4 ms·

"As you are probably aware, this web site was recently hacked into illegally numerous times by a terrorist group." Wow, really? If this guy turns out to be gui

"As you are probably aware, this web site was recently hacked into illegally numerous times by a terrorist group." Wow, really? If this guy turns out to be guilty of possession, this is a glaring example of how meaningless the term "terrorist" has become in the USA.

jandy 14y ago
If somebody had broken the lock on his mailbox and read his letters instead of his email, would that have been considered terrorism? The word has become meaningless, but they can get away with using it when it's paired with something people don't understand (They HACKED my email!). Hopefully once these things become more understood, more people will realise how silly it is deeming this as terrorism.
- eli 14y ago
  If their goal was to terrorize these young men, then I imagine that would meet the literal (and probably legal) definition of terrorism.
  - lostlogin 14y ago
    Agreed, but it would miss the meaning the word has for 99% of people.
  - illuminate 14y ago
    "If their goal was to terrorize these young men, then I imagine that would meet the literal (and probably legal) definition of terrorism" The definition of "terrorize" is expanded to the point where it would not / should not be conflated with the current usage of "terrorism".
tptacek 14y ago
Random website authors in Steubenville, Ohio are using the term "terrorist" hyperbolically. This tells us something about America. Specifically: that random website operators in parts of America are, as statistics have long assured us, dumb.
- obstacle1 14y ago
  >this is a glaring example of This instance of the abuse of the term "terrorist" is an example of, not proof of. Further the author isn't using the term hyperbolically, he is making a direct claim. Namely, that the people who "hacked" his site are terrorists.
  - astrodust 14y ago
    By that definition so is the FBI and the police since they might frighten people. Hacking is not terrorism.
    - obstacle1 14y ago
      This is my point when I say, in my original post, that: >this is a glaring example of how meaningless the term "terrorist" has become in the USA.
rdtsc 14y ago
Hey good publicity for Anonymous, and all other "terrorists" out there (real or pretend). Terrorists are now also those who fight the establishment and bring covered up crimes to light and abusers to justice. It is much like the U.S. used "communists" as a derogatory term for those who fought to independence and opposed them in South America. So it has actually become a complement "hey if fighting a brutal empire is called Communism, great, where do we sign up to join this communism thing".
PeterisP 14y ago
Well, terrorists should be happy if the average american will now associate "terrorist" with "resistance fighter against rapists and corrupt cops".

jandy 14y ago

If somebody had broken the lock on his mailbox and read his letters instead of his email, would that have been considered terrorism? The word has become meaningless, but they can get away with using it when it's paired with something people don't understand (They HACKED my email!). Hopefully once these things become more understood, more people will realise how silly it is deeming this as terrorism.

eli 14y ago
If their goal was to terrorize these young men, then I imagine that would meet the literal (and probably legal) definition of terrorism.
- lostlogin 14y ago
  Agreed, but it would miss the meaning the word has for 99% of people.
- illuminate 14y ago
  "If their goal was to terrorize these young men, then I imagine that would meet the literal (and probably legal) definition of terrorism" The definition of "terrorize" is expanded to the point where it would not / should not be conflated with the current usage of "terrorism".

tptacek 14y ago

Random website authors in Steubenville, Ohio are using the term "terrorist" hyperbolically. This tells us something about America. Specifically: that random website operators in parts of America are, as statistics have long assured us, dumb.

obstacle1 14y ago
>this is a glaring example of This instance of the abuse of the term "terrorist" is an example of, not proof of. Further the author isn't using the term hyperbolically, he is making a direct claim. Namely, that the people who "hacked" his site are terrorists.
- astrodust 14y ago
  By that definition so is the FBI and the police since they might frighten people. Hacking is not terrorism.
  - obstacle1 14y ago
    This is my point when I say, in my original post, that: >this is a glaring example of how meaningless the term "terrorist" has become in the USA.

rdtsc 14y ago

Hey good publicity for Anonymous, and all other "terrorists" out there (real or pretend). Terrorists are now also those who fight the establishment and bring covered up crimes to light and abusers to justice. It is much like the U.S. used "communists" as a derogatory term for those who fought to independence and opposed them in South America. So it has actually become a complement "hey if fighting a brutal empire is called Communism, great, where do we sign up to join this communism thing".

PeterisP 14y ago

Well, terrorists should be happy if the average american will now associate "terrorist" with "resistance fighter against rapists and corrupt cops".