So I'd never been familiar with the website Something Awful before, but I've been introduced to it over the last few days after I saw that someone had posted pictures of my son there to mock.  

It had apparently started when someone came to the sci-fi convention I was at and went around quietly taking pictures of the fat people, and then posted them to the Something Awful forums along with various slurs.  From there it escalated and posters started pulling various pictures from the convention and posting them.  The original poster pulled the thread, but it stuck around at the "Something Awful Sycophant" fan site.  

I took an interest when I saw someone posted a picture of my son there, who had his picture taken with his favorite author, Tamora Pierce.  Specifically, someone commented on them being in costume as Janet Reno and Elian Gonzales.  (I suppose they took him to be Hispanic.)  In general, there's been a ton of postings and insults, ranging from generic "blimp", "bitch", etc. to saying that someone should have her head chopped off since she was muslim.  

Now, I mean -- it's a sci-fi convention.  There are indeed fat people and lots of dorky people in t-shirts.  I can't say I'm shocked, but the vehemence of it has surprised me.  If anyone is familiar with SA, is this just par for the course?

Par for the course.  It doesn't make it right, of course.

The site's saving grace, in my opinion, is its "Photoshop Friday" feature, where the users showcase various clever/amusing/weird/etc. photomanipulations.  Granted I haven't logged on in over a year, but...

Sounds like yet another web manifestation of self-loathing Geeks. They don't like to admit to what they like and love so they think they have to viciously mock others that do admit to it and are open about it.

 Kyle Aaron used to call the gamer version of this group Bitter Non-gamers.


- Ed C.

That's pretty rotten John.

I haven't spent much time on SA in quite a while.  There were some pretty funny stories of dysfunctional game stores and people's own disastrous personal lives that were pretty well written and amusing.  There's also some pranks forum members post that are pretty funny (spend a few months convincing the water delivery guy you're mentally unbalanced, then videotape yourself going outside dressed as a mermaid to give him a hug).  And generally weird projects people take on (hey let's build a Flamethrower out of a super-soaker -- or -- let's build a potato-gun that can fire over half a mile!)

They do have a history of focusing on particular groups (eg. Furries, Scientologists) which become the focus for scorn and pranks.

They have a *massive* number of users -- and I think you have to pay to get posting privileges on the site.  Despite this there are routinely people acting like idiots and getting themselves banned (paying for an account not withstanding).

It might just be a function of the larger the community (and particularly and ONLINE community) the more likely an idiot it going to say something idiotic.

I've never browsed it, but I will now. We have to be able to laugh at ourselves, 'cause other people absolutely will.

I've visited once in a while but am persistantly unable to find any reason to continue loitering. However, I am mostly familiar with the SA community (known, apparently, as Goons) and their social norms due to their presence as a collective vomitious mass within Eve Online (their corporations and alliance are... well.. the Goonswarm), and their 'poasting' style on the Eve forums.

SA has a similar level of moderation to this site, with some slight differences (I think they DO have some very explicit posting guidelines. Less restrictive than most, but explicit). You pay ten dollars, once, to be a member. Violate the posting guidelines you forfit your money. You can, however, without prejudice, sign right back up and pay the ten dollars again. As a social expirement it is quite facinating... though not being on the 'inside' to see the process of banning and paying, and not being facinated ENOUGH to track it independently, there is little I can say about what it demonstrates.

So: Yeah, its reprehensible behavior, and not really all that grounded in reality. Its Goons, what do you expect?

SA is basically an utter cesspit, always has been.  Juvenile, pathetic nonsense that seems to mistake screeching "fag" for rational conversation.  

It's a blight on the interwebs, and I tend to loathe it's denizens appearance anywhere else on the web, because of what expectations that leaves for their future behavior.

Quote from: J ArcaneSA is basically an utter cesspit, always has been.  Juvenile, pathetic nonsense that seems to mistake screeching "fag" for rational conversation.  

It's a blight on the interwebs, and I tend to loathe it's denizens appearance anywhere else on the web, because of what expectations that leaves for their future behavior.

You've grown up! I knew it! while that may all be true, seriously folks it's the intra web right? How serious can we take it? This ain't a church folks.

Plus, most fat people should be laughed at, because they're amusingly fat.

I read the thread as part of their Monday Roundup, and to be honest, although it was billed as a "sci fi" convention it sounded like (and was presented as) a bunch of fat liberal feminists whining about the fact that their inner earth-mother was still being oppressed (with an appearance by a friendly male-female-no-op transgender whatchamacallit it thrown in for fun). I didn't see one panel that was attended by the author that had flip-all to do with "sci-fi" in the entire article.

I'm sorry your son was in one of the pictures, but the point of the thread and the pics wasn't about him or his costume; one comment was made, and to be honest, since the author DID look a bit like Reno, it made me smile. Not because of your son, however. To be honest, seeing a kid at that convention really seemed a bit out of place (for a multitude of reasons), but who am I to judge?

Just a little more info about a thread nobody can apparently reference anymore. You know, for perspective and everything, since clearly nobody responding here even saw the thread.

Wow, this so goes beyond what I would have imagined.  Here's the latest in the SASS discussion, posting a picture of me and my family:

Quote

Quote


Look at that dickless faggot next to the he/she thing and her troglodyte offspring

i want to punch that kid in the face

Sheesh!

I haven't visited SomethingAwful since I realized that the site's basic gag was to link to other sites, then send their legions of users to the site to harass and insult people, usually until they disappear from the Internet altogether.

The breaking point for me was when they went after the web site of some little girl with a horrible deformity, telling her parents that they should kill their little girl. I can't imagine what kind of shitty human being you have to be to do something like that.

It used to be funny, now it seems mostly a congregation point for asswipe sociopaths.

Quote from: jhkimWow, this so goes beyond what I would have imagined.  Here's the latest in the SASS discussion, posting a picture of me and my family:



Sheesh!

Is there anything you can actually do ?

Is this an ongoing problem of the internet?

Could a lawyer make a case that the website did something egregious?

I think its pretty messed up for them to make comments like that about a family they don't know.

But again - what are your options?

 What can you do?


- Ed C.

Quote from: KoltarCould a lawyer make a case that the website did something egregious?

I think its pretty messed up for them to make comments like that about a family they don't know.

But again - what are your options?

What can you do?

Well, it's not like I'm scared of these fuckers.  I'm just ticked off about it.  The problem is that they harrass everyone connected with me as well.  For example, one poster found a picture of a black friend of ours and put it up as his user picture with the caption "100% Nigger".  They've also posted insightful comments to my wife's LJ like "Ozma fat and so are you dykes suck a cock".  

I mean, what the fuck?  

It's one thing to laugh at fat people and lesbians and transgenders, but this is just ridiculous.  Anyhow, Tempest -- whose picture was put up noted above -- had this suggestion:

QuoteI want a bunch of people to register at SASS and start posting to that thread. But not attacks. Because attacks won't do any good, not unless we can find some pictures of THEM to make fun of (which I wouldn't bother doing, anyway, because what more can you say about people with so little going on?). No, instead I think we should just start posting nothing but pictures of horses and kitties and puppies and baaaaaby animals.

And some gay porn.

That seems about as useful as any reaction I came up with.  So I'm starting up with this.  (If anyone wants to help, too, that'd be great.)

wow, that is some fucked up bullshit from those bitches at that sight.
i've never been there til now. five minutes of browsing was enough.
what a bunch of fucking spineless internet punks.

i really hope you can do something about this crap. especially after they hit your wife's LJ.

Quote from: I want a bunch of people to register at SASS and start posting to that thread. But not attacks. Because attacks won’t do any good, not unless we can find some pictures of THEM to make fun of (which I wouldn’t bother doing, anyway, because what more can you say about people with so little going on?). No, instead I think we should just start posting nothing but pictures of horses and kitties and puppies and baaaaaby animals.

And some gay porn.

this is fucking gold.



dave