UPDATE: I just saw the hard copy of today’s NYT and this story lands on the front page! First time in all the years I’ve been blogging I made the paper, let alone the front page. I guess I have that hazer-fraudster, ‘Neil Pomper’ (or whoever he really is) to thank for this.
Thanks to Brad Stone for including the story of my Blogger.com fraudster-impersonator website in A Call for Manners in the World of Nasty Blogs. Here’s what he wrote about my personal harassment experience:
For the last four years, Richard Silverstein has advocated for Israeli-Palestinian peace on a blog (richardsilverstein.com) that he maintains from Seattle.
People who disagree with his politics frequently leave harassing comments on his site. But the situation reached a new low last month, when an anonymous opponent started a blog in Mr. Silverstein’s name that included photos of Mr. Silverstein in a pornographic context.
“I’ve been assaulted and harassed online for four years,” he said. “Most of it I can take in stride. But you just never get used to that level of hatred.
The premise for Stone’s piece was the brouhaha surrounding Kathy Sierra who has been vilified because she upheld her right at her blog to delete comments she found offensive. The abuse even went so far as someone who juxtaposed a photo of Sierra next to a noose. Much of the conversation in the blog world has circled around the notion that women are the special objects of much, if not most, of such abuse. And that men are often the perpetrators.
To combat such a nasty phenomenon, Jimmy Wales of Wikipedia and Tim O’Reilly have proposed a blogging code of civility (Wikipedia link) which would encourage bloggers to maintain a certain standard within their comment threads by deleting comments that violated those standards. In other words, the code is meant to upgrade the blog conversation and put a certain amount of pressure on those who might violate it to keep their words within the bounds of civility.
Speaking as someone who has been the object of various forms of blog harassment for the entire four years in which this blog has existed, I’m all in favor of anything that addresses the issue of abuse and hate speech. In fact, I have written many posts on the subject using my own abusers here at this blog as my subjects. That being said, I’m not quite sure how useful or effective such a voluntary code of conduct will be. And after all, we bloggers are human. If we adopt one of the several proposed codes and violate them ourselves, perhaps we’re leaving ourselves open to further ridicule.
To me, it seems a no-brainer that blog comment threads should be monitored closely by the owner. I don’t believe in absolute free speech when it comes to my blog threads. Otherwise, I’d be vilified daily with some unspeakable hate speech. Anyone who complains about comments I delete doesn’t understand the nature of a blog–at least MY blog. I see my commenters as visitors in my virtual home. They don’t have to like me and they can say they don’t; but they sure can’t take a dump on my doorstep without my showing them the door. Someone’s right to post comments here is not an entitlement. And with that right comes responsibilities. If you don’t like the terms, then don’t comment.
Another matter that may not be addressed in the code is that abuse can go beyond a blog’s comment threads. What can the code do about trolls and stalkers who do what Neil Pomper has done in creating a site that impersonates me in order to harass me? I note the interesting fact that Stone mentions that Heather Armstrong of Dooce has faced almost the exact same predicament. One of her tormentors created a site that impersonates her. This person also stole copyright images of her including her children and posted on the offending site. The same thing has happened to me. I’ve e mailed Heather to find out more about what she went through and how she dealt with it. I hope to hear back from her.
I’d like to see a code of conduct encourage sites like Blogger.com to enforce their terms of service more vigorously in shutting down harassing, defamatory sites like this. Why is it OK for Blogger to maintain some claim of non-responsibility for material like that which victimized Heather and I? Let’s bring Blogger to the table as well to follow their own code of conduct and thereby show respect to not just their own clients, but those whom their clients abuse and hurt.
I’m hoping that Blogger will take a bit more notice of a nasty review in the New York Times (though the story unfortunately does not mention the company’s name) than it might of my personal correspondence.
Brad also maintains his own person blog, Brad’s Sketchpad, which you should check out.
Richard, I’m sorry for your troubles with that rigid misguided little troll, but last week I see you in Salon and this week The New York Times. Is the London Guardian next, I hope? The important thing is that your message is getting out. Congratulations!
When a message is substantiated and can be put forward honestly, it’s legitimacy helps to educate and inform. A position that needs to go the route that little guy is taking, is automatically rejected. I wonder why he doesn’t grasp that?
Again, the good news is more people will hear you.
Here’s hoping the dweeb gets his comeuppance. To help him along, ridicule the ass. Make fun of him. It’s war and he deserves whatever you can dish out. Before you can extend forgiveness to another, the other must ask for forgiveness. Untill he does, make him bleed.
Umm, wasn’t Richard already in the Guardian not too long ago?
Keep up the good work, Richard.
It is distressing that Richard Silverstein be targeted in such an underhanded and misleading manner. Obscenity, polemics, insults, ad hominem verbal attacks, are to be expected on the internet. However a misleading appropriation of another person’s online identity or persona, such as the dishonest portrayal of which Mr Silverstein has been the victim, not only harms him but harms the public.
Certain subjects stir deeply held beliefs and emotions, making compromise and civil discussion very difficult. One such subject is Israel, and what American and Israeli policy should be, given the geopolitical instability in the Middle East, made much more perilous for all by the US invasion of Iraq and the war in Lebanon last summer.
Calls for major change in Israeli and American policy come from within Israel and from within the US, including from many Jewish thinkers, pundits, common citizens, opposition groups, religious leaders, etc. Mr Silverstein’s “free speech” is expressed under his own true name. Obscene and pornographic insults made by someone appropriating his identity is not protected. Such statements may be made, but not under the guise of originating from him.
Richard,
Congrats for transforming your miserable experience with that evil man into a mention in a NY Times piece that might have a positive impact After two months online with Realistic Dove (www.realisticdove.org), I’ve already managed to delete a few abusive comments from right wing, pro-settler nuts, but I am steeling myself for the kinds of ardent trolls and other monsters you have encountered.
It’s vitally important to create the rhetorical space necessary to discuss Israel, Palestinian and America’s Middle East policy with the same amount of candor that one can find in the Israeli media. I do want to add, though, that it is not only right-wing Jews and the conventional Israel lobby that have made it difficult to carve out that space. There are also people on the far left, especially on the blogosphere, who are abusive to anyone who defends any aspect of Israeli policy or who expresses support for the Israeli peace camp. There is a need to find a path thruogh the raindrops and reach out to people who shun both extremes…
Yes there are Dan. In fact, I’ve just banned a hateful anti-Zionist from commenting here today. But to tell the truth, there are 20 right-wing ranters who abuse me for every anti-Zionist who gets out of line. I don’t know why that is & whether perhaps I’m having a diff. experience w. my commenters than you. But I have a much worse time of it with the hardline pro-Israel, pro-settler crowd.
Thanks for your support as well & kind words about my predicament.
Nice rant. I’m not sure I agree with everything because I talk a lot of shit on my site but that’s what freedom of speech is all about. Being able to talk shit. I’m not down with trying to ruin someone’s reputation though. That’s just lame. Being in porn or being labeled a pornographer isn’t all that bad you know.