Online death threats are still death threats

I just found out via a Twitter post that Kathy Sierra, the author of the Creating Passionate Users blog, which I read religiously, has been receiving a series of threats. Cyberbullying, even death threats. Threats of violence. To the point that she had to back out of presenting a session at the ETech conference, and is canceling all public engagements.

[ED – I removed a paragraph that could be perceived as inflammatory. I wasn't trying to imply that any specific individual(s) made a death threat, only that some had been named in Kathy's post.]

This is seriously not cool. I don't have the entire story, but from Kathy's post, a group of people self-organized to inflict threats on her and a few other people online. She suggests that some of this goes with the territory. I disagree. This is not acceptable.

[ED – I removed another potentially inflammatory paragraph that didn't add to anything]

I just found out via a Twitter post that Kathy Sierra, the author of the Creating Passionate Users blog, which I read religiously, has been receiving a series of threats. Cyberbullying, even death threats. Threats of violence. To the point that she had to back out of presenting a session at the ETech conference, and is canceling all public engagements.

[ED – I removed a paragraph that could be perceived as inflammatory. I wasn't trying to imply that any specific individual(s) made a death threat, only that some had been named in Kathy's post.]

This is seriously not cool. I don't have the entire story, but from Kathy's post, a group of people self-organized to inflict threats on her and a few other people online. She suggests that some of this goes with the territory. I disagree. This is not acceptable.

[ED – I removed another potentially inflammatory paragraph that didn't add to anything]

22 thoughts on “Online death threats are still death threats”

  1. Good call about editing the post. As for letting it go on, I think, that it’s a police matter… If they can track the guy down, they can ascertain as to the state of his mind and whether or not he’s a real threat to her. The whole thing just seems to me to be some mean-spirited fun gone wrong. Reading it from my end, it does seem far over the line, but not yet in danger to her life territory, despite what she might feel.

  2. OK. How’s this: It wasn’t Chris that sent the death threats. I don’t know who it was. Talk to Kathy Sierra.

    Good enough?

  3. hmmm… re-re-reading my post, it does come across as though I’m saying Chris was the one making death threats. That’s not what I meant to say. That’s the problem of writing in the moment. I’ll think of a better way to reword it, and edit the post appropriately.

  4. I don’t really understand much of this, but i have even recieved death threats by someone online. I don’t even know them. They just laughed when i said it was serious and i should be telling someone. It is a dangerous world now.

  5. I have been receiving death threats online here recently an i don’t know how to go about all this. It stated in an online mmorpg. online game. this person has found where i am from. phone number add. how i do not know i have none of that posted online. or saved in my computer.

  6. Yes, very much there a woman online making death threats to me & another woman who are military family members she is in her 20’s screename greentea 143 but anyway we said stop ! Then she says the military should die and she’ll kill our kids not cool……… this person should be kicked offline but they allow her to get back on even though they have proof of what she types ! As an adult her self she should not act the way she does and there was a person who told her it is the law she said no and they were dumb ! So she is clueless I guess !

  7. If you are that dumb to make death threats and think nothing can happen oh it can believe me this greentea has been making racial slurs, slander, & making up stuff about me saying I have abortions and i’m a hoe and my kids should be killed what the heck I think shes a nutcase on the loose and people like her should not be out but locked up somewhere……….

  8. People how in the heck do you know if she has no proof or not? Uh sorry but let’s not jump to things here she may but does people have to post every little deatil of what goes on? I mean serious this stuff needs to be taken a little bit more serious ! Either way making death threats in alot of states it is the law plain & simple !

  9. I with a few friends were watchiing youtube videos, and we got rick rolled, from the ufc thing, and well, one of my friends decides to type in,”I’m going to use google satellite and track you down, and kill you, hahahahaha”, said it as a joke, i mean freaking google satellite, well the guy took it way too serious and now the FBI is after me, what am I sepose to do?, it was just a joke.

  10. get real. death threats are meant to cause alarm and fear. thats all. if someone wants to hurt or kill you they will not tell you. also, unless someone is completely insane, they have a good reason to hurt you. hurting someone legally is not an excuse. why dont you beg for your life like most people do to the government every day? there are people out there who would love to see you dead and if they had more time on their hands they would probably kill you too.

    1. wow. for someone with such an interesting and real-sounding name, you sure are an awesome individual. nobody’s begging for anything. I’m sure you didn’t just google a catchy phrase to troll a blog comment thread.

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