Overview Edit

Kathy Sierra used to have a technology blog, Creating Passionate Users. In March 2007 she announced that she was cancelling her appearance at O'Reilly ETech. Sierra had been regularly criticised on websites including meankids.org on technical matters. At some point at least one anonymous poster escalated the criticism and expressed their desire for Sierra's death, together with an image of her with a noose. The same poster had made violent sexual suggestions about her. Sierra explained that the threats had terrified her.

The incident sparked a significant amount of discussion around cyberbullying and harassment issues especially around the issue of weblogs not allowing hostile environments to arise in their comment sections.

References Edit

• Statements from Kathy Sierra and Chris Locke
• BBC News article

Sierra's original revelation of the threats is no longer available. Some quotes are available on Making Light. See also, the wayback machine.

Responses Edit

• Andy Carvin declared Friday March 30 2007 to be Stop Cyberbullying Day.
• Teresa Nielsen Hayden on Moderation isn’t rocket science: "What I can do is refuse to respect bloggers and other site administrators who let [harrassment] flourish on their own sites, or who provide cover for the anonymous vandals who post it."
• Kate Harding on On Being a No-Name Blogger Using Her Real Name: "Being viciously, persistently attacked for the crime of Writing While Female is something practically everyone with an opinion on the matter regards as par for the course–regardless of whether they believe that fact is outrageous and deplorable or merely, you know, the way the cookie crumbles."
• Men who hate women on the web (Salon)
• Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas infamously dismissed Sierra and the threats made against her.
  • The ensuing discussion prompted Chris Clarke's post How Not To Be An Asshole: A Guide For Men.