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Death Threats Against Bloggers?

posted on March 26, 2007

I’m saddened and angered at this horrible post by Kathy Sierra.

I’ve been part of the blogging community for coming up on six years. I’ve seen fights, name calling and overall rude behavior, but I’ve never seen it get to the point where someone has death threats and dangerous and discusting things said and posted directly at them.

There are things you don’t joke about. Assault against women is one of those things at the top of the list.

I’m speechless. I don’t know what else to say, but I had to get this out there.

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Categories: Rambles
  • http://jenpirante.blogspot.com/ Jen Pirante

    Yeah. Stuff like that is definitely makes me question whether or not I really want to blog or create content that is out there for everyone to just pick away at. Especially if the technology world is so discriminating against women with a voice.

  • http://www.christopherspenn.com Christopher S. Penn

    It sounds like the police are involved, which is a good first step. The next step is to litigate the people responsible – and their employers, associates, etc. – into oblivion. Nothing does more to irritate an employer than having authorities show up at a workplace with a warrant to seize and quarantine all equipment potentially related to a crime. Believe me, as a mail and firewall systems administrator, that will shut down productivity for weeks on end.

    The law may or may not be effective in this case on the criminal side, but the civil side of the law is another matter entirely. I’d advise Kathy and anyone else involved to publicly post a request for the best law advice she can get. I would guarantee you after reading that post that you’d have Gerry Spence and a few others lining up pro bono to take on the fight.

  • http://www.christopherspenn.com Christopher S. Penn

    It sounds like the police are involved, which is a good first step. The next step is to litigate the people responsible – and their employers, associates, etc. – into oblivion. Nothing does more to irritate an employer than having authorities show up at a workplace with a warrant to seize and quarantine all equipment potentially related to a crime. Believe me, as a mail and firewall systems administrator, that will shut down productivity for weeks on end.

    The law may or may not be effective in this case on the criminal side, but the civil side of the law is another matter entirely. I’d advise Kathy and anyone else involved to publicly post a request for the best law advice she can get. I would guarantee you after reading that post that you’d have Gerry Spence and a few others lining up pro bono to take on the fight.

  • http://walkunafraid.co.uk Tam

    Dude, that’s just wrong.

    It just really makes me wonder what is wrong with people. Don’t they know the web isn’t as anonymous as we’d all like it to be? (See: Dooce’s firing, stupid kids on MySpace who blog about killing their parents, etc…) It’s not so much a question of if they’ll be caught but WHEN… but sadly “when” can be a very long time from now.

    In the meantime, I’ll sit here very thankful my site gets squat for visitors besides a few friends. (I can only imagine the fun jerks would have with me.)

  • http://www.branddialogue.com Weave

    CC, you might consider the fact that “bitchslap” is a pretty misogynistic comment, and that if I were Kathy, I’d consider that the title of your blog is a perfect example of the continuing suggestion of violence toward women.

    Just something to think about.

    Peace.

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  • http://www.christopherspenn.com Christopher S. Penn

    Food for thought:

    Ze Frank’s Sports Racers found Ray in a little over two weeks.

    I’ll bet it takes less time than that in this case.

  • http://42minus71.org Clarence

    I was readin’ my man Eric Rice’s comments on the whole scenario. It made me pause on how you can exact vengeance or justice in a way that makes the right salient point. Complete destruction of the self-brand of those involved? Time behind bars? To what end does the freedom of speech keep you truly out of harms reach? I don’t know this woman, but, I’m pretty confident she and her family don’t deserve to live in fear.

    Where I come from, these cats makin’ death threats are busters. The internet breeds a confidence that is inconceivable. Eric is right when questioning, what happens when you funk with the wrong person by making a threat, and then they come after your grill? Right or wrong? Justice? Vengeance?

  • Joey

    There was no threat made to Kathy. The entire thing is a misunderstanding or an intentional hoax which stems from my criticism of her books. I am the “Joey” she is referring to and I ask that you read my reply at her site; assuming she doesn’t delete it.

  • http://www.teachingforthefuture.com Dave LaMorte

    Release the Sports Racers!!

  • http://www.tartanstories.com Mark – tartanstories.com

    This guy, who is one of the few people named on Sierra’s post alleging the death threats, seems to feel like she has character assasinated him.

  • http://www.cc-chapman.com C.C.

    I’m going to try not to form opinions on one side or the other because frankly I don’t know all the facts.

    I do think what is happening sucks on a huge level and I hope that it works out and those that took what might have started out as a joke way to far need to realize that they crossed a line.

    As for the term “Reality Bitchslap” being offensive, this is the first time in the 6 years that I’ve had it up as a blog that someone has said that. Totally took me back for a moment and I’m still trying to figure out how I feel about it but thank you for raising it.

  • http://www.matthewebel.com Matthew Ebel

    Death threats in the blogosphere (chat roomosphere, telenetosphere, etc.) are nothing new, I’m sure you’re aware. The political bloggers have dealt with this extensively over the last few election cycles.

    Hit up http://www.dailykos.com sometime and search for “Michelle Malkin” and see just how horrible people can be, even when they’re NOT shielded by anonymity.

    Pax,
    Matthew

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  • http://anantaprema.blogspot.com Debabrata Ghosh

    I’m going to post an article THE COMING OF THE FIFTH ESTATE in my above blog. Your quote is also there in the post.
    I post it on behalf of all the bloggers of the world. Help me in my task. Please take an effort to unite the bloggers. They are the future of this planet.
    Please keep in touch with me in this respect.

    Good luck.

    Debabrata Ghoah
    5pm/Indian Standard Time/11th April, 2008