a difference in time zones, so it won’t be ready until later.

    The same thing has happened to me before: I scheduled a haircut in a different time zone and their system (an entirely different one from the prescription system, presumably) offset my actual appointment time. When I showed up for my haircut as scheduled, I’d actually missed it by an hour.

    I get that this is hard to parse in the abstract, so here’s an example: if I was in the PST time zone and I scheduled an appointment for a place under EST for 3:00 PM, the scheduling system is actually putting me down for 6:00 PM but telling me that it’s 3:00 PM (because 3:00 PST = 6:00 EST).

    I get that automatic time zone conversion based on your current location is a nice digital convenience, but this also seems like a complete misapplication of it? It feels to me like, if I am making an appointment for a physical place, the appointment times should be locked to their local time zone with no conversion. Am I missing something here?

    (Note: neither of these were due to daylight savings time, just in case anyone is thinking that was the issue)

    8 votes
  18. Comment on Save Point: A game deal roundup for the week of March 3 in ~games

  19. Comment on Adult Swim Games titles are being pulled from stores by Warner Bros in ~games

    kfwyre
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Can confirm this. Collecting removed Steam games is a bit of a hobby of mine, and unless there’s some other issue (e.g. the game being a scam), removed games generally remain in users’ libraries...

    Can confirm this. Collecting removed Steam games is a bit of a hobby of mine, and unless there’s some other issue (e.g. the game being a scam), removed games generally remain in users’ libraries and are installable/playable indefinitely. Not sure how it is for other storefronts.

    If anyone is wanting any of these games on their Steam account, now is likely the only time to get them before they go.

    13 votes