Followup: Blizzard finally bans Hearthstone team for displaying Hong Kong protest sign

[Cubi Dorf]

I am agree with blizzard ban. this is professional sport and players need to act professionals. it is not political forum. they are at work. they can protest in their own time, but not at work. my opinions on matter are not involve china. the two issues, professionalism and china, are intersect causing people to lean based on which issue they think more important. but professionalism should not be apply only on case by case basis.

 

[Silvernine]

As someone else so eloquently said on reddit: "Its a chinese message on a chinese website under chinese censorship supervision supporting chinese gov and you think it really is written by anyone who has something to say at Blizzard?"

Do you really want to argue that the weibo tweet should be taken seriously? Is that really the flimsy argument against Blizzard that you want to make?

So you're still doubling down that it's OK to violate human rights because it's in their country under their own laws? Therefore legal. And therefore all these people that are oppressed over there must continue to lick Winnie's dong because it's required of them? OK.

 

[m4a4]

So you're still doubling down that it's OK to violate human rights because it's in their country under their own laws? Therefore legal. And therefore all these people that are oppressed over there must continue to lick Winnie's dong because it's required of them? OK.

How about you read what I wrote earlier. It's an entirely different issue separate of Blizzard's ban (even though people are trying to conflate them both).

And you can take that strawman argument and go somewhere else.

 

[Silvernine]

How about you read what I wrote earlier. It's an entirely different issue separate of Blizzard's ban (even though people are trying to conflate them both).

And you can take that strawman argument and go somewhere else.

Oh? You telling people not to take a message on Weibo seriously. Even though it is an official message from a Blizzard official in China. From the sound of it, you are going way out of your way on a limb to defend what Blizzard is doing.

 

[m4a4]

Oh? You telling people not to take a message on Weibo seriously. Even though it is an official message from a Blizzard official in China. From the sound of it, you are going way out of your way on a limb to defend what Blizzard is doing.

I'm not repeating myself as to why it's a separate issue. I already replied to yRaz about it.

If you're incapable of reading what I already wrote, we're done here.

 

[yRaz]

How about you read what I wrote earlier. It's an entirely different issue separate of Blizzard's ban (even though people are trying to conflate them both).

And you can take that strawman argument and go somewhere else.

The UN and human rights organizations are getting involved. This is now an international incident. Hundreds of thousands of people, and most likely soon to be millions, of players are jumping ship on blizzard.

Blizzard is trying to censor the largest protests for human rights in modern history. Their statement of banning a playing for supporting Hong Kong to "protect a country's dignity" is not really open to interpretation.

Why are you doubling down on this? I want to put this in perspective for you. If China starts murdering Hong Kong protestors(and they murder their citizens all the time) it could create a humanitarian crisis that causes the next world war.

This isn't a joke, this isn't something to be boiled down as a matter of opinion on an internet forum. This is an international human rights incident

 

[yRaz]

I'm not repeating myself as to why it's a separate issue. I already replied to yRaz about it.

If you're incapable of reading what I already wrote, we're done here.

No, we're incapable of understanding why you're ignoring evidence in order to save face

 

[m4a4]

The UN and human rights organizations are getting involved. This is now an international incident. Hundreds of thousands of people, and most likely soon to be millions, of players are jumping ship on blizzard.

Blizzard is trying to censor the largest protests for human rights in modern history. Their statement of banning a playing for supporting Hong Kong to "protect a country's dignity" is not really open to interpretation.

Why are you doubling down on this? I want to put this in perspective for you. If China starts murdering Hong Kong protestors(and they murder their citizens all the time) it could create a humanitarian crisis that causes the next world war.

This isn't a joke, this isn't something to be boiled down as a matter of opinion on an internet forum. This is an international human rights incident

No, we're incapable of understanding why you're ignoring evidence in order to save face

1) No source, I don't care what you have to say about the UN. Don't BS me with stuff I can't look up for myself. And I don't care if many people are "jumping ship" based on feelings, not facts.

2) They do not need to support an unsolicited message on their platform and it doesn't mean they are for/against the issue. Period (I don't care how inconvenient that fact is for you).

3) I am against what China is doing to their citizens, and haven't said anything to the contrary. Using a strawman argument just proves you don't know how to debate this topic.

4) Blizzard bans are separate to what the official said on weibo. What is there not to get about that? That is the only bit of "evidence" you've given to say Blizzard is picking a political side in this. And it's wrong.

4a) So let me lay this out like I would for a child:
The official who made the tweet lives in China. China doesn't have free speech. China harms citizens who don't support the government. If the official didn't say something, he'd have to fear for his life. If the official said something and didn't support the gov't, he'd have to fear for his life. So instead the official said something and supported the gov't, which means he probably doesn't have to fear for his life.

What's not to get about that simple bit of logic? I shouldn't have needed to spell that out. Blizzard wouldn't have demanded the response, the guy would make the response to save his own skin from the gov't (and Blizzard officials can't speak out on it also because safety). So as I said, separate issue.

But I'm now done using logic against your misguided opinions for you too.

 

[yRaz]

1) No source, I don't care what you have to say about the UN. Don't BS me with stuff I can't look up for myself. And I don't care if many people are "jumping ship" based on feelings, not facts.

2) They do not need to support an unsolicited message on their platform and it doesn't mean they are for/against the issue. Period (I don't care how inconvenient that fact is for you).

3) I am against what China is doing to their citizens, and haven't said anything to the contrary. Using a strawman argument just proves you don't know how to debate this topic.

4) Blizzard bans are separate to what the official said on weibo. What is there not to get about that? That is the only bit of "evidence" you've given to say Blizzard is picking a political side in this. And it's wrong.

4a) So let me lay this out like I would for a child:
The official who made the tweet lives in China. China doesn't have free speech. China harms citizens who don't support the government. If the official didn't say something, he'd have to fear for his life. If the official said something and didn't support the gov't, he'd have to fear for his life. So instead the official said something and supported the gov't, which means he probably doesn't have to fear for his life.

What's not to get about that simple bit of logic? I shouldn't have needed to spell that out. Blizzard wouldn't have demanded the response, the guy would make the response to save his own skin from the gov't (and Blizzard officials can't speak out on it also because safety). So as I said, separate issue.

But I'm now done using logic against your misguided opinions for you too.

Sure spent a lot of time explaining why you're right to someone who you think is illogical and can't be reasoned with.

The UN thinks the weibo comment can be used as evidence but I'm certain in your infinite wisdom as a tech site commentor you have a far better understanding of the subject.

 

[ThrakazogZ]

As someone else so eloquently said on reddit: "Its a chinese message on a chinese website under chinese censorship supervision supporting chinese gov and you think it really is written by anyone who has something to say at Blizzard?"

Do you really want to argue that the weibo tweet should be taken seriously? Is that really the flimsy argument against Blizzard that you want to make?

If Blizzard allows Chinese officials to make statements in their name on social media, and are ok with it, then yes......the blame falls on blizzard. If they are as innocent as you seem to think, I imagine they would be quickly denouncing the post, claiming their weibo account was hacked, etc....

 

[m4a4]

If Blizzard allows Chinese officials to make statements in their name on social media, and are ok with it, then yes......the blame falls on blizzard. If they are as innocent as you seem to think, I imagine they would be quickly denouncing the post, claiming their weibo account was hacked, etc....

And what of the official in charge of the Blizzard weibo account? What would happen to him if he didn't appease China's gov't?

I've already pointed this out. People conveniently forget China doesn't have free speech and is hostile against people who criticize them. What should've Blizzard done in this forced situation that wouldn't wreck the guy's life?

 

[yRaz]

And what of the official in charge of the Blizzard weibo account? What would happen to him if he didn't appease China's gov't?

I've already pointed this out. People conveniently forget China doesn't have free speech and is hostile against people who criticize them. What should've Blizzard done in this forced situation that wouldn't wreck the guy's life?

Then blizzard could publicly say that and fire him instead of defending their decision

 

[Danny101]

Who do they think they are fooling? This isn't defending the pride of our country.

https://I.redd.it/3innty5cmjr31.jpg

 

[isamuelson]

They took quick steps to protect their market share in China which is twice as large as it is in the US. Then after a few days of outrage they released a statement. The day they made the first ban they posted a tweet saying that it stands with China. They literally said that this wasn't about using their platform for spreading political views. Then the further bans where put in place to support the idea that it was about misusing their platform.

But those players who they banned had already said they are quiting hearthstone so the bans were pointless. And let's not forget about the commentators they fired over the whole thing who barely had anything to do with it.

Only a fool would believe blizzard.

They can join Chairman LeBron James who wanted to protect the manufacturing of his shoes in China.

 

[Danny101]

Bottomline is...American corporations have become a *****s unto China for financial gain and unwilling to call out China on its human rights abuses, but then also have the nerve to lecture Americans about human rights. The sun is shining on all of this hypocrisy. This is not putting forth American values, it's thwarting it. I understand the there's often a fine line when trading with other countries with political systems that do not align fully with our own, but there's no need to compromise our values to do it. China sure isn't. I would rather we not though.

 

[ThrakazogZ]

And what of the official in charge of the Blizzard weibo account? What would happen to him if he didn't appease China's gov't?

I've already pointed this out. People conveniently forget China doesn't have free speech and is hostile against people who criticize them. What should've Blizzard done in this forced situation that wouldn't wreck the guy's life?

Why do you think there is a Chinese government official in charge of the Blizzard weibo social media account ? If that is the case, then Blizzard should have just deleted the account (or never made it) if they are going to just let the Chinese government use it instead of themselves. If by "official" you are referring to a Blizzard employee, then I highly doubt they station employees in every country to oversee social media accounts. They could simply post to social media in every country from their California headquarters using this thing called the internet.

 

[m4a4]

Why do you think there is a Chinese government official in charge of the Blizzard weibo social media account ? If that is the case, then Blizzard should have just deleted the account (or never made it) if they are going to just let the Chinese government use it instead of themselves. If by "official" you are referring to a Blizzard employee, then I highly doubt they station employees in every country to oversee social media accounts. They could simply post to social media in every country from their California headquarters using this thing called the internet.

Yup. Totally. Cause Blizzard doesn't have any fans in China, no headquarters in China, and the Chinese gov't doesn't control/censor the internet in China at all. /sarcasm