This online explosion grew from two separate, though connected, incidents. The first was the success of a series of videos made by the blogger Anita Sarkeesian, called Tropes vs Women, which explored the portrayal of women in video games (generally submissive and for decoration). When she launched a crowdfund appeal for the project in 2012, she raised $150,000 more than she asked for, but also unleashed a vicious campaign of sustained harassment. Hackers tried to gain access to her social media accounts and she was bombarded with tweets and emails threatening her with rape and death. A few weeks ago, she had to leave her home because she feared for her safety.