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BBC confronts Facebook troll

news.cnet.com

31–40 of 133 posts

Re: BBC confronts Facebook troll

#31

Not being familiar with privacy laws in the UK, did he have to sign a release to have his face shown on that program? If so I fail to see how its effectively shaming someone if they willingly submit to be filmed.

No...he's a figure of documentary/journalistic interest. Else, virtually every photo of a perp walk would have to be blurred out.

Re: BBC confronts Facebook troll

#33
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, we can't forget that even trolls have day jobs, bosses, friends, family, acquaintances. This particular troll wrote some mean, racist, inhumane comments. He wants attention, but not to his real self, which is why he posts under a fake account. So as a society, what do you do with such offenders? Freedom of speech wasn't really meant to protect garbage like that. Well, one option is you can publicly shame him, o…

So .. we form a mob and lynch them? If I forget my 'ignore them' position for a second: Either they do violate the law or they don't. If they do, the law is responsible here, not you/we. If they don't, it's a rather weird idea to hunt them down and blackmail them to stop that behavior or you're telling the employer/his wife/his mom about those Facebook posts. Let's focus on improvements to moderation systems and teac…

Well, firstly I never seriously suggested we systematically do anything to trolls as a form of real justice.

Secondly, you ( and other people) shape society's culture and norms. Trolling is a matter of culture, not just law, and it is not simply the governments responsibility or not. The people pass laws which the government enforces (or at least that's how its suppose to work in a democracy).

Thirdly, I actually made the same comment as you the other day, regarding "don't take internet comments seriously". Here's a great reply:

I will play the part of the alarmist and also be the first to invoke Goodwin's law by stating that unchecked rhetoric was the first psych-ops that the Nazi's used. Group acceptance of dehumanizing a different group is the first step down a horrible path. It should be checked at every advance. The seed in America seems to have happened with Muslims, as it was acceptable in good company to view them all as fundamentalist psychopaths, the government and media where all to willing to reinforce such group think as it strengthen their case for war, now that the seed has set it has grown to bear fruit. Vilifying or dehumanizing a group of people always leads down a path of darkness. I would not hastily blow it off as being stupid and crap said on the internet, it is a dangerous mindset, that is easily infection to those susceptible to group think and the sewers of it tend to be far too willing to act when they feel emboldened by numbers and the echo chamber.

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3559345

Re: BBC confronts Facebook troll

#34
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, we can't forget that even trolls have day jobs, bosses, friends, family, acquaintances. This particular troll wrote some mean, racist, inhumane comments. He wants attention, but not to his real self, which is why he posts under a fake account. So as a society, what do you do with such offenders? Freedom of speech wasn't really meant to protect garbage like that. Well, one option is you can publicly shame him, o…

So .. we form a mob and lynch them? If I forget my 'ignore them' position for a second: Either they do violate the law or they don't. If they do, the law is responsible here, not you/we. If they don't, it's a rather weird idea to hunt them down and blackmail them to stop that behavior or you're telling the employer/his wife/his mom about those Facebook posts. Let's focus on improvements to moderation systems and teac…

If, like me (and the US Constitution), you think we should have extremely strong freedom of speech protections, that doesn't mean you automatically think there shouldn't be private repercussions to some speech.

Re: BBC confronts Facebook troll

#37

It's good to see Facebook has it's moderating priorities straight. Just for the record its: Holocost Deniers: Tolerated Breastfeeding Mothers: Not OK

This is an incredibly important point. There are two stances to take. First, FB can claim they are a “common carrier,” does not censor, and not responsible for what people post (just as the telephone company is not responsible for what people say on the telephone). Second, FB can pick and choose what is allowed but bears responsibility for what it allows to be posted.

Whether you like or dislike their particular choices, the very fact that they censor breastfeeding mothers means that they are accepting moral responsibility for what they decide not to censor.

I do not accept the statement that they “Abhor Nazi ideals and find Holocaust denial repulsive and ignorant. However, we believe people have a right to discuss these ideas and we want Facebook to be a place where ideas, even controversial ideas, can be discussed.” Where was that line of thinking when they censored breastfeeding?

Re: BBC confronts Facebook troll

#38
post #26

I do not agree with the statements of the troll but will defend his right to say it. The internet is making the world like a small town. Piss on people on the internet will be like pissing on people in line at Walmart. You can, but people are going to hate you, and you will never be forgiven by anyone for anything bad you do unless you hire a professional to erase your histories.

Except you can't piss on people in public?

Re: BBC confronts Facebook troll

#39

"Burton looks like so many large, smoking men whom you'd see in a British pub" What a ridiculous stereotype.

Not to mention you can't smoke in pubs in Britain - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_ban_in_England

A better link is probably: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Smoking_ban_in_wal... as the piece was filmed in Wales, not England.

Re: BBC confronts Facebook troll

#40
post #20

Commenting on this particular troll is probably beneath the majority of us. However, on a general note, I think it is important to realize that every text message you send, every cell phone conversation you have, every post to the CNN forum you make, every tweet you send ... is directly attributable to your IP whether you use your own name or not. With Facebook and Google tracking everything you do, whether you are l…

I've run forums for a long time and bullying surfaces frequently. Most trolls use Tor nowadays.

Only very rarely do I get traceable IP addresses that can be dealt with in any meaningful way, and that's usually when there is an invasion of trolls for a day or two and some drop their guard.

The only time I've ever successfully stopped a troll was about a decade ago when I traced it back to a uni and was able to raise a sysadmin.

By and large, for the majority of forums and social sites out there (which is where most bullying happens) there is very little that the admins can do even if it's reported to us.

About the only thing working is stopforumspam.com , whereby hundreds of forums are blocking IP addresses for a short while across all of the forums. It's made for spam, but I and others submit trolls to it too (when we're absolutely sure there's nothing of worth in the person and it's not just differing views).

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