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How police found Twitter user accused of sending seizure-triggering GIF

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Re: How police found Twitter user accused of sending seizure-triggering GIF

#131

If you're curious about the actual gif, I found it here[1]. Funny how something this simple can be so harmful. WARNING, THIS IS THE ACTUAL GIF AND INDUCED A SEIZURE IN ATLEAST ONE INSTANCE THAT WE KNOW OF. DON'T OPEN IF YOU'RE EPILEPTIC! [1]: https://giphy.com/gifs/acid-SDdgL8VFPq4ec

I feel a little nauseated after watching this for a few seconds. I don't think I am epileptic but could this mean I might be?

Re: How police found Twitter user accused of sending seizure-triggering GIF

#132
post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Different screen size, but many games have a warning about epilepsy.

It might be like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Proposition_65_(198... where the incentives are to mindlessly post a warning without any effort to confirm whether it's necessary. Result: warnings on everything until they're nearly unavoidable.

Except it's actually a thing: https://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/photosensitive-epilepsy/com...

Re: How police found Twitter user accused of sending seizure-triggering GIF

#133
post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a long rant of "what if's" that aren't relevant since the details are known. The "what if the guy didn't do it" is what the justice system is for, attorneys and investigators sort it out.

Sadly that's not how the justice system usually works. Investigators put together worst case scenario and find some facts that support their hypothesis (this document). Like everyone else he will settle and probably spend a few months in jail and pick up garbage on the freeway for 6 months, whether he did it or not. It's usually not worth the risk of losing in court

That much I'm fully aware, it's up to the defense basically even if the accused can't afford a good one. I believe the system should focus more on justice rather than convictions, but that's a whole different matter.

Re: How police found Twitter user accused of sending seizure-triggering GIF

#135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'm saying that unless they have a confession from the defendant that he was trying to kill this guy, or his diary dictating that, which they should include in the story were that the case, then this is just stupid. If that was the standard for a criminal prosecution, we'd rarely convict anyone. > The presidence this case might set forth is terrifying. It provides a never before seen limitless weaponization of the…

Every response is karma suicide, however, I am obviously referring to this exact specific case.. One would traditionally assume that posting a gif is not a crime, no matter the gif (with a few exceptions in the law such as certain types of pornography), in THIS case, the person I am responding to claims it is a crime because of the intent. And the precedent I am discussing is apparently whether or not posting a 'gif'…

Criminal intent is one of the most important parts of law. If there is no criminal intent in many cases there is no crime.

If you want to have a discussion, take some time to clearly articulate your arguments because it's hard to read. I think that's what's getting voted down, not necessarily that everyone disagrees with you.

Re: How police found Twitter user accused of sending seizure-triggering GIF

#137
On the bottom right of this page, a link entitled "Related Article" takes you to a US Department of Justice Press Release [0], although it doesn't really say anything new other than that the guy was arrested and had an initial court appearance last Friday.

[0]: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/maryland-man-arrested-cyberst...

Re: How police found Twitter user accused of sending seizure-triggering GIF

#138

If you're curious about the actual gif, I found it here[1]. Funny how something this simple can be so harmful. WARNING, THIS IS THE ACTUAL GIF AND INDUCED A SEIZURE IN ATLEAST ONE INSTANCE THAT WE KNOW OF. DON'T OPEN IF YOU'RE EPILEPTIC! [1]: https://giphy.com/gifs/acid-SDdgL8VFPq4ec

I feel a little nauseated after watching this for a few seconds. I don't think I am epileptic but could this mean I might be?

I would look up other symptoms of epilepsy. If that does not quell your concerns, consult with a doctor.

As a person with epilepsy I viewed the image (FOR SCIENCE!) and almost immediately had a headache. which is on par with what I was expecting from previous experiences with flashing lights.

That being said, EEG testing has reveled that my thresh hold for Photosensitive seizures is much higher than other triggers making me feel safe viewing the image.

Re: How police found Twitter user accused of sending seizure-triggering GIF

#139

You're an insane person and I regret engaging with you.

Personal attacks will get your account banned from Hacker News. Please don't do this again, regardless of how wrong someone is or how bad some comments are.

We detached this comment from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13920864 and marked it off-topic.

Re: How police found Twitter user accused of sending seizure-triggering GIF

#140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> “Spammed this at [victim] let’s see if he dies,” Seizures can kill and this is widely known, so widely that we got instruction in high school on how to deal with a seizure victim to make sure they don't die. Surely someone sending a seizure inducing picture to someone they know is prone to seizures is well aware of the risk they are taking, they are definitely not doing it to give them a monitor induced suntan. See…

That quote sounds like common smack-talk rather than a genuine statement of intent. I think you could hang "intent to do the victim harm" on the combination of that and the actions here. But, actual intent to cause death? I'd want to see much more than mention of dying - "do that and I'll kill you" or "I hope you die", or similar, must have been said a trillion times in situations where actual death was _not_ intende…

12 angry men.
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