Read on Twitter
After some good talks today I think it's time for a thread on #TWITCHBLACKOUT tomorrow
(for anyone who's in the dark, pun not originally intended but i'm leaving it there mid-sentence: over the last few days, a long, long list of gaming community members have been publicly outed as abusers. There was a list floating around but the poster seems to have deleted it)
So in response, many streamers are opting not to stream tomorrow (Wed Jun 24) in an attempt to hit Twitch's bottom line and force them to pay attention to a rampant abuse problem. https://twitter.com/SirKatelyn/status/1275081212730589196
Desired outcomes could include, at minimum, something like this, for example: https://twitter.com/PlayWithJambo/status/1275122224652001281
Many streamers seem on board with this idea as a show of solidarity. But I wasn't going to stream tomorrow anyway, so I can hardly say I'm "participating". I haven't seen a Twitch ad on desktop in years, so it's not like they're getting that revenue source from me either.
Many people, including myself, are highly skeptical of the effectiveness that a single day off will have in lighting a fire under Twitch's proverbial ass. After a private discussion with an acquaintance I'm more open to the idea.
My skepticism came largely in part from:
1) Every year we hear "amazon is noticing!" during Prime Day boycotts, and then nothing improves for the workers. Delaying purchases by a week, when offset by the sheer volume of Prime Day purchases, is questionable as a protest method.
1) Every year we hear "amazon is noticing!" during Prime Day boycotts, and then nothing improves for the workers. Delaying purchases by a week, when offset by the sheer volume of Prime Day purchases, is questionable as a protest method.
2) The Twitter blackout in "solidarity" with BLM was an objectively awful idea. The spam of nothingness diluted protest coverage and awareness. It's also a good argument that expecting abuse victims to use silence as a method of protest is offensively insensitive.
3) I live in Canada, where I was sympathetic to our postal system's extended strikes right up until the point where postal workers were receiving union threats for going to work during the holiday season, as if they don't have families to provide for.
To address point #1, it was brought up to me that while Amazon sales bounce back generally, Twitch views don't really work the same way, especially when a boycott is being staged during a time that isn't coinciding with a sales promo event.
Additionally, lighting a fire under Amazon's ass for their COVID scandal actually was effective, moreso than Prime Day boycotts.
Point #2 however I still think is a good reason to be skeptical.
Point #2 however I still think is a good reason to be skeptical.
But to address it anyway, some streamers like Iateyourp1e and Kelpsey suggested doing stream fundraisers for RAINN.
I, personally, as an abuse survivor, love this idea. I don't really have positive feelings about single-day boycotts in general.
I, personally, as an abuse survivor, love this idea. I don't really have positive feelings about single-day boycotts in general.
I don't have many negative feelings either, but I do not believe that single-day solidarity will accomplish anything without tangible action to follow. The idea of a fundraiser immediately felt more productive to me.
(I recommend you support their initiatives too if you can!)
https://twitter.com/Iateyourp1e/status/1275515493336653825
https://twitter.com/kelpsey_/status/1275511569322049538
Also, RRLAT! https://twitter.com/reallylongathon/status/1275501033704157186
https://twitter.com/Iateyourp1e/status/1275515493336653825
https://twitter.com/kelpsey_/status/1275511569322049538
Also, RRLAT! https://twitter.com/reallylongathon/status/1275501033704157186
Importantly, these feelings are my own. Even if I doubt the efficacy of a Twitch blackout, I also acknowledge that how I derive perceived allyship is not how all survivors do. Participation makes some of them feel supported, and that matters just as much as efficacy re: Twitch.
Point #3 I still think is a perfectly valid reason not to participate. I'll link three tweets that I think do a good job of explaining this:
Muffins' whole thread, ESPECIALLY this tweet --> https://twitter.com/GDQMuffins/status/1275465765915889664
Muffins' whole thread, ESPECIALLY this tweet --> https://twitter.com/GDQMuffins/status/1275465765915889664
BarmaidAlexis' video, which I think makes some points worth considering before passing judgment on someone opting in or out of participating --> https://twitter.com/BarmaidAlexis/status/1275493233179553792
Merchant's posts here specifically regarding MTG streamers --> if you, personally, are not willing to extend a 1 day blackout to a 90 day blackout, it's probably a good idea to leave MTG streamers alone if they opt not to blackout tomorrow. https://twitter.com/Merchant_MTG/status/1275555726849646592
I see other ideas beyond fundraisers floating around, like suggesting streamers instead use their airtime to focus on drawing attention to these issues via delivery rather than absence, and really, I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all "right" way forward.
There are so many ways to show solidarity, we all should have learned that by now. If you can't participate in this one method, there are others available to you.
Also, importantly, if you see someone not participating, maybe don't try to fight them about it unless they're saying some harmful shit. This survivor is not here for anyone's grandstanding and fight-picking. Save it for the right people.
