Dibbell's-N-Bits

Dibbell's "A Rape in Cyberspace" is an event that took place before times of virtual community rules & regulations. Mr. Bungle, a virtual character in the community LambdaMOO, performed virtual rape on two voo-doo dolls that resembled two other virtual characters named Exu and Moondreamer. The two characters were emotionally victimized by this event, and sought justice against Mr. Bungle. Mr. Bungle was deleted from this community, but created a new account and came back as Dr. Jest. Deleting Mr. Bungle did not solve the problem what-so-ever. Dibbell discovered some time later that Mr. Bungle was operated by an entire floor of a dorm at NYU, and that only one person came back as Dr. Jest.

I have never been the target of virtual rape, but I have been the target of virtual stalking. During my first semester in Pullman I had accepted a friend on Myspace. His name was Brian So-And-So, and he was from Yakima, and my ignorant thinking was well I don't know this guy and he lives far from me. Brian began IM me via Myspace and I discovered he lived in Pullman. To make a long story short he started being an ass one day and I told him I would take him off my Myspace. That's when things got scary...he told me my address, what car I drove, and where I pick up my daughter. The final thing he said was...don't delete me...by the way your daughter is really cute...do you really want a F-ing enemy? I blocked this guy, and contacted WSU campus police. The detective told me that I was being threatened, and this act was considered harassment. I told the detective everything I knew about the guy, and printed off my history of our conversations as evidence. The detective informed me that there was no Brian So-And-So from Yakima, and didn't live in the dorm like he'd claimed. I was told to delete my profile, and to contact the detective if I noticed anyone following me or lurking around. They never discovered this guy/girls identity.

Describing this event is making me cry, because I can remember feeling so helpless and unsafe. I missed school for three weeks, and had severe anxiety whenever I'd leave my house. I began sleeping on my couch, because I was afraid I would not hear someone breaking in if I was asleep in my room. I had to inform my daughters daycare of the threat against her. Needless to say what happens in a virtual environment can indeed carry over and have a negative emotional effect on your RL.