Kitfox games and possible ties to Crash Override Network

[Lunático]

So I noticed a small little passage on the "About Us" section in the Kitfox Games website.

"We respect our employees and players. Kitfox has a zero-tolerance policy for harassment and cyberviolence. Everyone must be treated with respect, whether online or offline, and abusers will not be permitted to harm our employees or players. Victims of cyberviolence can also refer to Crash Override for guidance on safe next steps."

I must ask:are there ant actual ties between Kitfox and CON, or is this just a passing mention?
Now I would hope the latter, because any association between the two groups would mean Kitfox is endorsing some despicable behavior, intentionally or not.

For those of you who are blissfully unaware, CON is (or was, they closed shop last year according to wikipedia) a "support group" that claims to help victims of cyber bullying, doxing and harassment, in reality members of this group appear to have routinely endorsed almost every thing they claimed to oppose, including: harassment, going after the livelihoods of supposed wrongdoers, doxing, dog piling, slander, cyber stalking and worse. Their victims include several people involved with the Great Neverending ♥♥♥♥♥torm of 2014 (you know the one, no one will ever shut up about it), among these there are some notable figures like journalist/youtuber Liana K, Stardock CEO Brad Wardell and the late John Bain AKA Totalbiscuit.

How do we know this? one of the former members would later leak some pretty damning chat conversations, here are the juicy bits:
https://archive.fo/eBVCb
Full leaks for context:
https://pastebin.com/Ne048Egh

At the very least its my opinion that Kitfox should remove any mention of CON from their about page, if you want to help victims you dont send them to the wolves.
I wont fault anybody for an honest mistake, but if this a case of willful ignorance I could not bring myself to support this release.

EDIT: There you have it, make of that what you will.

[Lunático]

Автор сообщения: kiwihotaru

I recommend Crash Override Network and its resources to marginalized people who have been targeted by campaigns of internet hate. I cannot speak to these allegations against its organizers. Our recommendation of their help in times of need (the only one of its kind I have seen) is the sum total of the relationship. Zoe Quinn and I appeared on the same episode of the League of Heels at a PAX, once. There is no other link to disclose.

While Im relieved that this is the extent of your relationship I have to assume Kitfox staff is unwilling to look into this matter. If this is the case then I will not be touching this release with a ten foot pole since your wording implies you will continue to endorse CON going forward.
In all honesty I cant say I expected much, throwing the usual buzzwords and looking the other way is standard procedure in certain circles.

Im extremely disappointed Bay12 has chosen this publisher, but then again I have donated to Toady directly in the past, so I guess I have more incentive now to just bypass whatever cuts Steam and Kitfox are getting entirely.

Автор сообщения: PANTHERK

Well, that's extremely disturbing if true. Do you have anything more than the pastebin, though?

The leaks were confirmed by a former member, a journalist who goes by the name of Ian Miles Cheong, now Cheong is a shady figure in enough itself, but since then some other members admitted their participation in the chats, with varying degrees of whitewashing of course.
https://web.archive.org/web/20161226093540/http://heatst.com/tech/chat-logs-expose-crash-override-network-as-online-bullies/
the website hosting this article seems to redirect to marketwatch for some reason, hence the archive link, but Cheong is still active on twitter if you need to reach him for comment.

oneangrygamer.net has extensive coverage of the leaks, be warned though that this is an extremely biased source (as his recent article about DF might attest), however the confirmation about the veracity of the leaks and past behavior of CON members lends much credence to the allegations.
Since then Cheong has apologized to some of his past targets like TB (good night sweet prince), the rest have faded into obscurity or are still out there being your usual blue checkmarks on twitter.