The Security Catalyst

Below are a series of letters in response to the cyberbullying experienced by Kathy Sierra. If you don’t know, Kathy is a main contributor to the Creating Passionate Users website and blog. It’s one that I regularly read, enjoy, and recommend. You can read for yourself on that site what is happening to her. She openly and honestly has posted her experience. The letters below explain my feelings on what has happened and what needs to be done.

Dear Kathy,
First I want to thank you for your contributions to the cyber-community. Your writing and insights on your website and in your books are always thought provoking. You challenge the standard quo to make things better for everyone. You share openly and willingly, which may have made you vulnerable.
That’s why I’m so sorry for what’s happened. It’s so sad that an a&^3 has brought you down.
This may be another fear exercise for you. Please don’t let the fear stop you. Don’t let one person who’s too weak to say their name bring you down and stop your great efforts.
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.” Ambrose Redmoon
Please remember that you have many friends and supporters in the blogosphere (see the responses by Mike Murrary (http://www.episteme.ca/) and Rich Mogull (http://securosis.com/2007/03/27/we-cannot-tolerate-this/.)). We stand with you and behind you. We support you, what you say and what you do. The community needs you.

Hey a&^3,
Yea you! The one who’s harrassing Kathy.
Stand up and fight like a man. Don’t hide behind Internet anonymity. If you know anything about it, you’ll know that Internet anonymity can be a façade easily cracked using the right tools. The people with those skills and tools are already on the case. You will be caught and brought to justice. Publicly. Just like you publicly harassed our friend Kathy.
I suggest you either go back into your hole and hide or come out and except the consequences of your actions. The former will show you’re a wimp; the latter will show you’re a man.

Friends, Colleagues and Fine-Readers,
I appreciate you reading this far. I’m sorry you need to be brought into this. But we all need to stick together so we can work together and help each other.
Bullying is as old as time, but cyberbullying is a new phenomena encouraged by the apparent anonymity of the Internet. As you can see, it’s plaguing adults and kids alike. I encourage you to learn more about it and how to prevent it:
- http://www.cyberbullying.org/
- http://www.internetsuperheroes.org/cyberbullying/
- http://www.ncpc.org/parents/cyberbullying.php
It’s fine if you disagree with what someone has to say. Freedom of speech is a key principle of our Country and of the Internet. I only ask that it be said in a helpful and constructive manner. In fact I love thought-provoking feedback. “Every man… should periodically be compelled to listen to opinions which are infuriating to him. To hear nothing but what is pleasing to one is to make a pillow of the mind.” John Ervine

Join us in the Security Catalyst forums to (A) learn more about cyberbullying and other online threats and (B) show support for Kathy Sierra and other victims of cyberbullying.

By standing together, we all become stronger.

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