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Aruba’s ONLY English newspaper
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Online harassment, real harm: Fixing the web's biggest bug
By DAVID KLEPPER point, FBI agents escorted
The Associated Press Heller to class for her pro-
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — It tection.
should have been a time "People say, 'Oh, just log
of celebration: Brittan Hel- off. Don't read it. Turn off
ler would soon graduate the computer,'" said Heller,
from college and head to who turned her personal
one of the nation's top law experience from 15 years
programs. ago into a legal specialty
But when a classmate with as a leading expert on on-
unrequited feelings for Hel- line harassment.
ler wasn't admitted to that "This the 21st century, and
same school, he turned his people have a right to
rage on her. He wrote a use the internet for work,
manifesto titled "A Stupid for pleasure or to express
B---h to Attend Yale Law themselves. Telling people
School" and posted it on not to read the comments
a site popular with anony- is no longer enough. We
mous trolls. don't talk enough about
The man urged them to do this problem, and we need
their worst. to."
Soon strangers were mak- Online harassment has be-
ing derogatory, sexualized come such a familiar part
comments and posting her of the internet that it can
pictures online. They made be hard to imagine the Tina Meier, founder of the Megan Meier Foundation, poses for a photo in the foundation's office
threats. Posted her per- web without it. Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021, in St. Charles, Mo.
sonal information. At one Continued on next page Associated Press