UPDATE: Penny Arcade Smacks Down Shady PR Dude

[WhatHityou]

Duh hell?

Who can possibly be this stupid? This is on par with those criminals that post facebook updates on there, "conquests." I demand an escapist seal of stupid ideas.

Poor dave, with a V. I hope he gets his controllers at some kind of reasonable speed now. I'm not 100% sure if the company will survive the reputation damage. I also totally agree that the law should get involved and he should at least be fined.

In all seriousness, If I was that kind of person, I would be compelled to take part in the bombing of his reputation. I hope the family doesn't use he internet as far as we do or they are going to have some embarrassing content to read.

 

[Flailing Escapist]

Death threats just seem to be the equivalent of "hello" these days. I've had a few myself.

I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!!

Mornin'.
=)

OP:OT:OR:OW:
If only internet celebrities announced who they were wherever they went, then we wouldn't have this kind of problem. Right?

 

[PhunkyPhazon]

About the tagline:

After being verbally abusive to a customer, the man behind a new controller accessory threatened Gabe of Penny Arcade.

I was just thinking: that makes it sound like the guy who invented the Avenger [http://miami.cbslocal.com/2011/04/15/inventive-teacher-gives-disabled-student-control/] IS Christoforo, which is rather unfair given the circumstances. A guy who invents a controller accessory for disabled people isn't really in the same league as a two-bit street thug asshole, you know? Normally I wouldn't bother pointing this out, but I feel bad that the reputation of an otherwise useful product is getting slandered on all the wwebsites just because it had the misfortune to cross paths with this dipshit.

 

[direkiller]

Duh hell?

Who can possibly be this stupid? This is on par with those criminals that post facebook updates on there, "conquests." I demand an escapist seal of stupid ideas.

Poor dave, with a V. I hope he gets his controllers at some kind of reasonable speed now. I'm not 100% sure if the company will survive the reputation damage. I also totally agree that the law should get involved and he should at least be fined.

In all seriousness, If I was that kind of person, I would be compelled to take part in the bombing of his reputation. I hope the family doesn't use he internet as far as we do or they are going to have some embarrassing content to read.

yea this is probbly gona be the kiss of death for 2 companys(one deserving)
and one guy having any chance of working with anyone in the games industry again

 

[Signa]

the fantastic legal system

Just wait until you end up having to deal with it. I'm probably a more upstanding citizen than you are (from your own admissions) and I have ZERO faith in what my government calls "justice" because of the one time I needed to go to court. The rest of your points aren't wrong, but don't be thinking Johny Law has got your back for all your idealism.

 

[mcnally86]

This really stinks of the persecution complex that moviebob was talking about a few big pictures ago.

I feel like Sentor Amidala as Palpatine takes over the senate.

All around people are deciding to viciously smash up a guys life because he was a bit of an asshole.
This is no "eye for an eye" (the meaning of the phrase is that you shall take no more than has been taken from you) let alone the "turn the other cheek" we have been expected to uphold in decent society.

We tell children not to react when provoked, and yet here all I see are whining rabid enthusiasts taking their persecution complexes to such high levels where it is them themselves that are the bullies. This is not even base reaction, it is overreaction at it's finest. Yes the guy should be fired, but that's it.

As someone who has worked in retail I had my moments where I lost my cool, that's no reason for this campaign of hate.

And all this before people go and decide to review bomb a controller that is designed to help disabled kids.

Internet people, you disappoint me. Again.

I was wondering about the PA fans when Gabe said he would burn PA around him just to hope to catch this man who wronged him in the flames. That was the moment I was on the "bad guy's" side. Sure he ran his mouth but to threaten to destroy everything to get at him? I like PA and I dont know how I feel about a big part of it threatening to self destruct over words. And that was the explosion at the apology. I mean how dare he get some sense and apologize. Clearly he is not on his way to learning his lesson lets all get angrier.

 

[collegestudent22]

Do you know what vigilante attacks are?

This is exactly the same, except it is on the internet. That is where this road leads.

What, exactly, has the Internet done to exact this "vigilante" justice? Told some people about this guy being an asshole causing them to also dislike him? Spammed his inbox and other points of contact with angry messages? You might be right about some individuals who have sent death threats - and those INDIVIDUALS should not be doing that, and should be in court for it. But did anyone assault this guy? Destroy his property? Commit actual violence of any kind? Then this isn't really vigilante justice, and that is before getting into an argument about whether vigilantism is justified under certain circumstances or not.

 

[Avatar Roku]

Do you know what vigilante attacks are?

This is exactly the same, except it is on the internet. That is where this road leads.

What, exactly, has the Internet done to exact this "vigilante" justice? Told some people about this guy being an asshole causing them to also dislike him? Spammed his inbox and other points of contact with angry messages? You might be right about some individuals who have sent death threats - and those INDIVIDUALS should not be doing that, and should be in court for it. But did anyone assault this guy? Destroy his property? Commit actual violence of any kind? Then this isn't really vigilante justice, and that is before getting into an argument about whether vigilantism is justified under certain circumstances or not.

You took the words right out of my mouth (though you said them more eloquently than I probably would have XD). As far as I see it, what has happened thus far is harmless (barring the death threats). Sure, it got Christofo fired, but that was bound to happen if this stuff continued anyway.

Besides, it's led to one of the most amusing memes I've seen on any wwebsite this year.

 

[Flying Dagger]

the fantastic legal system

Just wait until you end up having to deal with it. I'm probably a more upstanding citizen than you are (from your own admissions) and I have ZERO faith in what my government calls "justice" because of the one time I needed to go to court. The rest of your points aren't wrong, but don't be thinking Johny Law has got your back for all your idealism.

In the four years I spent wanting to be a barrister, and the three years since then studying politics I've seen quite a lot, but on the whole the legal system here in the UK generally gets it right. (of course there has to be a margin for error and where you set the margin is important, I don't have the figures but I have heard some 20% of cases have their appeals succeed, but 80% is a fairly decent figure)

It's a shame that you think I'm not an upstanding member of society though. I'd like to think my charity work, political participation and moral beliefs would counter my occasional lapses in etiquette.

Do you know what vigilante attacks are?

This is exactly the same, except it is on the internet. That is where this road leads.

What, exactly, has the Internet done to exact this "vigilante" justice? Told some people about this guy being an asshole causing them to also dislike him? Spammed his inbox and other points of contact with angry messages? You might be right about some individuals who have sent death threats - and those INDIVIDUALS should not be doing that, and should be in court for it. But did anyone assault this guy? Destroy his property? Commit actual violence of any kind? Then this isn't really vigilante justice, and that is before getting into an argument about whether vigilantism is justified under certain circumstances or not.

I mean no offence but are you so blind as to be unable to recognise a mob?
Do you remember that kid who "declared war" on 4chan, whose life was made hell?

We are but a short time into this scenario and already I see people applauding and calling for this guys life to be ruined.

In an age of great change, we need to adapt our definitions of a lot of things.
When a company will Google you after a job application, or a relative might check up on you by doing so, or a potential friend may have a look, damage to someone's internet reputation is equivalent to property damage.

This is vigilantism, whether you choose to believe it or not.

If you still don't believe me - picture this - should his paypal account be hacked, his credit card made available for all to use, would the masses clamouring in approval of the internets actions change their tune? or would they laugh as all his money is spent?

Make no mistake - this is both mob mentality and a form of vigilantism.

 

[Rainforce]

Vigilante justice is not acceptable, if he is guilty of these things, it should be decided by a court and a jury not by the internet's court of opinion.

Courts don't exist to rule in justice, only to rule for the sake of solving the conflict as best as they can in range of the current society's values. So vigilante justice is the only true justice you can ever find.
And "don't be an asshole" isn't that hard to remember, I think.
Then again, that's just my opinion, although it explains A LOT when I look at some legal decisions/legal reasoning in general.

 

[Signa]

UK

Say no more. Don't forget that both PA and this douche are Americans. Your superior court system doesn't apply here.

 

[DigitalSushi]

Did Dave get his two controllers? I wish to see that update! He seems to have gotten lost amidst this scandal of an SOB.

So far no he hasn't, he's been posting on various gaming websites asking for calm because this guy essentially has all his details, where he lives and credit card info which if the stories about Paul is right, he could pose a serious threat to him.

 

[Flying Dagger]

Courts don't exist to rule in justice, only to rule for the sake of solving the conflict as best as they can in range of the current society's values. So vigilante justice is the only true justice you can ever find.
And "don't be an asshole" isn't that hard to remember, I think.
Then again, that's just my opinion, although it explains A LOT when I look at some legal decisions/legal reasoning in general.

This is what vigilante justice leads to.

You're wrong. On the justice thing. At least for my country.
The whole purpose is justice, just because your opinion of what constitutes justice differs from the majority doesn't change its base definition.

I assume (and thus risking making an ASS out of U and ME) that you would term justice as an eye for an eye. I do not agree - death is far too easy an escape, that hard time to be forced to understand what they have done is far greater. But I'm moving off point.

It is also worth remembering that in most cases vigilante justice is decided simply by the perpetrator who is the boldest of the anonymous mob mentality (like explained here) rather than centuries of amassed laws, statutes and conventions.
I know which I'd rather be judged by.

Furthermore vigilantes are more often than not completely misinformed and lacking in perspective. It is an unacceptable form of behaviour from anyone, least of all from a fan base who revel in their intellect.

 

[Zortack]

This guy is clearly a failure. I must admit there's something inside me that's glad he hit the fence, but I also can't help but feel sorry for him. After all, it's not really his fault for being thick as a brick.

Reading his last mails to that penny arcade guy, I cant escapte the feeling of a kid torturing a bug with a magnifying glass. He's surrendered, be a man and accept it.

 

[Flying Dagger]

UK

Say no more. Don't forget that both PA and this douche are Americans. Your superior court system doesn't apply here.

Well I can't quite get my head around this sort of thing at 9.21 in the morning having not slept but I'd be surprised if both the police and courts were completely unable to convict anyone of anything.

Surely that would just make them pointless?

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Death threats just seem to be the equivalent of "hello" these days. I've had a few myself.

I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!!

Mornin'.
=)

Aww...and I'll kill you back.

 

[MaxwellEdison]

Gabe's recent response to the guy apologizing:

"Someday every bully meets and even bigger bully and maybe that?s me in this case. It?s the same thing that happened with Jack Thompson. It might not always make the most business sense and it is a policy that has caused us some legal problems, but I really don?t give a shit about that. When these assholes threaten me or Penny Arcade I just laugh. I will personally burn everything I?ve made to the fucking ground if I think I can catch them in the flames.

-Gabe out"

Holy shit, I think I'm in love.

 

[Signa]

UK

Say no more. Don't forget that both PA and this douche are Americans. Your superior court system doesn't apply here.

Well I can't quite get my head around this sort of thing at 9.21 in the morning having not slept but I'd be surprised if both the police and courts were completely unable to convict anyone of anything.

Surely that would just make them pointless?

I was trying to figure out what Pennsylvania had to do with any of this, and then I realized I abbreviated Penny Arcade as PA.

Be surprised. No one is getting into any trouble over this, and the only court anyone is going to see is the douche for his domestic violence case.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

However - I propose a hypothetical situation - When I raise my kid, I will tell them not to rise to things like this - not to persecute, but to use the proper channels.
Not to rush blindly without the full information, but to uphold the fantastic legal system we as civilized societies hold.

And when they ask me what I did when the first round of internet lynchings happened, I will say how I despaired.

Seriously, man? You're going to bring in "Won't someone think of the children?" when a guy who has been threatening multiple people, ignoring credit laws, outright lying in a business context and ended up attacking his greatest public relation point, when it turned it's glare on him?

If the internet was properly policed instead of being an extension of the feral capitalism that's going on in the hands of bankers IRL, then these lynch mobs wouldn't be created.

But SOPA shows how the hyenas want to destroy all the legal people involved in this, while protecting the douchecanoes like Ocean Marketting.

You may not have realised, or seen because your nose is pointing skyward, the sterling work of Eli Schwartz and David Kotkin, who are repairing the damage done to the controller's reputation; or the positive reviews of it coming out from reputable sites that work as guiding forces within the mob.

If you're going to hold you head up high, I'd suggest looking at your feet occasionally, because I think you've trodden in some shit.

Like the "superior" UK Criminal Justice Act; which allows the police to burn Traveller's houses and charge them for doing so. That's the beautiful law you allude to.

 

[Avatar Roku]

In an age of great change, we need to adapt our definitions of a lot of things.
When a company will Google you after a job application, or a relative might check up on you by doing so, or a potential friend may have a look, damage to someone's internet reputation is equivalent to property damage.

So you're saying that horribly and willfully mismanaging his job (ignoring all his other activities, which are also bad) might lead to him not being able to find another? And this is a bad thing?

At what point is this him reaping what he's sown?

You do have a point that this mob is going a bit far (and that's even ignoring the death threats. Personally, I'd be happy to have this stay an amusing meme), but Christoforo is hardly a blameless victim in all of this.