CYBER BULLYING AND KARMA

Did anyone read this in the last week?

Call for blogging code of conduct

The support for a blogger hounded by death threats has intensified with some high profile web experts calling for a code of conduct in the blogosphere.The female blogger at the centre of the row has been shocked to discover that hers is not an isolated incident.It has led her and others to question some of the unwritten rules of blogging.It could force a re-examination of the way the tight-knit blogging community behaves.

the article goes on

Ms Sierrra has personally witnessed the usually harmless feuding that is part and parcel of blogging take on an altogether more sinister tone, with threats of a violent and sexual nature gathering pace over the last month.
She agonised over whether to publicise what had happened to her, she told the BBC News website.
Since describing the campaign against her, she has been shocked to discover that cyber-bullying is widespread."As well as around 900 comments on my blog and hundreds of comments on other blogs, I have received around 300 personal e-mails and about 70% of them say they have been through a similar thing," she told the BBC News website.Among the messages is one from a blogger Ms Sierra described as "far more prominent than me" who has been avoiding industry conferences because of persistent online threats.
Ms Sierra herself pulled out of a planned appearance at ETech in San Diego this week.
She believes it is time the technology blogging community sat up and took notice.
"I think there is a culture of looking the other way. When other prominent people look the other way it is creating an environment that allows this type of behaviour," she said.
She also thinks it could be time to re-examine whether the blogosphere needs to be completely uncensored.
"There is an unwritten rule in the blogosphere that it is wrong to delete nasty comments. It suggests that you can't take criticism but now there is a sense that this is nonsense," she said.
Denise Howell, a US lawyer and blogger, believes that the blogosphere is no place for legal requirements.
"The tools of the Live Web have made it easier than ever for ordinary people to communicate and express views in their individual capacities, and to provide platforms, e.g. on their blogs, for others to do so," she said.
"I think anyone who enjoys any aspect of the Live Web would celebrate this fact, and agree its vitality would be impaired if the law expected or required these ordinary people to envelop themselves and their sites in elaborate legal provisos and conditions if they hope to be shielded from potential responsibility for the bad acts of others," she said.The Kathy Sierra situation is, she said, "forcing bloggers to examine their moral compasses on a number of fronts". But, ultimately self-regulation is the only way forward, she believes.

The first I became aware of cyber bullying was on DOOCE's website.
Dooce is the US woman who was sacked for talking about her workmates in her blog, hence the term ..........to be 'dooced'- to lose your job because of blooging.
Every few months or so Dooce publishes some of the emails she has received that are not so nice. Her latest batch of hate mail was published on 15 March 2007, I never cease to be shocked at the awful things people say.

Here are some of the best(worst) bits

You’re an absolute joke of the worst kind…GET A FRIGGIN LIFE.
And I hope your dog runs away and never comes back because that would be the best day ever!

Hi my name is deland i’m from salt lake i seen your story in the paper so I thought i would check out your blog . Well I think its Lousy it really sucks I bet the only thing U R GOOD AT IS SUCKING ON DICKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, yes you have to be one of the most pathetic people I have ever seen in my life. for God’s sake (and I’m not even religious) please stop abusing your child.Your family should sue you too. I’ve enjoyed your blog but I thnk that you have some serious issues. I read about your legal battles, your depression and all of your other problems, and I can’t help but think that bad things keep happening to you because you are a bad person. I mean look at how much you husband and your child have suffered because of you, and the more publicity you try to get for yourself the more awful things seem to happen in your life. In addition when your child gets older and goes to school everyone there could know that her mother is literally crazy. Imagine how hard that will be for her. Why are you doing this to your family? Do you really need the money that badly?

Why did you turn comments off? Mad because they point out that you are medicated fool? That you really have nothing going on? That you really aren’t that sharp? That you act irresponsibly and foolishly? That you aren’t that attractive?

I just started reading. blogs like last week. I do’nt really care what mundan nerds do and then write about. But, you are so cynical. I c’ant get why you would have such a depressed. blase, I dont give a fuck, mean-spirited-attitude. Is that supposed to be “cool?” Its really dorky. Even the “dooce” thing is dorky…what is that? poo? a gambling reference? (SAHF) or a Shit Ass Ho Fuckingbadass? what does that mean? its soooo fuckin dumb….
oh, the only reason I feel compelled to do this, is cuz you get paid for it and its your job. Therefore, I am within my right to criticize. I certainly would’nt go picking on some 14 year olds blog, about the same mentality tho…

Every time I read the hate mail Dooce receives I am gob smacked that people can behave in this way. What are they trying to achieve? If it were fame from being published on Dooce's website it is a weird kind of fame, fame for being a nasty piece of work!

I try never to be nasty about people on my blog, I now feel really guilty because of the picture of Lembit Opik looking really dumb that I put on my site( I previously discussed how I felt I had lost respect for Opik because of him cheating on Sian Lloyd with a Cheeeky Girl).

I try never to be nasty to people as I really think there is something in KARMA.
Yesterday within minutes of writing

Would I be happy to be a patient in the NHS? The only way you would get me in to a ward is if I were unconscious and it was an emergency situation

I had fallen and hurt myself....................now there's Karma for you!
Beauty was playing on her computer and something was really upsetting her, she likes to play lots of different games but doesn't understand how to play them all so she gets very frustrated.
I got up to help her and my arthritic knee just collapsed under me and I fell hitting my ankle, my knee, my hip and I really hit the side of my head hard on the door frame. I lay on the floor shocked, trying to decide whether I should puke or pass out but when I realised that neither were going to happen and the stars I had been seeing had settled, so I decided to see if I could stand up. I suddenly realised that I had forgotten about Beauty but all was fine, just as I decided to try and get up she came to me, stepped over my head and sat down at the computer again! The fact that she was totally unaware that anything had happened and her totally lack of empathy scared me more than the actual fall. What would have happened to her if anything had happened to me? Ariel my 17 year old is convinced that I need one of those emergency button things that you have on a string around your neck, if you have a fall then you press it and they contact somebody on your emergency phone numbers list.
I managed to get up fine, a bit of a sore hip and a lot of a sore head but I am sure no real damage has been done.
Imagine if Karma is real and I had said something really bad?(just joking).