The very first computer I used was an Apple IIc. There was no modern internet at the time, so I wasn’t browsing the web, and I wasn’t old enough to have any writing or computing to do, so there was only one thing left: playing video games. But the blocky 2D graphics of Lode Runner and similar titles are very different in appearance from the realistic 3D renderings of today’s offerings. And these graphics aren’t the only thing that have changed since video games went mainstream more than 20 years ago.

In a YouTube video titled, Women as Background Decoration: Part 2 – Tropes vs Women in Video Games, blogger and media critic Anita Sarkeesian brought into light the ubiquity of violence against women as a method of adding authenticity to modern video games. The video catalogs instances where women are used as a prop to indicate a non-player character is evil or some similar effect. A small group of people on the internet vehemently disagreed and the backlash against Sarkeesian was swift and frightening. Threats became so severe that she left her home temporarily.

Some argued that these instances of violence were only added to these games to make them seem realistic. But how realistic is a game where a driver mows down a sidewalk of people only to escape by painting his car a different color or for that matter a fantasy RPG pitting sorcerers and knights against skeletons and dragons? In an excellent analysis of the situation, Adi Robertson in an article on The Verge, states: “Games with realistic stories are still built on unrealistic mechanics and stylized environments…Realism is as much about what you leave out as what you put in, and an unfortunate number of games pare down the feminine experience to nothing except sex, childbirth, and vulnerability.”

I love the world of technology, and it has allowed me to play some pretty epic games, including some of the ones on Sarkeesian’s list. But I also live in a world where women are people, not props to cheaply develop a protagonist’s character. The more we remove these misogynistic depictions from the media we consume, the less they pervade our real lives.

Please keep reading for less ranting about important topics and more tips, reviews, and stories about the technology that you use. Today we’ll talk about managing your digital garbage, check out the next operating system from Apple, and further explore TOR networks and internet privacy.

Mike D
miked@smalldog.com