Violence in the Internet

This could be no big news - when you start to get noticed real big in a real big community, it's easy to predict that you'll be loved by some, hated by some others. In online communities it can be nastier - I don't believe that people online are different, but lots of them act different. People usualy blame on anonymity, I don't. I even like anonymity. No, the issue is that people usually have their thoughts repressed, and in the Internet they feel unusualy free to act as they are. I've taken my share of threats in the past, and yet this could be no big news.

But this? It's disgusting, it makes me sick. Congratulations, you've affected a nice persons life just for the joke of it. Now stop. Reactions started taking place everywhere, the most mediatic probably being Scoble's. But I'm not here to say that people should massively react (as they already are), nor that I think right or wrong on Scoble's reaction. Or nothing else. Actions like the oces made against Kathy are just sick - we all agree on that, all but some sick bastards that should be interned in some secure psychiatric facility. But I don't think that this is a problem os "blogging", nor "privacy", nor "anonymity" nor "IT world" or anything of those things I read about on the reactions. No, this is a social problem reflected in the global scope of the so-called "civilized world".

The problem did not appear with the internet. The problem is in our own society. The issue here is that Internet is this thing that lets you be more like yourself. For good and evil.

Comments like those of Eric Rice make me be more sure of what I just said. It's not the stupid law that lets you have a gun that will solve humans' violence. And "concealed weapons permit" is not self defense.

To Kathie: I really hope you get better and stop being so stressed about it. And I encourage you to keep working with the police in order to stop those asholes. You talk about "creating passionate users" and in the process you created a blog with passionate readers. We like you and your presence on the web - if you decide to stop blogging you'll surely be missed, but understanded. All the best.