Last month, the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) spoke out against what it considers abhorrent behavior against developers in light of the recent spate of personal attacks. The association has now gone a step further to tackle the issue by consulting with the FBI.
The IGDA has confirmed that its working on some tools to help users cope with harassment by showing them how to minimize abuse and what preventative measures they can take. Apparently, the FBI has taken an interest in online harassment and is looking to crack down on perpetrators. IGDA Executive Director Kate Edwards, who met with FBI officials in July for this purpose, said:
What [the FBI] wanted from me was an interface for developers so they can share preventative measures they want to get out to us. We met, discussed the issue and said, ‘Let’s collaborate.’
The FBI is also seeking feedback from a number of special interest groups that focus on bullying and online harassment.
The issue of online abuse in the industry has garnered a mixed response from the gaming community, especially those who have rightfully pointed out that this kind of behavior shouldn’t be associated with gamers, rather internet trolls in general. Hopefully, this exercise will be conducted with that view in mind.
[Source: Polygon]
