Chat logs from a Skype chat consisting of people having some association with the Crash Override Network have been appearing online after the logs were recorded and saved by a former member of the group. The logs have been spread around publicly and are currently available through Kotaku In Action and 8chan. The logs have been verified by former member of the group, Ian Miles Cheong, and by activist, Randi Harper.
In one particular section of the chat logs, they discuss ways to punish, out and blacklist supporters of #GamerGate. Following discussions about Ben Kuchera from Polygon trying to get someone fired from the sporting goods store Dick’s, things began to move toward talk about ways of cutting off funding for certain people that they associated with #GamerGate, as well as attempting to get #GamerGate supporters blacklisted from employment.
According to one member named Secret Gamer Girl, she writes…
“My ideal endgame pretty much goes like this: Chobitcoin, Brennan, and Roguestar in prison. Cernovich disbarred. TFYC… given whatever treatment you get in Canada for massive fraud. Lianna properly exposed and never able to find honest work again. The people doing this professionally cut off and at LEAST a big rattled by investigations. Rank and file GGers, scared straight from seeing all that.”
According to the logs, a certain Athena Hollow wanted to financially ruin Frederick Brennan, known as Hotwheels within the chan communities. [Correction: Brennan used to run 8chan, the free-speech centric imageboard]. Hollow writes…
“yeah, I think our best bet on funding is if the sites won’t kill the funding, to go directly to the [credit card] processors.”
But things begin to turn a little more focused when Randi Harper, the creator of the #GamerGate autoblocker list, introduces a way for them to start outing people who they might be friends with on Facebook. Remy writes…
“Randi just dropped how we can scrub our Facebook friends list of closet Gaters https://twitter.com/freebsdgirl/status/551545210048487424”
[…] “I’m with Randi and SF on the point that releasing and using their public Facebook groups as a roster to cross-reference anyone sending death threats is perfectly acceptable and not the same “doxing” terror tactic used by GG”
Remy then goes on to explain that taking the names and information from the Facebook groups and spreading them around publicly was to help with identifying members of #GamerGate and not to for people to send threats to the members of the Facebook group, writing…
“[…] Randi didn’t release that information to send threats, she released it for people to send her requests for information to report to the police.”
Izzy Galvez also praises Randi for making the information widely available, writing…
“Randi, you are kicking ass by pointing out how careless they were for joining public facebook groups”
The tweets from Randi Harper were originally made on January 3rd, 2015 and have been screen-capped for posterity.
Further down the thread Harper adds the caveat that she would be “surprised” if anyone actually did use the information as an industry blacklist.
Nevertheless, according to Harper, not everyone was pleased with her releasing the information in the way that she did, but admits that she stands by the decision, writing…
“[Twitter user A Man In Black] is unhappy with me. I knew some people would be. I thought about it for a while before posting the URLs. it was a personal decision. I stand by it.”
Abuse support specialist, Izzy Galvez, supported Harper in the data dump containing the names of people associated with #GamerGate, stating…
“I’m surprised he is. All it’s doing is pointing out that they have chosen to publicly associate their real names and accounts with GamerGate.”
Dan Olsen, from the Channel Awesome show Folding Ideas, justified the leaks of names by stating that some of the groups that were being outed regarding #GamerGate were public…
“The biggest one, GamerGate2014, isn’t even a private group.” […] “and the second biggest #GamerGate Ultras, is fully public.”
According to Harper, she was “pissed” and was hoping to use the exposure of the Facebook groups and the names of the people therein to become “GG enemy #1”, explaining…
“I’ve got better resources than most for dealing with this kind of shit, [to be honest]. i’ve got money to stay in hotels if necessary. Randi Harper: and i’m just kind of used to it. i’ve been through the ED song and dance before Randi Harper: this shit ceases to bother me.”
Izzy Galvez proceeded to link to the thread on Kotaku In Action detailing Randi Harper’s outing of #GamerGate members from the Facebook groups and laughing at members of Kotaku In Action being concerned about the implications that could follow.
Harper, however, explained to the group that she did not care what Kotaku In Action thought or any other individuals using #GamerGate…
“[A Man in Black is] worried that they are going to say i’m pro-doxxing, and i’m trying to explain to him that I really don’t give a fuck what they think about me. they have no affect on my livelihood. AAA gaming is partially bankrolling ggautoblocker. so. they don’t know that part, and I don’t want them to know that part.”
[for what it’s worth], [A Man in Black] is going to speak out publicly against me so other we don’t all get painted with the same doxxer brush […] let him.”
No one in the group seemed particularly opposed to Harper’s tactics. Instead, Remy explains that it’s not using “[GamerGate’s] tactics” but “reminding them of them”…
“I honestly think the major theme for all of our “Anti-GG” (or Auntie Gee-Gee, as I call her) could aptly be described as “Weaponized Irony” Because we aren’t going to fight fire with fire. We won’t USE their tactics. We’ll just remind them of them as they get burned by their own behavior lol”
The tactics weren’t all innocent, however. Back during September, 2014, Jason Miller was fired from his job after SJWs allegedly contacting his employers because started up the NotYourShield hashtag for minorities that were against Social Justice Warrior politics, according to a report from Niche Gamer.
Many others have also tried to remain anonymous in their support for #GamerGate and the aim for better ethics in media journalism because groups – as evidenced in the Crash Override Network chat logs – were intent on getting people fired for supporting #GamerGate.
Some independent developers have confessed in private, off the record, that they would like to provide more support for gamers and the community regarding #GamerGate, but they don’t want to risk their studios being put in jeopardy or blacklisted, as indicated above in the chat logs.
I was unable to reach out to Randi Lee Harper because I’m on her #GamerGate autoblocker list.
However, Twitter user Benjimus Maximus managed to capture a string of tweets from Harper, who commented about the chat logs, writing on Twitter…
“so, some logs – that are not CO logs – were leaked I guess? Just from an old skype chat. And gaters are going nuts. Some are edited, but [whatever]
“In particular, they are SUPERMAD that over a year ago, I tweeted a few URLs to public facebook groups of gamergaters, & that it was planned. So let’s talk about that. This happened after another activist was being terrorized by that same crowd. She was not doing well. I knew when I tweeted it that it would make them angry. I knew they’d focus their rage on me – someone with resources to deal with it. It worked. I handled it. She got some relief. Gamergaters were manipulated & outplayed, & they are just now finding out. Watch that salt.”
According to a HeatStreet article, Feminist Frequency financially backs Crash Override Network, and Feminist Frequency is on Twitter’s Trust & Safety Council, as outlined over on the Twitter blog.
