Today, we are thrilled to announce our involvement with the Fair Play Alliance (FPA), a cross-industry initiative spanning over 30 gaming companies whose mission is to foster fair play in online games, raise awareness of player-behaviour-related issues, and share research and best practices that drive lasting change. As founding members of the Initiative, we are eager to collaborate with a wide range of industry experts to foster and empower healthy online communities.
Check out the official press release below for more information about the coalition.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Representatives of over 30 different gaming companies will meet during the 2018 Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco to discuss best practices in cultivating online gaming experiences free of harassment or abuse.
The Fair Play Alliance (FPA) is a coalition for developers that supports open collaboration, research, and best practices for encouraging healthy gaming communities and fair play. Key objectives include collaboration on initiatives aimed at improving online behavior in games and creating an atmosphere free of abuse and discrimination.
The Fair Play Summit, which takes place on Wednesday, March 21, will feature experts who have been working to understand and address disruptive behaviour in games, speaking on the state of the industry, what developers need to know, and practical methods to create constructive avenues for fair play and collaboration online.
Want to attend? Media and expo pass holders can see the keynote in Room 3020, West Hall from 9:30 to 10:30 am, and all following sessions in Room 306, South Hall from 11 to 6 pm.
Press attendees
Attendance is free to published members of the press – please contact info@fairplayalliance.org for further information.
For more information on the event, the Fair Play Alliance, or for interview requests:
This month, we are thrilled to announce that we’ve released our first official teaching resources!
Online Risk and Digital Citizenship: Learning About Risk With High School League of Legends Clubs is an overview and endorsement of the clubs, focusing on the great strides Riot Games has made teaching students about online etiquette and sportsmanship.Teaching A Team-Oriented Mindset & Resilience is a lesson plan for teachers leading clubs. It includes teaching objectives, a series of student activities, and discussion questions to bring up before, during, and after a match.You can also download both resources on the High School League of Legends site.
We had a great time collaborating with the League of Legends team in Oceania on these resources. Teachers, we hope you find them invaluable in your classes, as you lead students along this journey. Students, we hope you learn about sportsmanship and digital citizenship — and have a lot of fun along the way.
Last year, we had the great privilege to meet and interview Ivan Davies, a Rioter who spearheaded the High School League of Legends Club, a major initiative in Oceania.
At Two Hat, we believe that everyone has the right to share online without fear of harassment or abuse. Every day, we help gaming and social platforms foster healthy and inclusive online spaces. And just like Riot Games, we believe that encouraging the ideals of online etiquette and the Summoner’s Code are just as crucial in those online spaces as they are on the playing field.
Ivan and his team are doing critical work in Oceania. The High School League of Legends Clubsinitiative teaches students, teachers, and parents the core values of digital citizenship, fair play, and the six essential tenets of sportsmanship. All of these topics are dear to our hearts (and core to our mission) at Two Hat. Deciding to partner with the High School LoL Clubs initiative was a no-brainer for us.
And on that note… we are thrilled to announce that, in 2018, we will be collaborating with the High School League of Legends Clubs team to create brand-new resources for teachers, parents, and students, all centered around the concept of online risk. Not only that, we are also partnering with the team to produce several blogs about the initiative, with a special focus on the very human stories that have made the project a success from the very beginning.
The industry is poised for a major change over the next year. We believe that in 2018 the values of digital citizenship, fair play, and sportsmanship will become the standard across all platforms.
We’re proud to work alongside a visionary company like Riot Games to help usher in a new age of sportsmanship and mutual respect in gaming. And what better place to start than with high school students — the digital citizens of the future.
“We are delighted to have partnered with Two Hat who, like us, believe in a world free of online bullying and harassment. By working together, we hope to cultivate friendly gaming communities that foster positive and productive interactions.”
Ivan Davies, Social Play and Community at Riot Games
“Riot Games is leading the way with High School League of Legends Clubs, offering students and teachers an invaluable opportunity to explore and practice online citizenship in a unique way. Dedicated to producing long-lasting results, Riot Games is shaping new online citizens who are learning how to use digital platforms with purpose and awareness.”
Carlos Figueiredo, Director of Community Trust & Safety at Two Hat Security
“I can help, I will help, I did help!” — student leaders at #Digital4Good
Most of the conversations I have about online behavior have negative overtones. Sadly, it’s not just my professional discussions, which naturally tend to focus on the negative. It happens in my non-professional life too.
In fact, most conversations about the internet tend to begin and end with the far-from nuanced sentiment “the internet is the worst and people are awful.” Often, when we get together with colleagues, friends, or family, we immediately start talking about the unfortunate things we’ve experienced or heard about online.
But on September 18th, 2017, the conversation was different.
Last week, students, educators, and the tech industry came together for the very first #Digital4Good Day at Twitter Headquarters to celebrate student leadership, and discuss the challenges facing digital citizens today. Organized by the non-profit #ICANHELP, the event was the first of its kind, but hopefully not the last.
We heard from students who created social media mentoring programs at their schools, founded volunteering organizations that have gone national, created a website for people with dietary restrictions, and much, much more.
For my part, I learned a few surprising and ultimately powerful lessons from those students. I’d like to share them with you.
Lesson 1: Relax: The internet isn’t all bad.
Like I said, it’s easy (and often tempting) to dwell on the negative, but it gets you nowhere. The students at #Digital4Good believe in a better internet, and they know it’s possible. After all, it’s their future that they’re shaping.
Instead of dwelling on the negative uses of social media and other platforms, these students are meeting such behavior with kindness and respect at every turn, often taking the higher road and respecting everyone involved when facing hate.
That’s a lesson we can all use. These students are shining examples of individuals facing the nuanced complexities of our digital age without giving up or giving into despair. Inevitably, we all make mistakes on and offline.
We could all use more patience and understanding when relating to others, and we can certainly pay more attention to the positive things going on around us.
Lesson 2: The kids are alright.
My colleagues and I left #Digital4Good impressed and inspired by teenagers going above and beyond to improve their local communities, both online and off.
Students discussed the challenges of online civics at an impressively composed and wise level. They dove into the most challenging dilemmas social media moderators face today, including:
Freedom of expression in the digital age
Defining hate speech — where is the line crossed?
Political posts and political propaganda on social media
They tackled these complex questions thoughtfully and with surprising wisdom for their ages. They demonstrated the compelling power of minds set to positive motivation.
Like I said, they have already improved their online and offline communities. And they are committed to doing more and bigger things.
Lesson 3: Forget IRL. The internet is officially real life.
“Our lives are blurred across online and offline. Everything is real life. They’re just different formats.”
A panelist said this during the Tech Power Panel, and it rings true for students in 2017.
When I discuss user and player behavior with my colleagues, we make a point of avoiding generalization. Very few people are always “good” or always “bad.” We are all subject to change and many things can affect our behavior online, from day to day.
Sometimes, we even see people not only taking responsibility for their actions — but also taking on the challenge of making online spaces better for everyone. Those users and players know the importance of not being a passive bystander. They know that their actions matter and they understand the importance of voicing their opinions.
I ask you: does that sound similar to what it means to be a citizen? You have your rights and you have your obligations. Being an online citizen is still being a citizen. We are all accountable and responsible for our actions online just as we are off the screen.
Student leaders get this. And they remain committed to positive action despite all the challenges in front of them.
Lesson 4: It’s time to raise the bar.
We will and we must continue to discuss online behavior and how we can all play a part in improving things.
The example of those young leaders will remind me to talk more about the positive examples happening every day online. Nothing is as simple as “good” or “bad” online and offline, so let’s not dwell and get lost on the negatives.
I saw the faces of those Internet users I had previously seen behind an avatar speaking up against cyberbullying or encouraging new users on a platform. Their commitment was contagious.
As an industry, there’s a lot we can do, from the way we design safety into our products to how we facilitate systems where users can learn and change. It’s up to us to place our pieces of the puzzle with the same courage those teenagers demonstrate daily.
For my part, I’m committed to collaborating with industry partners, schools, and society at large to discuss our digital challenges and find actionable ways to increase the health of our online communities. Just recently I presented the Six Essential Pillars of a Healthy Online Community. In October I will be sharing how online communities can prepare for and react to worldwide events and trending topics.
Now, the real question is — what will you do to encourage good digital citizenship?
Feel like you missed out? Don’t worry — #Digital4Good was live-streamed on Periscope, and you can watch the recording.
Check out the Tech Power Panel discussion, featuring industry experts from friends at Supercell, Unity Technologies, and more.
