Internet Racism?

[Lady Ayame]

So the other day I was bored and playing games on omgpop.com, it's a multi-player flash website, It's actually can be quite fun to play a variety of games and customize your profile etc, etc. When I had first signed up I had put up a picture of myself on my profile, most of the other members had their own pictures up so I jumped on the bandwagon.

Anyway I was playing Draw-my-Thing which is basically online Pictionary, and the first person to draw something instead wrote on the clear slate in red letters. "OMG Asian, Get out".
Shocked, I looked at the other pictures of the players, none of them Asian (except me) and one a picture of a smiley face. Confused, I just continued on with the game, waiting for the
first player's turn to finish so the next person could go. The next drawer's word was "Celcius" and began to draw a thermometer, somebody guessed the word after a while and then
the second player wrote in the chatbox "HAH, science question and the Asian LOST IT". From there the other two players joined in, they mainly mocked me at my guesses "WTF that is
obviously not a car you dumb asian, aren't you supposed to be smart or something?" or my drawings "OOOOH Asian can draw well on the computer, what a FUCKING SURPRISE". I just
tried to ignore it but they kept on going, telling me to get out of the game, it got to the point where I became so irritated that I logged out of the game.

I'm not sure what happened there, Mob Mentality? Somebody else said it, so it was okay? Was I letting them win when I changed my picture to a cartoon instead? I'd rather just enjoy the game and avoid the drama, but my Indian friend is yelling at me to put my picture back and stand up for myself.

It's weird how much ruder people become when they can hide behind a computer screen and a user name, I thought we lived in 2010? We finally have something other than a white guy
for president! Does racism still exist on such a hidden level that people can bring it out only when they can hide behind something? God forbid we act racist anymore, thats not 2010, thats not green.

Thoughts?

[Tsenta]

Often it's not even a issue with racism when it comes to racist insults on the internet, it comes down to maturity.

I help out with a website that handles thousands of users of all races, said behavior is often seen by those who're often used to causing trouble for kicks. I don't think your race would of mattered to them, they would have found a new way to pick on the newbie. By gender, weight, religion, etc. It's almost like high school but more crude, certain people run small cliques which insult others just for laughs.


While there are idiots like that out there, it's best to just leave it be. The internet opens up countless routes of communication, whether it be racist, financial, intimate, or just immature children trying to have fun at the expense of others.


While it could be mob mentality it's more likely to be that the three of them were friends in some sense, when the leader of the "pack" starts they get the guts to chime in. 

Be proud of yourself, letting them get to you is giving them exactly what they wanted. I can't tell you to change your picture back but I personally agree with your friend. Best of luck!

[Muninn]

I suspect it was a mob of trolls with nothing else better to do but to pick on someone else.  Don't let 'em get to you. ;)

[TheLovelyMaid]

I've also noticed that people like to bare their true opinions over the internet. With that shield that is the computer screen, people are able to do nearly anything.

I've left boards, I've had instances where no one would rp even a friendly plot with my character, just because I decided to use someone with a darker skin tone, I've come online in in a happy mood, only to see people's ignorance displayed in a cbox or a chat room.

I mostly play racially ambiguous characters; I've played women of all races. Personally, I've been known to assimilate, just to eliminate the drama. Some times it feels like a cop-out, and that I'm taking the easy way out, but if it'll keep the peace, that's the most important part to me.  As long as I'm true to myself outside of this non-reality, then that's what matters.  But, as Tsenta has said, it does come down to maturity, and if I'm a mod or an admin, I just wield my banstick without so much as a word.  Immaturity is rampant on the internet, and gives people security in knowing that their reputation in reality won't be affected.  Racism hasn't gone away. It's still in our reality, and now has crossed over into the non-reality.

Not everyone was raised the same way.  So we can't expect everyone to be intolerant of racism.  It's sad, and it sucks.

I'd say that you should do whatever you feel is best. If you want to put up your pic, then do so, if you want to do the cartoon, then do that.  It's whether or not you feel comfortable.  Those asswipes were just jealous of your drawing skillz.  As Muninn said, don't let 'em get to you.

[HairyHeretic]

This may shed some light on the subject too

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/

[GeekFury]

I find this ALOT on the X-Box 360 or 'Place for whooping dickheads to run free', now to clear things up, I am whiter than a snowman with a bukkake fetish, yet for some known reason when people ask where I live due to my accent and I say 'Scotland' I get ( and I will censor ) this yelled at me down the voice chat, "FUCKIN' N**** I BET YOU'RE PLAYIN' ON SOME FUCKING HOME BUILT SYSTEM IN YA MUD HUT!" and that's one of the tamer ones, I've been called everything from antisemitic slurs, racists slurs which only once have been "Limey bastard" which I was rather annoyed at as Limey tends to mean English not Scottish.

These comments I tend to find 90% f the time come from American players and isle ones who sound like rednecks or 12 year old kids trying to be cool, the rest I find comes from Brittish players but that's the old Scotland/England rivalry which I take with a grain of salt as I am no saint in those matters myself. Now this is not to say I've not played with American players who aren't raging arseholes, infact I've played with a number and have a number of them on my friendslist who are grade A nice folk, but the majority of griefing I get does come from the other side of the pond. I don't know, maybe it's inbuilt into these idiots to hate everyone not their own colour, in which case all that can be said is ignorance is no excuse, so fuck 'em I'd like to see how well they do in life with attitudes like that.

[Serephino]

Unfortunately there are a lot of Americans who are ignorant assholes.  You wouldn't think so because the population is made up of so many different races, but... there you have it.  I'm hoping some day people will grow up, but it doesn't look hopeful. 

I really wouldn't give those jerks a second thought.  People who tend to bash others behind a computer tend to be cowards.  They can say anything they want and you can't do anything back, so that works out well for them. 

[DarklingAlice]

This may shed some light on the subject too

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/

Agreed.

I also agree with the mob/pack mentality thing. If it were not race, most likely they would have latched onto something else. Anonymity is a powerful force that can be used both for good and [expletive deleted]. Small minded people should never dissuade you however, they betray their worthlessness with their idiocy and can safely be ignored.

[Kisu]

I agree with most of what has been said so far. A combination of mob-mentality and anonymity makes people comfortable saying things they would never imagine saying to someone in real life. I think that that is one of the problems that comes with dealing with people on the internet. I doubt it was a group of friends or people conspiring together to pick on you. It was probably that the first person started it and the other two joined in, either because they didn't want to end up on the receiving end of the rudeness, or because for some messed up reason they felt like it would be fun to join in. I'm not saying that its right that they did that though.

I do agree that if the first person hadn't started the business over your skin color, they would have started something over something else, whether with you or one of the other players. They were probably a troll and the other players were just easily influenced. I hope that you don't let their idiotic actions get to you too much. I'd like to say that I think you should put your picture back up and stand up to them, but to be honest I think that would just cause more conflict. If you're up for it, then more power to you, but if it was me I'd leave the cartoon to avoid drama. I do have to say though, that I'm sorry that this happened to you :(

[Beguile's Mistress]

Unfortunately, it's still everywhere.  On my way to work I go past a line of stores that front onto the sidewalk.  I keep to the right as I should and never have a problem.  This morning a woman exiting a store stepped across my path and headed in the opposite direction.  She was on a cell phone and not paying attention so I took a step to the side to avoid a collision.  She still walked into me and then began shouting at me saying she should feel glad I didn't knock her down or out into the street.  I kept walking, ignoring her.  That was when I was hit with:  "Yeah, that's right.  You white so you think you own the world.  Ignorant white bitch!"

The collision didn't happen because I'm white or she's black but because she was talking on her cell phone and not paying attention.  Still in her mind it's my fault because she's black and I'm white and I suppose that makes me a bigot, prejudiced or a racist. 

[Will]

They may or may not truly be racists.  Mostly, they just get their kicks by being contemptible shitbags and getting reactions, and racial slurs are a very effective way to do that.  I'm sorry that you had to deal with it, Ayame. : /

[Oniya]

I find this ALOT on the X-Box 360 or 'Place for whooping dickheads to run free', now to clear things up, I am whiter than a snowman with a bukkake fetish, yet for some known reason when people ask where I live due to my accent and I say 'Scotland' I get ( and I will censor ) this yelled at me down the voice chat, "FUCKIN' N**** I BET YOU'RE PLAYIN' ON SOME FUCKING HOME BUILT SYSTEM IN YA MUD HUT!" and that's one of the tamer ones, I've been called everything from antisemitic slurs, racists slurs which only once have been "Limey bastard" which I was rather annoyed at as Limey tends to mean English not Scottish.

These comments I tend to find 90% f the time come from American players and isle ones who sound like rednecks or 12 year old kids trying to be cool, the rest I find comes from Brittish players but that's the old Scotland/England rivalry which I take with a grain of salt as I am no saint in those matters myself. Now this is not to say I've not played with American players who aren't raging arseholes, infact I've played with a number and have a number of them on my friendslist who are grade A nice folk, but the majority of griefing I get does come from the other side of the pond. I don't know, maybe it's inbuilt into these idiots to hate everyone not their own colour, in which case all that can be said is ignorance is no excuse, so fuck 'em I'd like to see how well they do in life with attitudes like that.

This is probably a case of staircase wit, but the response that flashed through my head to the 'mud hut' slur was  'Why yes.  I can construct intricate electronic components out of paper clips and duct tape.  That's what you get from paying attention in school.'

[GeekFury]

This is probably a case of staircase wit, but the response that flashed through my head to the 'mud hut' slur was  'Why yes.  I can construct intricate electronic components out of paper clips and duct tape.  That's what you get from paying attention in school.'

My response to them saying that was 'Well yeah, I'm fucking Macgyver!'

[Sanai]

I for years played Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne. Alot of people online felt the strange need to use the N word excessively, and loved to swear alot. I usually just squelched them and ignored them, as they sounded like stupid 12 year olds. Unfortunatly, racism is still prevalent, and the internet, particularly online gaming, is particularly rife with it.

[Secretwriter]

Those people sound like royal douche bags. Don't let it hurt your feelings, they didn't have a right to say it but you know well that you're more than just your skin or ethnic heritage. So much more.  They were probably some 16 year old internet trolls getting off on how witty they were. 

HairyHeretic has a major point. 

If you change your pic, you hide who you are. But at the same time, if it makes you feel better then go for it.  No one has the right to judge you.  *huggles*

[Oniya]

My response to them saying that was 'Well yeah, I'm fucking Macgyver!'

*thumbs up*  Fits with the whole Scotland angle, too (Mac's given name was Angus).

[OldSchoolGamer]

I say put your pic up if you want.  Never change who or what you are or how you live your life because of some assclowns. 

[Leo]

I'm not sure what happened there, Mob Mentality? Somebody else said it, so it was okay? Was I letting them win when I changed my picture to a cartoon instead? I'd rather just enjoy the game and avoid the drama, but my Indian friend is yelling at me to put my picture back and stand up for myself.

It's weird how much ruder people become when they can hide behind a computer screen and a user name, I thought we lived in 2010? We finally have something other than a white guy
for president! Does racism still exist on such a hidden level that people can bring it out only when they can hide behind something? God forbid we act racist anymore, thats not 2010, thats not green.

Thoughts?

Reminds me of certain experiences I had online. It's true that racism is easier when people can hide behind screen names. The fact of the matter is, however, that racism is still a common thing in the world. People simply pretend not be so or just be bordering racism but not crossing line. It's not as easy as it used to be to get a mob to grab torches and chase "witches" anymore, so people keep their thoughts to themselves or among friends/family.

When they do get the freedom to express their rotten nature without consequences, however, they become the nuisance you, me and hundreds of thousands have in common. I've found the solution to be simply ignoring these people, pretty much every online application from forums to games have a user ignore function these days - use it. ;)

[Leo]

My response to them saying that was 'Well yeah, I'm fucking Macgyver!'

That's hilarious mate , good one! :D

[Wolfy]

I just keep my mouth shut in an online game...>_> Even if members of my party on Xbox live start doing it, I just stay quiet. o-o...

Though then again, they say not doing anything at all is worse than doing something...

[Leo]

Nope, being silent is the best choice if you ask me. For example, when I play Call of Duty : Modern warfare 2 online, the first thing I do at the lobby is mute everyone in the game so I can just play my game and during the game, keep my eyes away from chat.

Let them waste their breath and energy trying to satisfy themselves and fail miserably.

[LIAR]

Nope, being silent is the best choice if you ask me.

+1

Mute is your friend. Let the knuckledragging mouthbreathing blowhards nerdrage at the screen while you enjoy your game without the background noise of epeen thumping.

[MercyfulFate]

I just ignore it, easy. I'm white and have been called a dirty mexican, a nigger, a kike and almost everything in the book.

[Leo]

I'm white and have been called a dirty mexican, a nigger, a kike and almost everything in the book.

That's an example of the level stupidity that you are up against right there, Lady Ayame. Simply not worth the time.

[Wolfy]

+1

Mute is your friend. Let the knuckledragging mouthbreathing blowhards nerdrage at the screen while you enjoy your game without the background noise of epeen thumping.

Well, every game has a mute feature that let's me turn them off. I just report and mute them. *shrugs*