Bal wrote:because i was definitely talking about months be-fucking-hind when I'm talking about tolerance. I'm fucking done. I get called out to make a point on a specific topic, I do, then I get Mongrels fucking tumblr link and then your post here that is frankly insane. So pineapple it, peace, get back on topic.
MB's an animal unto itself? Not at all representative of a larger culture?
Over the years I have seen exactly two cultures of guild spring up in the wild among strangers sharing one game*: a group with no culture beyond the game and a complete inability to connect over anything else (lots of radio silence in gchat), and incorrigible racists/sexists. I am happy for you if your experiences have been better than mine!
*this does not apply to us, obviously, since this community transcends one game; if we have to use terminology, we aren't a "guild", we're (ironically, given the context!) a "clan"
Mongrel wrote: If no one is identifying with it, or if people ARE identifying with the term but it's no more than a misguided nostalgia or misconception, then I would say it effectively IS meaningless. "Gaming" isn't providing a safe haven, it's small, discrete groups of people - WoW guilds, or server gangs, or weekly boardgame clubs, or whatever that are.
I think this is right. I've been saying gaming is an imperfect remedy to the problem Putnam was arguing about imperfectly in Bowling Alone for so long I'm bored with it, but even when bowling leagues were hugely popular nobody identified as a Bowler.
Also, bowling is pretty hard to politicize, which makes it that much more difficult to use as a part of your identity.