posted on October 6, 2000 03:26:59 PM new
I've been online for four years. In that time, I've been to numerous chatboards, newsgroups and IRC channels. I've had some searing fights, made my share of enemies, but the worst that has ever happened is someone once offered to kick my a$$ -- which is a very difficult thing to accomplish from a keyboard.
No one ever interfered with my auctions. No one ever pulled my user info. No one ever made a death threat. Once in a great while I'll get a batch of spam in email. Every so often I become a topic of conversation for others. I can live with that.
What's the worst that's ever happened to you online?
posted on October 6, 2000 03:36:00 PM new
I've had my contact info pulled by someone who was making threats about suing a bunch of people on one of the ebay chat boards. We all reported her to SafeHarbor and she and all her alternate IDs were NARU'd.
The most recent was dealing with someone harassing me and several others because of a routing screwup. Forwarded all his harassing emails straight to his ISP's abuse dept. and filed formal complaints with both. Haven't heard from him since.
An irate phone call demanding I explain a post I made...that's it. And it was nothing sinister...I'd given the party my phone number, and considered them a friend. Hardly a big deal.
posted on October 6, 2000 04:10:28 PM new
I'm glad you asked that question. With all the behind the scenes kind of stuff going on lately I've wondered just how safe it is to post here or anywhere else. It seems that some people take all this too seriously - that's kinda scary to me. (you van lovin strumpet you)
posted on October 6, 2000 05:49:35 PM new
Hi plsmith,
I've been online for about 4 years too. I remember one time I accidently made a mistake describing something I had up for auction and someone thought I was trying to rip them off. Boy, what a silly time that was. I can still remember it so well.................
I got home from work one day, turned on my computer and the monitor exploded! A boxing glove on a huge spring came flying out of the screen and knocked me out of my chair. I was unconscious for hours. When I came to, the phone was ringing so I picked it up and said hello then WHAM!!!..another boxing glove knocked me out. When I woke up from that (feeling pretty dizzy) I went out to my car so I could drive myself to the hospital for some head xrays. When I started the car, the air bag went off and knocked me out again. When I finally regained consciousness, I saw a note glued to the now deflated air bag. It said, "Next time don't lie in your item description!" Sheesh! Some people!
Anyway, other than that one incident, no I've never had any real problems.
posted on October 6, 2000 06:00:12 PM new
From participation in OAI boards, nothing but a fascinating collection of nastygram email, generally with poor spelling (unless someone actually intended to call me a 'steaming pile of ummmm, mushrooms'?). Someone pulled my info at eBay a few years ago (when they were still handing out addresses with those requests), and I got a little bit of incredibly funny snail mail. I've never gotten a death threat from an OAI board-based source, unless one would consider the suggestion that I "f--- off and die" to be such. I didn't.
posted on October 6, 2000 06:08:25 PM new
I sure have been threatened online!
PLSMITH threatened to come visit me, and more than once!!
In truth, when the sale of firearms was allowed in ebay my contact info was pulled more than once a month. When I contacted the person(s) they never responded.
I'm pretty sure that it was to locate me for some possibly nefarious reason. For a while I had my contact info read that I was an employee of the nearest large city's police department. The info requests slowed.
posted on October 6, 2000 06:40:54 PM new
S-Kitty, so far, your examples are the most serious, imo. And you knew how to handle them. And you're not dead.
Toke, Hi you! Not gonna hug ya but told dcj she oughtta get in here and do so, heh....
Mybiddness, that facking van has developed an electrical problem. Too much juice, or something...
Don't worry, sweetie; there's nothing seriously scary about this place except its Moderators' abilities to lock any thread for any reason.
LOL @ you, Ray-with-the-twinkling-eyes!
Beth m'dear, you and I are no strangers to the malicious twaddle of others. Goes with the territory -- we say what we mean and stand behind it non-anonymously. I'm always happier knowing who can't stand my company -- makes the dinner parties so much easier to coordinate...
Tegan, thank you. It was my intention in starting this thread to show that -- despite seeming animosities amongst chatboard users -- there is rarely anything of consequence resulting from our words.
Krs made the point in another thread that people here had been frightened by the reporting of a death threat by another member. I think he was right, and I wanted everyone reading here to know that such threats seldom occur. Yes, we hound each other in email and yes, we rant about each other elsewhere, but the incidence of ACTUAL physical harm resulting from online interactions is miniscule, statistically.
Besides, for all our faults and manias, OAI people ARE the best in the world, aren't they?
Hey you up there, Hiss-head! Say yes or no, will ya?
And Ken, you only WISH I'd threatened to visit you in RL. How many weeks did ya sit by the window waiting, anyway?
posted on October 6, 2000 07:00:05 PM new
I've been playing with computers since the mid to late 70's. Used to call a lot of the local BBS's back then. One person I had an argument with threated my life around 12 years ago. I took it seriously at the time, good thing too, he did wind up killing someone else.
I still use my real name online though. The last time I put my name into a search engine over 500 people were found, three of them within a 20 mile radius of where I live.
posted on October 6, 2000 07:09:09 PM new
Hi again everyone,
Hello herself nice to see you.
plsmith - well, I regained the twinkle in my eye shortly after I made it to the hospital. No serious injuries. I just lost a couple of teeth and had my nose broken in two places. Here's a picture of me waving to the x-ray machine. I was just glad when the x-ray machine operator pushed the start button, I was still standing. (I did duck just in case, but no boxing glove came out)
posted on October 6, 2000 07:18:11 PM new
Egad, Dmercer! Glad you weren't harmed. Is there an archive of the story about that guy you could point us to?
Hiss-head, I'd be TRULY alarmed if you'd ever received a threat of any sort. Your greatest crime to date has been continuing to attempt to post to chatboards from a MAC ...
Ray, that pic won't load to offsite hosts. Upload it here to AW, if you've got the time...
posted on October 6, 2000 07:27:00 PM new
plsmith-yep I have. I went to the law or rather authorities with it.
Now? LOL, I have IM, that I mainly use to talk with my brother on... since yesterday , or day before, I've been IMed with "Pyscho B*tch" and 2 x with a copy paste of the Electronic Stalking law that I had posted here not long ago. In email, I've got wierd stuff, and delete them. The IMs? When I got the Electronic Stalking law in it, btw was the WA state one... I IMed back, and said
"Good law, wanna see how it works?" the IMer left. I think its getting pretty stooooopid out there....
posted on October 6, 2000 07:40:07 PM new
I'm really not very comfortable in the more personal chat-type forums and I try to avoid them. (I don't always succeed) I find the EO to be more impersonal in tone and I enjoy gleaning information related to the online auction business there as well as the internet and computers in general so that's where I usually "hang out".
Some time ago there was a thread in the EO before the RT was here about posting a photo of yourself to help folks visualize your image along with your words. I debated about doing that but finally decided to go ahead and include my photo even though I really was not a very active poster at that time. The next day I started to receive some anonymous emails from someone that I really would have preferred not to receive and this activity continued for a few days. I simply deleted them without responding and eventually they went away.
I wasn't really frightened by this intrusion but I was VERY annoyed that someone had invaded my private space and so I became a quick study regarding internet privacy issues which has turned out to be my forte and the theme of the majority of my posts in the EO.
Obviously, posting a photo of myself or my children is out of the question but I have shown a few pictures of my cat who doesn't seem to mind because I suspect at her age she's hoping to get laid.
posted on October 6, 2000 07:46:35 PM newplsmith, there isn't any archive I know of, but I haven't tried to search it out on the Net. (I sense a project for this weekend...)
posted on October 6, 2000 07:49:08 PM new
Someone emailed me anon and wanted me to tell them how to make...are you sitting down? ...SMILIES! I was stunned and immediatly turned the information[including headers] over to the netcops.I was terrified! It took me at least fifteen minutes to get up the nerve to post again. I mean really, can you imagine!!!!!!I had a vauge feeling that there was something not quite right about that request I'll tell you! I am suprised I am still here to talk about it.
posted on October 6, 2000 08:18:08 PM new
Thanks for fixing it, ray. DOESN'T look a thing like ya!
Bhearsch, yes, posting photos is something I've done very rarely. Again, though, no harm came to you for ahving done so. (Just reiterating my point here, folks.)
Dmercer, please DO if you've got the time! I know of two Internet cases that resulted in death -- both times the victim got up from her computer, travelled some distance and MET her fate. I'd like to know more about your fellow...
Rawbunzel, darn! I was planning to email you a bunch of smilies. Shucks, guess I'll just have to come up with somethin' else...
ShellyHerr, I knew about your incedents from recent posts. Didn't know about the IM thing, thoguh. Here again, what does it amount to REALLY? Someone poking into an area you'd rather was inviolate. Heck, every time the phone rings here, there's a 50/50 chance it'll be a telemarketer to whom I'd rather not speak. I've gotten really good at wasting a telemarketer's time, though, and I'm beginning to think I'm simply not yet sophisticated enough in my Internet dealings to treat them with the same contempt/confidence when warranted.
posted on October 6, 2000 08:29:28 PM new
Sleeping the slumber of the innocents...we run on different circadian rhythms, he and I. He springs from bed, alert and ready to face the day about the time I flop facedown onto the mattress for my (laughable) beauty sleep. Throw in a kitten or two wandering about the house at any given time and well, it's sorta hard to coordinate things...
posted on October 6, 2000 08:29:47 PM new
plsmith, I just 'zap' them a warning on the IM thing it stops thier 'sending' cababilities for a minute or two
posted on October 6, 2000 08:38:59 PM new I've gotten really good at wasting a telemarketer's time, though, and I'm beginning to think I'm simply not yet sophisticated enough in my Internet dealings to treat them the same
Oh, I dunno about that, Pat. I've always felt that you were pretty much a waste of time online.
posted on October 6, 2000 08:42:00 PM new
plsmith, sorry no, let's just say (for lack of other words) I've had an interesting and colorful life. It's why when I see things on boards like what's been going on I don't like it. I've seen another side of life that most couldn't imagine. Now I'm old and mellow and have learned much about people. It's probably why I like animals more than people.
posted on October 6, 2000 08:44:13 PM new
I've been online since '88 or so. And used the BBS's a lot.
The ones I subscribed to, you had to mail a copy of your drivers license and a fee. I think it was a good idea. They did this so, I am assuming to keep minors off.
But now, anyone can get on the internet. And now with places like freeinet, you don't need to pay, or pay little. There is also the library, and colleges, high schools, heck all the way to elementary school, that are online now.
