I understand (and even share) your concerns about facilitating a witch hunt. Internet mobs are scary. They are this because they have power. It is that scary power that I called upon, deliberately, to out Dustin. Because I don't want the police or a criminal conviction for him. I want people to know what he did. I want them to have the option of not having him as a friend, a date, an invitee, or a volunteer if they feel what he did warrants those private actions.
I leave it up there because mine was not an isolated incident, nor the most egregious. And a pattern is more serious. A pattern warrants the damage to his reputation, his embarrassment, and a continued opportunity for people to decide for themselves whether they want this guy around. I continue to abhor and condemn vigilantes and haters. I don't support or condone them. And if requested, I will publicly defend Dustin from such tactics. But I will not hide for him the fact that he's the one who did this.
Because of your comment, I've updated my original post. You've made me think and I take this responsibility seriously.
My concern about posting his contact information is that virtual mobs do not always stay virtual. It is entirely possible that someone with poor judgment could take this as license to do physical harm to him in the real world.
That still might be appropriate if it has a likelihood of preventing future incidents. However he's probably already banned from every con he's likely to attend, so we're probably looking at diminishing returns on that front.
No, and this mob did not stay virtual, which is exactly as it should be. We are a community and we take real action.
It is entirely possible that someone with poor judgement could harm ME for speaking out. In fact, that danger is in large part mine, given the history of women on the internet and women who speak out about sexual harassment. So the placement of your concern is... telling. And you have no words whatsoever for the other victim and what she is going through right now. Which is also telling.
In case you missed it: it tells me your priorities are really wacked.
If you are trying to make me feel guilty and fearful, you're failing. I will not shut up because someone somewhere might someday do something completely wrong and against the specific instruction of my actual post. Other people get to decide what THEY do in response to what ACTUALLY HAPPENED. And a lot of them are deciding they don't want a serial sexual assaulter at their parties or around their friends. Which is fine.
My blog is not an incitement to violence. And trying to shut me up by blaming me if someone should go completely off the rails in reacting to what Dustin actually did is a naked silencing technique. In fact, it's a perfect illustration of how that goes down. You place a (pretty unreasonable) fear of (unlikely) harm for a serial perpetrator above actual violation and ruination that he has already perpetrated and is likely to continue to perpetrate.
Again: priorities.
Now how about you worry about the girl in the other account and anyone else (because there are more, from what I hear). Because they have actually been wronged here. Dustin has not.
I understand (and even share) your concerns about facilitating a witch hunt. Internet mobs are scary. They are this because they have power. It is that scary power that I called upon, deliberately, to out Dustin. Because I don't want the police or a criminal conviction for him. I want people to know what he did. I want them to have the option of not having him as a friend, a date, an invitee, or a volunteer if they feel what he did warrants those private actions.
I leave it up there because mine was not an isolated incident, nor the most egregious. And a pattern is more serious. A pattern warrants the damage to his reputation, his embarrassment, and a continued opportunity for people to decide for themselves whether they want this guy around. I continue to abhor and condemn vigilantes and haters. I don't support or condone them. And if requested, I will publicly defend Dustin from such tactics. But I will not hide for him the fact that he's the one who did this.
Because of your comment, I've updated my original post. You've made me think and I take this responsibility seriously.
Reply
My concern about posting his contact information is that virtual mobs do not always stay virtual. It is entirely possible that someone with poor judgment could take this as license to do physical harm to him in the real world.
That still might be appropriate if it has a likelihood of preventing future incidents. However he's probably already banned from every con he's likely to attend, so we're probably looking at diminishing returns on that front.
Reply
It is entirely possible that someone with poor judgement could harm ME for speaking out. In fact, that danger is in large part mine, given the history of women on the internet and women who speak out about sexual harassment. So the placement of your concern is... telling. And you have no words whatsoever for the other victim and what she is going through right now. Which is also telling.
In case you missed it: it tells me your priorities are really wacked.
If you are trying to make me feel guilty and fearful, you're failing. I will not shut up because someone somewhere might someday do something completely wrong and against the specific instruction of my actual post. Other people get to decide what THEY do in response to what ACTUALLY HAPPENED. And a lot of them are deciding they don't want a serial sexual assaulter at their parties or around their friends. Which is fine.
My blog is not an incitement to violence. And trying to shut me up by blaming me if someone should go completely off the rails in reacting to what Dustin actually did is a naked silencing technique. In fact, it's a perfect illustration of how that goes down. You place a (pretty unreasonable) fear of (unlikely) harm for a serial perpetrator above actual violation and ruination that he has already perpetrated and is likely to continue to perpetrate.
Again: priorities.
Now how about you worry about the girl in the other account and anyone else (because there are more, from what I hear). Because they have actually been wronged here. Dustin has not.
Reply
Leave a comment