In that despondent mood, I attended DiGRA 2005 at Vancouver, presenting a factor-analytic study of player motivations. Lisa Galarneau moderated the panel and we got together to socialize afterwards. I had previously chatted extensively with Lisa on the phone about online gaming research and as we caught up, I mentioned the content of the AP article. Lisa's words of genuine support that chilly, rainy afternoon in Vancouver were what gave me the strength to carry on. Lisa, I want to you know how grateful I am to you for that. You made it possible for me to rededicate myself to the research I was passionate about by making me realize that I could not possibly allow one cold, cruel person to destroy my dream, that I was far stronger than that.

And I'm glad I have finally been given the courage to say the following. It takes a very small person with a cold, cold heart to feel that they can publicly criticize another researcher's work with such calculating callousness, especially when the remarks are from a university professor and are directed at an undergraduate student's personal project, an undergraduate student who had no means academically or psychologically of defending himself against those remarks. I may never figure out which of the 6 listed authors wrote those lines, but I have my suspicions. I hope someone will come forward to expose the author, and I hope the author lives with this shame publicly for the rest of their life. If together we can stop this cold, cruel person from callously trying to destroy the dreams of just one other defenseless student, then we will have done our part in preserving academic integrity and the goals of the education system - to help students find and follow their dreams and to help each of them become the person they were meant to be.

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