Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

The Facebook Comment That Ruined a Life

dallasobserver.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

51–60 of 356 posts

Re: The Facebook Comment That Ruined a Life

#51

Post by spacemanmatt »

DanBC wrote: post #37

For the people who think that this kind of direct threat needs a punishment: what would be suitable?

First of all, 'people' do not get to decide whether this is a direct threat that needs punishment. Judges of laws make that call.

We have rules for a reason. The police broke them and this accused kid is suffering for it. There is no justification for putting him in jail just because someone thought they might feel threatened. There were multiple breakdowns in the legal system that should have protected him from illegal arrest and prosecution but comments like this make it seem ok to turn a blind eye.

He's never been convicted of anything. Why the rush to punish?

Re: The Facebook Comment That Ruined a Life

#52

Post by gcb0 »

zacinbusiness wrote: post #42
sheetjs wrote: post #34

Out of curiosity: if someone hacked this kid's account and posted those comments, and if the legal system is considering the Facebook comments to be his words, what recourse does he have? How does he demonstrate that the speech wasn't his?

He doesn't. And proving hacking would be nearly impossible. A gifted hacker wouldn't leave evidence. Or at least no evidence that a normal investigator will find. And simply saying its a possibility doesn't matter without evidence. Thus, it's too expensive and time consuming to even consider. Interesting point, though.

Why even hack? They went with a screenshot. A second hand screenshot!

Note to 4chan. Create screenshots of terrorsm acts from DA and judge and send to other states PD

Re: The Facebook Comment That Ruined a Life

#53

Post by zacinbusiness »

ItendToDisagree wrote: post #39
zacinbusiness wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia - fear these places.

Any state south of the Mason-Dixon line is portrayed as a cartoonish land of religious fanatics, racism, and overreaction. In truth it is not exactly so, but I personally wouldn't want to live in any of those places. I probably wouldn't be happy living in the mid-west either though. It generally holds true that these sorts of things can happen in any state now. If you 'threaten' to shoot up a school (no matter how jo…

I've lived in the south my whole life. It's a hell hole of backwards racism, fear. I stay here for my family and my wife's job. But it's hard.

Re: The Facebook Comment That Ruined a Life

#54

Post by adventured »

rosser wrote: post #11
pgsandstrom wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"i hope you fucking bring in hell" is meant as "I hope you give them hell".

You have no definitive proof of that, and I think your assertion is as laughably specious as the prosecution's in this case.

And I think that's exactly the point being made.

Re: The Facebook Comment That Ruined a Life

#55

Post by ItendToDisagree »

zacinbusiness wrote: post #42
sheetjs wrote: post #34

Out of curiosity: if someone hacked this kid's account and posted those comments, and if the legal system is considering the Facebook comments to be his words, what recourse does he have? How does he demonstrate that the speech wasn't his?

He doesn't. And proving hacking would be nearly impossible. A gifted hacker wouldn't leave evidence. Or at least no evidence that a normal investigator will find. And simply saying its a possibility doesn't matter without evidence. Thus, it's too expensive and time consuming to even consider. Interesting point, though.

What happened to "beyond a reasonable doubt"? Hacking, Photoshopping, etc all seem more than reasonable these days...

But I'm pretty sure burden of proof on the prosecution and 'reasonable doubt' went the way of the Dodo years ago.

Re: The Facebook Comment That Ruined a Life

#56

Post by spacemanmatt »

cinskiy wrote: post #15

Well nobody today thinks twice about posting something on the internet, especially youth, and while they should, it's still OK, because it's the way social messaging and posting works, and everybody else should be more or less OK with that too. 10 years for trolling is way over the top, just fine him already and let him go.

Fine him for what? He has been convicted of nothing.

Re: The Facebook Comment That Ruined a Life

#57

Post by hackerboos »

billyjobob wrote: post #9

Wow, I didn't realise US police were that bad. After reading this I don't think I could ever feel safe enough to visit the US. Sounds like you'd have a better chance of getting justice in an African dictatorship where at least the dont-rape-me bribe would be affordable. Tourists really should be warned about this, because it's not the image the US tourist boards present to us at all.

The US police are bad but it's the prosecutors that are at major fault here. This case should be dismissed.

Re: The Facebook Comment That Ruined a Life

#58

Post by dirktheman »

jpttsn wrote: post #25
dirktheman wrote: post #20

I think anyone agrees that this whole situation has been blown out of proportion on a massive scale. But threatening to shoot up a school, in the light of recent events... really? What if he actually DID shoot up a school, and afterwards people discovered that authorities WERE warned? People need to realize that what you post on the internet can be interpreted different than what you actually meant. Besides, threaten…

> Besides, threatening with an act of terrorism is never funny, and always a bad idea. That's a little narrow-minded. I can easily imagine scenarios where it's funny and/or a fairly good idea.

I stand corrected. Achmed the dead terrorist was hilarious!

Re: The Facebook Comment That Ruined a Life

#60

Post by Nux »

ItendToDisagree wrote: post #49
Nux wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

USA is a lovely country, too bad it's inhabited. ;-)

That didn't stop the original European settlers now did it? ;D

Yep, they sure liked it. The above is an expression we use a lot in my own country (Romania): "Our country is great, too bad it's inhabited". It can easily be extended to any country, imho. :)
Post reply on HN