07-06-2017, 02:30 PM
(07-06-2017, 12:29 PM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: I'm going to add this rather than respond to more LEO attacking bait in other threads.
Anonymity on the internet is of the utmost importance. It allows us all to express opinions that may be unpopular with the majority, it allows us freedom of discourse we would never enjoy in person or any other medium. Yes, like everything else on this planet, this will be abused by some. Sometimes this abuse amounts to very painful real life consequences. Like most things we have to take the bad with the good and IMO the good far outweighs the bad. Remember on the old board, we discussed same sex marriage. This was far from an acceptable topic, people like myself, who advocated for it as a civil right were not in the majority. The discussion wasn't always polite, there was certainly some rancor, but by discussing it some attitudes were changed, incrementally to be sure, but they did change. Some opinions hardened in the other direction, so be it. The point is, we were allowed the freedom to discuss a topic freely without fear of real life reprisal.
If you don't think that kind of free expression is worth someone posting racist content or offensive gifs then you've lived in a country in which freedom is taken for granted. This is why the CNN "investigation" is so offensive to me. A multi-billion dollar corporation decided to target a lowly internet dood. This guy might be/probably is a complete asshat, that doesn't change my opinion that what was done to him, and the reasons for doing it, were utterly wrong. The message sent was, "Don't make internet content we don't like or we will dox you". GMDino just asked were the outrage was over 4chan doxing CNN employees. A better question is why is he not holding CNN to a higher standard than 4chan?
Lastly, for consistencies sake, I do hope that everyone railing against anonymity to post offensive internet content will equally demand the end of using "anonymous sources" to publish any news article, ever. After all, you think anonymity is bad, if you said something stand by it right? After all, you needn't fear reprisals of any kind, correct?
An anonymous source coming forward with information is different than a news organization asking someone for comments about his newfound celebrity for creating a message shared to the world by the president.
I like anonymity. I dont think anybody here said it was bad.
Really easy concept. If you anonymously break the law law enforcement will attempt to uncover your identity. If you anonymously make headline news. News agencies will attempt to uncover you identity.
If the gif had stayed on reddit or wherever nobody would have cared. Once spread by the POTUS it got attention and reporters did what reporters do.
And then we get to the real sticky part. All this anger and fury. And dudes name wasnt even released and he remains anonymous because he asked CNN not release it and they obliged.
