Rape Threats on Twitter

I think he's aware of that.

I don't know much about who he blocks for what but he runs it so I guess it's up to him to decide who he thinks is offensive. I told him what you said upthread and he said 'fair enough'.

also - a small but important point - radfems are anti sex-work, not anti sex worker. Maybe your brother ought to find out a bit more about the radfem position on prostitution, if he doesn't get the difference.

I don't think much of his judgement as to what constitutes 'offensive'

Tunip the Blockbot admin says he blocks anti-trans and sex worker radical feminists if they are being offensive. He's on Newsnight later BTW. (He's my brother so I have inside info )

Lots of exclamation marks. I was a little too excited there.

Boxer went to the end of troll's street and tweeted a picture of the sign. That's when he got nervous! He offered £1k for the troll's details and got them almost immediately!

It's on this programme:

www.channel4.com/programmes/dont-blame-facebook/4od

Oooh is there a link to that better?

The guy who was posting those tweets sick ended up going on national TV to apologise, it was good to watch. He wasn't a teenager either must have been late twenties at least.

I love the fact that in the Mary Beard case the troll was forced to apologise by a threat to tell his mother :o Whoever thought of that is a genius - using his respect for the powerful female figure in his life to scare the bejesus out of the 20-year-old in question.

That is the problem though - they can't see it from their ivory towers. However there is a movement to talk to boys more from a young age here www.upworthy.com/the-problem-facing-young-men-that-needs-to-become-a-household-conversation?c=mrp1 which I think is important to get behind. It's the perpetuation of the current ideals that is the problem. Most men who have seen the link above seem to agree with it although I suspect that they would then still deny having privileges

My favourite Twitter story is where a teenage boy was (anonymously) abusing a top sportsman and ex boxer. Through friends of friends of friends, the boxer discovered troll's address, tweeted it, and also tweeted that he was on his way round to pay a visit. At which point the abusive tweets turned into abject apologies!

Like vampires, shining the light of publicity on them, and naming them publicly, dries up the threats.

I tweeted about it - replying to something that one person had said and in return i got several tweets back basically calling me a liar when I said being white and male was a really privileged position to be in. I had to block people! Scared me a bit actually as I don't use twitter much and now I am worried.

I am not sure I agree with the panic button idea though, not after seeing how facebook deals with Misogyny (or rather fails to) and Breastfeeding :(

Oh yes, mostly men. Just think downplaying it by giving it an adolescent slant sounds somehow forgiving.
I think they should consider age restrictions on these sites though, the way they are going. If you are 18 then you have to act like an adult and be accountable for your threats by law. No one under 12 should be subjected to anonymous bile even if it is 2nd hand and directed at someone else.

Good tip thanks. But threats of violence can't be allowed to stand just cos someone is hiding behind a pseudonym. The law is the law, we need all internet companies to put in their T and C "your name will be revealed if you break the law by threatening violence or spewing misogynistic, homophobic, racist or disabilist bile"

Not keen on the the Blockbot, as it also blocks feminists with whom the admins do not agree.

I know this isn't the answer but you can block misogynists on twitter if you want blockbot Shouldn't be needed though

Mostly men though I would think?

I think it isn't just spotty youths, sadly.

Btw it is surely only a matter of time before the spotty youths come on here.

What about MN pioneers a "100 reports and you are outed" button?

Ie if 100 or more posters feel strongly enough that your post is vile, your email address is posted?

Fair?

Freedom of speech surely only works if there is also accountability? Anonymous internet posting is creating a lot of problems.

These cowardly, pathetic teenage boys should be nicknamed BBAKs - brave behind a keyboard. Bet they would just mumble spottily if they ever had to talk to an actual woman of their mum's age. A "Report Tweet" button is a must, in all areas.

Nb I saw a bit of the arse-end underbelly of Twitter when tweeting on SN issues - vile, vile cowardly creatures who sit alone cackling away in their grubby bedrooms.

Love that Mary Beard's followers fought back when she named and shamed. The removal of their cloak of anonymity would be an excellent solution - bet if Twitter threatened that, the jibes would dry up pronto!

On another note why does the BBC 'technology correspondent' have FA better to do than comment on the drivel that low-IQ idiots post on twitter. Twitter qualifies as technology to about the same level as a rolling pin.

this goes further than twitter though doesnt it? It invades just about every part of society, from the 'low grade idiots' right up to those who feel its appropriate to make comments about the state of the stomach that bore the royal baby.

And if they came up to you in the street and spouted it at you, you wouldnt be worried about their IQ. Just because people can hide behind their computer screen shouldnt mean that its OK and we should just ignore it. Its still offensive. Its still abusive. And its still bloody frightening for a woman to recieve just because she expressed a view on a public space.

Having seen the calm, logical, rational, measured and thoughtful way Ms Criado-Perez dealt with the issue on Newsnight last night I would love to see a couple of these keyboard "warriors" in a debate with her on telly, trying to justify themselves. She would chew them up and spit them out without so much as raising an eyebrow, let alone her voice. I'd pay good money to see it.

Just a little fantasy.

I also think this "women know your place" thing is a general cultural trend. For e.g., I was watching Sky news yesterday and they were reporting on the "modesty" covers for lads mags. They had two seconds of someone from Feminista giving their viewpoint, and then an interview with a former editor of Loaded, and about 30 seconds of four blokes in a pub (definitely a panel of experts) giving their views. The sense I got was "oh shame, poor women being offended by some harmless pictures", completely ignoring what an issue it is.

DH is relatively evolved, but he just doesn't get (nor does a number of male friends) how much crap women have to put up with in the public sphere. There was an ad (I think for Aussie Bum) which showed a half naked man, and he went "that's so degrading - it makes me feel inadequate" not realising that 75% of adverts feature a gorgeous (impossibly beautiful, as it's photoshopped) woman in various stages of undress, not really thinking how that would make women/girls feel.

Also, I was watching the "reverse" music video of the song Blurred Lines (where the writhing naked people were men) and the women were dressed and singing, and my gut reaction was "that's so degrading!", whereas when I watched the original it wasn't as shocking. It's so normal to see naked/near naked women being petted, writhing around, it doesn't even register as shocking, only after a moment's pause. That depresses the hell out of me.

Totally agree edam. Mary Beard gets it because when applying for her telly pass she forgot to be 25, blonde buxom and simpering, and instead comes over as authoritative, clever and wise without a hint of putting out. Some men just can't take it. She is a bloody fantastic role model for women.