Why do the Feminist Principles of the Internet matter?

The internet is believed to be an open space for everyone to express themselves freely. So why do we need a set of principles to “govern” us?

“A woman like you deserves to be raped!”

I was shocked and terrified when I received the above comment in reply to my Facebook status. And it didn’t stop there. The person also sent me a private message on Facebook threatening to rape me.

No, this was not a random person I befriended on Facebook. This was someone I had actually met in a couple of training sessions in real life. I knew this person, and this person knew me.