I was just about to write a post explaining how my less frequent blogging is a lack of something I need to talk about when this abuse happens to Kathy Sierra. Please, go read it. Kathy Sierra is a major figure in the Web 2.0 movement, so it's getting a lot of attention. I agree with Tim Bray: we need to shine a bright light on this kind of bad behaviour.

A lot of people are pointing to the general anonymity of the Internet as the problem. Others think it's the gender imbalance of the tech industry, calling the industry and some of the players in it sexist or misogynistic.

I don't disagree with those points, but here's where I add a few cents that I haven't seen out there yet...

I'd like to say I'm surprised and shocked by these ugly events -- but I'm not. Anyone who has been on the Internet for more than ten years (or around any networked technology like BBSs, newsgroups or IRC) and explored their deep dark corners knows that nothing -- not even with the threat of the law -- is taboo. This freedom, of course, is one of the Internet's strengths and weaknesses at the same time.

I'm not condoning the behaviour, absolutely not. I'm just saying it's not unexpected. I have mixed feelings about the 'shocked' reaction. Bloggers have been abused (anonymously or otherwise) for a long time and so have celebrities. Now we have a female celebrity blogger -- a target trifecta on the Internet, if you will -- taking abuse from other bloggers/commenters and we're surprised and shocked? Please. It happens every day to people online, they just aren't all celebrities or women (or both).

Even though I think the ugliness is status quo, the strong reaction helps bring this issue to the attention of the blogosphere, at least for a few weeks anyway. That's good, we need to keep talking about it.