'Tony Soprano' of bloggers faces death threats
A number of bloggers are quitting due to death threats and harassment.
But this happens in the offline world too.
I write the occasionally letter to various Sydney papers. In response to a one line letter I wrote (about tax), I received letters of several pages, phone calls saying I could be Prime Minister, and a guy turning up on my door step wanting to talk tax reform.
To a rather narky letter I wrote about the Pope, and AIDs in Africa, I got one person phone up to say how much he was in agreement and another to ask if “I was gay or divorced?”.
All these people, pro and con, crossed the line. Letter writing and bloging while they are in the public sphere have un-written rules of engagement, which should be obvious. If you have a point to argue then write a letter of your own to the paper, comment on the blog or start your own blog. Personal contact can be perceived as a threat, no matter how well intended.
Despite most of the people who contacted me being harmless, if just a little strange, my wife became upset and asked me to stop writing letters to the papers; which I did, until we got our number removed from the phone book and online listings.
For similar reasons you won’t see too many photos of me, or my kids on this tumblr.
