Virginia Tech shooter Cho Seung-Hui’s computers were seized and are being examined by forensic examiners for clues as to who he emailed, texted, and was in contact with online in the days leading up to the shooting. That immediately raised a hypothetical question in my mind.
If it comes to light that he posted troll-like threats on people’s blogs and message boards, would any of us go back and reconsider the drubbing given to Tim O’Reilly and Kathy Sierra over their reaction to the posts made about and against her? Should we?
Would it be time to give up the notion that trolls are harmless attention-seekers who pose no “real” threat?
No information has been released that leads me to conclude that he did post any threats anywhere, but it’s not an impossible leap.
Technorati Tags: kathy sierra, tim o’reilly, code of ethics, virginia tech, cho seung-hui, trolls, blogging, cyberbullying
