Alan Herrell on The Meankids Mess

Alan Herrell, the former Head Lemur, has sent an email to Doc Searls, which Doc has posted:

[from The Doc Searls Weblog : Tuesday, March 27, 2007]

Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2007 07:25:52 -0700
From: alan herrell
To: Doc Searls
Subject: Kathy Sierra

Doc,

(sorry I haven't written before this as I have been doing damage control for my clients)

I am writing this to you as the guy who can forward it to everybody that matters.

I am writing this from a new computer, using an email address that will be deleted at the end of this.

I am no longer me. My main machine despite my best efforts has been hacked, my accounts compromised including my email. and has been disconnected from the internet.

How did this happen? When did this happen? shit doc, i don't have a fucking clue. I thought i was pretty sharp. I guess not.

just about every online account that i have has been compromised. Most importantly my digital identity and user/password for typepad and wordpress. I have been doing damage control, for my clients. How the fuck i got to be part of this mess is revolting.

The Kathy Sierra mess is horrific. I am not who ever used my identity and my picture!!

I am sick beyond words over this whole episode. Kathy Sierra may not be on my top 10 list , but nobody deserves this filthy character assaination.

But everything I have written about her or anyone else has been in public.

Jesus Doc, In the ten years I have been online, i have never used any sort of screen name or hidden behind psedonyms.

I have always posted and written as me. I have prided myself on the fact that I stand behind everything I wrote. Blogging made it much better in keeping the dialogue public.

That folks think that this mess is the sort they believe I would do is disheartening.

I may not be the the most popular guy, but I like to think i have been honest. And I say again I have *always* done this publicly.

For Kathy and Maryam and anybody else I am deeply sorry. Nobody deserves this.

Whatever credibility I may have had is down the toilet. For this I am profoundly saddened.

I liked being who I was warts and all.

I have over the course of my time online met some of the brightest people that I would never have the abilty to sit across from to break bread or share coffee with from around the world. How wonderful is that.

In 1997 I wrote that I believed that the internet was the most important invention of the human race. I believe it even more today as I write this.

It will probably some time before I attempt to join the great conversation again, but, Please don't let bastards grind you down.

sincerly

alan herrell the head lemur (retired)

I wrote the other day that I have come to know Alan, and that I couldn't believe he would be involved in something like this. Doc concurs:

I've known Alan for the better part of a decade. He has been a good friend — the kind you call on when something bad happens and you really need help. And he has delivered. Yes, he can be tough on people, especially when defending a principle. But that's one reason I believe him.

Me too.

tags: alan+herrell, doc+searls, kathy+sierra, maryam+scoble, meankids, trolls

Comments

[Dave C.]

There's so many sides to this thing, it's truly hard to keep up, but Chris Locke makes his thoughts known...

I did write two comments on the "Bob's Yer Uncle" site, which I am happy to repeat for the record: 1) "Kathy Sierra is a hopeless dipshit."; and 2) "The only 'passionate users' I know are crack heads." I do not like Kathy Sierra. I like her even less after her post of Monday.

Why isn't anyone taking issues with comments like this? What's worse is that he said this in an interview. Thankfully the reporter didn't repeat these completely unnecessary comments.

[Rebecca White]

Dave,
Though the comments you've cited are tasteless and virulent, neither of them are threatening. That's where the line is drawn. In the case of Kathy, someone was threatening her physical safety and, basically, asking for someone to kill her.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and that's what Chris's comments above are -- his opinion. Not actual threats. That's probably why most people aren't taking issue with those types of comments.

Becca