What are internet threats?

[elizabethbinary]

In case you want to press charges, her crime would be "Harassment (or Terrorism) via a carried service" and is very illegal so those cops who didn't take you seriously (I think I read that right - some did, some didn't?) are wrong. I had to press charges on someone for the same exact thing. Threats about killing me on the way home from my synagogue. Very graphic stuff - he was put on a restraining order AND I got $1k in greivances. So, y'know.... money!

Also randomly, because I'm seeing this around a lot: Being an ex-con and comitting crimes in the past does not make a person currently bad. I worked in a prison system for awhile and I'd have to say the majority DO reform and those that don't only re-commit usually because they weren't given an honest chance.

 

[halfwaynowhere]

I did the online thing, was "engaged" to someone I had never met. Then one day I woke up and realized how silly the whole thing was. I was young and dumb (still am) at 19. He was in the navy, with my best friend, who "introduced" us. I had fun chatting online with him, planning our future, but there was a part of me that knew it was all pretend. I felt awful when I ended things, because he had been taking things more seriously than I had been, and I hurt him a lot, but I had come to my senses and knew I couldn't keep leading him on, that I couldn't actually go through with it.

Personally, I'll never do the long-distance thing again, whether or not I've actually met the person. Its too easy to fall into a fantasy. Hopefully your friend will come to her senses soon and realize that its silly. She's 21 and she's been "in a relationship" with him for 4 years? So thats been 4 years without being able to hug, hold hands, kiss? Hopefully she'll realize what she's missing out on. She's young and shouldn't have to keep waiting to experience those things.

 

[EweSheep]

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No, they NEVER met in person. Never!

She thinks so, she goes with her gut feeling that he is the "one". I can not find anything on him so he is probably not using his real name (only alias) on FB. That I am ASSUMING. They do communicate online on messenger or cell phones. Once in a while she would get a woman's voice (saying sister or aunt-can't prove that one), wanted to speak with him and she would tell her that he is not in or he can not come to you at this moment. Oh boy, when that does happen, she would get very depressed, shooting off messages on FB, she misses him, wants him to call her, waiting.....waiting.....waiting and four days later, he would call her and then she would be either very very happy or very very depressed.

Yes I do know that ex cons do try to make changes in their lives, that, alone can say alot. They would stay out of trouble and become productive citizens and being honest with themselves, have compassion and empathy toward others, know when to stop when the temptation is there for them, either they would stay away or fall into that trap again. He has been into trouble or a "bad boy" thru his schooling years until not long ago, probably around the time he was "online dating" he was probably making efforts to improve himself. In the FB friends list he has, all of them are young, in their 20's and more of a gothic type of people with tats and all the neat body works on them. My friend is a very strict Christian upbringing with very strict parents with very strict moral values.

I;m not in for the money LOL! Have not had any threats since yesterday so it was good today!

Sometimes people say it out of anger and it would never happen but with these violence nowadays you just can not be too sure. Getting to know this BF is like pulling teeth, terribly invasive. Her parents don't have any more information either about this guy. Is he in prison, I don't think so, if they can talk for hours while in prison, you have certain minutes to talk.

I agree with you RoPo, one day she will realize it.

If I am wrong, then I would not be the first to admit I am wrong. Its my gut instincts as well as hubby's and close friends' they all felt the same way but hard to be supportive if you know it is not going to go well.

Exclusive........LOL! Snazzy!

 

[Chicken.Lytle]

These folks sound like kids. My alarms are going off. If over 18, then creeper alert. If under 18 then pedo alarm.

My sister has taught her children good internet safety habits and still has to watch them and intervene. The above drama is not safe.

 

[Dunkopf]

Can your Police friend check out the internet address to see if it's coming from a prison?

 

[EweSheep]

He will check into it ! He has the weekend off so if nothing comes up today, next week!

 

[kburen]

In my opinion, "engaged to be engaged" is like...We've talked about it and want to get married, just don't know when and he hasn't "officially" asked yet. To me, that's just a committed relationship that's discussing marriage in the future.

ETA: Just giving the def. that was asked for.....I do think the whole thing sounds weird. Internet dating can be a great thing, or a scary thing....I've been on both sides of the fence (meeting a guy that I dated for a while before finding out that he was a convicted sex offender....and meeting my wonderful fiance who will become my husband in 91 short days, after meeting online-talking for a few months-meeting and dating for nearly 6 years). But, yes, I do agree, that some alarm bells are going off and I'm glad that you're having someone check into him!

Smart

 

[welsummerchicks]

I would take threatening language very, very seriously.

Not because all internet threats are serious, but because you never know which are and which aren't.

So the serious ones will wind up in jail, or scared out of their wits when the cops show up at their door.

And the not-so-serious ones will wind up in jail next to them, and have learned their lesson not to make threats over the internet.

The internet is a very, very strange place. It's a place where a lot of things get made up. Doctoral studies are being done on how the misinformation on the internet affects people's lives. It is actually a very serious problem.

If it's not on the internet, people assume it didn't happen. That's how a famous horse trainer continues to get teenage female working students with the blessings of their parents.

If it's on the internet, people assume it's true. It has an authority because it's up there in print. Much like it has been with books for a long time - 'publish and become true'. The printed or displayed word has an 'assumed authority'. People make up stories to get even with people, to make a point, as a prank. Often without realizing exactly what he results will be.

Remember that story in 'Doubt'? The lady confesses to the priest that she has been gossiping. He instructs her to go up on the top floor of her building, and cut open a feather pillow. She does so and returns to him. The priest instructs her to gather all the feathers back up. She says, 'I can't, they drifted everywhere'. The priest says, 'And that, is GOSSIP'.

Gossip is not just bad when I am the victim, or when you are. It is always bad.

So, the internet is a place where some cowards are emboldened to attack and insult people, twist their every word and try to assasinate the person's reputation. It is a place where clever people are able to twist a person's words around, convince others the person is some sort of evil trash, ridicule anything they say, and where clever people can hound someone perpetually.

It's a place with a gang, or clique mentality. It's a place with a lot of very, very angry people. And it's a place where people have favorites, and they can do no wrong, too.

There was a horse person down in Texas, and a woman who didn't like her, started an entire website dedicated to trashing this woman.

It was not exactly clear why this gal hated this other gal so much. Other than act like a big fish in a little pond, which is just exactly what the person who started the hate website was doing, nothing much had occurred.

But this is how things get started, very often. It can be as simple as simply expressing a different point of view. On many websites, there is a 'Party Line' and you better not have a different point of view.

Or in the horse world, try leaving a trainer who has a big mouth and spends a lot of time brooding over who has done him wrong. You'll be surprised at how it affects your life. It's more evil than divorce or murder.

It is not a good place to get overly involved in a person's problems, or to give them much advice. If you do, you have to do it knowing what the consequences are. They can be very serious. If someone turns against you on the internet, they can affect your job, your social life, anything.

Further, anyone can find you, find your home, and harm you, your family, your animals, your property. it is not at all difficult to do. It doesn't even take any brains. When you are on the internet, be careful. Have fun, but try to be safe.

I don't think it's wise to publish so much information about where you live, when you are home, details of where you work and what your hours are, how your property is laid out, about how you live alone or that your husband travels for work, what things you own, what illustrious parentage your horses have and how many show wins they have, or what your children look like, what their after school activities are, etc. Yes in private conversations perhaps with people you're a little more sure about(beware that many people send pm's and act friendly and have a diffrent agenda), not on a public bb where anyone can read it. It's fun, may people do it, but you do so at your own risk.

And if you suspect a threat, don't brood over it alone. Make out a police report.

Legal cases abound today about internet harrassment. The legal lines are stil being drawn, but they are likely to be reasonable. The internet gives people a wider and far, far less critical audience, but it's likely they'll be just as culpable as if they did their dirty work in a book, magazine article, or at the village water pump.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I hope you can get some actual information to confirm who this man is. I think that would bring a lot of clarity to this situation.

 

[Mahonri]

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AMEN!

Seems like I always do this.. I get to ranchhand's posts, read what I was thinking and say OK, they've heard it.