One of the other most frequently heard rallying cries whenever #GamerGate is brought up is bemoaning people's ability to hold a conversation. This is true on both sides of the debate but, honestly, you can't really blame those against the movement for removing any sense of dialogue from their proclamations, given the sort of responses that are engendered from mentioning #GamerGate in anything but the most flattering, supportive light. Yes, debates require conversation, both sides working out their differences. That is very much not happening here. Conversations are a give and take. A dialogue is two people talking. It's not one person saying something - sometimes even just a personal opinion - and then ten people jumping on them, demanding "evidence" to back up their claims, hurling abuse their way, or just flat-out telling them that they're wrong. Clearly many of the people involved in #GamerGate could've done with joining their high school debate team, and learning how to actually discuss opposing viewpoints in a rational, (relatively) calm way. Which is not what they're doing right now at all.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
