This Can Only End Well, Part 571

[justclaws]

From: Chiyou
Date: August 9th

I would ask that whoever is behind the increasingly threatening and macabre anonymous posts please refrain from such things in the future. It spreads distrust and is becoming extremely tiresome.

It is not acceptable to intimidate people simply because they cannot trace it back to you.

Comments

[thevanguard]

[ He's answering, because it's late at night and this is the most interesting thing happening on the BBS right now. ]

You realize this is just asking them to try it on you, right?

[ Don't you know how internet trolls work, dude? ]

[justclaws]

[No, Yata. No, he really does not.

[It is enough of a miracle that he knows what the internet is.]

I believe that has already happened. Soliciting advice on how best to kill a God already involves a good half of us.

[thevanguard]

Yeah, but now you've brought yourself to their attention. That probably wasn't the smartest move.

[justclaws]

If that is the price for speaking up I will gladly pay it. People dear to me have been targeted already. If my speaking up helps divert attention from them, I will welcome it.

[thevanguard]

You might, but I bet your friends won't appreciate you putting yourself in danger for them, too. Besides, what are you gonna do if they come after you instead?

[meowbel]

Oh c'mon, you make it sound like it's a bad thing to ask for advice!

[...Of course, this was assuming that he was talking about the post below him and not the previous ones]

[justclaws]

It can be, depending on the question.

Personal queries are one thing. Seeking information on how best we can harm one another is another matter entirely.

[meowbel]

Whoa, whoa, wait! Time out here!

What about harming one another? Just what did I miss here?!

[monkeyblue]

Do yourself a favor and look up "internet trolls" and "anonymous harassment".

[justclaws]

Things do not become acceptable simply because they are common, either. If one is not prepared to own their words, then perhaps that is a sign they were better left unspoken.

[monkeyblue]

Never said it was acceptable, but you're an idiot if you think they care.

[justclaws]

I care. I see no reason to pretend I do not simply because others might think it foolish.

[monkeyblue]

Install an anti-virus and anti-spyware then.

[justclaws]

[Yes, those were definitely some words you just wrote.]

And how would I achieve that?

[They don't have computers in Kouka.

[It is frankly a miracle Kija knows how to turn this thing on.]

[monkeyblue]

[Long sigh because do they not give basic computer literacy lessons to new arrivals?]

Find a computer class.

[justclaws]

I did not know that these devices could fall ill.

[monkeyblue]

[....he'll go with it.]

Anonymous assholes can infect them. And you just made yourself a target.

Computer class.

[justclaws]

Thank you for your advice. There is much I have yet to learn about these things, and I am sorry for troubling you.

May I inquire if you know of anybody who is qualified to offer such a service?

[monkeyblue]

[This idiot is so earnest it almost hurts.]

Libraries usually offer them.

[1/2]

[justclaws]

[Libraries...

[He will have to speak to Yoon. Somehow. And hope it goes rather better than... well, than every single other time they have spoken since Yoon arrived here.]

I see. Thank you.

[2/2]

[justclaws]

How am I to know if a device is unwell? The symptoms must be very strange.

[Someone still doesn't know what 'edit post' means.]

[monkeyblue]

Trust me, you'll know.

[bussounoshima]

Seconded.

[Don't worry, Kija, Gojyo got a smack and a lecture from his goddess after that post.]

[justclaws]

Thank you. I am glad to know that someone is in agreement.

[bussounoshima]

Some people don't think about how they come across to everyone over these things. Some intentionally want to frighten people. Others don't think about the consequences of a public forum like this.

It's a stupid thing to do, of course. I wouldn't take many of them too seriously, nor would I assume they're all connected.

From: Hermes

[changeanddie]

That would be ideal, but that's precisely the reason behind them using anonymous. You're new to the Internet, are you not?

[justclaws]

[Try 'to this century'. It is much quicker.]

I fail to see what difference that makes, but yes.

Why permit people to hide behind anonymity, considering that it is almost never used productively?

from: lux

[rememberher]

I'm glad that someone finally said something about this. It's getting to be a bit much if you want my honest opinion.

[ Another member of the "doesn't know how internet trolls work" club. ]

[justclaws]

Agreed. Is nobody responsible for checking what ends up here?In light of all this, that seems something of an oversight.

text, from: Li Tieguai

[reformedsinner]

It could be construed as a public service, don't you think?

It keeps us all on our toes.

[justclaws]

Is this situation not trying enough without deliberately setting out to cause division?

[reformedsinner]

Some people do have unfortunate hobbies!

Don't take it too personally. They're probably just amusing themselves without a thought for the consequences.

Anonymous

[tadanokusuriuri]

You seem terribly certain that the intent was to intimidate.

[justclaws]

I find it difficult to imagine what else could have been intended. A nameless individual seeks to discover how to murder an equally nameless God, when this place has seen to it that some half our number could be described as such. That hardly suggests a mere intellectual exercise.

[tadanokusuriuri]

Hmm.

But it wouldn't do to ask such a thing under one's own name.

And to identify the intended victim would only raise their guard.

Isn't that so?

[neraiuchi]

this is like telling someone not to press a button or pull a lever.
even if they weren't thinking about doing it before, they definitely are now, so.
probably counter productive to just say "hey, don't do that."

[justclaws]

But what if that lever should truly not be pulled?

It hardly seems prudent to refrain from giving warnings, merely because some men lack restraint.

[neraiuchi]

which is why you need to back it up with consequences?
besides just asking them not to do the thing.
positive reinforcement is effective but so are punishments if they're executed correctly.

[justclaws]

And I would be more than glad to do so, if I knew who was behind it.

[These machines are, after all, surprisingly fragile.

[It cannot be hard to destroy one completely, when their surfaces crack so damnably easily.]

[neraiuchi]

then you're back to square one.
unless you can figure out who it is.
not that i know how easy it is to trace people on this network, since it's not normal tech.
maybe someone would be willing to poke around to find out.

[justclaws]

But there must be some way to trace a message back to its sender, surely?

I admit I am unfamiliar with these devices, but I was informed that many others here have similar things, in their own times. Are these truly so unusual?

[neraiuchi]

i'm a shinki, so i can't give you like, full details, since a lot of the stuff i know about it is based off of what amounts to ingrained knowledge.

but i'm pretty sure where i'm from didn't have magic and/or heavenly influence attached to the technological aspect. that feels weird.
so it might make tracing anonymous messages harder, since the sender disconnects themselves from their ID.

[justclaws]

Please, do not doubt that you are helping. None of this is knowledge that would be familiar to anyone from my time. You clearly understand far more than I. There is a way to trace a sender normally, then?

I admit that this all seems very much like magic to me.

[neraiuchi]

not the first person i've done this for to here, to be honest, so that's good to know. from what i understand about it, your ID is connected to the network, and is assigned information that is specifically tailored to you? and people can use that information to trace a message back to you.

so it winds up that if you hide your ID somehow, you're also making it harder to find that information.

Idaten

[brains_beef_and_brows]

That is truly sound advise! Are we not all on the same team and work to provide those less fortunate then ourselves to be better and have a better life? We are Gods and Shinkis, let's do our best to make humanity better instead of terrorizing our own kind.