web TotalBiscuit Leaves Twitter

[Guest]

 

ReviewTechUSA did a video on it, but TotalBiscuit basically left Twitter due to constant drama and harassment. I find this amazing because TB basically is dying of cancer right now. He was re-diagnosed with cancer some time ago and he was told he has only 2-3 years left to live. TB has a wife and a child that he will be leaving behind. He was criticized for turning off comments on his videos some time ago. He released an audio file some time ago, more or less saying he only has 2-3 years left to live and he's not going to spend them dealing with this nonsense.

 

The kind of comments he was getting were more or less the usual "Kill yourself", "You fucking suck", and even things such as "I'm glad you will be dead soon". Over people disagreeing with his opinions on video games.

 

This amazes me that people can not handle "wrong" opinions on such trivial things such as video games to where they are harassing someone who is dying. I love video games, but this is the kind of stuff that makes me really hate the gaming community. I mean I remember as a kid complaining about Sega Vs. Nintendo but never were death threats made or anything like this. Has anonymity made people stupid? Or has it brought out their true colors? I worry about both scenarios.

 

What do you guys think? Do you think that the gaming community needs a reality check here, or has it "always" been this way and we are all just seeing it for the first time?

[Moved to Elsewhere 11,331]

That's kind of what happens with internet reviewers unfortunately.

 

I've observed that people will only criticize reviewers whenever they give a negative review of something that is popular or at least has a following. But unfortunately, that constructive criticism is drowned out with your typical, "You suck, go kill yourself," or, "You're a fag/manchild/autistic" comments. They are't even based on any real criticism they are based on getting butthurt. And unfortunately, people will sink so low as to send death threats to a reviewer who is dying of cancer.

[Riganthor 484]

it is a shame that he had to do this but I respect his choice and I will watch his content for as long as he is able to put it out there.

[Megas 28,132]

I think anyone who disables comments on youtube and/or ignores social media usually makes the right call since 95% of the time they tend to be dealing with incredibly toxic people and it can be overwhelming for a lot of people, and the gaming community tend to be one of the most toxic ones out there. I mean its pretty telling of it when they're still attacking the guy even when he's dying of cancer

[simba86 1,541]

people get bold sitting behind a computer screen, they say whatever they want without any concern or even common sense, it's like they have a notepad file open and they copy and paste the same stuff thousands of times,

[Guest]

I think anyone who disables comments on youtube and/or ignores social media usually makes the right call since 95% of the time they tend to be dealing with incredibly toxic people and it can be overwhelming for a lot of people, and the gaming community tend to be one of the most toxic ones out there. I mean its pretty telling of it when they're still attacking the guy even when he's dying of cancer

It really depends on what they are trying to do. TB is not trying to open a "discussion" or push for any kind of change, he's just making entertainment. It's not like when Anita Sarkeesian closes down comments because she doesn't want to be proven wrong.

[-Octavia- 1,176]

A pane to pain the sane remains. It seems this age caters to those seeking to lash out for their own failures, with no consideration for decency and compassion. Well, may he receive the support he deserves as a human being, rather than whatever asinine remarks buffoons will throw at him.

[Trixie Heartstrings 434]

I remember one person compared anonymity on the internet to alcohol, in the sense that it loosens inhibitions.

 

 

I've observed that people will only criticize reviewers whenever they give a negative review of something that is popular or at least has a following.

And there have also been times when reviewers have been criticized for giving a positive review of something that has been panned by many. And just like when someone gives a negative review of something popular, the constructive criticism gets drowned out with the whining comments.

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,164]

I am unwilling to say this is the fault of the gaming community itself; rather just a sad condition of humanity in and of itself. Aye; TB really should be respected for his decision here and harassment really should not be tolerated. It is a sad state of affairs, but unfortunately, not exactly anything new.

[Rawzy 1,302]

If I am to be truly honest, I think we need kids and young teenagers to stop using the internet completely, I mean...we even have the new cod game that just came and I'm pretty sure it's rated 18+ this time instead of 15+, yet we still have millions of 12 year olds playing it.....I guess this example could also be apllied in this situation.

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 42,202]

I am not the biggest fan of TB but I respect his decision here. The internet, with it's cloak of anonymity and whatnot, it has created a hugely toxic environment with social media and YouTube. People will say horrendous things that can takes it toll after a while. Some might say just ignore the bad comments, but when you see constant harassment and extreme negativity like that, eventually it takes its toll. This is why I rarely ever go on Social Media sites, except for this and Youtube, which I avoid the comments like the plague on most videos. 

[Megas 28,132]

And there have also been times when reviewers have been criticized for giving a positive review of something that has been panned by many. And just like when someone gives a negative review of something popular, the constructive criticism gets drowned out with the whining comments.

 

Yeah, unfortunately it goes both ways, especially when people begin throw around the word "shill" and "fanboy" like no tomorrow(though unfortunately people barely acknowledge that people with positive opinions on things tend to get needlessly attacked as well. Which even happens in our own fandom)

For example, I'm pretty sure tons of Star Wars fans would ream anyone up the ass for saying they liked the prequels because god forbid they actually enjoyed the damned movies 

 

It's part of the reason why I'm still wary of doing reviews since I love lots of unfavored games(Final Fantasy VIII, Megaman X6, any Starfox game after SF64)

Edited January 29, 2016 by Megas

[Lagrangian 64]

Good on TB.

He doesn't need more stress in his life right now, even though his latest treatment results have been positive.

[KatonRyu 1,036]

"Fuck this, I'm out" is a good reaction in general to internet trolls. No sense fighting them because they'll keep bitching anyway. For his sake, I hope he defies expectations and manages to recover.

 

As for why people online are like this: there aren't any repercussions. You don't see the shit you inflict firsthand, and no one can trace you (or so they assume) so why bother being a normal, polite person? I'll admit, I've been in some nasty flame wars myself when I was younger, though I grew out of it for the most part.

 

This is not something exclusive to the Internet, though. How many people do you know who curse the entire planet to hell several times over when they're behind the wheel? It's the same anonimity the Internet affords, because the odds of someone pulling over and socking you in the face are quite low, and when your windows are rolled up no one will hear you. I'll be honest, I'm still like this in the car, precisely because I know no one can hear me and because venting frustration in that way is one of the very few ways I actually can. That's not an excuse, but it's still the truth.

 

The big difference is that online, people do see the shit you say and unlike behind the wheel people may actually be hurt by what you say. The behavior is the same, but the consequences are not. So, a reality check is needed in the sense that people should realize they're actually directly talking to a person and not shouting into a void, but humanity's capacity for nastiness has long since ceased to surprise me and I don't think it's something that will ever disappear.