Randi Harper, the founder and CEO of an anti-online abuse non-profit organization and partner of a Twitter trusted anti-harassment resource, was recently accused of abusive behaviors by Stop the Goodreads Bullies, a website that tracks and exposes cases of book review abuse. In a recent post, STGRB highlighted a case of Amazon review bullying by Harper, in which she accused the author of trying to “silence women” and “profit off feminism.”

Harper found it inappropriate that the book – a compilation of women’s experiences in tech titled Innovating Women: The Changing Face of Technology – was co-authored by a man, Vivek Wadhwa. Later that day, Harper publicly admitted to never reading the book, instead stating: “I had a problem with this book because the first author listed on the cover was a dude…” Harper also claimed that Wadhwa tried to “intimidate and silence” her because her criticism of the book was allegedly retweeted by the book’s Twitter account. Harper felt that the account sharing her negative criticism was actually Wadhwa “publicly harassing a woman that dared criticize one of the authors in an attempt to silence her.”

For the sake of clarity, Wadhwa’s co-author was a woman.

According to an email posted by STGRB, Amazon removed the abusive review. They also shared a Twitter conversation between Harper and Wadhwa, where the author offered to send Harper a copy of the book. In a separate conversation another man attempted to reasonably step in, but Harper repeatedly told him “set yourself on fire.” One month later, Harper made the same comment to Wadhwa after she claimed the author publicly shamed another woman for her sex life, sharing this link as evidence of such shaming.

Three days after that comment, Wadhwa announced that he would be stepping away from the discussion of women in technology. Wadhwa claimed that accusations of him “speaking for women” had become so mainstream and he was choosing to remove himself from the discussion. “Rumors now move at Internet speed. Once false information is out there, it is nearly impossible to correct. For example, I was accused of profiting from the pain and suffering of women. My attempts to clarify this publicly were impeded by the sheer volume of angry messages on Twitter. Each time I tried to address the points of my critics, I found others piling on or taking my words out of context.”

Such abuse is sadly not uncommon with the rise of social media; however it is particularly shocking that the CEO of an anti-online abuse organization is the person doing said abusing, and that it is happening often.

World famous author Anne Rice has been a vocal supporter of Stop the Goodreads Bullies and regularly shares articles of review abuse – a concern of hers as an author. On June 2, Rice shared the STGRB story of Harper’s abuse.

Good Morning, People of the Page: here is the latest from the watchdog website STGRB (Stop the Goodreads… https://t.co/suhfgSIUNG — Anne Rice (@AnneRiceAuthor) June 2, 2015

Afterwards, Rice received a swarm of harassment on social media, resulting in her having to block Harper on Facebook. In an email interview with Breitbart, Rice shared her opinion on the matter, stating, “I have no particular interest in Ms Harper. My concern has always been bullying on the book review sites and online bookstores. She wrote a ‘review’ which was not a review, but a personal attack on the author. It was reported and removed. The issue has never been whether this is a nice person or a bad person. The issue is honest authentic customer reviews as opposed to bully attacks.”

Breitbart also revealed that, following the first STGRB piece, longtime ally of Harper columnist Arthur Chu “took the opportunity to inflame the situation by posting another bogus review underneath Wadhwa’s Amazon page.” The review has since been removed but can be viewed below.

STGRB posted an update on June 2, sharing emails they received regarding personal experiences others had with Harper. In addition, they said that Harper is attempting to have her review “about that creepo Wadhwa” reinstated.

The Online Abuse Prevention Initiative was founded by Harper earlier this year and according to its website: “Focused on creating changes at an infrastructural level, OAPI seeks to help others understand the patterns and behaviors common in online abuse and what can be done to mitigate it quickly and easily. By working with strategic partners like Crash Override Network, we can quickly identify the critical items that allow sustained online harassment campaigns to go unchecked. We then take that data and work directly with the appropriate organizations to create tangible changes that result in increased support for targets of online harassment as well as enacting barriers to discourage further negative behavior.”

The website then says, “Joining Harper are Alex Lifschitz (Crash Override Network), Zoe Quinn (Crash Override Network), and Sheri Rubin (Design Direct Deliver) who serve as inaugural members for the organization’s board of directors.” (The author adjusted this entry for a typo. The first use of “Override” was spelled with three r’s on the OAPI page)

Crash Override Network claims to be “a support network and assistance group for victims and targets of unique forms of online harassment, composed entirely of experienced survivors.” Crash Override Network announced its partnership with OAPI on March 4, and is a “Twitter trusted resource.”

STGRB warns, “Please, give this bully a very wide birth and steer clear of her. It’s easy to have an enjoyable experience online as long as you know who to avoid.”

Disclosure: The author of this article admits a bias against Ms. Harper and additionally discloses that Harper has blocked her on Twitter. Harper created an automated block bot that includes several names and automatically blocks any user who follows two or more of those names. The official Kentucky Fried Chicken account was also blocked as a result, so the author feels that she is in adequate company.

Liz Finnegan is a soulless ginger with no political leanings. Pun enthusiast. Self-proclaimed “World’s Okayest Person.” Retro gaming contributor for The Escapist.

Read more from Liz by flipping through the gallery below.

Skip this Ad Next ADVERTISEMENT















































Feminism?

This story might make you gag. A feminist blogger is making yeast infection bread

Paris Attacks





Photo by Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images The day of the ISIS terrorist attacks in Paris was not the day the music died Photo by Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images

Political Correctness





(Photo by Beck Starr/WireImage) Anne Rice is right . We are facing a new era of censorship, in the name of political correctness.(Photo by Beck Starr/WireImage)

Entitlement

James Harrison returned his kids' "participation trophies." He is teaching his children not to feel entitled. We could all take a page out of that book.

Walk-out

Missouri high school students stage a walk-out after transgender teen uses girls' locker room.

Outrage Culture

Liz Finnegan weighs in on Troy Baker, ice cream toppings and outrage culture

Planned Parenthood

Badass feminist Camille Paglia slams liberal media over Planned Parenthood silence

Donald Trump





Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images The Howard Stern of politics now sets his sights on POWs Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images

Confederate Flag Controversy

With the controversy about the Confederate flag, some games aren't even allowed to be historically accurate.

Same-Sex Marriage

No, the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage was not an attack on states' rights.

SlutWalk

Find out what happened when a reporter held up a sign at SlutWalk that read: “There Is No Rape Culture in the West”

What I Learned From Rachel Dolezal

Liz Finnegan explores why it's OK to be a hypocrite when it comes to opinions on Rachel Dolezal

Transabled

People who are disabled by choice are being labeled " transabled ". Yes, it's actually a thing.

The reality is many participants in the ill-informed social justice movement hold themselves to different standards of speech and behavior than they hold others.

#GiveYourMoneyToWomen

Liz Finnegan discusses the reality of the latest trending hashtag: #GiveYourMoneyToWomen

Women in STEM

Liz Finnegan discusses the popular misconceptions and scapegoats concerning the gender gap in STEM fields.

Nothing But the Truth

Liz Finnegan explores the truth about campus rape hoaxes and false accusations.

Game of Thrones





Image source: HBO A fictional crime -- the rape of Sansa Stark on Game of Thrones -- has sparked real outrage . But, this is what watchers of the show signed up for.

Harassment?





Image source: YouTube A Kennesaw State University student was accused of harassment for sitting in a waiting room , and waiting for his advisor.

Misandry





Image source: Tumblr Misandry is a real problem that needs to be addressed. The true irony of "ironic misandry" is that it isn't ironic at all.

Bedtime Stories





Image source: Shutterstock This social justice professor says bedtime stories can give your kid an unfair advantage over others.

Sexual Consent





Image source: Shutterstock Sexual consent is a two-way street with dual responsibility, and no one is talking about this.

Social Media