30/08/2013
I cant believe I am now being cyber-bullied about being cyber-bullied! Is this what society has come to. Reading through the stuff.co.nz comments has made me realise there are bigger issues at stake here. People think cyber-bullying and harassment is ok and that its the victims fault for finding themselves in that position. Here's my response that I published today on stuff.co.nz comments.
"A. I did not give the man my address he is a stalker and its quite easy to get addresses online using a domain whois search, looking through the local online phone directory, or as a result of the new spam laws addresses have to be put at the bottom of all emails sent out through a newsletter mailing system unfortunately I work from home.
B. I am employed full time for a company as a marketer. However, I have successfully developed my own and others wordpress websites for years thus the term webdeveloper. I took all measures to protect myself.
C. The fact he knew i was single and had children was based on a friendly conversation that happened when all was well with the project before things went awry at the start he presented himself as a very friendly and communicative person.
D. The project he was working on was quite a small project I wanted someone to help tweak a wordpress theme i had not worked with before. I fully laid out in tasks what needed to be done in my project description. The project was only worth $58usd and he was paid $20usd for 20% he did complete. I was not risking 100's of dollars here in fact the whole dispute was over the $38usd that he didn't get paid.
E. If i had of gone to a 'local' provider I would have been charged over $250 for some simple tweaks as nz developers tend to charge between $120-180 per hour! for the average person this unaffordable thus why we are FORCED to go overseas to get things done.
F. Regarding the term 'Hacking' fortunately I am good at what i do and I DO know how to protect my websites. I have NO doubt that it is this individual trying to hack in and sending brute force attacks the ip address matches messages he has sent using terminology that only he uses. The turkish masterhack website he put a link to my website on was a forum and The thread was discussing my site but i couldn't make heads or tails as to what was said as it was all in turkish.
G. As a 'web-savvy' wordpress woman i have placed country ip blocks, ip login lockdowns, changed the chmod permissions on specific files, and am watching and collecting all ips that are actively trying to illegally gain access to the site. I know how to do this but most would not. So far the perpetrator has NOT been able to get in because I know what I am doing.
H. The perpetrators continued attempts and threatening emails and disgusting defamatory comments has at times made me feel violated, scared, shaking, and wondering what he will do next! Now i'm ANGRY! I am in no illusions that he wont come after me even more now that he has been cut of from freelancer.com and his stream of income. He has also been reported to the Local New Zealand Police and also The Local Turkish Police by Freelancer.com
It is disappointing to me that in the comments below your tending to blame me for bringing it on myself. That's like saying to a r**e victim its all your fault cause you were at the wrong place at the wrong time! You wonder why alot of crimes don't get reported because victims are scared of this very thing that they will get blamed and attacked more as a result of speaking out!
Have you all missed out the main issue which is that cyber-bullying, cyber stalking, cyber harassment no matter how it comes about is wrong! And hacking is a criminal activity!
How have we become so judgmental that they we miss the point entirely.
I am fully prepared to take responsibility for my actions, Hell, I chose the wrong provider to take on my project, but at the time I was not to know. and that doesn't excuse his actions for what he's been doing ever since the dispute that he started didn't go his way!
We are all responsible for our own actions but lets not forget who's really at fault in this particular cyber-bulling issue or are we, along with these big corporations, so used to it now and so accepting of it that cyber-bullying has become ok and the victim is just stupid to be in that position!
Vice is a monster of so frightful mien,
As to be hated needs but to be seen;
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace.
Essay on Man. Epistle ii. Line 217."
