Kathy Sierra: Death Threats

Kathy Sierra -- a national treasure, as far as I am concerned -- has been receiving some very disturbing death threats on various blogs:

[from Death threats against bloggers are NOT "protected speech" (why I cancelled my ETech presentations)]

As I type this, I am supposed to be in San Diego, delivering a workshop at the ETech conference. But I'm not. I'm at home, with the doors locked, terrified. For the last four weeks, I've been getting death threat comments on this blog. But that's not what pushed me over the edge. What finally did it was some disturbing threats of violence and sex posted on two other blogs... blogs authored and/or owned by a group that includes prominent bloggers.

Others have dug into the situation more deeply than I can at this moment (headed for the airport), but I know a few things:

1. Kathy was far and away the best thing at the Etech conference last year: just head and shoulders above everything else. I suggested after her preso that any astute product marketing folks in the audience would like date time as Before Kathy Sierra and After Kathy Sierra for the rest of their professional lives. A real set-back for the conference, obviously, and anyone that will not get to hear her present in the future.
2. Jeneane Sessum called me to tell me that she is sick with concern about her incidental involvement in this mess. She is heartsick about this turn of events.
3. I have come to think that I know Alan Herrel, the Head Lemur, and I have to believe that someone is spoofing his identity. It can't be Alan saying these terrible things.

I will take a longer look at this horrible situation tomorrow.

tags: alan+herrel, jeneane+sessum, kathy+sierra, hate+crimes, death+threats, etech

Comments

[Ric]

I am also hoping that Alan's "involvement" is a case of stolen identity - I even searched his 'Raving Lunacy' blog to confirm my memory that he has engaged in reasonably good-natured banter with Kathy in the past; and while he can be a bit 'out there', I hadn't noticed any particular 'ad hominem' attacks ...

[case]

So. the forming of the site meankids, and the uncle bob site, were under a complete innocent agenda?
They knew full well that when forming these forums, they encouraged a culture of ad hominem attacks in a seemingly random pattern overlaid on a group of individuals.

anything else, is as wishful of an excuse as it is deliberate.

[Joey]

There was no threat made to Kathy. The entire thing is a misunderstanding or an intentional hoax which stems from my criticism of her books. I am the "Joey" she is referring to and I ask that you read my reply at her site; assuming she doesn't delete it.

[Ron E.]

Hello Stowe and readers,

In trying to express my rage and unrest towards these violent events made to Kathy, I created a small graphic called "Zero Violence Blog". I've posted it in my blog hoping people will download the images and include them in a small post relating to freedom of speech, and expressing the support Kathy must be needing today. If you feel like doing so, please head there or ask me and I will e-mail the logos directly to you.

I hope you are moved enough as to try to express yourselves and do something now, before violence spreads wider into our blogging lives.

Thanks,
Ron E.

http://brandcurve.com/zero-violence-blog/

[Sethop]

*International* treasure, as far as I'm concerned.

On the subject of identity spoofing I noticed someone pretending to be Jeneane posting another hate mail in comments when I had a look - I made a quick comment pointing out it was no doubt some other sick bastard rather than Jeneane, but it was a few down so may get lost in the noise.

The guy "Joey" has made several comments in the thread against the post, trying to defend himself but actually managing to make himself look worse. I guess the good news is that he doesn't sound like a killer. He appears to be willing to turn himself in, so one hopes the justice system will teach him a lesson in manners he'll not soon forget.

It's been a sad, sad day for the blogosphere. I hope Kathy pulls through ok.

[Ric]

@case - not sure if your comment was completely in response to mine, but just to clarify: Frank Paynter, Chris Locke and Jeneane Sessum have had, and have acknowledged SOME connection to meankids, unclebobism, or both - however fleeting - it seems their "appearance" in this balls-up was genuinely them. However, AS FAR AS I CAN TELL (and it's now a little difficult to track down) it doesn't seem that Alan Herrel's involvement was genuinely him, but that he may be a victim of stolen identity ... unfortunately his reaction has been to remove himself from the conversation (I imagine from the tenor of some of the comments around the traps that he probably found himself in a sh*tstorm) - his Raving Lunacy blog is still down