Quickwire: New Low? Video Game Lets Users Mimic School Shooters

March 9, 2011, 5:45 pm

In the new video game School Shooter: North American Tour 2012, players are encouraged to kill unarmed students and teachers using the same weapons used in several actual school shootings, including the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech. The lead developer of School Shooter, which is based on another game called Half-Life 2, tells The Escapist that “we hope there will be a ‘preventive quality’ in the game, which will satisfy those with the idea to commit spree killings in their head enough to keep them from doing so.”

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vinnydee78

This is an outrage! The logic is a twisted aborition of a sick mind. This is a new low akin to porn of video gaming – violent, suggestive, below human decency. Our prisions are filled with millions of sex offenders, staggering numbers that sky rocketed with the proliferation of porn on the internet. Their logic would suggest that having porn readily available would stem the tide of sexual crimes, but instead the opposite has occurred and continues unchecked. This game aught to be banned and its developers put in the same room as all of those who have lost children and loved ones to ‘shooters.’ This demonstrates an Incredible lack of respect and further detachment from life and the love that defines what it is to be human. This is not human, it is sick! Sick! SICK!
berniebannin

Unbelievable!
http://hiresteve.com/ Steve Foerster

There’s no real link between pornography and sex crimes, so perhaps that’s not the example you want to use. Anyway, while I certainly agree that the game sounds pretty offensive, since a right not to be offended is incompatible with a free society, I’d have to say no on banning it.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Gabe-Gossett/100000400870891 Gabe Gossett

Sure this is messed up, but ranting and raving, much less making untrue claims about pornography and sexual assault, is not helpful. It is their constitutionally protected right to make these types of games. Trying to ban them will only give them free advertising.
vinnydee78

No sense in arguing with ignorance. Guess you don’t believe smoking contributes to cancer. Maybe you don’t think we landed on the moon either, that it was some Hollywood VFX show that fooled the world. Pronography has contributed significantly to the commensurate rise in sexual assaults, rapes, incest, etc. To think otherwise is ignorance. The analogy is relevent. Violent games in a school setting will indeed contribute to an increase in school violence. Sick people like sick toys and sick toys enable or give permission to weak people to act.
vinnydee78

Don’t believe me, just google “porn linked to crime” and see what comes up. Here’s one example in perhaps millions like it… http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2010-09-10/story/hundreds-child-porn-videos-linked-jacksonville-man
jackie55

Our children our desensitized enough and this just encourages a person that possibly could be a sociopath to react. Reality TV and video games is really to much,they do not advocate moral values at all. God forbid a child at any age from playing this game,our schools could become targets for more shootings. This game needs to be banned.
sagit

I agree with squirrelgirl. This is most certainly not a case of backbiting or sabotage. The candidate did not ask the writer to be a reference. So the person needing the reference has no reason to expect a positive endorsement. What you are suggesting is that they lie about the candidate for no good reason. Why should she endorse someone she hardly knows when it could potentially cause someone who actually deserves to get the job to not get hired.
daddyprof

“I thought you were more collegial than that.”
Woo! Talk about #@%%$ the size of Saturn. Try this:
“Keep listing me as a reference without my consent, pal, and you’re gonna find out exactly how collegial I am.”
This dude keeps listing you as a ref because he keeps looking for jobs. Hmm, wonder why that is..?
profmomof1

I had a grad student in class once who was often downright rude to me in class, rolling her eyes and implying I didn’t know what I was talking about. I wasn’t on her committee and never knew her well. What I did know from her behavior towards me in class, I didn’t like. Imagine my surprise when she listed me, rather than any of her committee members, as a reference for jobs!
megginson

There is a land mine that can be stepped upon here that sometimes people don’t consider.

Actually, I wrote a reference letter just this morning for a student I hardly knew, but I agreed to do it and he basically knew what would be in it: That I knew him only for a few weeks before he joined my class near the end of the term, that he picked up the material quickly, that he finished strongly enough to deserve an A, and that there would be a lot of boxes I’d have to check that said, “Not enough information to know”.

But I did know that I was to be a reference, and the “reminder” e-mail I always ask from people who request references verifies that.

I would strongly urge that people who receive a message such as the one described in this posting and then discover upon making the call that it is for a reference you had not agreed to give, or who receive a phone call out of the blue without even a warning e-mail or letter, respond just this briefly:

“I didn’t know I was to be a reference for Bill Smith. Please don’t take this in any negative way about his credentials, since this could well have just been an oversight, but I know you will understand why I can’t give out information over the telephone about people who haven’t told me I have permission to do so.”

This is not sabotage, but only self-defense. Assuming that the interview request is legit and not a fishing expedition or misunderstanding*, the interviewer will understand completely. They should also know that there is no verbal assurance they can give over the telephone that can substitute for direct permission from the job candidate. I know that everyone, myself included, would have to make a decision about proceeding this way if the reference were for a good friend or close collaborator, but in the case described above that certainly is not true.

*How can it be a misunderstanding? Try this from a hypothetical in-person interview of a candidate: “If you need more information about my administrative credentials, I can have my colleague John Jones provide it.” If the interviewer doesn’t catch the subtlety and immediately phones Jones without explicit permission, then the annoyed interviewee, who had counted on preparing Jones to make the contact rather than be contacted, could tie some things in a knot for a while.
glomzx

Put yourself on the receiving side–would you want a false or disingenuous reference report? Not likely. So I deliver as I would like to receive–honest, straightforward (no verbal games), and to the point.

As a department chairman I was once given a rather glowing report for a faculty candidate by an alleged reputable colleague, enough to make the hire. Once on board it became quite clear that the candidate failed his tenure application and had some caustic professional relationships, but was being covered by the colleague–out of his hair and into ours. I grew to like the idea of off-the-list inquiries, i.e., call someone who is not on the reference list.

New hires can be expensive in many ways (I’ve heard the figure $1,000,000 over a professional life time, but the less tangible elements can be even more valuable), so honesty to everyone is the best tactic. I tell inquiring students that I can speak well of them and will be glad to be a reference, or that I cannot (usually because of insufficient experience with them) and that someone else may be better to include. Good professional and personal ethics = no anxiety attacks.
squirrelgirl

On the topic of being a reference for a student…a student who graduated 5 years ago asked me to serve as a reference and write a letter for her for a k-12 teaching position. She has been working off and on as a teacher since she graduated and it seems to me that the people she has worked for and with in that time will be able to make stronger statements about her performance as a teacher. In fact I was unable to answer 2/3rds of the questions on one of online requests for information because I simply don’t know how she conducts her self in or out of her own classroom as a teacher.

She has asked me again this year to be a reference for her, but she doesn’t seem to understand when I explain why I am probably not the best reference for her now. I get the impression that she can’t or won’t ask her former co-workers and supervisors.

At what point should a former student no longer rely on their undergrad college professors for references, especially if they have not stayed in contact?
housereb

People may be looking for jobs for an extended period of time for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the downturn in our economy, and is not something anyone can judge as a reflection on that person…at least, not in 2012. The academic job market is changing along with the economy. So yes. if you are someone’s reference, or on their list of references, it may be years before your colleague can find permanent employment. It seems to me that those who commented on how important it is to tell the truth must have the market cornered on something all postmodern theory agrees is impossible to actually know. They’re also all undoubtedly employed, probably tenured, and haven’t had to look for a job in this evolving market where tenure track funding is all but dried up and available positions are often visiting professorships for 1-3 years or worse, lectureships that pay less than the starting salary of a kindergarten teacher and are annually renewable. I find you all judgemental, pretentious and out of touch. I’m listed as a professional reference for many people, including previous students, contributors to volumes I’ve edited, staff, as well as colleagues. Not everyone has asked me, or, what is more common is that I’ve been on their list for so long that even if they asked me previously, it’s not something I necessarily remember. Regardless, it is our moral responsibility to give people a chance at any possible employment; everyone has a right to earn, regardless of whether you like them or not. A colleague’s personality is based on your subjective opinion; it’s not fair to use that in your reference of them. Focus on their professional merits…did their students like them? Were they professional in department meetings? Were they on committees? Did they have appropriate publications? No one is expecting you to know a candidate’s life story; a committee is just looking for general information on their professional performance, not your ego-centric view of the degree to which you believe this person to be obnoxious. Yes, a committee loves to hear gossip and seeks such information even unofficially using social network sites, etc. But that’s simply an attempt to eliminate a candidate from what is very likely a looming pile of applications; committees are often overwhelmed with 150-300 applications for faculty positions. Any excuse to narrow down the pile. I strongly disagree with these tactics; a person’s CV, publications and student evaluations are the best indicators of their professionalism. The confidential search is not new but is being used more frequently. You can’t let that throw you if you’re a reference. The candidate has no control over that. The bottomline: You will not hurt the committee by giving a positive review of a candidate’s professionalism–regardless of your personal feelings. And frankly, the committee should not even be a consideration. Do you know them? Do they need jobs? The answer is no to both questions. However you can at least help someone who is unemployed have a shot at a job. In order to get the job, the candidate still has to jump through quite a few hoops. And there’s a saturation of “talent” in the current job market, now more than ever. It is a petty, egotistical concern to worry being completely truthful as a reference. If you are one of the people who are, you probably shouldn’t be a reference for anyone because if you believe your reference is that important, your ego is the size of Milwaukee and, most likely, are suffering from a number of other related pathologies, not the least of which may be delusions of grandeur. One day, very soon I hope, you, too, will find yourself in a position where you may need a professional reference. And when that day comes, I hope you remember what I’ve said here. People who think themselves above their humanity are doomed to fall the hardest. You don’t deserve it, but you have my pity. The unfortunate people who count on you as references have my compassion.
housereb

The moment you mentioned karma, you opened yourself up to the criticism of your colleagues–a pack of hungry jackals who have, in their ivory-tower hubris, forgotten their humanity. They all lack imagination, but clearly, not jobs, It’s my fervent hope that those who claim to be “honest” yet have hurt any person’s chance at future employment, find themselves wanting in the not so distant future. Let them worry about what their professional references will say about them. Let’s hope these references are equally “honest.”

Do not think yourselves so important that your reputation rests on every word you say about a student or colleague who failed to meet your standards of perfection. Instead, look in the mirror. There may be more flaws than you think.

As far as helping someone you barely know for “no good reason,” how about simply because they need help? That’s not a good enough reason? What would be a better reason?

I’m disgusted by the comments I’ve read here today, with the exception of J. Samson. When did you lose your sense of compassion? Or, did you never develop one at all?
housereb

Thank you for providing our colleagues with a good alternative. It seems many are confused about proper professional etiquette, and, what truly reflects on their reputations.
redkhan

It can be telling to a hiring committee that you were listed as a reference but hardly knew the person. I haven’t been unwittingly or unwillingly placed in that situation, but I have been asked to write references for individuals who believed they did not have to tell me anything about why they needed a reference or for whom they needed it. In that case, I’ve asked for answers to those questions and not having received them, refused to give the reference.

It’s appalling that you weren’t given a choice and that he thought you’d give him a reference the next time on the basis of his expression of disrespect for your “collegiality.” It’s a step up from the narcissism of people who think that if they say “please,” you are obligated to do as they ask and only a small step down from the attitude of “I feel I need xyz, and for that reason, you should give it to me.” You’re under no such obligation.
redkhan

It’s appalling that he thought you would give him a reference after or even on the basis of showing disrespect for your “collegiality.” You can’t shame someone into speaking on your behalf and expect what they say to paint you favorably.
housereb

One good reference should not be enough to make a faculty hire; you must admit to simplifying your scenario in this regard. Your candidate had to have had something more to back their candidacy, like appropriate publications, positive student evaluations, etc. All candidates who interview typically interview with the committee, present material to the department, teach a class, meet with the dean, and meet with the department chair–that’s a lot of opportunity to disspell any artificial reference you may have received. If you want honesty, you may want to start with yourself. Choosing top faculty for any hiring committee is extraordinarily important; if you have some underacheivers on a committee, they may look for a candidate who won’t show them up. That’s not healthy for any department, and as you so aptly point out, can be quite costly as well.
housereb

All good points; thank you for reminding our colleagues so eager for honesty how dishonest it is to make unofficial inquiries. We all work in academia so all know that friends are few and far between the egos. Going off list isn’t a quest for honesty; it’s an excuse to look for reasons to remove a candidate from your shortlist.
hbaruh

In my career as a professor, graduate program director and associate dean, I have come across a large number of students, maybe 20% of all students who asked me, who do not know how to ask for a letter of recommendation. Some never took the time to acquaint themselves to me after having graduated several years ago, some currently enrolled students
did not bother giving me an addressed envelope, and the list goes on. I post the following information at my web site and include it in my presentations to students:

Selection of Letter Writer. Someone Who Has

* Worked with you closely (e.g., teacher in a class that you actively participated, research supervisor)

* Known you long enough to write with authority (not someone who’ll just say “she got a B+ in my course”)

* Relevant expertise, seniority and recognition

* A positive opinion of you

* A warm and supportive personal style

* How do you find such a person? – Work on it

Making Sure Letter is Sent

* Give writers plenty of time (~3 weeks, after which you gently ask)

* Give writers a well-organized packet that includes

      Vita

      Addressed, stamped envelope (for paper recommendations)

      Fill out all information in the forms

      Cover note including your contact info, deadlines, career goals, and what needs to be emphasized in the letter

On the other hand, students (and graduates) in need of letters sometimes know very few people to write letters for them. They end up asking someone who knows them marginally. As people in academia, we should not let them down. One thing we can do in such circumstances is to contact
the student and ask them to provide more information about themselves.
hawksfansarah

Finding full time work, especially in this day and age, is absolutely daunting.

A lot of the class structure makes it difficult if not impossible to get to know a professor on a high enough level for a truly excellent letter of recommendation to be written about us. Most of us have to make to do with professors for classes that we did well in. Sadly, this means that we were likely unmemorable.

If a student asks for a letter of recommendation, be supportive and help them. If you do not know them well enough, get their resume, and set aside some time to speak with them about their qualifications and their goals. This will help you know the student, and write a good letter of recommendation about them.

In this day and age, you might be sitting on top of someone’s reference list for a long time; there might be no professional references a person can get after a period of unemployment. Don’t be judgmental; try to help your students out. Renew your acquaintance, be supportive and helpful. You make more of an impact on a student’s life by helping them find a job than you do in educating them.
oh_richard

Actually, I do know the truth – mine. It doesn’t have to be your truth, his truth, or her truth. It’s my truth, and it deserves respect for being just that. When asked to give a reference, I am asked to share my truth with someone else who wants to use it to predict their truth.
This can lead to some shaky predictions, and there’s nothing wrong with me thinking twice about what I say that I know might be misleading to some who are predicting for very different contexts. Professionalism, ability to work effectively with difficult people (and like most humans that includes me sometimes), and their obvious productivity are all part of my truth. And when I know, or trained under, or have my work reviewed by the professionals reading that letter or asking for that reference, then my name and reputation are associated with what I say and do (as they should be for all people).

My ego may be the size of Milwaukee or just Rhode Island, and I may or may not have delusions, but I think I’m less judgmental than you.