As with most of the web community, SXSW is extremely saddened by the events that led Kathy Sierra to cancel her scheduled speaking engagement at E-tech. If there is any kind of silver lining to the very dark cloud that now hangs over the blogging community, it is that the hate speech directed against Sierra has sparked the most comprehensive discussion ever about the limits of free speech online and the problems of anonymous blog posting.

To this end, we are also heartened that Friday, March 30 has been designated as Stop Cyberbullying Day. Please take a few minutes to read the thoughts of Andy Carvin on this matter -- and to contribute your energy to this movement. The Internet is such an amazing space. Please don't let a few nitwits ruin the fabulous community that so many people have worked so hard to build. While we deeply regret the anguish that Kathy Sierra has suffered in the last few weeks, we have faith that the shockwaves surrounding her tribulations will ultimately help improve the state of online discourse and civility.

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