RPGHQ data was used for a paper on video game modifications

[J1M]

hm

The video game industry rakes in billions and is bigger than the film and music industries combined. The fun factor and addictive potential of games: high! For women too. They press the console almost as often as men. No wonder: In the fantasy world we can be anything: wild, free, strong and clever. That's the theory. But female game characters are still more likely to be: sexy. Women also disguise themselves as men when gaming to avoid nasty comments - with the help of AI. In short: the video game world has more than just one problem. But which games offer a really good experience? Good gaming Video game enthusiast Mareike Stürenburg from the "Good Gaming" project is committed to ensuring that women no longer have to play along with harassment and bullying. She also talks about blatant cases from the troll community, what those affected can do and names cool video games to try out. (from min. 2:30) Good games Tabea Iseli, founder and CEO at Stardust, talks about the first shock she experienced as a game developer. How she managed to gain a foothold in the male-dominated industry. Why she also appreciates shooting games. And what tips she gives - to men and women who want to immerse themselves in the industry and games.

"Sexy women are bad."
\


https://gamescomcongress2022.sched.com/event/16pw6

Millions of people play video games in Germany. Gaming has long been established as a cultural asset and is more than just escapism. Both the advertising industry and parts of politics have recognized the significance of gaming. But the extreme right is also increasingly trying to use the "gaming" discourse space for itself. With its own game projects, modifications, i.e. variations of existing game projects, and through gaming events, it is trying to exploit the attractive topic of gaming.

This lecture will refer to the various strategies of the extreme right minority in gaming contexts. How do right-wing extremists use gaming spaces to spread a contemptuous ideology and what does this look like in practice on gaming platforms? This lecture will also talk about right-wing extremist developers and their "games". One studio in Austria in particular is trying to raise collective awareness and appeal to new players through rudimentary propaganda games.

Ultimately, however, gaming culture should not be reduced to this problematic minority. Therefore, the talk will also address movements that advocate for inclusion, representation and the rights of minorities in gaming.
-
Mareike Stürenburg is an educational consultant at Amadeu Antonio Foundation and responsible for the monitoring in the project “Good Gaming – Well Played Democracy”. As part of the project, she researches right-wing actors and networks in video game communities that try to exploit gaming for the dissemination of their narratives. She herself is an avid fan of Outer Wilds and recently finished a two-year-long D&D adventure. She is also currently finalising her Master's degree in Social Sciences at the Humboldt University in Berlin. The Amadeu Antonio Foundation has been consistently campaigning against right-wing extremism, racism and anti-Semitism since 1998.

Ah, the dreaded "far-right."

The only women online who have figured out how to use AI so they can disguise themselves while playing League of Legends are those who have transitioned.

[rusty_shackleford]

Did it use unlicensed data from RPGHQ?

Yes, we were not consulted.

[Rand]

Some german ****** got so mad over the "no alphabets" mod she wrote a 12 page paper on it. The most hilarious example of "the left can't meme".

Did it use unlicensed data from RPGHQ?

That's a very good point.
These people (wrongly) believe data belongs to people and have very strict data "ethics" policies.
You can make things very difficult for them if you find they gathered data unethically and without consent.

[orinEsque]

The only women online who have figured out how to use AI so they can disguise themselves while playing League of Legends are those who have transitioned.

Ackhtually....

[orinEsque]

Did it use unlicensed data from RPGHQ?

Yes, we were not consulted.

Rusty, we need a citation page immediately, where you prohibit all unsolicited referencing to the website!
Somewhere here.


e.g.

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If you wish to use or cite any Content from this Site, please contact [Your Contact Information] to request explicit permission. We reserve the right to grant or deny permission at our sole discretion.

EDIT: Then again, its free publicity

[TKVNC]

Did it use unlicensed data from RPGHQ?

Yes, we were not consulted.

Rusty, we need a citation page immediately, where you prohibit all unsolicited referencing to the website!
Somewhere here.


e.g.

► Show Spoiler

Prohibition on Citation and Use of Content

All content, including but not limited to text, images, graphics, videos, and other materials ("Content") published on this website ("Site") is the property of [Your Company Name] or its licensors, and is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. Unless expressly authorized in writing by [Your Company Name], you may not cite, reference, quote, or otherwise use any Content from this Site in any external materials, publications, or media, whether for commercial, academic, or non-commercial purposes.

By accessing or using this Site, you agree not to reproduce, distribute, display, or create derivative works based on the Content, in whole or in part, without prior written consent from [Your Company Name]. Any unauthorized use of the Content may violate copyright, trademark, and other laws.

If you wish to use or cite any Content from this Site, please contact [Your Contact Information] to request explicit permission. We reserve the right to grant or deny permission at our sole discretion.

EDIT: Then again, its free publicity

Might do well to reference ownership generally, not just copyright and IP, for clarity.

I also think you ought to have a: 'grant, deny, or withdraw permission...'

Just to make it as unequivocal as possible.

[Acrux]

Did it use unlicensed data from RPGHQ?

Yes, we were not consulted.

Rusty, we need a citation page immediately, where you prohibit all unsolicited referencing to the website!
Somewhere here.


e.g.

► Show Spoiler

Prohibition on Citation and Use of Content

All content, including but not limited to text, images, graphics, videos, and other materials ("Content") published on this website ("Site") is the property of [Your Company Name] or its licensors, and is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. Unless expressly authorized in writing by [Your Company Name], you may not cite, reference, quote, or otherwise use any Content from this Site in any external materials, publications, or media, whether for commercial, academic, or non-commercial purposes.

By accessing or using this Site, you agree not to reproduce, distribute, display, or create derivative works based on the Content, in whole or in part, without prior written consent from [Your Company Name]. Any unauthorized use of the Content may violate copyright, trademark, and other laws.

If you wish to use or cite any Content from this Site, please contact [Your Contact Information] to request explicit permission. We reserve the right to grant or deny permission at our sole discretion.

EDIT: Then again, its free publicity

The site Terms already cover a lot of this.

[rusty_shackleford]

Did it use unlicensed data from RPGHQ?

Yes, we were not consulted.

Rusty, we need a citation page immediately, where you prohibit all unsolicited referencing to the website!
Somewhere here.


e.g.

► Show Spoiler

Prohibition on Citation and Use of Content

All content, including but not limited to text, images, graphics, videos, and other materials ("Content") published on this website ("Site") is the property of [Your Company Name] or its licensors, and is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. Unless expressly authorized in writing by [Your Company Name], you may not cite, reference, quote, or otherwise use any Content from this Site in any external materials, publications, or media, whether for commercial, academic, or non-commercial purposes.

By accessing or using this Site, you agree not to reproduce, distribute, display, or create derivative works based on the Content, in whole or in part, without prior written consent from [Your Company Name]. Any unauthorized use of the Content may violate copyright, trademark, and other laws.

If you wish to use or cite any Content from this Site, please contact [Your Contact Information] to request explicit permission. We reserve the right to grant or deny permission at our sole discretion.

EDIT: Then again, its free publicity

It's implied by US copyright law already.
While each individual poster retains the copyright to their contributions on RPGHQ, the platform (RPGHQ) holds a unique license to the collective content posted here:

You are granting "RPGHQ" with a non-exclusive, permanent, irrevocable, unlimited license to use, publish, or re-publish your Content, including any Content hosted on "Vault" that you link to within the forum. You retain copyright over the Content. You acknowledge that "RPGHQ" is not responsible for the Content hosted on external services and that linking to such Content does not transfer any ownership or additional rights beyond those outlined in this section.

This license enables RPGHQ to fulfill two critical roles:

1. Preserving the forum's history: Even if an individual decides to leave the forum or ­— as was the case at one point — remove their account, this license ensures that we can continue to republish any data published here.
2. Protecting the collective data: As the sole holder of this license, I am uniquely positioned to defend the forum’s data from unauthorized use or exploitation. This includes protecting the rights and privacy of our community as a whole when external parties attempt to misuse or misrepresent our content.

The compilation of the data itself additionally provides its own unique copyright(17 U.S.C. § 103). A general purpose platform such as Xwitter would probably not have any protection of its 'compilation' of data, but RPGHQ is a curated platform for a niche topic.

[rusty_shackleford]

Maybe instead of the university spending so much money researching video game forums they could pay for someone to make them a functional website?

[Bing_xiLim]

Maybe instead of the university spending so much money researching video game forums they could pay for someone to make them a functional website?

That would mean they actually try to focus on being an efficient educational institution rather than enabling libtoid freaks to spout nonsense into the void. Hope you succeed in getting this rubbish removed.

[rusty_shackleford]

Maybe instead of the university spending so much money researching video game forums they could pay for someone to make them a functional website?

That would mean they actually try to focus on being an efficient educational institution rather than enabling libtoid freaks to spout nonsense into the void. Hope you succeed in getting this rubbish removed.

Genuinely shocked at how low quality this is. Europeans brag about their 'free' universities, said universities don't even have functioning websites

[rusty_shackleford]

Maybe instead of the university spending so much money researching video game forums they could pay for someone to make them a functional website?

That would mean they actually try to focus on being an efficient educational institution rather than enabling libtoid freaks to spout nonsense into the void. Hope you succeed in getting this rubbish removed.

Genuinely shocked at how low quality this is. Europeans brag about their 'free' universities, said universities don't even have functioning websites

Look at this
https://www.sowi.hu-berlin.de/en

[Zothique]

That would mean they actually try to focus on being an efficient educational institution rather than enabling libtoid freaks to spout nonsense into the void. Hope you succeed in getting this rubbish removed.

Genuinely shocked at how low quality this is. Europeans brag about their 'free' universities, said universities don't even have functioning websites

Look at this
https://www.sowi.hu-berlin.de/en

"Last modified Oct 5, 2021"

Waow

[J1M]

Yes, we were not consulted.

Rusty, we need a citation page immediately, where you prohibit all unsolicited referencing to the website!
Somewhere here.


e.g.

► Show Spoiler

Prohibition on Citation and Use of Content

All content, including but not limited to text, images, graphics, videos, and other materials ("Content") published on this website ("Site") is the property of [Your Company Name] or its licensors, and is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. Unless expressly authorized in writing by [Your Company Name], you may not cite, reference, quote, or otherwise use any Content from this Site in any external materials, publications, or media, whether for commercial, academic, or non-commercial purposes.

By accessing or using this Site, you agree not to reproduce, distribute, display, or create derivative works based on the Content, in whole or in part, without prior written consent from [Your Company Name]. Any unauthorized use of the Content may violate copyright, trademark, and other laws.

If you wish to use or cite any Content from this Site, please contact [Your Contact Information] to request explicit permission. We reserve the right to grant or deny permission at our sole discretion.

EDIT: Then again, its free publicity

Might do well to reference ownership generally, not just copyright and IP, for clarity.

I also think you ought to have a: 'grant, deny, or withdraw permission...'

Just to make it as unequivocal as possible.

Please elaborate on the difference between ownership and copyright.

[logincrash]

Genuinely shocked at how low quality this is. Europeans brag about their 'free' universities, said universities don't even have functioning websites

Look at this
https://www.sowi.hu-berlin.de/en

"Last modified Oct 5, 2021"

Waow

It's not the website as a whole but that particular page.
https://www.sowi.hu-berlin.de/en/international says "last modified Mar 18, 2024."

[wndrbr]

That would mean they actually try to focus on being an efficient educational institution rather than enabling libtoid freaks to spout nonsense into the void. Hope you succeed in getting this rubbish removed.

Genuinely shocked at how low quality this is. Europeans brag about their 'free' universities, said universities don't even have functioning websites

Look at this
https://www.sowi.hu-berlin.de/en

Looks fine to me. Informative and clean.

Not sure what are you trying to imply here, maybe you think it lacks these fancy modern special effects (like snow)?

[rusty_shackleford]

Genuinely shocked at how low quality this is. Europeans brag about their 'free' universities, said universities don't even have functioning websites

Look at this
https://www.sowi.hu-berlin.de/en

Looks fine to me. Informative and clean.

Not sure what are you trying to imply here, maybe you think it lacks these fancy modern special effects (like snow)?

Tell me how long it takes you to find someone to contact related to my needs.

This is a public college of West Virginia, one of the poorest states in the country:
https://www.glenville.edu/departments/social-science
On this page alone is multiple emails, a link to the staff(again, with emails), a link to a page with a contact form.

It took me about 5 seconds to find their ethics committee page, again filled with contact information:
https://www.glenville.edu/academics/irb

[madbringer]

Maybe instead of the university spending so much money researching video game forums they could pay for someone to make them a functional website?

Germans are too busy putting 2000 people a year on trial for questioning the most egregious lie in the history of mankind to make websites, come on.

[Trickster]

"Sexy women are bad."
\

"It will not be sexy or want to be desired by men or else it gets the hose. It will act like a walking feminist propaganda poster, or else it gets the hose again."

[Trickster]

Women also disguise themselves as men when gaming to avoid nasty comments - with the help of AI.

Don't see any problems here. They don't like certain behaviors, they do things for themselves to avoid discomfort, rather than whining, playing victim, expecting random people in competitive games to be calm gentlemen. They just wanna play the game, not deal with all the drama of being the only girl in the male-dominated environment. I even had an experience where my friend and I entered a server with all women, and as soon as they found out we were men, they started acting differently and even arguing with each other about us. There's nothing wrong with not publicizing your gender when you want to avoid that kind of thing.

[TKVNC]

Rusty, we need a citation page immediately, where you prohibit all unsolicited referencing to the website!
Somewhere here.


e.g.

► Show Spoiler

Prohibition on Citation and Use of Content

All content, including but not limited to text, images, graphics, videos, and other materials ("Content") published on this website ("Site") is the property of [Your Company Name] or its licensors, and is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. Unless expressly authorized in writing by [Your Company Name], you may not cite, reference, quote, or otherwise use any Content from this Site in any external materials, publications, or media, whether for commercial, academic, or non-commercial purposes.

By accessing or using this Site, you agree not to reproduce, distribute, display, or create derivative works based on the Content, in whole or in part, without prior written consent from [Your Company Name]. Any unauthorized use of the Content may violate copyright, trademark, and other laws.

If you wish to use or cite any Content from this Site, please contact [Your Contact Information] to request explicit permission. We reserve the right to grant or deny permission at our sole discretion.

EDIT: Then again, its free publicity

Might do well to reference ownership generally, not just copyright and IP, for clarity.

I also think you ought to have a: 'grant, deny, or withdraw permission...'

Just to make it as unequivocal as possible.

Please elaborate on the difference between ownership and copyright.

Put simply, they're covered by different legal actions.

[J1M]

Women also disguise themselves as men when gaming to avoid nasty comments - with the help of AI.

Don't see any problems here. They don't like certain behaviors, they do things for themselves to avoid discomfort, rather than whining, playing victim, expecting random people in competitive games to be calm gentlemen. They just wanna play the game, not deal with all the drama of being the only girl in the male-dominated environment. I even had an experience where my friend and I entered a server with all women, and as soon as they found out we were men, they started acting differently and even arguing with each other about us. There's nothing wrong with not publicizing your gender when you want to avoid that kind of thing.

The problem is that the writer is just fabricating tales in order to push an agenda. You can't engage with these people by assuming they are truthful.

[rusty_shackleford]

Men regularly pretended to be women in MMOs for free stuff.

[Daxa]

why is he wearing a luke the notable mask?
i might be seeing things, i'm sleep deprived, overworked and my glasses are unclean.

[The_Mask]

It's always the Germans... always...

[rusty_shackleford]

Spent all night writing the letter and refining it, then had @WhiteShark review it for any grammatical errors I missed.
For transparency, this is the letter that was sent to Humboldt University of Berlin's Commission for the Review of Allegations of Scientific Misconduct

Dear Members of the Commission for the Review of Allegations of Scientific Misconduct,

I am writing to formally lodge a complaint concerning a research project conducted by Ms. Mareike Stürenburg, a graduate student in your Department of Social Sciences. Her master's thesis, summarized in the conference paper titled "Erasure of the Other - How Modifications are Utilized to Decrease Diversity in Video Games" utilizes data from my platform, RPGHQ, without obtaining the necessary permissions from me or the users whose content was included. Additionally, the research mischaracterizes RPGHQ by falsely associating it with extremist content and ideologies, presenting a misleading and inaccurate portrayal of our platform. I believe this conduct breaches both ethical standards and legal protections, and I request a thorough investigation by your institution into this matter.

***Basis for the Complaint***

**Legal Protections and Unauthorized Use of Data**

While I understand that Humboldt University operates under German law, Germany is a signatory of the Berne Convention, and the content on RPGHQ is protected under the U.S. Copyright Act (Title 17 of the United States Code). This grants exclusive rights to copyright holders, including reproduction, distribution, and display (17 U.S.C. § 106). Additionally, RPGHQ's Terms of Service outline specific permissions and restrictions regarding the use of user-generated content. Users grant RPGHQ a non-exclusive license to their content but retain their copyright. Our Terms of Service state:

"You are granting 'RPGHQ' a non-exclusive, permanent, irrevocable, unlimited license to use, publish, or re-publish your Content... You retain copyright over the Content. You acknowledge that 'RPGHQ' is not responsible for the Content hosted on external services and that linking to such Content does not transfer any ownership or additional rights beyond those outlined in this section."

Any unauthorized use of this content outside the parameters outlined in our Terms, especially for academic or derivative purposes, may constitute copyright infringement and violates the agreed-upon terms.

Furthermore, much of the data used in Ms. Stürenburg's research appears to have been taken from sections of the RPGHQ forum that are not publicly visible and require registering an account to access. These restricted areas are designed to create an expectation of privacy and limited use. Accessing and using content from these sections without permission disregards our platform's Terms of Service and the privacy expectations of our users.

Ms. Stürenburg acknowledges the unique value and exclusivity of the data:

"This research is based on natural online data, meaning data that already existed and has not been generated specifically for the purpose of social research. Using digital sociology in this way permits a window into a digital social space that would be difficult to research otherwise."

The use of 3,078 posts represents a significant portion of our forum's discourse. Such extensive use does not, in my view, constitute Fair Use and undermines the value of our exclusive rights over the collected data.

By proceeding with her research without obtaining the necessary permissions, Ms. Stürenburg has violated both legal protections under U.S. Copyright Law and our platform's Terms of Service.

Additionally, our Terms of Service indicates that our platform is intended for American users, and no regard seems to have been given to this:

"You agree that by using this website that you are assumed to be an American."

**Ethical Misrepresentation**

Ms. Stürenburg claims to have mitigated ethical concerns by anonymizing user data and avoiding identifiable information:

“Ethical concerns regarding the use of natural online data were largely mitigated by anonymizing user data and avoiding lengthy quotations or identifiable information.”

However, this assertion is misleading. The research explicitly identifies RPGHQ and refers to me as "forum leadership", thereby compromising anonymity. Additionally, no effort was made to seek permission for the use of the data or to consult with me as the platform owner, which is a significant ethical oversight in academic research.

**Misrepresentation of Platform**

The research contains significant misrepresentations of our platform, RPGHQ, by associating it with extremist content in a misleading manner. Specifically, Ms. Stürenburg discusses "Right-Wing Extremism and Terror", referencing various video game modifications ("mods") that include controversial symbols and content:

"Several mods in the sample add symbols like the ‘Super Straight’ and Confederate flags, such as ‘Redneck Clothing’ for The Sims 2. Others add swastikas, like the mod ‘Human Holocaust’ for Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered, or add sexualized Nazi-style uniforms, like the ‘Elite Lara’ mod for Tomb Raider. Non-visual Nazi references include ‘Reichssender Neu Vegas’, a radio station in Fallout: New Vegas playing Wehrmacht songs."

Earlier in the paper, RPGHQ is identified as a source of data where "users discuss and develop game modifications". While this accurately describes one aspect of our platform, the subsequent inclusion of a section titled "Right-Wing Extremism and Terror", alongside references to specific mods, implies that RPGHQ and its users are inherently linked to extremism or terror. This association is misleading for several reasons:

1. Legality of Content: The mods mentioned in the research, while controversial, do not violate U.S. laws and are therefore permissible under our platform's guidelines. Hosting such content does not equate to supporting or advocating for the extremist ideologies they may represent. According to the United States Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association (2011), video game content is protected under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

2. Non-Endorsement of Extremism: RPGHQ provides a platform for users to discuss and develop a wide range of mods, some of which may be offensive to certain individuals. However, we categoricaly reject the notion that video games or their modifications can constitute "extremism" or "terror". This framing misrepresents the nature of creative and expressive freedom that underpins the modding community.

3. Potential Misinterpretation of Free Speech: The research appears to interpret our platform's commitment to free speech through a lens that may not fully appreciate the cultural and legal context of the United States. Free speech in the U.S. encompasses a broad spectrum of expressions, including those that are controversial or offensive, as long as they do not incite violence or engage in unlawful activities.

4. Impact on Reputation and Operations: Associating RPGHQ with "Right-Wing Extremism and Terror" without clear evidence distorts the true nature of our platform and poses serious risks to our reputation. Such misrepresentations could lead to advertisers withdrawing support, game developers and publishers reconsidering partnerships, and potential deplatforming by hosting providers, all of which would adversely affect our operations and community.

Furthermore, Ms. Stürenburg states:

“The forum leadership claims to practice ‘radical free speech.’”

This statement is inaccurate. I have never used the term "radical free speech" to describe my platform. The use of quotation marks suggests a direct citation, which is misleading and misattributes a characterization that does not align with our principles. RPGHQ is committed to upholding the principles of constitutionally protected free speech as recognized in the United States. Labeling our stance “radical” reflects a biased interpretation and misrepresents our values and practices.

By framing RPGHQ as endorsing harmful content and ideologically extreme, the research presents an incomplete and skewed portrayal of the platform. Such mischaracterizations not only distort the true nature of RPGHQ but also unfairly tarnish its reputation.

On September 17th, 2023, I published a statement addressing our platform's commitment to free speech and our stance on content moderation. This statement further clarifies our policies and provides additional context regarding our approach to hosting user-generated content. A copy of this statement is attached for your reference, titled "Free Speech Statement.png". I have also attached a copy of our rules as of the time of writing this letter, last updated August 29th, 2024, titled "RPGHQ Rules.png". Our rules clearly indicate that we allow viewpoints with which we do not agree and that we do not censor content.

As outlined in our attached statement and rules, RPGHQ is committed to upholding free speech within the boundaries of U.S. law without endorsing any unlawful activities or extremist ideologies.

**Conclusion**

I trust that the Commission will take these concerns seriously and conduct a thorough investigation into the matters outlined above.

Please confirm receipt of this letter and inform me of the actions your institution intends to take. Should you require any additional information or documentation, I am available to provide further assistance. I may be contacted at the email address below.

For your reference, I have attached a copy of Ms. Stürenburg's article. While I do not have access to her full thesis, she mentions that the paper is "an extremely condensed version of the findings from the author's master thesis." Given this description, it is reasonable to assume that the thesis contains a more extensive analysis of the data extracted from RPGHQ, likely including additional instances of unauthorized usage, mischaracterization, and ethical violations. A thorough review of the thesis is essential to fully understand the extent of these issues.

Sincerely,

Rusty Shackleford
Owner, RPGHQ

[email protected]

[Tweed]

Men regularly pretended to be women in MMOs for free stuff.

We had a mangina in our EQ group back when I was playing on The Combine and he got tons of free **** without even trying. It's like easy mode so long as you don't use a mic.

[The_Mask]

Can you imagine having to type that whole spiel because one dumb broad doesn't know what she's doing?

It's absolutely appalling...

[rusty_shackleford]

It's like easy mode so long as you don't use a mic.

You can just use voice changing software now.

[Tweed]

Can you imagine having to type that whole spiel because one dumb broad doesn't know what she's doing?

It's absolutely appalling...

Rusty strikes me as the kind of person who gets a tingly pp from that kind of thing.