Looking up some information on positivity and passion in software development today I found myself confronted by something that I just didn’t expect – and I’m still not certain how to react.
Katthy Sierra, an author I admire and respect has decided to stop writing her Creating Passionate Users blog because of a rather nasty flame war involving death threats which rapidly became a very public discussion.
There are never any winners from something like this, and in the mess of deleted sites, sensationalist reporting and public and private discussions it is hard to see the facts of the story. What I have seen is not pretty. It leaves a nasty aftertaste. Among glimmers of human decency there are a lot of nasty words and mean spirited statements. It all seems so not what the debate about blogs and content and passion for communication should be about.
I now don’t know what to do. To use Kathy’s work to illustrate a positive message of passion and desire for excellence is going to lead people to a debate that runs counter to this message and thats a tough one to deal with both honestly and with integrity.
