The Biggest Troll on the Web, Michael Brutsch...Busted!

A fascinating investigation and a great read:
gawker.com...

Unmasking Reddit’s Violentacrez, The Biggest Troll on the Web

Judging from his internet footprint, Brutsch, 49, has a lot to sweat over. If you are capable of being offended, Brutsch has almost certainly done something that would offend you, then did his best to rub your face in it. His speciality is distributing images of scantily-clad underage girls, but as Violentacrez he also issued an unending fountain of racism, porn, gore, misogyny, incest, and exotic abominations yet unnamed, all on the sprawling online community Reddit.

"My wife is disabled. I got a home and a mortgage, and if this hits the fan, I believe this will affect negatively on my employment," he said. "I do my job, go home watch TV, and go on the internet. I just like riling people up in my spare time."

Someone who likes to rile people up in their spare time is truly in need of attention IMO. Is this the make-up of a troll? Lacking in attention? Interesting that he would state this as to why he does it.

But Michael Brutsch is more than a monster. Online, Violentacrez has been one of Reddit's most reviled characters but also one of its most beloved users. The self-described "creepy uncle of Reddit" has played a little-known but crucial role in Reddit's development into the online juggernaut it is today. In real life, Brutsch is a military father and cat-lover. He lives with his wife in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas.

Anderson Cooper has labeled this guy as the biggest troll on the net. Not that I particularly like AC at all but after reading the article on this guy he seems correct in his stance.
More here:
www.dailymail.co.uk...

Having his screenname mangled by Anderson Cooper on CNN for Jailbait was Violentacrez's biggest moment as a troll, but it wasn't his first time in the spotlight. Since Brutsch stumbled on Reddit from a link on the internet culture blog Boing Boing in 2007, he has pushed the boundaries of Reddit's free-speech culture. He has done this mostly through creating offensive subreddits to troll sensitive users. Some of the sections Violentacrez created or moderated were called:
Chokeabitch
'n-word'jailbait
Rapebait
Hitler
Jewmerica
Misogyny
Incest

And just like that he tries to repent by offering to be a mole? Geez this sounds like something out of the CIA Hand Book.

He asked a number of times if there was anything he could do to keep me from outing him. He offered to act as a mole for me, to be my "sockpuppet" on Reddit. "I'm like the spy who's found out," he said. "I'll do anything. If you want me to stop posting, delete whatever I posted, whatever. I am at your mercy because I really can't think of anything worse that could possibly happen. It's not like I do anything illegal."

It looks like Reddit not only knew who he was and what he was doing but actually may have been turning a blind eye to him in order to create controversy and thus...traffic to the site.

So let this be a lesson to all trolls...You're amateurs compared to this trash!

One last thing here:

In 2010, Violentacrez hosted a legendary "Ask Me Anything" thread"—the same Q & A feature Barack Obama took part in last month.

"Ask Me Anything"...Sound familiar?

Just kidding, you know we love ya!

Peace

Originally posted by jude11


Anderson Cooper has labeled this guy as the biggest troll on the net. Not that particularly like AC at all but after reading the article on this guy he seems correct in his stance.

But wait, isn't there something wrong with people who follow Anderson Cooper? What's your point?

So let this be a lesson to all trolls...You're amateurs compared to this trash!

Hmm, considering people with brains wouldn't listen to Anderson Cooper anyway, what's your point? Never even heard of this guy, so who cares?

Don't listen to Anderson Cooper because he is only trolling you, too. The only difference, he does it via television.

Sounds like a bunch of people on here.

reply to post by jude11


I think you misunderstand when you say he "creates mini trolls to hide behind," those are groups he has started, not user names. Basically threads, I believe.

Sounds like a perfect situation of someone committing suicide due to being labeled across America for some private actions.

I don't like the guy either, but it sure fits the classic case we have seen in the past, and if he offs himself I guess AC can pat himself on the back.

Originally posted by GogoVicMorrow
reply to post by jude11

 

I think you misunderstand when you say he "creates mini trolls to hide behind," those are groups he has started, not user names. Basically threads, I believe.

edit on 14-10-2012 by GogoVicMorrow because: (no reason given)

Not being a reddit user, I may have misunderstood the term subreddit.. I'll edit.

Thanks

Originally posted by Xtrozero
Sounds like a perfect situation of someone committing suicide due to being labeled across America for some private actions.

I don't like the guy either, but it sure fits the classic case we have seen in the past, and if he offs himself I guess AC can pat himself on the back.

What do you mean by "private actions"?....if it's on Reddit it's not private!

The guy is a pervert not a troll....if he "off's" himself then the world will be minus a pervert......no bad thing in my book.

internet trolls are a truly sad breed. their sense of self depends on their ability to generate negativity. they are repellent.

whatever he has done, is within the terms and conditions of the site he posts on.

when we can be outed for following the rules because we piss someone else off, we are in for a whole mess'a trouble!

what needs to happen is what used ot happen in teh early days of the internet,

"oh that guy, he's a di**head"

and wander away... nowadays too many "normal" people inhabit the internet and bring all thier victim based mentalities with them.
oh early internet whereforart thou!

*wanders back to IRC*

reply to post by jude11


No problem. I have just visited, I don't post, but I think those are all the names of threads he created where he and other members post content. You can pretty much guess what the content is. I read that his jailbait thread is where he and others post secretly snapped photos of underage girls in bikinis, etc. He apparently deletes any girls that are close to of age, but he also promptly deletes and doesn't allow child pornography. So he can tread that fine line. I also read (maybe in the article you posted, can't remember) that another member was fired from his job as a teacher for posting pictures of students he secretly took in class.
The article said another thread he managed was called creepshots, which is where guys sneak and take photos of girls without their knowledge, like upskirts, and etc.

Honestly.. he's just one guy trying to shock people. Nothing that people haven't been doing for ages. Ironically the people that are outraged bring it the most attention.

Originally posted by Argyll
The guy is a pervert not a troll....if he "off's" himself then the world will be minus a pervert......no bad thing in my book.

So let's say some girl does it with two guys and gets recorded to see it posted on the net...Yes she might be freaky, but then if she kills herself over it then I guess it's a good thing...right?

I'm not defending the guy, but I do find the powers of posting to the world as somewhat abusive too.

reply to post by GogoVicMorrow

Ironically the people that are outraged bring it the most attention.

Ain't that the truth!

Troll Food...

Peace

Originally posted by okamitengu
whatever he has done, is within the terms and conditions of the site he posts on.

when we can be outed for following the rules because we piss someone else off, we are in for a whole mess'a trouble!

what needs to happen is what used ot happen in teh early days of the internet,

"oh that guy, he's a di**head"

and wander away... nowadays too many "normal" people inhabit the internet and bring all thier victim based mentalities with them.
oh early internet whereforart thou!

*wanders back to IRC*

So as long as it follows the "terms and conditions" of the site he posts on, you see nothing wrong with posting perverted images of minors?

your comment that "nowadays too many "normal" people inhabit the internet and bring all thier victim based mentalities with them" is one of the most disturbing things I have read on ATS in a long time.

reply to post by GogoVicMorrow

it was in the daily mail not long ago about the teacher creeping and i think this gu is a pedo not a troll.
www.dailymail.co.uk...

reply to post by Xtrozero

So let's say some girl does it with two guys and gets recorded to see it posted on the net...Yes she might be freaky, but then if she kills herself over it then I guess it's a good thing...right? I'm not defending the guy, but I do find the powers of posting to the world as somewhat abusive too.

If you read the article you will see that he encourages people to post images of young girls who are not aware they are being photographed.....care to defend that?

Originally posted by Argyll

your comment that "nowadays too many "normal" people inhabit the internet and bring all thier victim based mentalities with them" is one of the most disturbing things I have read on ATS in a long time.

Can you say WHY it is one of the the most disturbing things you have read on ATS?
I see where you are coming from but I believe he is correct.

The way to defeat these trolls is to not pay attention, but because of the victim based mentality they encourage trolls to try even harder in effect, and thus continuing the cycle.

Yes, trolls like him should not exist, but they wouldn't exist to the point they do if the victims could learn avoidance. Victims are the target audience, and will continually be until they learn otherwise.

Originally posted by Argyll
If you read the article you will see that he encourages people to post images of young girls who are not aware they are being photographed.....care to defend that?

I'm not defending his actions...

I'm saying having the ability to post to the world can be abusive. AC and others also can be abusive with the power they have on the TV.

There is a different between legal and illegal, and some of the legal stuff a normal person would still describe as sick, but it seems we are ready to hang all out to see on anything, though legal, we decide is still wrong.

That is what I see as abusive...

Originally posted by jude11
It looks like Reddit not only knew who he was and what he was doing but actually may have been turning a blind eye to him in order to create controversy and thus...traffic to the site.

That's why trolls are tolerated everywhere - and why in a lot of cases the trolls are part of the mod teams.

They generate controversy, which leads to a lot of people refreshing the page, which generates ad revenue and bumps the site up on search engine rankings. It also pulls other people in to the debate who didn't already have an account - and the site owners can then demand more money from advertisers by showing them the number of members the site has.

Don't kid yourself. The internet is about making money, just like any other branch of the media.

reply to post by yourmaker

Can you say WHY it is one of the the most disturbing things you have read on ATS? I see where you are coming from but I believe he is correct. Kids and some adults these days don't have the thick skin that once existed. The way to defeat these trolls is to not pay attention, but because of the victim based mentality they encourage trolls to try even harder in effect, and thus continuing the cycle. Yes, trolls like him should not exist, but they wouldn't exist to the point they do if the victims could learn avoidance. Victims are the target audience, and will continually be until they learn otherwise.

So you don't think it's worth paying attention to perverts who take photographs of school girls surreptitiously and post them on the internet?.....do you really think the way to defeat these perverts is to ignore them?.....and do you really think these kids have a "victim based mentality"?

Could you please tell me how a bloody school girl can " learn avoidance" when she doesn't know some pervert is going to snap a shot of her underwear without her knowing?

reply to post by Xtrozero

I'm saying having the ability to post to the world can be abusive.

You are totally missing my point....it would appear to me that your issue is with the "internet" per se.

My issue is that this man is a pervert, weather he follows "terms & conditions" for whatever site he is posting on is irrelevant.....he is a pervert, and if he loses his job or takes his life.....I'll still be sleeping easy.