Is internet shaming of online jerks okay or not?

Forums: Racism, Online, Bigotry, Twitter, Social Media
Email this Topic • Print this Page

Quote:

WASHINGTON -- A new blog that exposes racial slurs on social media about President Barack Obama's re-election could draw the attention of the U.S. Secret Service, even though most of its subjects -- two of whom are from Maryland -- appear to be of high school and college age.

The website "Hello There, Racists!" which has only existed since Nov. 11, had "outed" 77 subjects by Thursday afternoon. Its creator, who has not been identified, did not respond to an electronic request for comment.

The blog, which is hosted by the popular microblogging platform Tumblr, welcomes its visitors with a challenge:

"The (un)official motto of the GOP is 'personal responsibility' -- so with publicly available information, let the words, names, and faces of these racists be documented so that they may be responsible for them," the message reads. [... ... ...]

Source
I've very mixed feelings about this.

When I look at some of the tweets - they are really, really very offensive.
And even teenagers are accountable for their actions.

But ... what happens when we ("they") have finished shaming racists?
Who's the next to be in the pillory?

Topic Stats
Top Replies
Link to this Topic

Type: Question • Score: 18 • Views: 5,639 • Replies: 78

@Walter Hinteler,

Quote:

Who's the next to be in the pillory?

A very good question.

1 Reply

@Walter Hinteler,

Second question is how sure are they that they had ID the right person?

However if they are reposting messages that are in the public domain already and are IDing the people correctly using public information also I see no legal or moral problem with doing so.

Anything you put on the open net are public for the remaining exists of the human race.........

I kind of pity this new generation that in their middle age will still find themselves explaining postings/pictures from their teenage years.

1 Reply

@BillRM,

BillRM wrote:

Second question is how sure are they that they had ID the right person?

Fairly sure, I think, since they copy from Twitter and facebook.

0 Replies

@Walter Hinteler,

Walter Hinteler wrote:

But ... what happens when we ("they") have finished shaming racists?
Who's the next to be in the pillory?

That's the important question, all right.

On the other hand, as BillRM notes, if you post it, or say it, you can expect to live with it forever. Just ask anyone who has ever run for president.

1 Reply

@roger,

Quote:

On the other hand, as BillRM notes, if you post it, or say it, you can expect to live with it forever. Just ask anyone who has ever run for president.

The problem is that you do not need to be as high profile any longer as someone running for a high public office to have their life/history on the net being an open book.

Applying for any job down to a minimum wage job will get at least a fast but detail review.

This is only going to get worst not better and I can see for example where you will be able to run someone picture and bring up every posting of every picture that the person is in that had been uploaded to the net.

0 Replies

Is internet shaming of online jerks okay or not?

if it's a direct threat or posting something illegal (kiddie porn) - yes

if it's just being a dick - no

1 Reply

@djjd62,

Do you think "Hello There, Racists!" belongs to the dick category?

2 Replies

@Walter Hinteler,

I happen to think it does, but it still leaves your question of who is next in the pillory.

0 Replies

@Walter Hinteler,

yes, it's really none of their business

1 Reply

@djjd62,

When someone post something in public it is the business of whoever care to make it their business.

A private opinion express in private between friends even if it laster become known publicly it is not normally the public business however if you express that opinion for the world to read then what the hell...............

You can not and have it both ways.

1 Reply

@BillRM,

my theory is no one but the person the comment is made about should care, and a third party certainly shouldn't out someone, let the injured party do that

reposting or retweeting is one thing, outing a person, ie posting their private info, is not the responsibility of the non injured party in my opinion

1 Reply

Quote:

Its creator, who has not been identified, did not respond to an electronic request for comment.

that's rich

0 Replies

Live by the sword, die by the sword.
If you're gonna write shite, then be prepared to defend it. It's too easy to be an anonymous jerk. Why whine when other anonymous jerks out you?

0 Replies

@djjd62,

Quote:

reposting or retweeting is one thing, outing a person, ie posting their private info, is not the responsibility of the non injured party in my opinion

Sorry once more if your post it or tweet it to the whole damn world that is hook to the internet well over a billion humans at the moment it is not in any way or in any manner private info and anyone is more then free to repost it and as we all share this planet together so racist comments/hate are also everyone business as such hate base on race or skin color or religion is not in anyone best interest and to that degree we are all injured parties.

1 Reply

@BillRM,

try to understand, i get it's out there, that part i have no problem with, i'm fine with anything i say about anyone being reposted, retweeted, hung from a banner on the side of a building etc

i say **** about and to people all the time in real life, and just like online none of them know who i am

it's when folks other than those wronged post personal info i disagree with, and even then, how stupid are you to get upset about something a dipshit like me might say

words only hurt if you let them

2 Replies

@djjd62,

Perhap due to the fact that I am likely older then you and saw with my own eyes blacks being treated in the south by racists as sub-humans with those racists controlling many of those southern state governments and the police forces of those state, I do consider racists attacking Obama or any other black person in the US as a personal attack on me notwithstanding my white skin.

0 Replies

@djjd62,

But they do and can hurt. And not everyone has the tools to out a tool. Sometimes other people feel the need to stand up for those that are hurt. Think Amanda Todd.

0 Replies

Quote:

A new blog that exposes racial slurs on social media about President Barack Obama's re-election

I wonder if there were equivalents on the same social media about Romney.

1 Reply

There's a banner ad at the bottom of my screen saying, "Click here to see your arrest record" Huh?

2 Replies

Is internet shaming of online jerks okay or not?

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know