The blogger behind Creating Passionate Users, Kathy Sierra, has posted about an awful situation. She describes threats aimed at her, threats sexual, violent, murderous, and in some combination of these. These disgusting lunges are multimedia threats, too, in text, image, and apparently video. This has become a large story, which you can read from links at Techmeme or from Technorati (nearly 1700 links as of this posting).
Sierra's post names several people, mostly men, describing them as being involved in attacks, likely to have been behind pseudonyms, supporting or associated with the platforms and groups where they occurred. One of those names writes that his identify was hijacked. Another, Frank Paynter, explains his background and apologies. Chris Locke, a/k/a Rageboy, defends himself in detail. Doc Searls, also name-checked in the post, has posted several times, including this detailed account of his reactions, thoughts, actions, and recommendations. Someone purporting to be one of the anonymous attacks commented several times on Sierra's blog (I can't link directly to it; scroll down to "Mar 26, 2007 8:49:14 PM" for starters).
Since many people have been reflecting already (see above links), I only want to add a few observations, in line with what this blog has tended to focus on: the war we create narratives of fear around technologies, and information history, and information politics. I do join my voice to those expressing disgust and sympathy.
Forgetting the past. We've been down this road before. I'm surprised how few people are referencing Julian Dibbell's classic "rape in cyberspace" essay (from 1993, folks! as old as the web). So many issues have echoes there: anonymity, the power of text compared to physical force, the impact of information architecture, how humans treat each other digitally, the possibilities and risks of collective action, the limits of censorship and free speech. What have we learned?
Feeding the media frenzy. When will this vision of the "dark side of the blogosphere" hit the mainstream media? When will the Chronicle, the New York Times, seize upon this developing story as yet another reason to dun the blogosphere, to fear web 2.0, to sigh that yes, this internet thing certainly is and has been vile? It's already made the BBC, which is usually pretty good about covering the digital world. But there are many other outlets, especially in the US, who have learned the rewards of covering the fearsome internet. What kind of photoshoppery will Time, for instance, publish? Which US Congresscreature will be the first to mention this while justifying another COPA or anti-Web 2.0 bill? Will this story get connected to Second Life once that hype wave turns?
Forgetting the rest of the world. Such a story depends in part on painting the blogosphere as an exception to other media and community rules. As Ronni Bennett and Chris Pirillo point out, death threats happen to many people, both through media and in person. (Will I have to add that this observation does not in any way mitigate the nature of the threats, and the psychological harm they brought about?)
Archival abuse. A great deal of the original matter is unavailable. Meankids is offline, except for some cached posts like this awful one. Uncle Bob's gone, too ("This blog has been archived or suspended for a violation of our Terms of Service."). No luck on the Wayback Machine. This makes finding the truth in an already unclear at times situation even more difficult - for now; how about for history? How much of the primary sources will fade into second-hand reference?
Personal notes. I remember vividly receiving death threats from bullies in junior high, along with injurious beatings (another reason to fear anyone who remembers that time fondly). I remember reading a burn book in sixth grade, although we called it something else I can't remember (thanks to Accordion Guy for the reminder). In 1995 I was in a city getting shelled and rocketed, which is a form of death threat, I suppose. Most of the threats I've received have not been explicitly sexual in nature, typical for a male. I don't know Kathy Sierra, although I've read some of her blog posts. I can't even begin to compare how I'd react to such threats before and after becoming a husband and parent.
I've been talking to folks a LOT about this lately, and I try to emphasize over and over one of your key points: this is not about Internet culture or blogosphere culture. This is about a sicko segment of humanity that exists on and offline. if we make it about the technology or tool we will never address the real issues.
This is Garbage In, Garbage Out taken to its most heinous level.
Posted by: Elisa Camahort | March 29, 2007 at 14:24
That's refreshing to hear, Elisa. Please keep fighting the good fight.
Nice blog, too.
Posted by: Bryan Alexander | March 29, 2007 at 14:35