I'm going to kill the term "death threats"

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pj

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Whenever something happens on the internet, people love to casually say "oh yeah, we've received lots of hateful messages, even death threats."

No you fucking haven't.

You wrote an article an anti-rape culture article on a blog that 200 people read and some shitty subreddit caught wind of it.

Or you sold your VR company to facebook for $2 billion and some nerds got salty.

I can't think of anything less threatening than some loser from the internet saying "I hope you get AIDS and then die in a car crash" or "i will rape u to death bitch"

The media of course loves it because they can put it in headlines and people who haven't been on the internet more than 8 seconds and still think the term has any meaning will pay attention.

We either need to reserve the term for actual threats that deserve to be taken seriously, or come up with a new term like "Death threats, for reals"
 
I disagree. The internet needs to stop being a safe space for these assholes. If someone said that in real life it would be taken seriously, and the internet should not be the magic space where you get to "really" say how you feel by sending that feminist bitch a letter about how you want to rape her to death.
 
pj said:
I can't think of anything less threatening than some loser from the internet saying "I hope you get AIDS and then die in a car crash" or "i will rape u to death bitch"
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One of these things is not like the other.

pj said:
We either need to reserve the term for actual threats that deserve to be taken seriously, or come up with a new term like "Death threats, for reals"
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How do you make that distinction?
 
pj said:
Whenever something happens on the internet, people love to casually say "oh yeah, we've received lots of hateful messages, even death threats."

No you fucking haven't.

You wrote an article an anti-rape culture article on a blog that 200 people read and some shitty subreddit caught wind of it.

Or you sold your VR company to facebook for $2 billion and some nerds got salty.

I can't think of anything less threatening than some loser from the internet saying "I hope you get AIDS and then die in a car crash" or "i will rape u to death bitch"

The media of course loves it because they can put it in headlines and people who haven't been on the internet more than 8 seconds and still think the term has any meaning will pay attention.

We either need to reserve the term for actual threats that deserve to be taken seriously, or come up with a new term like "Death threats, for reals"
Click to expand...

I think it's because death threats are in actual crime in some jurisdictions. Anonymous death threats usually carries a less serious implication.

Also with doxing and such, I can see why people still consider anonymous threats serious.
 
"I hope you die in a fire" is not a death threat.
"I will come to your house and kill you in your own kitchen" is.


Not sure how OP is going to to "kill the term" though. Also saying "some nerds got salty" is kind of weird, the Facebook takeover even made all the headlines in local news outlets here and the outrage too.
 
Actually in some cases people online found where they lived and sent death threats directly to them and their families. Jeff Gerstmann from Giantbomb had it happen to him.
 
thanks for your opinion OP, it's really reassuring for people who receive death threats. you are a wonderful man and have made things easier for people who receive death threats from other people.

Turns out the answer to death threats was just to stop calling them "death threats"! gee whiz!
 
Ourobolus said:
One of these things is not like the other.
Click to expand...

Let's face it, it is mindless vitriol in both cases.
I highly doubt these people are aware of the differences between expressing a wish for something bad to happen and directly threaten someone with the "bad" thing.

I can understand how people might find internet death threats frightening, especially if they involve personal information you thought people didn't have access to, but I doubt these threats to actually be indicative to potential future harm in the vast majority of cases.
In most cases, I imagine the people issuing the threats are your average angsty teenagers still living at home and expressing their pubertal-driven aggression online in-between COD-sessions and masturbation.

I automatically dismiss any death threats I receive online, whereas if someone where to go through the effort of calling me up (or use physical mail) then I would very much fear for my life.
 
I don't agree with you OP. I think that people should stop saying things like this. It's immature and over the top. No one deserves to see that directed to them in writing, and it's completely reasonable to react to it in the same way that you would if someone said it in person.
 
I can't say I agree with a single thing you said, OP. Pretty lousy opinion, to be frank.

I am glad this thread is looking to be a massive backfire.

I also find your attitude towards rape threats disgusting and ignorant.

0/10
 
SquiddyCracker said:
Let's face it, it is mindless vitriol in both cases.
I highly doubt these people are aware of the differences between expressing a wish for something bad to happen and directly threaten someone with the "bad" thing.

I can understand how people might find internet death threats frightening, especially if they involve personal information you thought people didn't have access to, but I doubt these threats to actually be indicative to potential future harm in the vast majority of cases.
In most cases, I imagine the people issuing the threats are your average angsty teenagers still living at home and expressing their pubertal-driven aggression online in-between COD-sessions and masturbation.
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...and they need to learn that its not acceptable even if they aren't "serious"
 
I purposely included an example that wasn't a threat because I think they are lumped together by the people saying they are receiving death threats. Anything that involves dying is a DEATH THREAT

Omegasquash said:
I don't agree with you OP. I think that people should stop saying things like this. It's immature and over the top. No one deserves to see that directed to them in writing, and it's completely reasonable to react to it in the same way that you would if someone said it in person.
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I don't think people will ever stop being shitty on the internet, especially < 25 year old dudes. There's always a new batch who are going through that phase. The only way would be a non-anonymous internet.

I don't think you should react as if they said it to your face because the cowards saying that stuff would never say it to your face. If they actually did then that would be a threat worth taking seriously.
 
So me sending a e-mail, facebook PM or DM on Twitter to some girl saying "i will rape u to death bitch" isn't a real threat, it's harmless. Me telling her that "I will fucking kill you" is also a harmless message that should not be considered a death threat.

BUT. Me leaving a voice mail or telling that same girl outside of the internet that "i will rape u to death bitch" or "i will fucking kill you" should be considered as a real threat, right? How is me saying that i will rape you to death on twitter any different then sending a letter, leaving a voicemail or saying it to her outside of the internet? The internet is just another way to convey that threat. We as a society should crack down even more on people who send death treats online. Just because you are online doesn't give you the right to send fucking death threats.

pj said:
I purposely included an example that wasn't a threat because I think they are lumped together by the people saying they are receiving death threats. Anything that involves dying is a DEATH THREAT



I don't think people will ever stop being shitty on the internet, especially < 25 year old dudes. There's always a new batch who are going through that phase. The only way would be a non-anonymous internet.

I don't think you should react as if they said it to your face because the cowards saying that stuff would never say it to your face. If they actually did then that would be a threat worth taking seriously.
Click to expand...
So why do we take voicemails and letters serious? How is that any fucking different then sending a e-mail or a PM? A death threat is a death threat. You do know that most death threats are never face-face, right? It's almost always from a letter or over the phone/voice mail and the ones that are carried out came from those methods of threats but hey long as it isn't face-face it doesn't matter, right?
 
The Technomancer said:
...and they need to learn that its not acceptable even if they aren't "serious"
Click to expand...

It's the Internet, it breeds it's own culture, norms, and acceptable thresholds of behaviour.
So long as no one is actually in harm's way, I think it is best to just ignore it, to wait for them to either escalate the threat and/or just let the Internet itself deal with the trolls of the internet (via public shaming and the like).

Because the alternative, of treating every online death threat as something meriting a response from the authorities, puts us on the path towards a more restricted internet and waster man hours/tax dollars.
 
SquiddyCracker said:
Let's face it, it is mindless vitriol in both cases.
I highly doubt these people are aware of the differences between expressing a wish for something bad to happen and directly threaten someone with the "bad" thing.

I can understand how people might find internet death threats frightening, especially if they involve personal information you thought people didn't have access to, but I doubt these threats to actually be indicative to potential future harm in the vast majority of cases.
In most cases, I imagine the people issuing the threats are your average angsty teenagers still living at home and expressing their pubertal-driven aggression online in-between COD-sessions and masturbation.

I automatically dismiss any death threats I receive online, whereas if someone where to go through the effort of calling me up (or use physical mail) then I would very much fear for my life.
Click to expand...
Just because they are ignorant of the difference doesn't mean it's acceptable behavior.
Sure, most of these "threats" are benign garbage from people who are just butthurt over some small thing, and the anonymity of the internet provides them with a shield to lob angry comments over, but that anonymity also makes it difficult to understand the full intent of the poster.

I'm not saying treat every "threat" like it's totally serious, but cognizance of their potential to be something worse is necessary.
 
kick51 said:
thanks for your opinion OP, it's really reassuring for people who receive death threats. you are a wonderful man and have made things easier for people who receive death threats from other people.

Turns out the answer to death threats was just to stop calling them "death threats"! gee whiz!
Click to expand...

"Lethal Greetings".

Ourobolus said:
Just because they are ignorant of the difference doesn't mean its acceptable behavior.
Sure, most of these "threats" are benign garbage from people who are just butthurt over some small thing, and the anonymity of the internet provides them with a shield to lob angry comments over, but that anonymity also makes it difficult to understand the full intent of the poster.

I'm not saying treat every "threat" like it's totally serious, but cognizance of their potential to be something worse is necessary.
Click to expand...
The solution is obviously to educate people to post "j/k" at the end of their non-serious death threats.

j/k
 
Why would it bother you that people say they get death threats?

How does it injure you when people point out, correctly, that people are threatening them and/or their family over some bullshit?
 
Htown said:
Why would it bother you that people say they get death threats?

How does it injure you when people point out, correctly, that people are threatening them and/or their family over some bullshit?
Click to expand...

Maybe he's the kind of loser that makes death threats.
 
SquiddyCracker said:
It's the Internet, it breeds it's own culture, norms, and acceptable thresholds of behaviour.
So long as no one is actually in harm's way, I think it is best to just ignore it, to wait for them to either escalate the threat and/or just let the Internet itself deal with the trolls of the internet (via public shaming and the like).

Because the alternative, of treating every online death threat as something meriting a response from the authorities, puts us on the path towards a more restricted internet and waster man hours/tax dollars.
Click to expand...

if internet users were more respectful, we wouldn't have to worry about a more restricted internet.

attitudes towards rape threats like the OP and 4chan make me want a less anonymous and restriction free internet. which is crazy coming from me, but stupid people will ruin it for all of us.


NoLoveForFailWheelDrive said:
Maybe he's the kind of loser that makes death threats.
Click to expand...


it certainly looks that way doesn't it
 
styl3s said:
So why do we take voicemails and letters serious? How is that any fucking different then sending a e-mail or a PM? A death threat is a death threat. You do know that most death threats are never face-face, right? It's almost always from a letter or over the phone/voice mail and the ones that are carried out came from those methods of threats but hey long as it isn't face-face it doesn't matter, right?
Click to expand...

If you said a death threat letter then you know where I live, and a home phone number is one step away from that. If you PM a death threat to me on neogaf you don't know shit except "pj."
 
pj said:
I don't think people will ever stop being shitty on the internet, especially < 25 year old dudes. There's always a new batch who are going through that phase. The only way would be a non-anonymous internet.

I don't think you should react as if they said it to your face because the cowards saying that stuff would never say it to your face. If they actually did then that would be a threat worth taking seriously.
Click to expand...

I agree with what you said about people stopping being shitty...it applies to everything. People will be shitty on roads and cut you off, for example. I maintain that people who react to that are entitled to do so, especially if those spitting venom at them are allowed to do just that.
 
I'm of the opinion that giving or receiving a threat via the internet should be treated just as seriously as giving or receiving a threat by phone or mail. If somebody sent a letter to a person's house saying they were going to attack them or their family, would that be taken seriously?

Why should it be different because the threat is sent electronically?
 
pj said:
If you said a death threat letter then you know where I live, and a home phone number is one step away from that. If you PM a death threat to me on neogaf you don't know shit except "pj."
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How difficult do you really think it would be for someone really, really invested to find out more?

This is just showing naivete about the extent of internet anonymity
 
Yeah im so tired of this bullshit PC society obsessed with mere insidous intimidation of violent and sexual nature, im sorry that those whinny so-called victims keep you up at night thinking about how easy it is to get your life ruined by acting like a callous piece of shit.
 
The Technomancer said:
I disagree. The internet needs to stop being a safe space for these assholes. If someone said that in real life it would be taken seriously, and the internet should not be the magic space where you get to "really" say how you feel by sending that feminist bitch a letter about how you want to rape her to death.
Click to expand...

Yup, came in here to say this.

Receiving nasty messages can be traumatic regardless of the medium it was sent by, and trivialising them does no one any favours (well, apart from those who view it as fun).
 
pj said:
If you said a death threat letter then you know where I live, and a home phone number is one step away from that. If you PM a death threat to me on neogaf you don't know shit except "pj."
Click to expand...
This is pretty bad logic. You have no idea if someone knows where you live.
 
Htown said:
Why would it bother you that people say they get death threats?

How does it injure you when people point out, correctly, that people are threatening them and/or their family over some bullshit?
Click to expand...

It annoys me most when it's worn almost as a badge of pride, because they know they're bullshit. I've seen many interviews where the death threatee tosses out that they've received death threats, and the interviewer says "death threats??" and everyone is impressed
 
pj said:
It annoys me most when it's worn almost as a badge of pride, because they know they're bullshit. I've seen many interviews where the death threatee tosses out that they've received death threats, and the interviewer says "death threats??" and everyone is impressed
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So you're bitter that other people get more attention than you?

You could just ask, I'm sure you could get some anon death threats if you're really jealous.
 
sn00zer said:
Some devs have described death threats where their families and where they work/got to school are named.
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Yup, someone willing to go that far is mentally unstable. But I think someone like that would have to be egged on to actually do anything. Not responding is the best course of action.
 
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