Trackbacks & Pings

1. Afterthoughts « Just Across the Genesee on 05 Dec 2008 at 12:16 am

   [...] practically the end of week one. I was just reading a post and some comments on another blog which I frequent. Sounds like a scary situation. It just made me think a bit about how much of my [...]

Comments

1. Jess wrote:

   That’s just messed up on so many levels.

   Good thing you called the cops.

   I never could figure out what drives that kind of stuff.

   I mean, threats over writing about software? Jesus tap-dancing Christ.

   Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 1:33 pm ¶

2. Rachel wrote:

   Holy. Shit.
   I hope everything gets wrapped up quickly for Paula – that is fricking SCARY.

   Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 1:52 pm ¶

3. JamieLauren wrote:

   Are you serious? That’s beyond insane! I can’t understand how people (even crazy folk) don’t see how making threats against people and their families could be…oh…ILLEGAL?!? And not to mention just plain wrong and absurd and the list goes on!

   I have held back, in the past, from posting certain topics on my blog but thankfully I only have about 3 readers so threats are kept at a minimum.

   Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 2:08 pm ¶

4. atlasien wrote:

   I have a strong suspicion as to what general quarter this may have come from, and have passed that suspicion on.

   Stuff like this is the major reason I blog anonymously. I have a lot of respect for people that use their real names, but I could never do it myself. If there is one piece of advice I would give to new bloggers, it would be to blog anonymously. I have seen so many people close their blogs because they started off with too much identifying information, then found that they can’t speak their mind without facing anonymous harassment. You can always move from anonymity to revealing yourself, but you can’t make that move in reverse.

   The second piece of advice would be to install statistics widgets/programs so that at least you know where your attackers are coming from. Sometimes you can even discover their real names and out them to their jobs or schools.

   Most of these harassers are just garden-variety idiots who know a few Google search tricks… but a few of them are really dangerous. There’s a particularly nasty nexus of racism, misogyny, hacking and trolling discussed in this article.

   Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 2:09 pm ¶

5. Lindsay wrote:

   I’ve had to deal with stalker-ish situations before, and have had my full name and address posted to newsgroups.* It’s horrible, and i’m not sure i can describe the feeling in a way that adequately portrays how deep a wound it is, how invasive a fear it can become.

   It’s frightening how easily some people seem to be able to forget that the words on the screen aren’t computer-generated. Each post was written by someone. That someone is someone’s child, someone’s friend, someone’s relative, maybe someone’s spouse, someone’s lover, someone’s parent. The dehumanization that is part and parcel of the internet’s built-in anonymity is can be terrifying.

   * – it was my maiden name, and an address i haven’t lived in for almost 5 years now. And i hate that i feel like i have to clarify that so no one goes looking for it.

   Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 2:14 pm ¶

6. Iggles wrote:

   That is sickening and frightening. I read blogs pretty regularly and I never gave thought to the dark side of it.

   The fact that someone would threatening someone real life and family is beyond sick. However, the protect anonymity of the internet gives plenty of people free reign to say or behavior however they want.

   Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 2:25 pm ¶

7. Marge Twain wrote:

   I read about Kathy Sierra in Bitch magazine and somehow I didn’t fully process that she was a technology writer, not something else that one might expect would provoke hatred from men, perhaps since the other bloggers in the article had written about feminism.

   The internet is even less of a safe space for marginalized groups than the meat world. As often as I’ve thought of starting my own blog, I’ve thought about the sexual threats I’ve received on line. Even though I use a couple of aliases and am conscious about not sharing identifying information, I have some trepidation. How thick does one’s skin have to be?

   You and your loved ones are in my thoughts, Paula. I hope justice is done and that you remain safe.

   Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 2:30 pm ¶

8. Natalie wrote:

   This is ridiculous… WOW

   I’m not surprised by anything anymore… after the myspace incident with the mother taunting the kid who later ended up committing suicide… I tell ya the internet is a scary place.
   I hope that this person is caught… I wish you and your family peace Paula… this is so unreal.

   Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 2:41 pm ¶

9. livininphilly wrote:

   wow Paula, I hope that you find out who is doing that. What a sick fuck!

   Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 3:11 pm ¶

10. Ken wrote:

    I’m glad Paula came forward to talk about this, though I am sure it is difficult for her.

    And I hope that the perpetrator can be found and outed.

    Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 3:21 pm ¶

11. red wrote:

    Bloody hell, what a nightmare! My best wishes to Paula.

    Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 3:30 pm ¶

12. Eva wrote:

    When I started on the Internet, it was 1993-94 and there weren’t that many people at all on it. However, once someone found out that you were a woman, you’d get propositioned, just because there were so few women online.

    Today it’s easier to get online than it used to be. It really is scary that there are crazies out there who have nothing better to do than to harass and threaten people.

    The myspace incident made me sick because that mother was in her forties, she should have known better but she didn’t, it’s all very sad.

    Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 3:39 pm ¶

13. Jess wrote:

    By the way, I have a sort of question here — and given Latoya’s experience, and Kathy Sierra’s, and yours, altasien, maybe you can answer it.

    I am a journalist. Anyone with half a brain could track me down if they wanted. No big deal, I stand by 90% of the stuff I write. (Though since I have been at this a while I have to say I am a bit embarrassed by some of it now in a way I wasn’t years ago, but that’s normal — I ain’t the same man I was at 20).

    But what I don’t get is that when I wrote for publication, it’s easier to find me, and the only time I was ever threatened was when I was writing something about a mobbed-up union boss. Basically, the guy i was interviewing told me that if I kept it up I’d end up hurt. (”He’s afraid of you y’know, and some people don’t react well to that, you hear me? Someone could get hurt.” was the gist of it). I thought it was just bluster at the time, which probably shows how dumb I was. Ah, youth.

    But when I was at the various newspapers I was at, nobody called to make death threats. Nobody called me up at home — my number was listed — to tell me off (they would call the paper to do that).

    I mean, is it that the phone is less anonymous? (Even though from a pay phone you could say anything, provided you brought enough quarters). What is it about the online medium that makes people more likely to be whackos? Why is it that the Internet seems to bring out the nuts from the woodwork, and inspire people to make the effort they wouldn’t do otherwise?

    THink about altasien’s experience — I don’t know if you ever wrote for a print publication with your name out there, but you woudl get fewer nuts if people saw your real name in the Village Voice, I think, even though they have an online section with comments.

    I should add, the I saw same phenomenon with female colleagues — that is, none of them got anything like the crazies that come out online, even though they were easy to find (I mean, some had their picture next to the column). Some even had listed numbers.

    So does anyone have any data on this? Some study that shows you are X percent more likely to wear a tinfoil hat if you read blogs or something?

    Is it the effort factor? I’m old enough to remember a pre-Internet world, and in those days you had to actually pick up a phone book. Call directory assistance. Stuff like that. Is that it?

    Any ideas?

    Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 3:39 pm ¶

14. Anonymous wrote:

    I think that person is referencing Paula Goodspeed with the “to Paula / from Paula” and “Love ya” stuff.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_Goodspeed

    Hopefully it’s just a “friend” trying to be funny but misjudging how creepy they’d sound.

    Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 3:56 pm ¶

15. atlasien wrote:

    It’s fairly easy to explain. Journalists, even of the gonzo or muckraking variety, write in an impersonal voice. They’re taught to subsume their personality. They don’t illustrate their points with anecdotes from their own life.

    Bloggers put a lot more of their personality on the line, and their audience is quite different.

    The primary motivation of the troll is to “take someone down a peg”. They don’t do it because they revel in being evil. They really think they’re doing the internet a service. Read that article I linked to above, and also this one (5 Ways to Stop Trolls from Killing the Internet) for good pointers on their psychology. Trolls/Stalkers see themselves as crusaders against pretentiousness and hypocrisy.

    People of color who act “uppity” really make trolls mad because according to their world view, racism isn’t a problem, therefore anyone who complains about it is hypocritical. Similarly, feminists or anyone who complains about poor treatment as a woman gets special attention from misogynist trolls because they’re supposedly playing their victimhood for gain.

    Also, a lot of this stuff goes back to childhood bullying behavior. Internet anonymity can revert adults to the most vicious extremes of childhood behavior. Bloggers, or people on message boards or in chat rooms, are on the same level as the troll… they’re closer, and also more vulnerable. Speech is more direct. Journalists are perceived to be on a higher plane, plus they’re associated with companies and organizations. Bullies always attack the safest targets.

    If you represent the internet as a physical location, a blogger is someone walking past an alley after dark. A journalist is someone driving by that alley in an SUV.

    Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 4:06 pm ¶

16. Liz L wrote:

    I work in a customer service position that involves contacting people through both email and the phone. The emails I get are often extremely abusive and written with the intent of provoking some sort of response. I have sometimes felt that this is aggravated by the fact that my feminine first name appears on emails to customers. Yet when I call these people, 90% end up being more than gracious and polite over the phone.

    I’m at a loss except to say that people’s most cruel(and most honest?) persona comes to the fore over online communication. This persona wreaks havoc until something (like a phone call) brings home the fact that real human beings are sitting somewhere bearing the brunt of what goes down online.

    Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 4:15 pm ¶

17. jen* wrote:

    That is awful. This is why I stay relatively anonymous, too. I’m sure someone could find out stuff if they went to a whole lot of trouble, but otherwise…naw.

    A friend of mine has some really offensive ways, and tends to tick people off a lot, and was basically bullied off LJ, twice. With death threats and such. Because she’s a staunch conservative who speaks her mind. We get in arguments occasionally, but however much I disagree with anyone, I still believe in their right to say what they think. It amazes me how easy it is for people to be mean (mean, creepy, offensive, scary) online, just cuz they can sign the name Mickey Mouse, instead of their own.

    I do think it’s because it’s just so easy. But I wonder at why/how there are so many people willing to be that way as long as they have some feeling of anonymity.

    Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 4:22 pm ¶

18. Phrone wrote:

    Holy. Shit.

    That is the creepiest message I have ever seen in my life…I hope they find that person. Best wishes for Paula.

    I think there is an element in trolling of “wanting to take people down a peg” — which basically means that racist, homophobic, misogynistic, and otherwise highly intolerant trolls will go after people who are criticizing society. It works to create an environment in which people are afraid to speak up.

    Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 4:42 pm ¶

19. KT Lee wrote:

    I’m glad you spoke up about this topic. This is the reason why I also blog anonymously or under a pen name. I have a friend who has been cyberbullied for most of this past year. She was forced to shut down her site several times due to the harassment. You can read about my reasons for blogging anonymously here: http://aaccwoman.wordpress.com/2008/11/29/the-dangerous-internet/

    Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 4:45 pm ¶

20. Latoya Peterson wrote:

    @Anonymous –

    The message excerpted is one of multiple messages this person submitted. It is intended as a threat.

    @atlasien – Good links and good analogy.

    To fully answer Jess’ question, I would also add that communication changed so rapidly with the onset of the internet. Before, you could write a scathing letter to the editor if you were angry, but that’s about it. Now, you can try to “force” someone to engage with you by becoming more and more extreme with what you do. Also, on the internet, there’s a lot of direct action – reaction that goes on. Someone gets bullied, they shut down their blog. Or you complain enough about an article, and someone prints a retraction.

    Also, bloggers are invested in their community. We genuinely want to interact with the people who comment and talk to us. When I write for publication, I don’t give a fuck what people say as long as they cut my check on time. But, like atlasien said, blogging is more personal than that. It’s a space you create and want to protect.

    And, like that NYT article said, that’s where trolls thrive. It’s like that dude Weev said – trolls try to play on insecurity to get you to alter your actions. That’s why a lot of times, the most effective method is just not to deal with them at all.

    But, when it gets personal, like this, you have to get other people/authorities involved. The problem is, you never quite know who exactly you’re talking to on the net. Or what they are willing to do/not do.

    Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 4:55 pm ¶

21. Davina wrote:

    I am so saddened and angry that someone could send such a horrible and personal threat. That probably a hateful minority of one or a few can be so malicious. Malevolent. I related a lot to Paula’s post, so much so that yes, I considered blogging about it (because to reply in a comment would have been to hog the thread). I wish her the very best from the UK and hope they find that person quickly and take appropriate action. And I hope all these messages of support, especially from the people who have de-lurked, help her through this.

    Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 5:44 pm ¶

22. Minx wrote:

    always write anonymously, is it that hard ya’ll?

    Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 5:48 pm ¶

23. Latoya Peterson wrote:

    @Minx – Paula does write more or less anonymously. That’s why there is a significant threat in being “outed.”

    And some of us – for professional reasons – choose not to write anonymously. I don’t see why there would be an issue publishing my name in online that would be worse than publishing it in real life, especially if I am writing about similar things.

    Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 5:52 pm ¶

24. baiskeli wrote:

    @Marge Twain

    Some background

    regarding Kathy Sierra, she is a technnology writer and creator and co-author of a series of tech books called “Head First” series and also a slew of other tech books (i.e the SCJP Certified Programmer for Java study guide). I found out about her after buying Head First Java and Head First Design Patterns and realized that unlike a lot of tech books, they didn’t suck. In fact, they were pretty phenomenal. She’s also the co-creator of the javaranch.com web site. In short, she knows her stuff and is a fun and engaging author and I’m really pissed that she had to shut her blog down.

    As a software engineer, I have to say that what happened to Kathy Sierra was an extreme version of what happens to women in technology (and to minorities to a lesser extent). High tech can be very women and minority unfriendly. When the whole Kathy Sierra thing happened there were a number of prominent white male tech writers/bloggers who essentially said that she was playing it up and ‘being a wimpy girl’ (I kid you not). I don’t mean to rehash the whole incident but what happened to her was pretty nasty and had extremely strong sexist imagery (like photo shopping a vagina over her mouth in a photo of her and then pasting it online etc).

    Anyway, this kind of stuff really steams me. There is absolutely no reason for someone to make personal threats or bully others. I hope the knucklehead in this case gets prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

    Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 6:11 pm ¶

25. Jess wrote:

    altasien — yes, that as helpful — the easy target thing makes sense to me. And the links made a lot of sense too.

    @Latoya. Hmm. Maybe I am weird, but I love interacting with readers, provided it isn’t crazy. Journalism doesn’t offer too many ways to do that tho. But you are right I care more about the check in the mail.

    The idea that it’s easier to force someone to interact on the Internet — well, if you call me on the phone I have to say “hello” at least before I hang up. That doesn’t strike me as quite the answer, tho what you say makes sense.

    I feel like there is something we are all not seeing. Even in the NYT article. It just doesn’t feel complete, and that’s the only way I can explain it.

    Because when you think about it, you are less intimate on a blog. While Latoya and altasien (and I) talk a little more about personal stuff in spaces like this, none of us really knows that any of it is true at all. I mean, I know Latoya ain’t lying to us, but I can’t know that the way I can when I see a byline in a magazine and can call them up, you know?

    Or is it that very lack of intimacy that makes this possible? People want to be liked, generally but on a computer there are no people in the room…

    Maybe it’s just me being old and stuff , and remembering the world pre-blogs/internet. That is, I was an adult before the Internet even got into the popular lexicon, and my formative years as a reporter were pre-internet. Even in the late 90s (like 1997 or so) using the Internet the way we do now wasn’t possible — I couldn’t just plug in a name and get anything useful a lot of the time.

    To me, it’s sort of a weirdly fascinating subject (in the same way I suppose murderers are) because it’s behavior I just can’t fathom. i don’t get a special thrill out of making someone feel bad, you know? And it’s on the Internet, f’r chrissake. All I have to do is turn my computer off, or not visit a site. The fact that someone would take the time and effort to do to a blogger when it’s easier to do it to someone writing the “Lives” column in the NYT Magazine strikes me as really odd.

    I wonder if the trolls are preferentially people who haven’t got lives? I know that is stereotypical. But that is the only way I can see anyone spending the time it takes. I have other stuff to do all day, y’know?

    But like I said, your answers were useful and interesting. And the whole incident makes me mad and sad at the same time. And sorry for the long winded comment, I am sort of thinking ‘out loud.’

    Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 6:26 pm ¶

26. Rosa wrote:

    One thing about being a print writer (or working online for a “regular” company with staff) is that abusive calls/emails aimed at you may have gone to someone farther down the org chart, and you never heard about it.

    I worked in the advertising phone room at a newspaper for a number of years, and we got a fair amount of abuse aimed at editors/reporters. It’s just that we were open early and late and on weekends, and they were not. I once spent quite a bit of time with an angry reader who did NOT believe that the publisher was not in the office on Christmas day.

    Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 6:33 pm ¶

27. Cycads wrote:

    I’ve just been virtually harassed just yesterday

    No death threats yet, but just a series of seriously upsetting e-mails from a secretary (whom I have never met) of a ‘progressive’ Islamic group in Oxford, UK. Though there were threats of sabotaging my PhD application – which got me a little shaken.

    I’m glad that people here see it as deeply serious problem.

    Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 7:15 pm ¶

28. S's mom wrote:

    Wow, that message is creepy! I hope this gets resolved for Paula and that her family stays safe.

    On another note, I’m always surprised by how much information people reveal on very popular message boards. I’ve chosen to remain anonymous, and sometimes felt like a real loser for doing so, but now I am glad to have done so!

    Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 7:25 pm ¶

29. Lleeo wrote:

    Jeez, this reminds me of the whole Deborah Anne MacGillivray fiasco that went down a few months ago at DearAuthor.com. Basically author Deborah Anne MacGillivray discovered a 3-star review of one of her books on Amazon and asked all of her friends to click on the “unhelpful review” button so the review would get deleted. When the reader complained to Amazon that her review was unfairly deleted MacGillivray got one of her friends to look up the reader’s personal information so she could use it to threaten and intimidate her with it.

    The fact that there’s probably a racist undertone to the cyber threats against Paula makes this even more disgusting. Good luck, Paula! I thought your post was wonderfully eye-opening and informative.

    I really liked that author Nora Roberts, who frequents DearAuthor, really spoke out against this kind of cyberbullying even when some commenters criticized her for speaking out against a fellow author. Cyberbullying is an important issue and the only way to stop it is to speak out against it and to take action right away when it starts to escalate. On the other hand, I really really disappointed that author Tess Gerritsen didn’t seem to take the personal threats seriously at all.

    Good luck, Paula! My thoughts are with you today.

    Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 7:38 pm ¶

30. Eric Daniels wrote:

    So very sorry, I had that happen to on a blog of mine and You Tube and sent the info and his ISP after that I had no problems. I hope you ladies and gents keep yourself safe online and use every safeguard you can to protect yourself.

    Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 7:52 pm ¶

31. Suzanne Reisman wrote:

    Blogging anonymously does not guarantee that one stays anonymous. Even with no names or fake names, a very dedicated person with a medium level of technology skills can figure out who a blogger is. My friend’s husband works in technology, and when her friend proudly told him that she protects her identity carefully, he pretended that he knew nothing about her other than what was on her blog. It took him less than 30 minutes to find her name, address, and phone number, which was quite a wake up call for all of us!

    Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 10:02 pm ¶

32. Renee wrote:

    I find this terrifying. I seriously hope that this is just some coward using the anonymity of the internet to bully. No one should have their safety threatened for daring to speak their truth.
    Please be safe.

    Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 10:23 pm ¶

33. Audio wrote:

    This is unrelated, but someone please, please, please needs to do a review of the movie ‘Australia.’ It’s HORRIBLE, race-wise.

    Posted 04 Dec 2008 at 10:57 pm ¶

34. ieishah wrote:

    i haven’t had any really threatening experiences, and *gracias al cielo* for that. but once someone left a really long dissertation-like comment on a post about how i was a racist for saying italian prime minister berlusconi’s crazy obama comment was, well, crazy. this fool went into a whole statistical thing about how if there were no black men in america, crime levels would drop, now black men are statistically the most murderous and racist, given the ‘numbers’ with by which they kill whites. it was insane. a total non sequitur and insane. and kind of menacing. all for linking to an article in the ny times about berlusconi, who all of italy hates.

    the sad thing was that i believe it was someone black. the scary thing? who goes through all that trouble (i mean i don’t know where this person got all those numbers from) . . . who wastes time and energy on people whose views they don’t appreciate? unbelievable.

    Posted 05 Dec 2008 at 1:36 am ¶

35. Kaonashi wrote:

    IMO as the internet makes our world a little smaller and closer, it also makes it more easy for the folks still stuck in H.S. mode (as well as the not-so-stable, predators, and creeps) to reach out and touch someone. The whole nature of being online has created this environment where you are connected with a lot of people while at the same time not being connected at all. So its easier to hurl abuse, break into people’s emails and say things to people online that you would NEVER say to their face because you’re cloaked in this blanket of anonymity. I think most online harrassment is based on people who want instant gratification–they don’t like what you say, so they will harass you until you close your blog/stop posting your art/leave the forum/etc so they can feel some sort of power over “making someone go away.”

    That’s with the regular garden variety assholes online. When it crosses over into stalking and you’re printing people’s full names/addresses/family member in the hopes of some harm will come to them, or sending them deeply disturbed messages like the one Paula received, well, that’s well out of asshole land and smack dab into “batshit” territory. And what’s really horrible is that this isn’t the first time I’ve heard of such a thing happening; I’ve even had a friend completely leave every online community she belonged to and move because a disturbed young man IN ANOTHER COUNTRY was under the impression that she turned people in a particular gaming community against her and proceeded to stalk the hell out of her for 2 horrible years!

    Personally, I think that people give out way too much personal information online and there’s a lot of sick people out there who will take advantage of that. And thanks to free “people finder” sites like Zabasearch (the stalker playland) that are completely legal it makes it even easier to find out personal information on people. Stay safe, everyone.

    Posted 05 Dec 2008 at 1:55 am ¶

36. PureGracefulTree wrote:

    Thank you, Latoya, for bringing this to our attention. My blood ran cold when I read this post. My heart also goes out to Paula and her family for a safe resolution.

    I’m somewhat inconsistent in how much of my identity I reveal of myself online, but I’m definitely more likely to do so when I’m not writing about controversial subjects. To those who say “just post anonymously”, though, I would argue that there is in fact something to be gained by revealing one’s true identity. You make yourself more vulnerable in a way (as this incident so shockingly illustrated), but in doing so I think it gives more weight to your words. I know that I find Racialicious and Anti-Racist Parent attractive in part because the editors and contributors are women who stand boldly behind their words and actions. I am reminded that they are real people with jobs and families, and that helps create sense of community and closeness that I find valuable.

    Posted 05 Dec 2008 at 3:29 am ¶

37. ripley wrote:

    Marge, maybe the example of Kathy Sierra can teach you that women do not have to do anything to “provoke” hatred from men. In fact, hatred is not usually provoked. The men who hate do it all on their own, and they are responsible for their hatred.

    of course, as here, that is also true for other people who express hate. It’s their (the haters’) problem, it’s not something that other people provoke. Nobody provokes threats of violence against their children. Hateful and vicious people make those threats.

    Posted 05 Dec 2008 at 6:08 am ¶

38. Jess wrote:

    PureGracefulTree, I think you hit on something.

    When I (or I bet, Latoya) write for publication with our names, there’s a real person there.

    Blog identities don’t “feel” like real people in the same way. That is, I see “BigDude9″ or even a famous one like Kagro X on DailyKos, and it just doesn’t resonate with me the way a real name does.

    Unless you are an absolute sociopath, you want to be liked. So, it stands to reason that in situations where we obscure a central part of our identity — the name — in an environment where there’s none of the ape-social behavior we are all hard-wired to respond to, well, no wonder the sociopaths can run free.

    In one sense too, I go under my real name a lot of the time because it makes me less vulnerable. If everyone knows my name already, and even where I live, then there’s no “secret” to reveal, you know?

    Now, I realize that for many people (women especially) this is a little more problematic. But I think of it as a judo – like (possible) solution, if an incomplete one. Thoughts?

    Posted 05 Dec 2008 at 6:54 am ¶

39. Fatemeh wrote:

    FUCKED. UP.
    Paula’s in my prayers.

    Posted 05 Dec 2008 at 10:52 am ¶

40. Marge Twain wrote:

    @baiskeli- Thanks for the additional info. This really steams me, too

    Posted 05 Dec 2008 at 2:06 pm ¶

41. Marge Twain wrote:

    @ripley- I don’t remember seeing you around here, so I’m going to chalk up our misunderstanding to you perhaps being a new participant and not being familiar with some of my views.

    For me to say that an action provokes hatred is not to say that the hatred is deserved, or that marginalized groups should silence themselves, or that harassers aren’t solely responsible. Self-identified feminist bloggers get flamed and harassed by trolls like crazy. Do you have the impression that I placed any blame on Paula in my original comment?

    Posted 05 Dec 2008 at 2:17 pm ¶

42. Celeste wrote:

    Sick, sad world. I hope they find out who this person is.

    Posted 05 Dec 2008 at 3:01 pm ¶

43. ceecee wrote:

    Talk about taking things too far. I hope the perpetrator gets caught.

    Agree wholeheartedly with baiskeli about the parallels btw Kathy Sierra and the treatment of women and minorities in technology. It’s really ridiculous.

    Posted 05 Dec 2008 at 6:08 pm ¶

44. Joseph wrote:

    I am so disturbed by this I don’t know what to say. This shit literally made me sick at my stomach.

    Posted 05 Dec 2008 at 6:19 pm ¶

45. Elton wrote:

    I don’t meant to add oil to the fire, but if some coward attacked me from a safe distance–WHEN cowards attack me–I’d politely ask them to say it to my face.

    This is bigger than the Internet. This is the modus operandi of bullies everywhere. This is a big part of how racism perpetuates–through cowardly bullying. Racists–and bullies in general–feel the need to express their insecurities, but are too afraid to leave themselves vulnerable to personal attack–hypocritically enough–to say anything on a man-to-man level.

    Posted 06 Dec 2008 at 3:54 pm ¶

46. Pololly wrote:

    That comment was so far beyond sane, it actually makes me scared.

    Posted 06 Dec 2008 at 8:54 pm ¶

47. Spinster wrote:

    Damn. Do people have nothing better to do than to sit around threatening others over the internet?

    Insane.

    Wishing the victim(s) the best of luck and safety.

    Posted 06 Dec 2008 at 11:39 pm ¶

48. Paula O. wrote:

    I’m sorry I’m so late to this. . .I just wanted to thank everyone for their support and validation in this – it means a great deal to me. And a special thanks to Latoya and Carmen for their help – thank you ladies!!

    Posted 08 Dec 2008 at 11:46 pm ¶

49. Tai wrote:

    I got a very racist message from people that I assume are other police officers. My boyfriend was nearly run down by the police in September without the police telling him to stop or freeze. He was actually running on a patch of grass near the sidewalk and the police officer drove up on the curb and began chasing him.

    The details are on my blog.

    I recently received two emails that called me many racial and sexual epithets and threatened me as well.

    I don’t have any police to call when the police are the issue.

    Posted 09 Dec 2008 at 12:28 am ¶

50. Persia wrote:

    Paula, hang in there and stay safe. How nasty. I have a number of aliases, and use them for different reasons. The one I use for ‘political’ topics such as these I guard most carefully of all.

    Posted 09 Dec 2008 at 1:11 pm ¶