Okay, what does the fact that the bozo arsonist was in the navy and his target was a Viet Nam vet have anything to do with the story?

If the perp had been say a typesetter at a newspaper would they have added the detail that he took leave from his job at the Podunk Pioneer to drive across the country and burn down the trailer?

I am not seeing any big conspiracy here, but the service details just seemed featured more heavily than would be warrented by the rest of the story.

All I know is that I don't think I'd want Scrapiron or RobLA knowing my whereabouts, given some of their rather violent comments. It's not too much of a stretch to imagine them speeding along, perhaps wearing a NASA diaper, muttering obscenities as they head out for a showdown with yet another defiler of truth, justice and the American way. Wait, someone's at the door. Hold on, no...no...NOOOOOO........aaahhhhhh.....

Rule #1 of these here interwebs: don't go putting your personal info online.

Rule #2: if you heed not rule #1, don't be a dick.

Thus endeth the lesson.

JT,

I hope your trailor is worth more than 50K. I'll bet the computer equipment within said trailor accounted for 95% of the value.

A trailor in Waco on fire because of some wackjob fued.....where have we heard this one before?

I only skim read it... Was the guy's name Lee by chance?

I like the last line:

"Before this happened, the rule was: Nobody messes with the haunted house guy," Anderson said.

What?!

So, Uh... Jay, Where do you live?

;)

Well, "yo" beat me to it - the guy who had is trailer torched was a complete and utter moron for posting sufficient personal information online such that someone could find him that easily. These days, with all the bloody crackpots and sickos on the loose (case in point), that is just asking for trouble.

Do not misunderstand me, though - the arsonist broke the law, threatened the life of another human being for no real reason, and was completely and utterly idiotic to boot. Escalating to physical violence all because of an online disagreement? That is the earmark of an immature moron, and one that does not have a place in society - thankfully, the judge took care of that for the time being.

Of course, judging from posts here and on DailyKos and other sites (and, hell, from academic sources as well... like the "global warming" incident cited earlier), it is also the earmark of 90% of the left-wing radicals out there... at least by their words.

I have the opposite thought. Everyone should be required to use their real name and provide some verifiable background information on their experience, education and so forth. This would accomplish two things. It would keep things alot more civil, and it would allow me to better filter who I pay attention to in the comments.

Another lesson here. How many of these "Frothing Trolls" would be willing to meet on a public street to "Discuss" his feelings. I'd venture to say 1 out of a 1000? The internet has made a lot of "Big Talkers" but not many "Takers". After almost 30 years of working the streets of LA, I saw that the biggest mouths had the "smallest" hearts. How do they say it?.. "Talk the talk" but can't "Walk the walk". Such is life.

Oclarki:

I have the opposite thought. Everyone should be required to use their real name and provide some verifiable background information on their experience, education and so forth.

Normally I'd agree with that, if not for the occasional severely unbalanced person who regardless of how you say what you say, might decide to key your car or slash your tires.

Hmmm. Road rage on the information superhighway. I've always wondered about people who choose vanity plates that clearly identify themselves: how much more courteously do they drive?

Heralder,

I guess that's possible, but the reason the story of the guy burning down someone's trailer made the news was becasue that just doesn't happen very often. I can't recall hearing a similar story yet, millions of people are interacting online daily.

Would people get as worked up in arguing if they knew that barneyg2000 was an overweight high school drop out, or that Lee Ward worked at the 7-11 and looked like Beaker form the Muppet show?

There is already a perfect filter for who to pay attention to and it doesn't have anything to do with grammar.
===============================

Well, mebbe a litul. But knot speling.
======================

Cue time for one of my favorite observations. One thing I like about the internet is that arguments don't have to degenerate into fisticuffs, or, worse yet, agreement.
==============

Oclarki,

Would people get as worked up in arguing if they knew that barneyg2000 was an overweight high school drop out, or that Lee Ward worked at the 7-11 and looked like Beaker form the Muppet show?

I'm always curious as to what people look like. It's interesting how you end up picturing people by how they post.

Anyway, I still think that info could too easily be abused. It only takes one crazy person to make your life more complicated. I'm thinking this sort of stuff happens a little more often, the newspaper just doesn't get wind of it or write about it.

That said, normally I'm a very open person. I'd be posting here under my name if I hadn't already started with another screen name.

Kim:

One thing I like about the internet is that arguments don't have to degenerate into fisticuffs,

Given the level of some of the discourse, it'd probably improve alot of the content.

Some people just have no concept of anger management or a firm grip on reality.

These people tend to become self destructive when provoked and the best thing to do is see them coming before they see you.

This gomer actually posted his locations as he approached and if the halfwit that was provoking him had half a clue he'd have been able to prevent the outcome with readily available technology. Perhaps something as simple as if he had a dog it would have stopped the idiot.

The bottom line is that both of these id10ts appear to have been swapping insults trying to prove who was the bigger moron and one of them snapped.

Everyone should be required to use their real name and provide some verifiable background information on their experience, education and so forth.

There isn't anything stopping sites from implementing a registration on their own, and some do. To my understanding a lot of people won't register and prefer the anonymity, and the pluses and minuses that come along with it.

Lee,

It's like you're a characiture of yourself or something! Actually you look a lot like my ex-hippie, high school history teaching uncle!

This comment has been removed by the moderators for violation of Wizbang's comment policy. Future violations may result in this comment author being banned from posting at the Wizbang network of sites.

I have found sometimes things in my regular life..put me in a "pissed off" or "less tolerant"
mindset...I am working on not posting on any ANY blogs during times like this...as emotions trumps reason and often what thought I want to get across gets lost..
But that is just me...don't know about anyone else

Hey Mac Lorry, we get along right? Friends?

Do you own a gun? I forget.

Mac Lorry and Heralder = BFF!

~

Seriously though, there are good and bad to internet anonymity. While the occasional urge to know just who you're talking to (not in a good way) can come along...generally it's probably not the hottest idea.

Just like hitch hiking.

nogo, it is not just you. ;-)

And these two guys certainly sound like they were being as obnoxious as possible.

I don't care for anonymity, which may sound odd seeing as I use a pseudonymn (a nomdeguerre?) but I use it consistently and I think that it's got a reputation attached to it the same as my name would have.

Anonymous posters annoy me because you never know who you are talking to.

Oh, so THAT'S what became of "civil behavior".

By the way, my real name is Peter.

Or is it?

Muhahahahhahahaha

Heralder,

Yes, I have a pistol and a permit to carry it, but seldom do. I earned a black belt in Karate while in high school and college, but I haven't kept it up. I lost interest while in the Air Force because I look too much like the Karate Kid. The wax jokes get old. Anyway, I'm harmless unless someone is threatening harm to a friend or myself. I'm overly protective of friends and that gets me into trouble sometimes. It's that overly protective nature that caused me to alert Paul above even though we don't see eye to eye on political matters.

I'm thinking this sort of stuff happens a little more often, the newspaper just doesn't get wind of it or write about it.

On the 1 in 10 million chance one of the parties involved is reading this, I'll keep details to a minimum but...

In one of my hobbies people can be fairly competitive, it is by no means a requirement but some people are idiots. Well 2 guys got into a pissing contest. And, being the internet, they both had cyberbuddies to be on their team.

-Skipping details-

Things escalated and by the time it was over, one guy had FLOWN TO AUSTRALIA to go cause trouble in the other guy's life. The end result was that the Australian went to jail and the guy from the States lost (estimated) $10,0000.

The fact the Australian went to jail made the papers, the fact a guy from the States flew over there to help the authorities put him jail was never in the paper and certainly no hint it a started becasue of an internet pissing contest.

In the end, I ~guess~ you could say "The good guy won" in that a criminal went to jail but the cost was high.

I have a few other stories not so dramatic but none ever hit the paper, I'd say there is a lot more of it then gets reported.

He flew to Australia!?

Carayzee.

". . .you delete the comments of people who are smarter than you, Paul. That's not 'competitive."

Well, Lee, if he deletes your comments, too, it's not just the people who are smarter than him that Paul deletes.

Not by a long chalk.

Lee the day you are smarter than me, I swear to you, I'll put a .357 against my head and pull the trigger.

Sez Lee:

Don't even talk like that Paul - I would never want you to kill yourself.

And that's a perfect example Lee. You're dumb enough to assume the gun would be loaded.

See Lee, still smarter than you.

>That's about what I'd expect from my 12 year old nephew

Even he's smarter than you huh Lee... Sorry dude.

Lee the day you are smarter than me, I swear to you, I'll put a .357 against my head and pull the trigger.

But he will be smart enough not to put any bullets in it... ;)

And I are dumb for not reading all the comments... :(.

A day or two ago CR was complaining that his posts were being deleted while mine were not. Well if you look at post 22 on this thread you'll see I get deleted too. Ok, no more posting information tidbits about others.

And people wonder why I remain "Jay Tea" and not reveal myself as "James Tiberius" or "Joe Tormolen..."

J.

And people wonder why I remain "Jay Tea" and not reveal myself as "James Tiberius" or "Joe Tormolen..."

Oh right, it's probably Jackson Tubbs, Superfly Blogger and Mac Daddy.