Discussion on:

Could the online games you play affect your employability?

Must be running scared.

If we were talking about GTA, then the "unfit for office" accusation might have some merit. But if playing WoW makes you unfit for office, then so does watching The Lord of the Rings. It's the same thing in my book.

From a PR standpoint, the "killing stuff without going to jail" comment was stupid, no two ways about it. (But as the father of an out-of-control four-year-old, I totally get the sentiment. )

How is this worse than other methods of burning off stress? If she went to the firing range instead, no one would say squat, if for no other reason than that the NRA would have the critic for lunch. How about if she went to the gym and worked over a punching bag, or was a regular at the dojo? Do her opponents think this means she's going to beat people up?

This isn't even a particularly blatant case of putting one's hoof (or whatever orcs have) in one's mouth. If Maine voters think this is a faux pas, they need to come to SC, where our politicians get 'Thank You' gifts from 'The Daily Show'. This isn't even manure; at least manure can be put to some use.

I agree, this is a non-issue, unless she's regularly staying up all night to play. But saying that she gets to "kill stuff without going to jail" may make some people nervous. Any rational open-minded person would see it as just a reasonable means of burning off stress.

But this is politics in the modern age. So being a bit more circumspect in what she posts would be well-advised. Better to say that this just her way of relaxing after a hard day's work. The people who play WoW will know what she means and those that don't probably won't be concerned.

We've got a governor who referred to a credentialed investigative reporter as a 'little girl', a state senator who called that governor a 'raghead', a former governor who thought Argentina was on the Appalachian Trail, a recent lt. gov. who was so hostile when stopped for speeding that the officer felt compelled to draw on him, his successor who was kicked out of office for spending campaign money on his family (after the campaign was over, no less), and a congressman who called the president a liar in the middle of the 'State of the Union' speech.

Down here we're happy if our politicians demonstrate an understanding of subject - verb agreement, and don't preface their verbs with "fixin' to".

But it was a joint session.

And you forgot the Democratic Party chairman who compared the Governor to Eva Braun.

speaker of the house who won't (or can't) produce any receipts for over $300K in reimbursed campaign expenditures.

Ain't we got fun?

that your local politicians disengage their brains before performing any official acts...

I guess if the majority of voters in your state are happy with that yardstick the issue is not with the politicians, it's with the lazy and uninformed voter populace and not just the politicians. Certainly if other people are more attentive and rigorous in the choice of who represents them in the government that should not be a basis to attack them.

Because that's essentially what you have done here...

The leadership of the Maine Republican party? If so, then are you saying it's alright for them to attack an opposing candidate but that they are themselves exempt from inspection? If not, then who?

My point about SC politicians was that we'd be happy here if fantasy gaming was the only questionable behavior they demonstrated. Even our comparatively low standards seem to be difficult for candidates to meet.

And yes, some of our eligible voters could do to pay more attention.

This is quite different than other methods of burning off stress. There is a difference between burning off stress and reviling in the act of "killing things" and not going to jail. If someone goes to the firing range and specifically says "This is great, I can pretend to kill people (targets) and not go to jail......believe me, there would be a VERY big deal made in the press. It's the attitude in regard to the action, not the action.

Still, the point everyone needs to remember is as you stated up to the voters in Maine. There is no flaw in bringing this information to light, indeed it is on social media which is obviously public access, it's not even like someone dug through her garbage or broke into her house. This is her persona and attitude as SHE wanted to portray it online. If the voters have an issue with this attitude it is their RIGHT to decide they don't want this person to represent them for that reason. If they decide they don't care, that is also their right. And no one has the right to tell a legal voter what they should or should not care about.

It's not manure, it's information.

In WoW you kill monsters most of time, not people. If it was a game similar to Call of Duty (where you kill soldiers) or Grand Theft Auto (where you kill cops and civilians), then there would be argument.

Nowadays, killing animals (even wild ones) can get you in jail. In WoW you play as an adventurer in a fantasy world; and part of the role is to survive in the wild, defending yourself from wild beasts and other monsters.

You may call your stuff information. I call it misinformation.

is the difference between "reviling" and "reveling".

look it up eh? revelling is what you want...

you (and the Maine Republican party) are interpreting the word 'killing' too literally. People toss that word around all the time without malicious intent. I've hear people say, "I'm gonna kill that kid!" when their own child has done something foolish. We both know they don't mean it.

The US military has several simulation tools and 'games'. The Army has one that allows an entire tank company (14 crews of 4 each) to participate in active battles. The inside of the simulators are laid out like the interiors of M1 tanks. The views through the periscopes are computer simulated views of battlefields, with the real world terrain of the area under dispute. You can see the other tanks in your company and the computer-controlled enemy. While no replacement for actually maneuvering on the ground, it's cheaper than fueling and arming real tanks, safer, and faster to set up and modify. And yes, it's one hell of a lot of fun 'killing' those 'enemy' tanks, and even committing the occasional intentional fratricide. Should participating in this kind of training disqualify service members from elected office?

It's not information, it's political spin.

I would be more worried if she had a soul worth saving, and was running for office.

Seriously though, the GOP spends half their time calling the DFLers "petty" and vice versa. The both are, and it is just another hot item for them to divide the country on, and help culture those two party voters.

Leave off the record crap out of it. There are some days when I get home and say eff the world, because of traffic.

BUT, we all know by now everything offered up to the internet is everyone's business, all the time, no exceptions. It's how we pay for now having access to the world at our fingertips. Yes, we can get almost any question to anything answered within minutes, but the trade is anything we share via internet is available to everyone, forever. Know what thoughts to keep to yourself and which are acceptable for the world to see. I don't think it's about what game the candidate does or does not play, but about comments she made via the game.

you wonder about what they're thinking and how they think.

but that's how we in the UK see American Politics. The best hair style wins. When I was younger I believed politicians should be young - that way they'd be in touch with the real world. Now I'm older I realise that regardless of actual age, politicians on both sides of the Atlantic are a bunch of squabbling kids in a playground. I'd not be surprised if they were caught pulling each others' hair.

Playing WOW, or any other game for that matter has absolutely no bearing whatsoever on the ability to do a good job. I've held this one for 17 years and have played WOW for the last 5. I'm good at what I do, and no amount of Orc-baiting will change that.

Snak - you are right on the money here: "politicians on both sides of the Atlantic are a bunch of squabbling kids in a playground"
Unfortunately, they also display a lack of discretion and "real world" views.
Some of the lamest reasons come up for not voting for someone, but this person should watch her mouth when running for a public office. LOL

Throw everything at the wall and hope it sticks. Too bad these GOP dinosaurs don't realize that this may help her with younger voters.

Maybe she is an economic genius, kill bad guys, get money, sounds good to me.
There must be a way this can be implemented in real life...

Such as, what if we kill all the life prisoners, and harvest their organs, then we can save other people. They would be dying for a noble cause and it would be a cost savings on the prison system.

I just can't understand it anymore. What will we do when surveillance cameras running all over the place are piped directly into YouTube showing people cussing, doing violence, and doing whatever to one another. Will those videos be used in court? Do we just start paying the police to watch You Tube?

If the GOP's opinion is accurate, then anyone who dyes their hair would also be leading a "double life".

In the interests of full-disclosure, I also am a WoW player having both Horde and Alliance level 85 toons. Does that make me an independent? Or a fence-sitter?

Inquiring minds really don't care...

I think this just shows how out of touch some people's views are with reality ... countless papers have been written on games theory & the cognitive development of games players ... this should actually be a plus, if someone can master the strategy of a game & rank very highly, it shows their ability to adapt to changing circumstances, solve problems & puzzles, utilise resources & skills, and strategically win over other players ... and that is just the start of it ... how can this be a bad thing?

... oh yeah, the people doing the assessments are ignorant, opinionated & reactionary ...

If she had been "outed" as a grandmaster in chess she would have been lauded by both sides as someone of great intelligence and superb "games theory" which by the way is exactly what's needed to plan any strategic undertaking, whether it be political or in defence of a nation. (and probably recuited by one of those special govt agencies that don't exist)

I'm also a veteran wow player (since launch point of fact), and while there are many people whom play whom might be considered of "suspect morals or intelligence" there are millions more whom often take lessons learned in games like wow into the real world and getting real world success from them.

Wow is NOT a point gun and shoot game. Endgame content requires real brainpower, real strategic planning and skill to adapt to ongoing circumstances on a minute by minute basis. Just like military virtual training.

Oh and just in case they forgot; what about the child whom saved his sister from an animal attack in USA by remembering and USING skills learned in WoW whom was hailed as a hero...

Can't have it both ways - unless you're a politician of course. Oh and lets not get into the fact that in many countries jailed criminals are allowed to vote on issues that the law abiding citizens have to adhere to, those are the "unfit" ones you should be crowing about.

Give me a law abiding wow player over a jailed voter any day.

The incident can be compared to declaring a person "unfit for office" on the grounds that he/she is a liar....for telling his 3-year old about Santa Claus. After all, if a person can mislead a 3-year old about Santa, he/she is surely bound to lie serious issues too.

If American voters are so gullible that they can't make a distinction between life and fantasy...then maybe they should be declared "unfit to vote".

There are 2 aspects:
1) Political opportunism
Any person/party who can use this kind of ploy to eliminate an opponent is petty in the extreme and should not be trusted out of kindergarten
2) If a politician can do this without fear of loosing votes, then either the voters are too dumb to vore or the relevant incumbant has no respect for the intelligence of the members of his constituency. Either way, if the politician gets away with it, it says a lot about the voters.

Maybe a dictatorship is not such a bad idea after all

Well, I'm also WoW player. And I like even more violent games.
Carmageddon like. Or Road Rash. Still, I have no intention on intentionally hurt anyone on the road.
Also, I like Far Cry. And Borderlands. I have no intention of blowing somebody's head off. Not in real life.
Am I also unfit for my job? And for my neighbourhood?
Do I really need to point out that I'm a expert in my job, respected co-worker and often sought company?
My colleague plays Call of duty and Medal of honor. Other one plays World of tanks and World of warplanes. Are they unfit for their job too? Shoul they be put in jail, just in case?

So what (and if) someone plays something is personal choice. Declaring someone unfit for something is pure bullsh*t if it's based on gaming preferences.

Statement "killing stuff without going to jail" is often on my repertoire. And NO ONE misunderstands me! Everybody understands that I have to vent steam out and that I have to reduce adrenaline levels. Not on streets. On my PC!

Here's what scares me - politicians kill people without going to jail all the time.

Also, how many Republicans hold office in Maine? Seriously? This is NOT going to help them. Idiots.

I think the title of this article should have been, "Could the online games you play affect your ELECTABILITY". The world of politics is a fun-house mirror and we expect weird stuff like this. Not that it's right; but we have come to expect it. I would have liked to see the author go further, perhaps provide examples where gaming cost someone a regular job (or customer, if self-employed).

This just show how some people can be ignorant and full of prejudices to the top of their hats... Does recreational activities or small talk really guide professional ones? If I play baseball anyone could imagine I would hit others with a club? If I liked sports with firearms, swords or bow and arrows (olimpic sports!) they would be afraid I could be a dangerous or "unfit" character? This is plain nonsense. Pitifull ignorance...

With the big money involved in politics we should see that this was just a knee-jerk reaction. But it's amazing how someone can get chastised over this so easily when other politicians are allowed to be openly racist or support obvious dangerous schemes proposed by lobbies.

There comes a point where one has to take a stand and say, "Enough already!"

Detwiler may be a great technoweenie; but his social awareness and logic level are pure geek ineptitude if he equates role playing an orc in a game with clubbing another parent to death with a hockey stick at a kids game, which is what he's doing with his statement.

Why some idiots consider playing bad guys in roleplaying games to be sociopathic, yet never blink an eye at roughing the opposing team's quarterback, stealing bases, or playing cutthroat poker is one of the greatest instances of cognitive dissonance in the world today.

Pardon my French, but Mainers need to tell their GOP to get their F'ing heads out of their F'ing backsides. People throwing feces are the ones most likely to enjoy wallowing in them; and least qualified for political office.

and I tend to be more GOP leaning.

Honestly the last thing THIS world needs is an honest person running for senate. I would much rather her lie and say she plays it to keep track of criminals, that would make me feel safe. sarcasm. I don't think she said anything that no one else has at least thought.

We have serious problems that need resolution in this country. To make an issue of playing WoW in the face of these issues simply illustrates the basis and intentions of the accusers in actually producing and implementing these needed solutions. For the record, I have been playing WoW for 7 years, and I have a multitude of different characters, both Alliance and Horde. If this fact damages my perceived employability with a company, then I really don't want to be a part of that corporate culture to begin with.

I'm a gamer (Unreal Tournament, Quake) and over 50. That's not the problem.

Running for office and saying this: I can kill stuff without going to jail. There are some days when this is more necessary than others.

Very, very dumb. Makes her sound like a psycho.

I play Carmageddon for the same reason.
Occasionally you just need to run down a few pedestrians.

It's better than humanities previous pastimes, raping and pillaging unarmed villagers.
Now only the politicians are raping and pillaging.

The "Takeaway" means that TR isn't spending enough resources on proof reading.