Wishful Thinking (the dislike club part IV)
In 2007 writer, programmer, and horse trainer Kathy Sierra quit the internet because of misogynist hate trolling. She stayed off the social web for 7 years but last year she came back to see what Twitter was like. She tells us why she only lasted a few weeks and her theory about why so many women are targets online. Plus Danielle Keats Citron explains how we could use the law to drain the cesspool.
7 comments on Wishful Thinking (the dislike club part IV)
Great show. I never realized the scope of online harassment women go through. I hope Danielle Keats Citron is successful in criminalizing the worst forms of online abuse.
‘Ello Benjamin,
As a longtime listener and fan, I want to thank you for shedding light on the treacherous terrain of hate, intimidation and misogyny women face on the internet. This story needs to be told, and it needs to be told in the voices of the women who learn to respond to such an onslaught – which you’ve done. However, I think the show could have benefited from an initial trigger warning. Some of the threats featured in the episode are (unsurprisingly) quite graphic, and difficult for anyone to hear, let alone survivors of sexual harassment, assault, and online trolling. Please consider including some initial language that flags this content the next time you produce such an episode.
Cheers, and looking forward to your future work!
I was really pleasantly surprised to hear your interview with Kathy. I read her blog for a long time and appreciated greatly the ideas for UI design, information presentation, etc. I was horrified when she stopped posting.
These kinds of attacks really need to stop. It’s a shame that “Freedom of Speech” is used for so many nefarious purposes.