"BuzzFeed was the first media company to scrutinize its relationship with SXSW, and had similar things to say about the conference's troubling decision to succumb to threats. "Digital harassment of activists of all political stripes, journalists, and women in those fields or participating in virtually any other form of digital speech has emerged as an urgent challenge for the tech companies for whom your conference is an important forum," BuzzFeed wrote in its letter to SXSW. "Those targets of harassment, who include our journalists, do important work in spite of these threats."
In a pattern that is becoming too familiar, efforts to curb harassment online have frequently been met with even more harassment. SXSW Interactive director Hugh Forrest said that the conference had received "numerous threats of on-site violence" in the seven days after two sessions with Gamergate associations were announced. One session, titled "Level up: overcoming harassment in games," would have been presented by Randi Harper, who has been a target of threats and harassment for her efforts to fight online abuse, including abuse from people affiliated with Gamergate. Harper would have been joined by IBM Watson interaction designer Caroline Sinders, and gaming critic Katherine Cross. These women join untold scores of others who have faced harassment and intimidation on the internet."
Holding institutions accountable.
Reminds me of stuff about Reddit and sort of who owns/is always expected to be admitted to tech spaces.
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