Surfette

Today is Stop Cyberbullying Day

Cross-posted from BlogHer.

March 30, 2007

Hi everyone,

Today is Stop Cyberbullying Day, inspired by these events: "Hating Hate Speech: Safety for Kathy Sierra and all women online".

In support of this event, and in protest against this latest example of abuse aimed at women online, I'm re-publishing a piece I wrote in October, 2006. This piece was inspired by a few parenting bloggers I spoke with that month, who were targeted by cyberbullies and asked me for advice. In the piece, I talk about ignoring words that hurt. I also provide resources for reporting threats to police, where appropriate.

Now, after the events of this week, what would you add?

Hating Hate Speech: Safety for Kathy Sierra and all women online

Resource for action: What do you do when you're cyberstalked, taunted or abused online?

I spent most of today offline at UC Berkeley, where I gave a talk to journalists from newspaper and television newsrooms on the value of participating in social media. I extolled the value of user comments and the quality of conversation on BlogHer and in the blogosphere.

Ironically, I then came home to an RSS reader and emails pointing to this post by Kathy Sierra:

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. People you've probably heard of..."

I'm writing tonight to respond to Kathy's post and the many other writings I've read reacting to her news. There's a lot to say, but for now I'm going to limit myself to the topics of hate speech and personal responsibility, on BlogHer.org and on the Internet. Here goes:

Funny women: Julia Louis-Dreyfus pledges to make "Christine" greenest set at Warner Bros.

In her conversation with BlogHer.org Monday night, Julia Louis-Dreyfus said if her show, "The New Adventures of Old Christine," is renewed for a third season, the set will go green.

"We set a goal for ourselves," said Louis-Dreyfus, whose commitment to the environment was written up by Amanda Griscom in Grist.org. "If we're lucky enough to come back next season we are going to make our set the greenest set on the Warner Brothers lot."

Click here to watch the video of the 30-minute conversation I had Monday night with Louis-Dreyfus and Kari Lizer, executive producer of "Christine." I showed up with great questions from women who blog -- and I'll list them below -- but first please note the words:

"if we're lucky enough to come back...."

Wonder what that means? Didn't the show win an Emmy for Best Actress in Comedy? Yes it did. But in a world where the Internet now gets more eyeballs than television, nighttime dramas are hot and reality television's Nielsen ratings trump all, they want to stay on the air. See "ABC is Monday's 'Dancing' Queen'."

As you'll see from the video...

Perhaps if Christopher Hitchens watched a little more CBS...

I'm asking ActorJulia Louis-Dreyfus and Kari Lizer, creator of "The Old Adventures of New Christine" questions from bloggers tonight at 7 p.m. PST/10 p.m. EST. Join us here.
My thoughts on the interview:
Of Sex, PTA Politics and Mommy-guilt: Got a question for Julia Louis-Dreyfus?
World Water Day (and what I learned about Julia Louis-Dreyfus)

~~~~~~~
"I’d like to hear their thoughts on Christopher Hitchens’ recent article in Vanity Fair, 'Why Women Aren’t Funny.' " - Liz Gumbinner, Mom-101

Tonight we'll find out...

Preview of BlogHer Business '07: A conversation with leaders of Google, iVillage, Redbook and Washington Post|Newsweek Interactive

"So many mistakes can be fixed. Not moving forward -- that would be the biggest mistake. That cannot be fixed." -- Stacey Morrison, Editor in Chief, Redbook Magazine

Next Friday, March 23, BlogHer Business '07 will close with this keynote panel:

"How is the Ethos of the Social Media World Changing How We Conduct Business?"

Google: Marissa Mayer, Vice President, Search Products & User Experience

iVillage Properties: Debi Fine, President

Redbook Magazine: Stacey Morrison, Editor in Chief

Washington Post | Newsweek Interactive: Caroline Little, Chief Executive Officer and Publisher

In anticipation of moderating this conversation, I talked with each executive to find out how the ethos of social networking is changing (or not) how they conduct business, online and off.

While it would be a mistake for me to boil their nuanced comments down to "evolve or die," that phrase occurred to me as we talked about about success within their own organizations and their advice for the rest of us...

Professor Kim asks: "Who Weeps for Abeer?"

In an excellent call to conscience, Kim Pearson today blogged an update on violence against women by American soldiers--from 14-year-old Iraqi girls like murder/rape victim Abeer Qassim Al-Janabi, to grown women who are also soldiers. Pearson writes:

"Whatever one thinks of the war itself, it is clear that the legacy of failure to address the mental health issues of our military personnel is painful and likely to last a long time both in Iraq, and here at home. "Who weeps for Abeer?"

Honestly? Abeer's story hasn't stuck out for me until the court-martial of Abeer's murderers (see link to Helen Zia's excellent story just above).

That's because the alternative press has provided a steady drumbeat of stories of violence against women originating with U.S. troops since 2003, the year before George W. Bush was re-elected.

This story is agony; I admire Abeer's brothers for sitting through the trial. But I believe, given the dereliction of duty the U.S. military has exhibited toward the safety of its own female soldiers, much less civilians who find themselves in close proximity with American troops, that Zia is right: Cortez' statement is the tip of the iceberg....