Blogger Receives Death Threats

[nasty.web]

I was shocked - popular blogger Kathy Sierra receives death threats and this might be her last post:

http://headrush.typepad.com/creating...ype_this_.html

[chicgeek]

Moved from the forum lobby.
Please keep a close eye on where you post new threads.

PS. That's HORRIBLE. The poor woman.

EDIT: Unmoved.

[ewomack]

AUGH! Terrifying! Especially the photo... augh... that would change one's lifestyle immediately!!

Awful! Horrific! Intolerable!

Someone has to be able to do something...

[kristeejo]

Although i can't say how I would react in such a situation, but it seems to me by her displaying how afraid she is - that will just give them satisfaction?

[Cricket]

Originally Posted by chicgeek

Moved from the forum lobby.
Please keep a close eye on where you post new threads.

PS. That's HORRIBLE. The poor woman.

Actually I moved the post to the forum lobby because it has absolutely nothing to do with the concept of blogging. It is a news story about someone that also happens to be a blogger.

[chicgeek]

Sure sure.

[pctec]

Thats what happens when you have an opinion...
Thats why I dont have one... (an opinion or blog)

Sad, but true

[James Trotta]

That is crazy. The woman doesn't even seem to be doing anything too crazy or controversial.

[IndigoBlack]

Originally Posted by kristeejo

Although i can't say how I would react in such a situation, but it seems to me by her displaying how afraid she is - that will just give them satisfaction?

Yes. Trolls thrive on attention. It's interesting how the internet brings out the worst people and the worst IN people. That's why I don't post pictures of myself and I'm careful about what information I share regarding my location.

[Nicole]

Originally Posted by kristeejo

Although i can't say how I would react in such a situation, but it seems to me by her displaying how afraid she is - that will just give them satisfaction?

I agree. I think she's adding fuel to the fire.

[luvlyn]

it's so terrible, shame on those who wish her harm

[coolguy27]

Yes, that's a horrible picture to look at..the place where the nose is cut or deleted there's a person in it red image.. What's up in the person's mind? Maybe that person is psychopath.. with mental illness.

[Avinash]

I've been stopping myself to post in this thread for some reasons but now, since the whole blogosphere is talking about her, I've something to say.

First, I'm agree with what Christy said. Second, I've been reading Creating Passionate Users (Kathy's blog) since months because I read almost all the 9rules blog.

Now the important point:
I've seen many people on the Web who try to show off a lot, putting their addresses online, showing their phone numbers and photos, talking about some highly confidential matters that must not be leaked, at least on the Web because you don't know who is visiting your blog, what is his/her intention behind the visit. But I know that they can't stop doing this until a situation arise similar to Kathy.

Popularity makes people senseless and blind, what I've seen in my experience. I agree that it is not 100% true but mostly, you'll see a blogger who starts to become popular, also starts to talk a lot about personal stuffs. <-- Highly dangerous and stupid thing to do on the Web.

I've read many books about human behaviors, their minds, etc. I also read many top class crime novels. I love to watch thrillers. Though I don't do anything wrong or ever plan to do wrong in the future, these things do make me clever enough to understand how a human will behave in certain conditions.

In my understanding, what Kathy did wasn't a smart step taken by such a professional blogger. Since my blog started getting popular, many people have sent threatening and abusive messages. Recently, on a security forum, I received a PM that was a death threat from a 38yr old brown hat. I read it, smiled and deleted the message.

There wasn't anything to worry about because I know that nobody in this world, who has known me on the Web, can harm me. No matter how much they try, they won't be able to know my reality because I never leak my real information. People may think that they know my full name and can find me easily but they can't. Even my full name is not my original name that I've been using on the web for years.

In Kathy's case, she couldn't fake her name but where was the point to disclose her address?

I've typed all this thing just to make you understand that hide or fake your real information on the Web as much as possible. Keeping pictures online or things like that often become the reason of death when a damn stubborn person has become your enemy by any chance. I'm not saying that you need to be afraid of these things. You just need to think a million times before taking any step that can become dangerous for your life.

After all, they are not stupids who are trying to develop anonymity tools like Tor.

[Avinash]

By the way, there are many other popular bloggers damn scared now, including Robert Scoble of Scobleizer.

[Taylor Hewitt]

Some people are MESSED.

[watley]

I have even seen people post their social security numbers as part of their complete profile. It's insane.

Part of the problem is, even a relatively small number of people can cause a significant amount of harm across the web. I don't think most of the web is filled with psychos, but I do think the psychos who are online have a lot more freedom to do damage. No real cost to them, difficult to track. It is a shame that this writer has been targeted by some very cruel people.

[E.Scape]

Standing down will encourage this type of behaviour. Not only the present abuser but the up and coming ones as well.

Needless to say it's horrible to hear about this.

[nasty.web]

Almost, the end of this story:

http://headrush.typepad.com/creating...orite_gra.html

[masterofthe]

This cannot be tolerated and cannot happen again to any of us bloggers...I stand with the victim and this death threatening dude should go the proper place where he belongs.

[Jerlene]

Rage boy seems like he needs therapy. I agree with that Kat chick who says he's an "odd ball".