Death threats against bloggers are NOT "protected speech"
(why I cancelled my ETech presentations)
(why I cancelled my ETech presentations)
As I type this, I am supposed to be in San Diego, delivering a workshop at the ETech conference. But I'm not. I'm at home, with the doors locked, terrified. For the last four weeks, I've been getting death threat comments on this blog. But that's not what pushed me over the edge. What finally did it was some disturbing threats of violence and sex posted on two other blogs... blogs authored and/or owned by a group that includes prominent bloggers. People you've probably heard of. People like respected Cluetrain Manifesto co-author Chris Locke (aka Rageboy).
[UPDATE: Comments have now been closed [3/28/07, 6 PM]
after someone posted personal data mixed with inaccurate information. It is the only comment I have removed from this thread. I wish to thank everyone for their support, but honestly--the high visibility and coverage of this one post has led to more trouble for me. Now, even people who had never heard of me are expressing hatred and creating new problems (posting my social security number and address, horrific lies about me, etc). I do want to clarify that I still do NOT know who made the photos and the posts from the two sites--the noose photo, not shown here, as well as the photo below--or who made the threatening comments on this blog. There is no evidence that the blog comments and the posts are by the same person or persons; and it is open to debate whether the photos (including the one not shown here--of the noose and my head) are threatening, or merely vile. The people I've named here as being participants on one or both of those sites have not denied their involvement with the sites (as owners or participants), but all have denied making either of the posts in question, although it was someone who had author priviliges on the blog, not a random commenter. This whole debate will have to continue elsewhere now. While I'm happy the topic is being discussed so vigorously, the more my name and this post is brought up, the more abuse I get in email or other blogs--and now that my address has been posted... Yes, I should have known that when I posted, and had I known the firestorm that would be created, I probably would have stayed silent. But my words here still stand. This is everything I know--and don't know--about the situation.]
[Note: This post includes disturbing language and a picture beyond anything I'd normally say here, so some of you might not want to continue reading. But I felt it was important to be specific about as much as the police investigation will allow.]
It began just over four weeks ago, when something shifted. It started with death threat blog comments left here (which some of you may have seen before I deleted them) including:
[Note: This post includes disturbing language and a picture beyond anything I'd normally say here, so some of you might not want to continue reading. But I felt it was important to be specific about as much as the police investigation will allow.]
It began just over four weeks ago, when something shifted. It started with death threat blog comments left here (which some of you may have seen before I deleted them) including:
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Comment from:
Name: siftee
Email: siftee@yahoo.com
IP: 62.37.152.243
Comment:
fuck off you boring slut... i hope someone slits your throat and cums down your gob
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more about it here...
http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2007/03/as_i_type_this_.html
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