The Ugly Side

Roger just tipped me off to a very disturbing post over at Kathy Sierra's Creating Passionate Users.  I won't go into the details, you'll have to read for yourself—but  in short, Kathy has been receiving death threats combined with perverse imagery.  It's not good.  Not good at all.

This hits me hard because as you know, I'm a pretty big fan of how we're able to participate and connect via social media etc.  I'm not naive though—I'm fully aware that with any kind of advancement comes the potential to misuse and abuse.  But this just makes me sad.  Is this what we have to look forward to if we're fortunate enough to attract a following or cultivate a community?

I hope not.  I hope this is an isolated incident.  This isn't Hollywood people.  Those of us who choose to share our thoughts in this format aren't paid millions of dollars and we don't get bodyguards.  In fact, most of us don't get paid to do it at all.  Death threats and obscene gestures are not part of the deal.

Take a moment to read the post over at CPU.  Then take a moment to show Kathy a little support regardless of how you feel about her blog etc.  I'm sure some kind words will go a long way.  I'm not sure what else to say.  I'm just really deflated after reading about this.   It makes you want to put up walls.

Comments

[TDavid]

Left my support, blogged it, and am trying to get around to all the other bloggers that write about it today and leave a comment showing support for Kathy as well.

This kind of comment terrorists need to be brought to justice and treated like the social lepers they are.

[Gavin Heaton]

DA ... I don't know about putting up walls ... perhaps turning our backs. Clearly there are people out there who we know and who we link to who are supportive of this type of behaviour.

I'd prefer a boycott.

So much for free speech and conversation -- this is certainly one way to try and LIMIT it. And it should be resisted.

[Ron E.]

Hello David and readers,

In trying to express my rage and unrest towards these violent events made to Kathy, I created a small graphic called "Zero Violence Blog". I've posted it in my blog hoping people will download the images and include them in a small post relating to freedom of speech, and expressing the support Kathy must be needing today. If you feel like doing so, please head there or ask me and I will e-mail the logos directly to you.

I hope you are moved enough as to try to express yourselves and do something now, before violence spreads wider into our blogging lives.

Thanks,
Ron E.

http://brandcurve.com/zero-violence-blog/

[Ashley Cecil]

ugh, it's just disgusting, isn't it? Well conversely, the power of the blogosphere is correcting the problem as Kathy's supportive comments are approaching 600! And this type of behavior will be shunned since it's been brought up with such conviction.

Hopefully Kathy feels overwhelmed with support.

[CK]

Beyond awful and really beyond belief. This is so deflating and bless Kathy. I've had several friends that have endured (and brought to trial) their online stalkers and it's a very dark process. Especially when online to us equals freedom of expressing in order to support/boost one another and advance the industry. I am so glad the police are involved and that this community is supporting Kathy. Just awful...it just makes me hate that person (or persons) and that in itself is a weighty feeling. Bless Kathy.

[Cam Beck]

Deplorable cowards. They deserve every bit of scorn they receive.

Didn't an anti-online-bullying act just get passed in Congress?

[Product Development]

Dave,
I couldn't agree more. That is a deflating set of incidents to say the least. I showed Kathy some support as I enjoy her blog, but I wish we could do more. Have any ideas?

Roger

[Lewis Green]

David,

I have spent much of the past two hours researching this. I think there are still lots of unknowns about who did what and their intentions. At first glance, I think Kathy has been hurt but that she may have made some false accusations, as well. I also am not a fan of going public, as Kathy did, when apparently the police are conducting an investigation, and evidence is still being gathered and processed.

Once in print, everything said becomes fact in someone's mind and in our blogosphere the danger of passing along untrue accusations can be as harmful as Kathy's concerns are for her safety.

I guess it's the former journalist in me that is unwilling to take a side or pass judgement on this specific incident other than to say that hurtful language is never to be admired and if it becomes threatening it is to be condemned.

[DA]

Thanks everyone. It's a delicate topic, that's for sure.

Roger, not sure what else we can do except for offer support and be watchful when people cross boundries. We have to be the keepers of our community and try to keep this space a positive experience.

Lewis, you bring up a very good point. I've been doing the same thing and when you view the other side—it's doesn't jive exactly with some of the things Kathy says. More specifically that the moderators did make attempts to keep things somewhat "civil" and the context of the site also adds to dimension the story.

However, even if the threats were not literal—there was hate involved. Lot's of it. Really nasty things were said. People have to be held accountable even if what they say is figurative, "cynical" or critical. A line was crossed that much I'm sure of.

And when people cross lines like this, a price is usually paid somehow. Even if Kathy made more of this than it actually is—she brings to light a very ugly side of the conversation which does NO GOOD to anyone. Not the person being criticised. Nor the critic.

It's never good to take something at face value. Every story does have two sides. But there is risk associated when we don't exercise self-restraint, and to me what's happening in this story proves that.

Guess what I'm saying is that we can disagree without being malicious. Once we open that door, no good will come of it.

[John Dodds]

"Even if Kathy made more of this than it actually is" - is a perfectly fair comment to make from the outside but, having received an email from Kathy last Saturday, I can assure everyone that she was very seriously affected.

That said, Lewis's points are well made, but while I'm not privy to any other information, I suspect there is more to this than has been made public for exactly those reasons.

[nate]

Based on what has been made public, I'm sure many of us are sickened. For that reason, I created a badge (available from my blog) in support of her and her blogging efforts.

I don't know her personally, but I've been reading her blog for years, and I, along with so many others resounding around the world, want to show my support for her.