ReveNews
Is the Blogsophere Becoming the Tattle’ Tale Nation?
Megan Meier’s a 13-year-old who was suffering from depression and attention deficit disorder who was viciously manipulated at the hands of adult neighbors who pretended to be a young male friend “Josh Evans” through MySpace has lit the blogoshpere by storm! Blogger’s all over the world are crying for Justice for Megan and are taking it upon themselves to ENSURE the identity of the persons involved with this cruel cyber hoax are known and put to Justice, but justice in what form?
Megan was manipulated into believing a boy “Josh Evens” cared for her and was a friend, she met him through MySpace. On 16 October 2006, Josh turned on Meagan and started posting extremely foul messages and swinging insults. Meagan took her life on that day by hanging herself in her bedroom closet. Megan just a child of 13 never knew this was a cyber hoax played out on her by adult neighbors whom she actually knew and whose daughter she had recently been friends with.
One excerpt of what was “said” to Megan (Link)
Everybody in O’Fallon knows how you are. You are a bad person and everybody hates you. Have a shitty rest of your life. The world would be a better place without you”
This happened more then a year ago and up until now the identities of the Missouri couple living in the Waterford Crystal Drive community who committed this vile act of persona fraud and cyber bullying had been held in confidence by the mainstream press. However, they have now been outed by internet sleuths who are posting their identity, phone number, and home address throughout the internet demanding justice for Megan. Natural search engine optimization, blogging, social media, these blogilanties are hitting the internet like a mad team of negative PR pros seriously seeking justice and hitting major content levels concerning the information on this case.
Blogilanti on a new level has turned a few blogger’s into the new Tattle’ Tale nation, with over 586,000 sites of varying content types (Including Press, Blogs, articles, and Websites) currently coming up for natural search results (Google - west coast server) for the name Megan Meier.
Freedom of speech is a very powerful tool; I understand that karma and the courts will play its part here, but to what degree from incitement by a story that has changed so many hands across so many countries by so many authors. What justice are blogger’s seeking here by posting the information, and to what degree?
Was it right for blogger’s to post the addresses and phone number of the persons who perpetrated this cyber hoax that reportedly led to this girl’s decision to take her own life? Is this blogilantiism, or is this pressure helping to incite the courts to take action?
Articles on this story:
ABC News covered this story here: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3882520&page=1
http://bloggintheburbs.blogspot.com/2007/11/justice-for-megan-meier.html
Supplemental Post:
**VERY lively discussion concerning the issue of posting or not posting the personal information on the the Drew’s here:
http://www.bloggernews.net/111694
Personally, part of me likes the vigilante justice you find on the internet sometimes, it shows that some people do stand up for what’s right. Unfortunately, a lot of people take it too far. Death threats, bricks through windows, hitting the house with paint balls, and prank 911 calls = bad. However, I am all for the boycotting of the businesses that advertise through Lori Drew.
I feel bad for the husband though, he got fired from his job because of the internet vigilantes, and as far as I can tell he had nothing to do with it, aside from marrying a horrible person
“However, I am all for the boycotting of the businesses that advertise through Lori Drew.”
What business is this? Also concerning the husband I read that he was aware of what was transpiring? Was he not aware?
Appreciate your information