So, Kathy Sierra seems to be directly addressing her (or more extensively, our) challenges with the online vicious attacks she has suffered. In an extended way, I think these attacks can perhaps be applied to all of us. The difference is that most of the rest of us do not have the readership or following to make this headline news. I am not sure to what extent free speech turns into aggressive and dangerous behavior, but someplace that line appears to have been crossed.

I am glad she is handling this situation, yet I am still concerned that she is, once again, quiet. While I can only wish her and her privacy and peace of mind the best, the longer it takes her to get back to leading her life as she best sees fit, whether online or off, the longer we can suppose that perhaps her bullying attackers may see themselves as having won. While in a very different situation and time and place, I think about the time it has taken, now six years later, for the rebuilding to begin downtown New York after the bullying attacks on 9/11. While we don't want to rush back into things, the status quo of sitting back and watching things go by is very compelling.

I do not think life can ever "get back to normal" after an assault that changes our very habits and ways we live, but the more our lives remain disrupted and our free voices silenced, the more I believe the longer-term effect holds us back from moving forward in our lives. Of course, who knows how we choose to live our lives in the future?

Thinking about Kathy Sierra's and Chris Locke's Joint Statement, I wonder why it was only on Chris' blog, as opposed to both of their own blogs? Furthermore, while I was at work on Monday so could not watch CNN, I wonder why there has been so little discussion about this since then. Strange how things so quickly go back to normal for those not directly affected by adversity.