PZ Myers and Rebecca Watson on doxxing

[Sigmaleph]

Rebecca Watson has officially come out in favour of doxxing people in certain situations, and PZ Myers is of course in full agreement. Because fuck having the moral high ground, apparently.

They don't come out and say "It's wrong when those guys do it, but it's great when we do it!", but it sure seems like a pre-made argument that will be relentlessly cited the next time someone on the SJ side doxxes someone, regardless of whatever nuance Myers and Watson want to put into their argument. And it's not like the nuance they support is that great anyway: it's now Officially OK to doxx someone if they send you harassing emails and death threats. Obviously that's a horrible thing to do, but do you know what's a common result of doxxing someone? They get harassing emails and death threats! By people who now know where they live!

Sure sounds like this will turn out great.

[Eiki-mun]

Glad to see that Tumblr feminists continue to be despicable people all around.

[Second Coming of Madman]

Ironchew continues to be a great judge of character.

[Ultimate Paragon]

Fuck them both with a broken bottle.

[Ironchew]

PZ has a knack for saying something I almost completely agree with except for one glaring detail that crosses a line for me into vehement disagreement.

Yes, hostile people who regularly make threats behind a veil of anonymity deserve some sort of retribution. Maybe that's what law enforcement is for*; a department that can handle the situation appropriately without collateral damage.

Posting someone's address on the internet is retribution, I guess. It's not a surefire way to get the perp -- what if he travels often and he only uses that address as a permanent residence? What if other people live there and vigilantes encounter them first? What if the doxxer got the wrong person's information? Has PZ even considered these scenarios before he jumped straight to "sometimes doxxing is good"? He should really know better.

* You know, a more ideal world with more ideal police. I still don't think they're as bad as a village mob yet.

[Dakota Bob]

I'm sure the "Patriarchy" has assigned their best agents to scrounge up some dirt on them as we speak.

[Eiki-mun]

I'm sure the "Patriarchy" has assigned their best agents to scrounge up some dirt on them as we speak.

I think they're doing quite well supplying their own dirt.

[I am lizard]

PZ has a knack for saying something I almost completely agree with except for one glaring detail that crosses a line for me into vehement disagreement.

Yes, hostile people who regularly make threats behind a veil of anonymity deserve some sort of retribution. Maybe that's what law enforcement is for*; a department that can handle the situation appropriately without collateral damage.

Posting someone's address on the internet is retribution, I guess. It's not a surefire way to get the perp -- what if he travels often and he only uses that address as a permanent residence? What if other people live there and vigilantes encounter them first? What if the doxxer got the wrong person's information? Has PZ even considered these scenarios before he jumped straight to "sometimes doxxing is good"? He should really know better.

* You know, a more ideal world with more ideal police. I still don't think they're as bad as a village mob yet.

Yep, the problem with any form of vigilante justice is it leaves to much room for poeple to impose justice in really stupid ways ("This guy stole 1500 bucks from me? I'll torture him to death!")

I wouldn't say what Watson wants is particularly heinouse (as seems to be the common stance in this thread) simply very short-sighted.

[davedan]

Fuck them both with a broken bottle.

Can you calm down with the rape threats please. It won't help your cause.

[Tolpuddle Martyr]

I recall the woman who got rape threats from teenage boys and posted them with accompanying explanatory notes to their mums. She didn't release the information to all and sundry but she did provide it to a third party.

Does that count as doxing?

[I am lizard]

I once supported this case where some guy who said he would rape this one girl got doxxed.
At the time I supported it but now I suppose it was wrong.

[Sigmaleph]

I recall the woman who got rape threats from teenage boys and posted them with accompanying explanatory notes to their mums. She didn't release the information to all and sundry but she did provide it to a third party.

Does that count as doxing?

Not really, if all she did was tell their mothers about it.

[R. U. Sirius]

At risk of a thread hijack, I'm against doxxing for the same reason I'm against the public sex-offender registry: Exposing people's personal information for anyone to use in any way they wish, including tracking down and attacking the person, is wrong.

[Tolpuddle Martyr]

I recall the woman who got rape threats from teenage boys and posted them with accompanying explanatory notes to their mums. She didn't release the information to all and sundry but she did provide it to a third party.

Does that count as doxing?

Not really, if all she did was tell their mothers about it.

I guess that's the line really. If you release that shit to the general public then you are inviting every drooling sociopath on the interwebz to come along and play and there are plenty.

None of which retroactivly justifies Watsons harrassment in my eyes, I figure not in yours either. I guess there are plenty of chickenfarts out there who'll use it to justify further awfulness-as if trolls ever needed an excuse anyway.

[I am lizard]

I really just want to see lawmakers and police take online death and rape threats seriously.