I think the most disturbing of all was that directed at the victim of a brutal rape (yes, I suppose there isn't any other kind). As I male, I was ashamed of my gender, since it seems that much of this inane hatred and filth is misogynistic. I was also impressed by the bravery of the rape victim in not only telling her story, but putting her face to the article.
But while blokes might be the majority of offenders, occasionally they are the victim. The article also told of a Chicago advertising executive who was probably driven to suicide by online white-anting and cyber-bullying. Closer to home, a Melbourne ad man tells of almost being driven to take his life because of the same thing happening - apparently all because of professional jealousy.
Of course, the advantage of the internet for your average stalker is that it is cheap, immediate, freely available and (relatively) anonymous - one can fairly assume that 99% of these sad, pathetic morons wouldn't have the fortitude to verbalise their abuse if confronted with their intended victim face-to-face.
However, this story poses a much bigger question: how do we monitor the cyber world to ensure that this doesn't go on? Naturally, the online civil libertarians will take umbrage at any sort of moderation or regulation. But if reputations and even lives are at stake, surely we have an obligation to stamp out this obnoxious behaviour.
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