Saturday, July 24, 2010

Cyber Pranking and the Dearth of Common Sense

Was at CBR this morning and found this thread about someone called Jessi Slaughter (not her real name), an 11 year old who make a horrific mistake: she fucked with the Internet.

Now, don't get me wrong I am not advocating making children cry, or bashing up kids no matter how stupid they are. What I am saying is, it is well documented that the Internet is a powerful force that can annihilate those who are unwise as to its power.

This little girls parents, who are clearly not all that bright themselves, allow their offspring to roam freely through the vast realm of the Internet unattended. Have you SEEN some of the crazy shit that is out there? Tubgirl, Goatse, YouPorn, Twilight fan sites...there is no end to the horrors, tragedies, and travesties that await the unwary.

When Jessi Slaughter decided she was a Somebody and sent the Internet a video message saying she was invincible, it was viewed as a challenge. And she got slammed, hard.

You see, what little Jessi and her well-meaning, but ultimately clueless, parents had forgotten was that the Internet is society. Anyone with access (which is what, 80% of the population of the US? 35% of the rest of the planet?) can watch your YouTube channel, read your blog posts, and do some basic research about who you are. Internet Anonymity is not nearly as strong as people think it is, and Jessi learned that shit the hard way.

And it is the most painful lessons that we remember the longest.

She won't be posting any more videos promising to "Pop a Glock" in anyone's mouth to "make a brain slushie" any longer, I am sure. Much like the clowns from Pranknet, Jessi has learned that she is not untouchable, and that when you fuck with people, they have a right to retaliate. And when those people you encounter prove to be far meaner than you are, it's really no one's fault but your own.

The guys on Pranknet seem to be a collection of mean-spirited, cowardly assholes, but they are actually performing a vital community service. They serve as a very good teaching aid, helping people to understand the need to pull one's head from one's ass.

Breaking windows is the only way to reset an alarm system? Fire extinguishing equipment uses toxic foam that you need to clean off with urine?

And the prize winner? This girl is stripped, spanked, sodomized, and fellates a co-worker. Because a stranger on the phone told her to.

This shows a level of stupidity that has achieved epic levels. There were 70 such calls nationwide before this girl was thoroughly degraded. SEVENTY.

This shows how slavish and moronic the population of the US has become.