Outing an Online Outlaw

It's true that some of these people were gullible and perhaps dumb to fall for some
of his "pranks" but I'm still glad that he was finally shut down.

What was so funny to me is the description of this online bully hiding
in the bedroom with his mother. Just like most bullies, he was a coward when he was cornered.

Coalescing in an online chat room, members of the group, known as Pranknet, use the telephone to carry out cruel and outrageous hoaxes, which they broadcast live around-the-clock on the Internet. Masquerading as hotel employees, emergency service workers, and representatives of fire alarm companies, "Dex" and his cohorts have successfully prodded unwitting victims to destroy hotel rooms and lobbies, set off sprinkler systems, activate fire alarms, and damage assorted fast food restaurants.

"Dex", who took his nickname from the lead character in "Dexter," the Showtime series about a serial killer who murders serial killers, is bitingly contemptuous of law enforcement and its ability to stop Pranknet or locate its members. When a victim warns him that they are contacting police, he laughs derisively and offers to provide cops with a crayon to trace his number. He and his followers place their prank calls via Skype, confident that the Internet phone service sufficiently cloaks their identities and whereabouts.

www.thesmokinggun.com...

Wow, what an incredible loser...

Peoples goals in life, never cease to amaze me...

What do you want to do today?

I don't know what about you?

Lets terrorize our community.

Sweet!

Sure, the guy is a jerk, but is 'telephone terrorist' really an appropriate label? I think the people responsible for the article got a bit carried away. Labeling people as 'terrorist' is a dangerous path to tread. The DHS list is inexcusable, but when we start labeling each other as 'terrorists', we're no better than they are. My two cents and I'm not defending this guy's actions.


TA

edit for clarity on my position.

[edit on 9-8-2009 by TheAssociate]

terrorize or -ise Verb [-izing, -ized] or -ising, -ised 1. to control or force (someone) to do something by violence, fear, threats, etc.: he was terrorized into withdrawing his accusations 2. to make (someone) very frightened

I think the description of terrorist fits the bill for me.

He deliberately used fear and intimidation and frightened people.
If you terrorize someone it only fits that you should be labeled a terrorist.
IMHO.

Well, we'll have to agree to disagree. At most, the guy is just an average criminal, in my opinion. It's a criminal's job to frighten people, and he did do that, but I think the label of 'terrorist' is being thrown around too often and too loosely,particularly by those in power. It should be reserved for people who commit atrocities, not for people doing moderately-sever phone/internet pranks. Good thread, though, S&F. And a nice signature as well.


TA

reply to post by TheAssociate



I was gonna say...terrorist?
Easy there. Man if "stuff" ever hits the fan and it's every person for themselves i used to think that i wouldn't do good. Now when I look around at what people are afraid of and threatened by, it sets me at ease.

Originally posted by Zaydie

I think the description of terrorist fits the bill for me.

He deliberately used fear and intimidation and frightened people.
If you terrorize someone it only fits that you should be labeled a terrorist.
IMHO.

So if you cause someone to feel an emotion - you are now a terrorist?

The propaganda has worked.


*The country is screwed. This member actually think that this is terrorism!



Edit: This member scares me, terrifies me. I have been Terrorized by this member's post. This member is an Internet Terrorist!
Call Homeland Security, receive a cash reward.


[edit on 10-8-2009 by Exuberant1]

Propaganda?

That works both ways.

The dictionary defines the word under more than just the term that
you want use it for.

If you terrorize someone (which is much more than just causing
them to feel an emotion) then yes, it can be said that they are a terrorist.

it kind of reminds me of how some MSM call people who blow
themselves and others up as suicide bombers and not what they should
be called which is murderers or at the least, suicide killers.

If you seduce someone you can be called a seducer.
If you murder someone you can be called a murderer.
If you terrorize someone you can be called a terrorist.

You can label him anything you want to label him as far as I'm concerned. The one label I'd really like to see for him, and his cohorts, is 'convicted'.

Is he going to be formally charged at all for any of these 'pranks'? His manipulations have put others in danger and caused excessive damages that would not have occurred without his influence...

reply to post by billybobh3


I totally agree. The label is not the point. His paying for his criminal
activity is what I want to see. This quote made me see red. People
like him and his cohorts get off on feeling superior by harassing and
manipulating those who they feel are beneath them.

Prank targets, he declared, were "responsible for their own actions." The victims he and his cronies abused and degraded daily were simply "sheep" with "no brains of their own."