There was a time when Internet bullies and bigots thought they were safe behind their monitors because of the anonymity of the Internet.

Well, not anymore.

Technology has advanced to the point where the public — with a little know how — can trace bullies and bigots directly to their doorstep.

That’s exactly what happened after a staffer in U.S. state Senator Saxby Chambliss’ Georgia office left a gay slur on a blog that is dedicated to discussing gay issues.

The staffer, using the screen name “Jimmy,” wrote “All Faggots Must Die” in a blog post about gays serving in the military on the popular JoeMyGod blog.

Joe’s readers traced “Jimmy’s” Internet Protocol (IP) address to a complex in Atlanta where Sen. Chambliss has an office.

The media was contacted, and the story soon became national news.

An investigation was immediately launched by Sen. Chambiss’ office. “This office has not and will not tolerate any activity of the sort alleged,” said spokesperson Ashley Nelson.

Chambliss said in a statement Thursday that the Senate Sergeant at Arms had concluded its investigation, and he responded immediately by “removing” a member of his staff.

While he did not identify the culprit, Chambliss called Joe the blogger personally to apologize.

But Internet chatter indicates the staffer might be a Pentagon employee who was simply transferred out of Chambliss’ office to a different location.

So was he really fired or was this merely a politically correct move to appease the gays?