"According to the Riverton Sheriff, his deputies found guns, ammunition, knives and coded messages in the bedroom of one of the suspects."
In another CNN story sure to hit close to home, it's more than cannibals that are at risk of digital backfire. This time, five teenage boys were arrested in Kansas for plotting a high school shooting rampage on the anniversary of the Columbine massacre. And how did the perps get canned? They wrote some of the details on their MySpace.
Now, Rupert Murdoch is barely hip to the idea of sexual predators trolling his new bloggy toy, much less assassinations and homicides. Again, we must reconsider the legal and social implications of online publishing - on MySpace, no less - and what rights we do or don't have. Will Murdoch work with law enforcement to make widespread arrests of his users for the good of the community?
It seems a blog post can be grounds for investigation - but what if someone else is posing as you? Which are more important - equality of rights or a human's life? I caution the use of such information - saying "I'll kill you" on your LiveJournal might put you behind bars.
Jacqueline Colozzi @ Fri, 04/21/2006 - 1:43pm
This is why we have computer nerds who know how to track Internet users. Isn't that why IP addresses exist? And reveal location?
Not that I know a whole lot about the tracking process...
As for the Kansas boys--err--a prime example of animal stupidity mingling with human technology (and weaponry)?