An Editorial Moment: Joystiq Erroneously Calls Out IGN
I know we don't often have editorials here at Evil Avatar, but I've decided that I need to step in and say something at this point. In a strange post over on Joystiq, editor Vladimir Cole has called out IGN, claiming that a frequent poster at Joystiq, now banned, was actually an IGN writer shilling the site. This insult was based on two pieces of information:
1. He had an "official" @ign.com e-mail address.
2. He had one post where he called Joystiq writers "bloggers" rather than "editors" and said that Joystiq was not a "real gaming media site such as 1up, IGN, Gamespy, Gamespot, etc."
Unfortunately, there are some major flaws in Vladimir's logic. First off, anyone who subscribes to IGN's premium service can get an @ign.com e-mail address. This likely was not an editor or writer from IGN, but a fan with a subscription. As Food Nipple so kindly pointed out in the original thread, no editor on IGN goes by either of the names that Joystiq has published in this article. The other comments that Vladimir lists as "proof" of that this guy is an IGN shill have nothing to do with IGN or gaming media at all. Some of the comments are troll-ish, but nothing worse than many of the replies in that very thread -- certainly nothing bad enough to warrant a news post on one of the most visited gaming blogs online publishing his name and e-mail address.
Ironically, all Vladimir really accomplished with this post was showing why the poster called Joystiq a blog that does not compare to the "real gaming media sites" in the first place. They have published false information that not only could lead to harassment of the poster involved but almost certainly harms IGN's name in the eyes of the many people visiting Joystiq -- many of whom may just take a passing glance at the article and never look deep enough to realize Vladimir's mistake. I have enjoyed and respected Joystiq for a long time, but in the last couple weeks with the "major news coming!" disappointment, the drama around Robert Summa's firing, the weirdly negative tension surrounding the Wii announcements, and now this, Joystiq has slowly but sadly been declining in quality and trustworthiness. And I'm not alone in feeling this way; the number of "I'm never going to Joystiq for my news again" posts I've seen in the last couple of weeks is staggering and surprising. And even the people not going that far just generally seem disappointed.
I still have faith. I still hope they can fix whatever issues have been causing the problems lately. But if Joystiq or any other gaming blog wants to truly be professional, they need to move past petty kindergarten antics like this. I intend no insult with this post, but I think it's necessary that someone point this out. If it helps even a little in getting Joystiq back to the quality they used to enjoy, then fantastic, and if not, at least I can say I pointed to the problems when they were still just starting. But Joystiq, if you're listening: publish an apology to IGN and move on from this fiasco quickly. It would be best for your site and the online gaming community in general.
Originally posted about here. Thanks to both djsandman and Food Nipple for helping with this one.
Updated: We have received confirmation that the forum member in question on Joystiq WAS in fact an employee of Gamespy, which is owned by IGN. Regardless, though, this does not change the main point of my post, which is that it was childish to have posted this on Joystiq and even moreso to "call out" IGN the way they did. As far as Vladimir's post shows, there was one post (presumably some more, but only one shown as evidence) out of 700 where the guy had even mentioned IGN. It seems he was a troll, but there was no reason I can understand to dirty Joystiq's front page news with a post about his trolling nor to connect it to IGN as though it were somehow their fault.
In the end, this small editorial was not meant to be about that single silly post at Joystiq anyways. I merely meant to use that as a springboard into discussing the many problems that have been plaguing Joystiq as of late. Many people have talked, and I meant only to hopefully more directly bring it to the attention of the people over at Joystiq who I know are working just as hard as we do here to present people with a great, entertaining site. I have no grudge with Vladimir Cole or Joystiq; I just want to see them producing more worthwhile content again. So I apologize for my slight inaccuracy in my original post, but the whole point of the editorial, I hope, remains.
Wow, so an "editor" feels the need to attack a fanboy on the front page of Joystiq? How lame. No sir, you have fallen out of editor status and now fall under "asshat." No self respecting editor/writing/etc would ever feel the need to respond to someone that they may have found trollish by trolling in return, with a louder voice. It's lame.
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Originally Posted by Kamalot
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I just posted about this in the other thread too, but I'll mention it again: If you read the comments, several people confirm that this same user is actually a serial troll over on the IGN blogs as well. I find it rather hard to believe that an employee, especially an editor, would get away with blatant trolling on his employer's own site.
So basically, this guy is just yet another Internet troll. The only "connection" I see is the one in Vlad's head between "calling out big-name competitor" and "tons of site hits and pagerank".
I wonder if IGN could sue Vlad/Joystiq for slander/libel?
Do you see what the console wars are doing to us? We're at each other's throats, first over console specifics and now over who's on what side of the press! Make love, not war.
I just hope my post does not come off as "trolling in return", as that's completely not what was intended.
It needed to be posted for all Gametab to see. Hopefully enoguh people will see this and realize what a bunch of libellous trash the original Joystiq post was, and it will help correct some of the misinformation.
Though between this, and our big mocking post of the whole "console subsidy" editorial, I can also see it coming across as EA having some kind of beef with Joystiq.
This certainly isn't a knock about Joystiq being on one side or another, Netami. This is simply about an action they took that I feel was really unnecessary and harmful to their image.
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"Your revolution is dead and was born out of laziness."
-Max Bemis
Do you see what the console wars are doing to us? We're at each other's throats, first over console specifics and now over who's on what side of the press! Make love, not war.
Dude, it's our "Civil War," whose side are you on? CHOOSE OR DIE!!!
Kef, I don't think this comes across as trolling. In fact, it's a valid concern for the slow decline of a new/aggragate site turning into a place where people with more control can troll with more authority. Luckily, that it doesn't happen anywhere very often (other than blogs), and if anything I hope it just makes the guys at Joystiq realize they should be reporting on news, not responding publicly to people they don't like.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kamalot
Pre-order today and get a free grizzly to wrassle!
I just hope my post does not come off as "trolling in return", as that's completely not what was intended.
The entire concept of "trolling" on the internet is laughably stupid. It's essentially a phrase coined by geeks to belittle dissenting views expressed by unfamiliar faces.
I always say what I feel and so should you. Fuck censorship in all its forms.
Now, in regards to the article, it's bullshit. This is just another sad attempt by Joystiq.com to generate publicity around a dying website. With their credibility being delt a deathblow by the Wii fiasco, they've resorted to tossing around "flaming" and "trolling" accusations.
If they had any decency about themselves, they'd quietly retire the moronic site into obscurity.
The most logical thing to do would be to pay them no attention at all.
This is not even really news, it's a forum squabble that's carried over to ours.
I would agree if "GSI" was simply banned and we heard nothing of it. I've never heard of a forum moderator banning someone and then making a front page post about it practicly giving away their e-mail address and still potentially where they work. I also find it kind of funny that the comment GSI was banned for was actually made true by this posting. Poetic Justice indeed.
If you google the email they present "pwilson at ign dot com," then you get a post on IGDA. If you look at that member's profile, they do proclaim to be an employee of GameSpy Industries, which I believe was bought by IGN. Of course, you can put anything in your info... But it's quite possible.
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You've read Jeffool's post, now read Jeffool: The Blog!
Joystiq is a blog. Calling it anything else is ridiculous. And at this point, it is a really god-damn annoying blog.
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