by Roy Allen

Created on: May 27, 2007   Last Updated: May 28, 2007

Recently I visited an ABC/AMC message board and places a link to my own website that helps single parents. As a result of this I got many letters from people that said it was a wonderful thing I was doing. However a small group of people intent on entertaining themselves began to attack me. Some went so far as to track down some of my blogs and personal accounts and attack those. Lately they have been attacking my website by creating a fake email address, sending nasty letters through the guest book on my site, and then deleting the email account they created to cover their tracks.

I stopped posting on that message board because I was sent an email by a couple of people from there that said if I did it would stop, it didn't and continues today.

Today I was reading some of it's content and noticed 1 person on there due to the attacks attempted suicide. She posted on the board that she took about a dozen sleeping pills but her husband found her and took her to the hospital.

She returned to the board to leave a message for a friend that she was OK and was leaving the board. These same people who attacked her began again calling her a fake and just wanting a pity party. Why would people act like that? Hide behind a computer and randomly attack others when they know it can cause harm.

Another person on there spoke of someone from that board causing her son to lose his job over something said on that board and although I cannot confirm this I can believe it because several attempts have been made to get me fires from my on line store. They just don't realize I own the store and will not likely fire myself.

The laws concerning Internet use needs to change to meet the needs of it's users while controlling or limiting the amount of hatred I have seen over the years. We were just having a little fun should no longer be acceptable as a reason for ruining or attempting to ruin someones life.

During the time I spent on this particular board I have so far copied over 100 pages of some of the most hateful things I have ever seen posted in a public forum. If you will not say it to someones face you should not be allowed to say it at all.

It has been a week since I posted on the ABC/AMC board and all I have done is watched. It appears several of those that did most of the damage were IP banned. Bet you can't guess who they are blaming? If you said me your right. The reality of it is they were banned for things they did and so as in their own lives blame others for their downfalls.

It is also amazing to me how this issue is down played by people saying "oh it is just because they can get away with it". That is no excuse and I think just like in real life people should be held accountable for their actions. Sooner or later I an sure that is what it will all come down too. I can't help but wonder how many people have actually caused them self harm or someone else over a comment made my a stranger over the Internet. I know that law enforcement uses the Internet to trap con artists and child predators, it is just a matter of time before they use it to catch hate mongers as well. The way I see it, if you won't say it in person you should not be allowed to say it in cyberspace and if you do you should have to pay for it if harm comes as a result.

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