Final Blog Post: Presentation Reaction

Online Harassment and Threats of Violence: Olivia Purnell Olivia spoke about the degree to which a great majority of women experience in the realm of online harassment. I had mostly known about online harassment toward groups and individuals but did not fully understand the lengths that some internet users will go to shame women in particular. She spoke about the ubiquity of revenge porn perpetrated on an incredible amount of women. The creation or distribution of this material seems to be attributed to spurned ex-lovers, internet trolls and stalkers, and other deeply disturbed individuals who needed to shame these women to prop up their own egos. Sometimes these women find this material on their own or have someone find it and bring it to their attention, and sometimes it just floats around the internet unbeknownst to the victims. She even spoke of how in a few cases a woman would have to take nude photos of themselves and send them to a site to prove that their bodies pictured were, in fact, theirs and had to claim illegal use of the image, in an attempt to have the image removed. Women experience harassment, threats of violence and rape, cyber-stalking and a host of other despicable acts just because they are women with opinions and stances. I sat there and listened to Olivia talk with my mouth agape from the realities of the vile abuse of their person and violation of their rights to privacy. I felt as if she did a tremendous job in portraying a very real, and very dangerous side of the internet. A+ in my book.