Another troll news item

[SweetWitch]

For anyone who may be interested, here are links articles about the fallout of Chen's Gawker article, a couple of which were posted before Chen's article was.

WaPo: http://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...f82c64-141c-11e2-9a39-1f5a7f6fe945_story.html

BetaBeat: http://betabeat.com/2012/10/reddit-readies-for-brewing-inter-website-war-bans-links-to-gawker-media/

Salon: http://www.salon.com/2012/10/15/infamous_reddit_troll_loses_job_after_gawker_expose/

Slate: http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_facto...y_gawker_when_will_law_enforcement_catch.html

It's disturbing to see the man is accepting donations after losing his job--a job he knew he'd lose if he was found out. Are we expected to have sympathy for this person? To paraphrase Rhett Butler, he's like the thief who isn't a bit sorry he stole, but is very sorry he was caught.

 

[Stella_Omega]

It's disturbing to see the man is accepting donations after losing his job--a job he knew he'd lose if he was found out. Are we expected to have sympathy for this person? To paraphrase Rhett Butler, he's like the thief who isn't a bit sorry he stole, but is very sorry he was caught.

It's very disturbing to think that people are giving him money, far more than him taking it.

 

[sun_sea_sky]

It's certainly a bizarre story.

If I get it right, Reddit are going to ban or remove links to this external site (Gawker) that (threatens to) name one of their moderators. A moderator who is posting pictures of women's private parts taken without their consent.

Their basis for removing such links is that they should be able to have "freedom of speech" without fear of having their privacy exposed. However it appears that the freedom of speech concept doesn't extend to links to sites of which they disapprove. So that is hardly freedom of speech.

And the privacy issue seems to sit ill-at-ease against the implicit approval of posting pictures violating the privacy of third parties (the women in question).

I can't help thinking that what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. If I were to (say) publish the real name of TinyBeth (just an example, I have no idea what it is), then I can hardly complain if she publishes my real name.

I am publishing anonymously here, but I am making no attempt to violate other real people's lives. All I am doing is writing stories, and putting them into categories where, if you are offended by such material, you don't have to read them.

 

[SweetWitch]

It's very disturbing to think that people are giving him money, far more than him taking it.

I'm sure he's doing better than the rest of us. He'll be able to carry on with more time to troll than before.

If what he said about death threats is true, it's equally disturbing, although I suppose I can understand someone's anger at him. I just don't understand the need to react with violence.

 

[Stella_Omega]

I'm sure he's doing better than the rest of us. He'll be able to carry on with more time to troll than before.

and I have no doubt that he will, too.

If what he said about death threats is true, it's equally disturbing, although I suppose I can understand someone's anger at him. I just don't understand the need to react with violence.

Well, technically, those reactions are only the threat of violence.

Sort of like his actions were, technically, legal.

And I think that if you really can't understand the impulse you are a very lucky woman for that.

 

[TinyBeth]

I can't help thinking that what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. If I were to (say) publish the real name of TinyBeth (just an example, I have no idea what it is), then I can hardly complain if she publishes my real name.

I am publishing anonymously here, but I am making no attempt to violate other real people's lives. All I am doing is writing stories, and putting them into categories where, if you are offended by such material, you don't have to read them.

I certainly hope no one does. Lol. I could end up rather embarrassed. It wouldn't cost me a job or mortgage, but I might have several uncomfortable conversations out of it.
Anonymity on the internet is a wonderful thing...until people start abusing it. Which is why I limit myself to my stories and posting on this forum. I don't intend to give anyone a reason to go digging.

 

[sun_sea_sky]

I agree with TinyBeth here. My fallback position is, if my identity were unmasked it might be embarrassing (to have people know the sort of things I write) but I wouldn't expect the police at the door for doing something illegal.

 

[SweetWitch]

and I have no doubt that he will, too. Well, technically, those reactions are only the threat of violence.

Sort of like his actions were, technically, legal.

And I think that if you really can't understand the impulse you are a very lucky woman for that.

The "threat" of violence is still a form of violence. It's a violence of the mind and does more to harm the ones making the threats than the one receiving.

I understand the impulse, but impulses aren't always meant to be acted upon. Even though one of my daughter's teachers needs his butt whooped, it doesn't mean I'm going to threaten to do it.

There are better ways of handling such a situation than issuing a death threat. I like Chen's way of dealing with the creep. He outed him. He didn't threaten to beat the life from him or blow up his home. He simply put the truth out there and let the man dig his own metaphorical grave.

 

[topace]

I'm afraid to say this but I don't have that much privacy, but what I do, I treasure.

Being a small-time celebrity does that. Being on social networks doesn't help either.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

What woman has private parts anymore? I suggest that the truth is they exhibit their wares like they do their old stained potholders down at the Schlubville Drive-In Flea Market.

 

[satindesire]

The "threat" of violence is still a form of violence. It's a violence of the mind and does more to harm the ones making the threats than the one receiving.

I understand the impulse, but impulses aren't always meant to be acted upon. Even though one of my daughter's teachers needs his butt whooped, it doesn't mean I'm going to threaten to do it.

There are better ways of handling such a situation than issuing a death threat. I like Chen's way of dealing with the creep. He outed him. He didn't threaten to beat the life from him or blow up his home. He simply put the truth out there and let the man dig his own metaphorical grave.

One of the reasons why I post openly under my own picture and name is the fact that I've said nothing I'm ashamed about. People who post anonymously with the explicit intent to hurt people deserve to reap what they sow. I have no pity for him.

Karma has a way of biting people in the metaphorical ass sooner or later. Whether it's by a flesh eating disease that only makes their outside match their inside, or by a sudden stroke or getting mugged on the street, a car wreck or a divorce, the universe has a strange method of giving back every ounce of negativity and bile they put in.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Who woulda thought SATINDESIRE is a real name!

 

[Stella_Omega]

One of the reasons why I post openly under my own picture and name is the fact that I've said nothing I'm ashamed about. People who post anonymously with the explicit intent to hurt people deserve to reap what they sow. I have no pity for him.

Karma has a way of biting people in the metaphorical ass sooner or later. Whether it's by a flesh eating disease that only makes their outside match their inside, or by a sudden stroke or getting mugged on the street, a car wreck or a divorce, the universe has a strange method of giving back every ounce of negativity and bile they put in.

Honey, that's just life. All of those things happen to people whether they are nice or naughty. Flesh eating diseases, divorces, and muggings happen to perfect saints.

Trolls who post with the intent to hurt people invite retaliation, and although retaliation has been difficult on the internet-- trolling has been vicious enough, often enough, that the tools are being forged to track them down.

And that poses a whole other problem,for people who really need anonymity for safety.

 

[sr71plt]

Who woulda thought SATINDESIRE is a real name!

OK, that was a gotcha.

 

[gentledemands]

I'm not a big fan of it either, but this guy had blurred the lines of his online/real lives, as he himself said. Sounds like a number of people knew his alias and real name.

There's a tragic case in Canada just starting up right now. A young girl who was fifteen took her own life because of being coerced by some creep to reveal photos of herself and then posted them. She ended up meeting him and, well, you can figure the rest out. She moved several times but each time was discovered, including her new facebook pages. Facebook can be as evil a place as anywhere on the Internet.

One reported talked about how years ago once a child was home they were safe from bullying, but with the pervasiveness and addiction to social media, that they are as likely to be bullied and humiliated in their own homes.

Parents, protect your children.

 

[topace]

A just read another article in the Washington Post about a memo Reddit's CEO sent around about this whole situation.

He condemned the banning of the Gawker links, but also condemned the outing of voilentacruz's real identity. He said that Reddit was there for free speech and should not take down legal content just because someone didn't like it.

 

[PennLady]

I just read that as well.

I agree that free speech means that there will be things spoken about which some will find offensive. That's okay. A site like Reddit, privately-owned and -run, can allow or not allow what it likes. If they want to allow everything, or at least everything legal, that's okay too.

However, you don't have a right to anonymity. And it doesn't mean people won't take you to task for such things. You don't get to escape criticism just because of free speech.

 

[sr71plt]

Yes, "taking down the content" rather misses the point. You don't lose responsibility for what you say--or identification of having said it--just because you are exercising free speech.