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One Family Suffering Through Years-Long Trolling Campaign (dailydot.com)

Posted by Soulskill on from the don't-be-a-jerk-on-the-internet dept.

blottsie writes: Since 2010, the Straters have been under assault from an online campaign of ever-increasing harassment — prank deliveries, smear attacks, high-profile hacks, and threats of violence against schools and law enforcement officials in their name — and it's slowly torn them apart. Masterminding it all is a teenage Lizard Squad hacker from Finland, at war with their son, Blair, over a seemingly minor dispute. "When the family started getting notices about their utilities being disconnected, they realized things were escalating out of control. Utility provider Commonwealth Edison once called the house to iron out the details about a request to have the power turned off after a supposed move. Something similar happened with their trash service. On Halloween 2013, Comcast shut off their cable and Internet service."

2 of 256 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Kind of like some families named "Koch" in the by khallow · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    Are you unaware that the Koch brothers finance a lot of right-wing extremists? There's nothing "unhinged" about opposing people who undermine our political process by helping RWNJs get elected via their disproportionate influence. Money should not equal political power in a democracy.

    So what? Their "right-wing extremists" are better than a lot of things they could be funding.

  2. Re:Tragedy of the Commons by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    That's not how it works, fucktard.

    You basically dismissed all of full-disclosure practice with a stupid sheep analogy. If you have bad people half across the globe who are not under the jurisdiction you are, building the strongest sheep fence is necessary. And if your fence is weak, kicking it down to show you that it is because you otherwise wouldn't care, is also necessary. If your stupid-ass fence is so weak it can be knocked over, it's your fault. Some chinese kid doesn't give a shit about your laws and your sue-happy ass.

    Your stupid analogy works only if the bad guys need to physically come to you. On the Internet, there is only anarchy and it's better to have your weak-ass fence knocked over to make a point, than have your sheep stolen.