LooseSuits Thread: What do you do with death threats?

What do you do with death threats?

Impz — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 16:44:21

I have never read her blog but I have seen my share of cyberbullying, which comes quite a bit disturbing and often appears when a blog gets popular.

It's pretty juvenile action and I think to say that she over-reacted is probably a little crazy. Put yourself in her shoes and you probably be peeing in your pants. The worst thing is that you never do know.

By the time you do, it's too late.

What do you do with death threats?

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 15:12:57

The people who send these threats should just bugger off and stay within the confinds of their own lives. Death threats should ALWAYS be dealt with seriously and taken up with the police, because at the end of the day they can easily run electronic tracking and residential location checks for these guys. It's your duty to do it, because if they're not wanting to harm you, it'll be somebody else. So it's up to you as an honourable citizen to stop it before it hurts someone. Most death threats are just wimps venting anger anyway, most are never serious. But some are and as I said, should be dealt with seriously. If one of them can hack and get people addresses and stuff, you're trully buggered. So stop it in its tracks. The wimp one's are probably like goth's who worship death, but yet if you put a gun in their mouth they'd be crying they're sorry and didn't want to die (but then you'd obviously get one or two that would actually be crazy and want it).

Sorry if any of those views are sinister, and I've never had a death threat, but I know what I'd do anyway. Comes from having three members of my family in police forces in my country.

What do you do with death threats?

estarla — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 23:14:54

To combine bloglily's and hthth's comment, it's precisely why especially as a woman, I don't use my full real name in my blog. As bloggers, we inherently put ourselves out there for scrutiny. If not our personal lives, then our knowledge, skills, tips, etc...

It's cowards hiding behind pseudo-anonymity that have preyed upon that and have used that and her gender against Kathy Sierra.

I was also hesitant to wonder why she reacted the way she did and resulted to locking herself in her house. But as bloglily said--who is to say unless we've undergone the same sort of threats ourselves. Who is to say that they are just threats that online cowards won't act upon? Wouldn't they be the same people who, if Kathy had continued a normal, visible life, will say "told you so" if something in fact DID happen to her? By her protecting herself from this "if," yes--the people who have have stooped so low to make these threats--win. They've succeeded in making her life miserable.

There needs to be enforcement in the online community. I hope law enforcement catches up fast.

What do you do with death threats?

Michael — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 23:04:48

I really like Kathy's blog. She seems like a really cool gal.

What do you do with death threats?

frotzed — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 22:33:39

I just read abou this today as well and it made me literally sick to my stomach. To answer one question posted above: No, this is not _that_ common. It does happen, as we have seen, but it's by no means a common occurrence.

Bloglily said:

"But I'd say her response is certainly within the range of normal human reaction to the sort of threats she received."

I totally agree. It's difficult, if not impossible, to define what is an acceptable reaction to this type of thing. Those threats were gratuitously evil. I'm not sure I wouldn't have the same reaction if I were in her shoes.

What do you do with death threats?

bloglily — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 22:17:01

Rick, That's a great question (why has she reacted that way?) and the answer is a sort of "you have to a walk a mile in that person's shoes before you can begin to understand them" kind of thing.

We don't all experience things the same way. But I'd say her response is certainly within the range of normal human reaction to the sort of threats she received.

What do you do with death threats?

rick — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 21:23:42

I'm amazed at this in two ways.
First, why someone would even threat anyone for being a female blogger.
Second, why she is in fact SO afraid.

Report the dumbass' to the authorities and keep on going. Life goes on and there's no use staying locked indoors.

I can understand how scary it may be, because I've also been threated physically and psychologically before... but if you let the fear consume you, your going DOWN hill quick!

What do you do with death threats?

RightOn — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 21:09:32

I've received a death threat before and (due to the situation) informed the offender of the legal ramifications facing him and his friends for even "speaking" of such a thing and POOF they were gone.

As far as her situation, it's truely sick and sad that a person would think something like that is even REMOTELY acceptable and I would hope she has grabbed any and all proof she can and has submitted it to the police and possibly even the feds for good measure.

SICK

What do you do with death threats?

bloglily — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 21:00:02

hthth -- You're absolutely right -- there aren't enough women in the field. This is a problem in many fields that are either male or female dominated -- a chicken & egg sort of thing: if a man or woman perceives a workplace to be an unhappy one for them, they aren't going to enter the field. And if they don't enter it, it's probably not going to become more man or woman-friendly.

Baby steps in dealing with this? Certainly, people who work in the tech industry should be doing everything they can to make sure they set a good example about how to be women-friendly. This is also true in female-dominated fields. But I do think when someone loves his or her work, they're going to push on, regardless of the obstacles they face. It's just a shame there are such obstacles.

What do you do with death threats?

hthth — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 08:21:34

Truly appalling.

This makes me think twice about continuing to associate my real name with my blog. Even though I maintain civility when writing criticism or arguing a cause.

@bloglily
Without trying to downtone your argument, which I generally agree with and think is a cause for concern. I'm not entirely sure the WordPress crew is to blame. I believe there is a lower percentage of women studying computer science, which could account for the male/female staff ratio.

What do you do with death threats?

bloglily — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 07:54:17

I just finished reading her post, and some of the links. Good heavens, Jerry, what a sewer it is.

Is it really the case that there's so much sexism in the tech world? That's what struck me the most, the suggestion that women -- maybe because they're so underrepresented in that profession -- are routinely subjected to the most blatantly sexist attacks when they appear online, or in the gaming world, or at tech conferences.

I'd never really thought much about the male/female ratios in the tech world until a month ago, when the WordPress crew posted a picture of themselves on a working vacation. A row of seven white guys. I know they have a woman on their staff, but she was home, having recently had a baby. It seemed shameful, at the time, that an organization that has so many women users would have no women on their staff, and that all the faces were the kind that turn pink in the sun. And these are NICE guys, but maybe not so thoughtful in their hiring.

One thing I love about 9rules is that we are indeed a truly diverse community, beginning with Scrivs, Tyme and Mike.

Anyway, not only is this Kathy Sierra stuff sickening, but you wonder -- where are these boys and men getting the idea that it's okay to be sexist, and worse? (The mother in me wants to say, DIDN"T YOUR MOTHER TELL YOU THAT KIND OF THING IS NOT OKAY????!!!)

What do you do with death threats?

Michael — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 07:26:43

Well that's just messed up. Why would...?

What do you do with death threats?

RoseDesRochers — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 07:16:51

Not only is this pathetic, but it is down right disturbing. She should not be made to fear for her life by these internet users. I hope that the police are involved.

What do you do with death threats?

chacon — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 04:11:28

I am shocked at what I just learned over at Kathy Sierra's site.

I had no idea. Am I just wildly naive?

Does this happen often? How do you help someone like Kathy (other than add to the avalance of support on her blog)? What would you do if it happened to you?

[EDIT: Interesting freudian typo on my part in the name of Kathy's blog in the tags. BTW, why can't you edit the tags?]