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naraburns  nihil supernum  1yr ago (text post)   33257 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of February 20, 2023

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I'll be honest, I have almost no idea what a real death threat actually looks like.

99.9% of so-called death threats on the internet fall into one of two categories; faked or implausible. Neither of them can be said to be real to my mind. Someone from 5000 miles away in Bumfuck, Alabama saying "i'll kill u bitch" is not a real death threat as far as I'm concerned. Reacting to it as if it is would be giving it a gravitas that it does not deserve.

99.9% of so-called death threats on the internet fall into one of two categories; faked or implausible. Neither of them can be said to be real to my mind.

I actually feel like at least 90% of so-called death threats on the internet aren't even death threats. The vast majority of the times I see someone claim that they received death threats, the actual text says something like "You should die," or "I wish you would die," in more flowery language and palpable details. These aren't death threats, merely death wishes. A threat would be some sort of actual intent to carry out the wish.

Won’t someone rid me of this turbulent priest?

I dunno, if you get specific enough, at some point I think it should count. In the same way as “lol jk….unless?” Is still incitement. The turbulent priest probably doesn’t cross this line, since it wasn’t directed at the victim, but about him.

But throw enough vitriol at someone, and odds are some of it ends up looking like specific, actionable plans and demands. Those are threats even if the author never says “I”

But throw enough vitriol at someone, and odds are some of it ends up looking like specific, actionable plans and demands.

Some of it certainly does, I agree. In my experience, again, a vast majority of it doesn't.

I'll be honest, I have almost no idea what a real death threat actually looks like.

99.9% of so-called death threats on the internet fall into one of two categories; faked or implausible.

Easy. Imagine mail arriving on your real name private address you never ever used to shitpost on the internets, originating from proxy server in Belize, that contains pics of your house and family taken through telescopic sight and polite request to cease meddling with stuff you shouldn't meddle with.

Is there a story behind this?

Not sure, but I've received a directionally similar warning.

Over what content? Do you think the warning was issued by the authorities of a certain large Eurasian state?

Not at all. Just a sneering comment on an anonymous board that proved convincingly that «they» have tied all my behind-seven-proxies identities together and see my real identity as well, and if I know what's good, I'll shut the fuck up. A pretty sobering moment.

Was there a particularly sensitive subject matter that you were then discussing before this happened?

I suppose it was, but much less sensitive a topic than usual; what gave me away was manner.

In any case, I believe (and know, to an extent) the other party was just a highly intelligent individual who's good at online sleuthing, differs politically, and likes to put overconfident folks in their place. Not so much a threat as a warning.

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