86ing the 27

While it may be low hanging fruit to bring up GamerGate, it's an easy example to digest, both in terms of its simplicity, its appeal to anons, and for me personally to discuss. GamerGate was beset by both internal and external pressures from the beginning. Among the external pressures inflicted on it were Breitbart, the gaming industry itself, and the men's rights movement. Perhaps the most insidious of all of them were e-celebrities from within gaming, the worst of which was Total Biscuit. Having had so many of their former heroes betray them, GG was waiting for someone, anyone to take their side. Enter John Bain. He viewed it as a consumer revolt, and was seemingly willing to take up their mantle and attack those that were fighting against gamers within the industry.

However, he did his fair share of concern trolling, as well. Among his most popular pieces of "advice" to GG was to separate the moderates from the extremists, and he would fight along side the moderates, letting the extremists be shunned. This didn't happen immediately, and he parted ways from within GG. However, the advice was eventually heeded as GG lost steam, and was desperately searching for more establishment approval. Purges to this day are still happening within the community, weeding out "extremist" elements to ensure that they appear presentable to the masses.

This has left GG without a brain or a heart. There is now literally no reason for it to exist, nothing for it to fight for, nothing being created or done. The outside world is no longer impacted in any way by GamerGate. Even the press that GG vowed to fight to the bitter end has moved on towards savaging the alt-right, viewing it as a threat and GamerGate as completely pacified. Without the ideological anchor holding GamerGate in place and its creators and thinkers, GamerGate is a cause adrift, patting itself on the back for existing without having a reason to exist at all. Such is the power of severing ties and exploiting tension.