I get the impression that communication via online gaming would be like anywhere else in life where you get both good and shitty people.  It is. Harassment happens but nowhere near the level people are having their hand-waving freakouteries over. As a female gamer who's played a bunch of multiplayer games, I can honestly say I've never been harassed for my gender and that the culture is in fact quite inclusive. If anything, the opposite is true, where I've been given gifts for being female.