For one, why do you need a label? The idea that you need a label to put on yourself is ridiculous and, frankly, counterproductive to your alleged cause. For two, maybe if you'd talk about the issues instead of feeling the need to defend yourself at every fucking step.
1 - Convenience. It's a simple way to collectively refer to a big movement.
2 - Coordination. The term ties together the multiple issues of contention spread across multiple sites. It also makes internet searches easier.
3 - Morale. With most of the media on the attack, having a flag to rally around is psychologically helpful for a lot of people. It gives them a sense of solidarity that helps them weather the atacks.
4 - It's just what stuck. This, I think, is the most important factor. People have been calling the whole affair gamergate for over a month and its become wired into our brains that criticism of game journalists = gamergate.
As for your second point, I fail to see how refraining from defending ourselves is in our best interests.
This is the face of your movement Gaters. These outer fringe idiots who nobody has done any effort to curtail.
I was there to see the thread where Brianna Wu was doxxed, and it was overwhelmingly denounced. Just like every other time someone posts something of that nature.
Just what kind of "effort to curtail" do you want? We already make it very clear that we do not approve of such behavior and actively condemn it when we see it. Beyond that, what can we do? Do you expect us to revoke their gamergate membership cards or something?
It would allow you to concentrate on gaming without being associated with epic shitlords that threaten to rape and murder people. It would also lose the association with a mountain of bullshit that has nothing to do with computer games!
That's what's behind all of your deep passion isn't it, gaming?
We're going to be "associated" with them one way or another. Don't you remember the eleven "gamers are dead" articles? They weren't talking about gamergate, they were smearing gamers in general. If I sent a message to one of those game journalists or posted on an anti-gg site about corruption without ever mentioning gg, do you think for a second that they wouldn't try to attach me to those "epic shitlords"?
