Slashdot Mirror
New Campaign Features Internet Trolls On Roadside Billboards (bbc.com)
An anonymous reader writes: A campaign taking shape in Brazil seeks to fight online harassment in an unusual way: by posting the abusive comments on real billboards. "The group collects comments from Facebook or Twitter and uses geolocation tools to find out where the people who have posted them live. They then buy billboard space nearby and post the comments in huge letters, although names and photos are pixelated." Brazil has laws prohibiting racial abuse, but this group doesn't think the government is doing enough to stop it. The campaign's founder said, "Those people [who post abuse online] think they can sit in the comfort of their homes and do whatever they want on the internet. We don't let that happen. They can't hide from us, we will find them."
Imagine driving along the highway and seeing a billboard with nothing on it, except...
Anonymous Coward: fp ...
Anonymous Coward: fp
Anonymous Coward: fp
Someone you trust is one of us.
"Those people [who post abuse online] think they can sit in the comfort of their homes and do whatever they want on the internet. We don't let that happen. They can't hide from us, we will find them."
So the idea is that you're going to find them, and then post their picture and their message near to them so that they and everyone else can see what a tool that person is. Except you're going to obscure the picture and hide the name so that nobody knows who did it except the original author. Basically, you're just publishing this person's hate mail on the wall like a poster, and letting them see their work writ large.
It will become a badge of 'honor' and a competition among the trollish to get their posted on a billboard.
"See dudes? Look at how cool I am !!"
Remember kids its okay to dox someone if you are doing it for the right reasons.
I wonder how members of this group would react if people start posting their comments anonymous or otherwise without context.
I have no problem with what they are doing. I don't believe at all in any of this PC safe space bullshit. I just hope these folks realize that what they are doing is abusive in its own way. I don't challenge their right legally ( I have not idea what the rules are in their country) or morally to do this. They should understand though that its not likely to escalate rather than deescalate the discourse and its going to make their group and its members targets. The people they are calling out as trolls will probably respond by doing what trolls do, more trolling. As long as they understand by doing this that they have it coming and don't go crying to 'mommy government' best of luck to them.
Repeal the 17th Amendment TODAY! Also Please Read http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/right-to-read.html
No seriously. I'd be curious about the legalities of this; can they ensure that the age of the person they're "outing" is an adult? Are their "children online privacy" laws in Brazil similar to the U.S.?
At what point do people need to take responsibility for their actions or words?
I was under the impression that being a minor was not permission to misbehave, but is a state where the punishments for misbehaving are less than for an adult since a minor is still theoretically learning. The crux is that the minor still needs to be punished so that they learn that there are indeed consequences for their actions.
This seems like a fairly mild form of social shaming. People generally have fairly short attention spans, this will be forgotten by most people outside of the subject and possibly the subject's immediate circle, but the subject will probably have a fairly lasting memory of the event and maybe will change behavior on account of it.
Stop overprotecting minors from the consequences of their actions. When you overprotect them and don't force them to suffer minor consequences for their bad behavior then they reach adulthood still engaging in those bad behaviors until they run afoul of the law and now suffer much more severe consequences as adults than they ever would have suffered as minors.
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
This is supposed to be shameful? I'd be damn proud I'd one of my trolls made it on this billboard. That's like the ultimate goal for a troll like me - getting as many eyeballs on my message and as much attention as possible.
Next time I go to Brazil, I'll think of this campaign and take my shot at fame with a good troll or two.
Sincerely,
AC
Post insulting tweets
in attempt to inflame
your message on signs
will be your fame
Burma Shave
Have gnu, will travel.
This kind of passive-aggressive whining will only encourage the trolls. Trolls thrive on the reaction they get. Giving them a billboard full of their trolling will stoke their ego more than anything else. This approach will only encourage them to troll harder so they get more billboards dedicated to their trolling.
We know it encourages trolls, just like media advertising people and their manifestos who commit horrible crimes encourages more crimes. This is such basic psychology that people in junior high get it (and used to be taught it). When you claim that the effect will not be what they intend, make sure you know the real intentions (not always the published one). I see this as a larger push to block free speech. More CISPA/SOPA dialogue will follow, and of course be hammered in to place because *insert appeal to emotion* trumps sanity when it's pushed enough.
-The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.
Seems like revenge doxing disguised as a crusade disguised as a PSA.
"Can we all get along?" - Rodney King
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
Why do people continue to use the word "troll" to describe every offensive thing they see on the Internet? Trolling means you are looking to provoke a reaction by making comments designed just to get a reaction. Some people post offensive things that they actually believe in. They aren't looking for a reaction, but posting what they really think. Those aren't "trolls", they are just offensive people.
Every time this comes up I'm struck by the same few thoughts:
If we hadn't succumbed to the commercial desire to mine our real identities and instead had stayed with the early internet's pseudonymity culture, we'd be more able to isolate any online abuse from our real lives.
What happens online should stay online, but this now seems impossible.
The troll is an individual, who wields their (largely illusory) power through manipulative skill and sheer determination to annoy and frustrate. It seems unfair that the victim, also an approximately equal individual on the receiving end should be allowed such disproportionate means of retaliation. Is one against one so unfair?
I know, the world don't work like that, but it should.
I don't usually troll, but when I do all of my posts will end with: SPEED LIMIT 85 MPH
(When in Brazil I will translate to Portuguese/Metric.)
This group is worried about racist comments online. So they are going to buy huge billboards and post racist remarks.
I guess we should just be grateful that they are not as worried about Child Porn.
Troll is not a replacement for I disagree.