To think this is not a death threat?

[Miffer]

... and that the distinction matters?

I have used this example because, as far as nasty messages go, it's a fairly tame one.

Anyway here is the Tweet -

twitter.com/JoshuaYehl/status/941792280108605440/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.digitalspy.com%2Fmovies%2Fstar-wars%2Fnews%2Fa845581%2Fstar-wars-the-last-jedi-most-divisive-film-in-series%2F

It has been covered in some circles as a death threat but I don't think it is.

This isn't the first time it's happened. There has been a shit load of stuff in the media about death threats on SM but when you actually see the posts they aren't threats. "I hope you..." or "I wish you..." is not the same as "I am going to...".

The thing is some people do get death threats on SM and it's fucking terrible and must be very scary. I have personally had horrible things wished upon me on the internet but have never been threatened with horrible things. While the former is unpleasant I think the latter would be quite frightening.

I think it matters but other people I have spoken to think it's semantics.

I am obviously not saying that wishing death upon somebody is okay but I think the distinction between that and threatening somebody with death is an important one.

AIBU?

"I would force choke you till' your eyes popped"

Sounds like death to me!

It’s a really nasty message either way and the person who sent it clearly has issues.

I agree that isn't a death threat (unless the poster does in fact have Jedi powers, which I think we can safely conclude he does not, because they are make believe).

Also agree that 'I hope [bad thing] happens to you' is nasty, but not the same as 'Im going to do [bad thing] to you'.

Being nasty and being threatening are not the same. But I think the lines are blurred... someone saying 'i hope someone does X to you' may well be envisioning themselves as that 'someone', but be savvy enough to not make a direct threat, and conversely a lot of threats are just hyperbole that the writer has no means or intention of carrying out.