The Internet's Biggest Challenge

...at least in my mind. The anonymous comment, website, spam, viruses, malware, threats and disinformation. In the analog world, they can be tracked, followed, investigated. Online, these veritably despicable vermin seem to reach evermore depths of depravity. One of my favorite sites is "Creating Passionate Users" seems to be under attack from some particularly low types of vermin. This site is a marketing, user experience site, not a political shoutfest, and the language used in the comments section is nearly unimaginable.

Creating Passionate Users: "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. People like respected Cluetrain Manifesto co-author Chris Locke (aka Rageboy)."

I used to have my comments turned off, but several friends asked for me to turn them on. So I did. I received very few comments, as I am not doing a blog that seems to fire that kind of response. And yet, I got a comment early last week that was vile, personal and totally ad-hominem.

I think it is time to turn them off again. I don't want to be involved in this kind of crap and it seems to me that I will be someday under attack and maybe I will stave it off for a while. The people who want to reach me should try e-mail. Then, at least some anonymity will be able to track.

I love the internet, I really do. This kind of vileness is so lame and disgusting that it puts a pall over us all.