03.27.07
Online Society Must Stand Together This Time
As a very minor and unknown member of the community of online personalities, I am grieved to read about the persecution of Kathy Sierra. I had honestly never heard of her before, nor of any of her persecutors. However, it is difficult to go anywhere online without bumping into the story. She is being threatened with both physical and sexual violence.
Threatening Messages and Images
According to her post, this has been going on for about two weeks, beginning with threatening comments on her blog. Looking at some of the blogs that were listed in her message, one person admitted his part and apologized. Another person angrily retorted that he is being blamed for the actions of others. Another one never really said where she stands on the conduct.
Doc Searls, who is acquainted with many of the persecutors, is trying to research things before he responds. I would hope that his response will clarify the fact that such behavior is unacceptable.
Society’s Problems
It is true that these things have been happening forever. It happened in small towns with no electronic communications. It happened in big cities. It happened with every advance in communications technology. This is not an excuse—the behavior can not be accepted or tolerated.
People need to be reminded of the expectations of society. Not just law enforcement, although this incident has apparently gone far enough to be a criminal situation. We need to shun or disfellowship or excommunicate (or whatever your word is) people who act in this way, until they avail themselves of the community’s mental health resources and get better.
Conclusion
That behavior is not acceptable. Whatever the purpose of the sites may have been, tolerating these kinds of threats leads to enabling and encouraging sick people to carry them out. It leads to situations like the school killings. At its best, it is nothing less than bullying. At its worst, it is inciting violence against your opponents.
I believe in freely discussing issues and differences of opinion. But when our conflicts over ideas and practices begin to reach the level of thinking about harming the other person, it is time to stop talking and seek mental help.
