'I don't think you can generalize "the internet" in this way'

At least in the Baio case, there was really a perceptible "internet mob" that formed and attacked Maisel. It was disturbingly vicious, deliberately whipped up by John Gruber[0] and a few others, and actually spilled out into meatspace, with vandalism of Maisel's house.

(Sorry about the two replies to one comment.)

[0]http://lee-phillips.org/music/moreDick.html