The blogosphere is getting sucked into a vortex of discussion regarding top blogger Kathy Sierra’s decision to bail on a speaking engagement because of death threats she received on her blog, not to mention vile comments and photos posted about her on a couple of other blogs, which were backed by some well-known bloggers. Kathy has been subjected to shocking, degrading, sexually threatening and generally misogynistic statements and ugly photoshopped pictures of herself.
She’s clearly and justifiably frightened, so much so that she’s cancelled a planned tutorial and will bail on all future speaking engagements.
I have cancelled all speaking engagements.
I am afraid to leave my yard.
I will never feel the same. I will never be the same.
In protest of the vile treatment by what are generally anonymous bloggers, Kathy’s friend Robert Scoble is taking the week off. He thinks the Internet culture attacks women.
It’s this culture of attacking women that has especially got to stop. I really don’t care if you attack me. I take those attacks in stride. But, whenever I post a video of a female technologist there invariably are snide remarks about body parts and other things that simply wouldn’t happen if the interviewee were a man.
Just about everybody in the blogosphere (check out the massive number of blog posts on TechMeme) supports Kathy’s decision and so many people are extending their support. Not that it matters at this point, but I too extend my support. I just wish, however, that the reaction of both Kathy and the blogosphere weren’t so…fearful.
I understand just how truly shocking and scary it must be to see these twisted statements, these awful, sick images. But, that’s exactly what the freaks who posted this stuff want — for Kathy to be afraid, for everybody to be outraged.
They want to create a reaction, they want to have the power to disturb. They want TechMeme to be dominated by their posts and pictures for days. And they have gotten everything they want, it seems. (I even feel a little guilty posting this item because that only gives the bullies, for that’s what they are, even more ego gratification.)
They’ve even been able to muffle Kathy, the object of their derision. Now they’ve been able to muffle Scoble too.
In an ideal world, Kathy would carry on just as before, albeit in a slightly paranoid state. Because the only way to get bullies to back down is to stand up to them, not cower to them.
It’s easy for me to say this given that I’m not the person being targeted. And I know, believe me, that it’s never, ever safe to dismiss threats against women. I spent six years as a volunteer at a shelter for battered women in DC called My Sister’s Place, manning the hotlines and helping women find safety. I’ve heard live on the phone and seen first-hand what can happen when threats aren’t taken seriously.
But I also know that creeps like those who are threatening Kathy won’t stop unless nobody pays attention to them. I really sympathize with Kathy and I understand her fear and I don’t fault her one bit for being afraid to leave her yard. But a big giant “f—- you” to these petty people would probably shut them up faster and make them feel even smaller than they already feel.
Update: Of the ginormous crowd of bloggers weighing in on this issue, only Dave Winer takes up for the bad boys (and surprisingly, at least one bad girl). He basically says they’re louts and to pay them no heed. I agree.
Cynthia Brumfield at 11:43 AM|Comments(0)
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