Please Be Patient I Have Weaponised Autism - Meme T-Shirt

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While the use of extant texts that have been scraped from online discourse can be seen as “non-invasive”, there remain important ethical considerations for this study. Eynon, Fry and Schroeder (Eynon et al., 2017) propose three concepts at the core of research ethics: confidentiality, anonymity, and informed consent. Maintaining confidentiality and anonymity was a straightforward process, as we did not gain access to the “real” identities of Gab users. Additionally, we do not share usernames when reporting on this work. While informed consent is important in human subject research, it is well accepted that certain kinds of research can ethically proceed without informed consent, including observational research in public places and analysis of texts that are “in the public domain” (Willis, 2019). Munn, L. (2019). Alt-right pipeline: Individual journeys to extremism online. First Monday, 24(6), doi:10.5210/fm.v24i6.10108

Hookway N. Entering the blogosphere’: some strategies for using blogs in social research. Qualitative Research. 2008; 8(1):91–113. doi: 10.1177/1468794107085298. [ CrossRef] [ Google Scholar] Greene VS. “Deplorable” satire: Alt-right memes, white genocide tweets, and redpilling normies. Studies in American Humor. 2019; 5(1):31–69. doi: 10.5325/studamerhumor.5.1.0031. [ CrossRef] [ Google Scholar] Within the #Gabfam, the simultaneous valuing and devaluing of weaponized autists are internalized and reflected in the posts of Gab users who identify as weaponized autists. Some of the posts from users who self-identify as weaponized autists reflect a sense of pride, accomplishment, and positive identity. It is a badge of honour. These posts mirror the high regard for weaponized autists that is sometimes conveyed by other Gab users. Other posts from self-identified weaponized autists reflect an internalization of the negative stereotypes attached to this label. Borrell, B. (2020). Radical online communities and their toxic allure for autistic men. Retrieved from https://www.spectrumnews.org/features/deep-dive/radical-online-communities-and-their-toxic-allure-for-autistic-menWEAPONIZED AUTISM!!! :D Now we know the evolutionary purpose for autism: highly focused warriors who relentlessly pursue the enemy. Korobov N. Discourse analysis: Combining rigor with application and intervention. Qualitative Psychology. 2020; 7(3):326. doi: 10.1037/qup0000168. [ CrossRef] [ Google Scholar] Im ugly, and none of those other things. My extremely dense weaponized autism is as bad as radioactive waste for womens’ health. I stay single for their sake. They dont wanna deal with this level of autism Huws JC, Jones RS. Missing voices: Representations of autism in British newspapers, 1999–2008. British Journal of Learning Disabilities. 2011; 39(2):98–104. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-3156.2010.00624.x. [ CrossRef] [ Google Scholar] Our top Kek priests are in development of a new kind of weapon... Called the Reeeening Rifle. Shoots dank memes with semi-auto, and concentrated weaponized autism with fully-auto. *NOTE “Kek” is an insider vernacular term with several meanings, in this case referring to a fictional culture / heritage and religion shared by alt right online community (Tuters, 2018)

It is also the case that the Gab archetype of an autistic person is rooted in some portrayals of autism in medicine. With a growing portion of autism research being informed by a neurodiversity framework, we are developing an improved understanding of the heterogeneity of autistic people, beyond simply thinking of “levels of severity” (Welch et al., 2020). This includes explorations of autistic experience that challenge older, dominant conceptualizations of autism. However, early framing of autism maps well on to the reductionist Gab autism stereotype. Especially fitting is the former diagnostic category of Asperger Syndrome, which was named after Hans Asperger, who reportedly referred to his young patients as “little professors”, comparing their knowledge (relevant to their area of interest) to that of erudite professors, but also describing them as socially unskilled, unaware, and uninterested (Osborne, 2002). Dekker M. Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement. Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan; 2020. From exclusion to acceptance: independent living on the Autistic Spectrum; pp. 41–49. [ Google Scholar] Eynon R, Fry J, Schroeder R. The ethics of online research. The SAGE handbook of online research methods. 2017; 2:19–37. doi: 10.4135/9781473957992.n2. [ CrossRef] [ Google Scholar] May R, Feldman M. Understanding the alt-right. Ideologues,‘Lulz’and hiding in plain sight. In: Fielitz M, editor. Post-Digital Cultures of the Far Right. Bielefeld: Transcript Verlag; 2018. pp. 25–36. [ Google Scholar]The greatest weapon on Earth is the weaponization of the depressed and emotionally vulnerable. Is Weaponized Autism not a piratical suicide delivery device? Can Social Media be used to find and manipulate useful idiots? Sadly yes What is the stated purpose of these Gab posts? What other purposes (larger or alternate or hidden) might motivate them? What do the users of this term gain or avoid? Jasser, G., McSwiney, J., Pertwee, E., & Zannettou, S. (2021). ‘Welcome to# GabFam’: Far-right virtual community on Gab.New Media & Society,14614448211024546 It was hard for me to accept! Asperger's had been on the table for a long time, but I clung to the other possibility of ADD instead. I don't know why I was so much more afraid of autism than of ADD, but I wouldn't be surprised if 4chan's slurs played a part.