Suspending Your Blogging Gives In To The Terrorists

While I appreciate that many people have suspended their blogging in support of Kathy Sierra I think it is the wrong thing to do. It would more productive to increase your blogging and to put more pressure on the hosts from which these blogs are originating. Every indication is that these hosts are as disgusted as we are and have taken action but if we don't take charge then, as some people point out, we will see people allowing government interference. For years we have seen controls put in place by the providers with the rationale being that "children" might be exposed to "inappropriate" comments but my position has always been it is up to the parents to "protect" their children. Let's show that we can protect ourselves......

Blog death threats spark debate
Prominent blogger Kathy Sierra has called on the blogosphere to combat the culture of abuse online.

It follows a series of death threats which have forced her to cancel a public appearance and suspend her blog.

Ms Sierra described on her blog how she had been subject to a campaign of threats, including a post that featured a picture of her next to a noose.

The police are investigating while the blogosphere has launched its own enquiry.

One of the issues raised is the question of how women bloggers are treated online.

Ms Sierra, author of popular blog Creating Passionate Users, began receiving death threats four weeks ago.

Since going public on the issue, she has been overwhelmed by the support she has received.

"I agonised about making this post but I hoped it would start a dialogue," she told the BBC News website.

"I never thought it would become so big or be this positive," she said.

While blogging feuds are common, she believes the campaign against her is more likely to be because she is a woman in the male-dominated technology world.

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