social media and guns

[beag_nut]

Now that both NY and Ill. are trying to pass new laws requiring gun owners to reveal their social media accounts, I wonder how people feel about all the threads which generally go: "Show us all your revolvers, Smiths, rifles, what you just bought, etc., etc."
Perhaps it would be wiser to be less than "gun proud" if one resides in a state which does that?

 

[badkarmamib]

More than likely the point of the laws; drive firearm ownership underground, make it less mainstream, so that every mention of a firearm makes non-owners cringe.

 

[Heir Kommt Die Sonne]

Pretty soon they're gonna have you reveal which bathroom in your house you predominantly use.
For real though, since when did social media accounts become a legal asset? Anyone who can use the internet can create a email account, then through that create any kind of account they want on any platform. How are they going to define which email address is your primary one, or which instagram account is your "legal" account for representing you?

 

[dh1633pm]

Whenever you use social media, you are the product. Like drugs I just say no.

 

[milemaker13]

Whenever you use social media, you are the product. Like drugs I just say no.

Is this forum not social media?

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Is this forum not social media?

I feel it is, though I doubt there’s as much inherent privacy violations like on FB, Twitter, or Instagram.

 

[AlexanderA]

I don't think they would be looking for gun ownership, per se, but rather for threats, racism, etc. -- the kind of things that would be conduct violations here on this forum.

Nevertheless, searching through people's social media history is overreach, and is somewhat frightening. This is why I've never participated in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. No good can possibly come of it.

 

[LiveLife]

Is this forum not social media?

No, THR is a "forum" where public discussion is focused on one common interest of Second Amendment (Core principle which does not change).

Social media is about sharing different interests with consensus of many. (Just because many people jump off the cliff doesn't mean that's the right thing to do. It just means it's the "popular" thing to do, and what's popular can change very quickly)

 

[milemaker13]

No, THR is a "forum" where public discussion is focused on one common interest of Second Amendment (Core principle which does not change).

Social media is about sharing different interests with consensus of many. (Just because many people jump off the cliff doesn't mean that's the right thing to do. It just means it's the "popular" thing to do, and what's popular can change very quickly)

Ok good to know. Like others here I dont have the standard facespace, twatter or instagret accts like most other people these days. Don't see a point to any of it... as well as seeing several negative points.
In any case, I hope the mindless hordes will quickly see this as a blatant over reach of gov power into their private lives. Perhaps it will flip a switch for many... I can hope right?

 

[LiveLife]

hordes will quickly see this as a blatant over reach of gov power into their private lives. Perhaps it will flip a switch for many... I can hope right?

Surprising, increasing number of millennials and Generation Z are growing anti-social media.

Whenever opportunity presents, I educate and inform their right to self defense/protection.

I am hopeful.

 

[harrygunner]

No to hiding.

Some anti-gunner legislators are proposing laws making it illegal for minors to post firearms related posts on social media. Teachers regularly skip the Second Amendment when teaching about the Constitution. Positive spins on gun use is frowned on in movies and television.

Rather than placating those against a clear human right, drive their amoral position underground.

 

[Jared Campbell]

I am 38 years old and Retired from the US Army, and I have been called a millennial. This is funny because I do not act like an obvious millennial, and I do not own a cell phone, I prefer landline. I do not have Facebook, Instagram, twitter ect, the only thing I have is this laptop I am typing on now. The only social media I do is this site as well as gunbroker.com that’s it. I only go to gun stores to purchase AR15 lowers, because I build AR’s for a hobby, and if I ever get asked to show my social media nonsense I will reply no and slap some idiot who ask me!

 

[.308 Norma]

Rather than placating those against a clear human right, drive their amoral position underground.

+1

 

[Heir Kommt Die Sonne]

Surprising, increasing number of millennials and Generation Z are growing anti-social media.

The more you use social media, the more you realize , it's stupid.
I only use it to talk to some people I know that are genuinely cool. Everything else about it I would much rather live life without.
I think email services with a built in chat feature like Gmail should be more common. Just makes it easier to have a conversation with your online contacts wherever you go

 

[jmr40]

Is this forum not social media?

Yes, it is, just as much as Facebook. It is just moderated much more closely for content than most.

There are good reasons for the proposals, but like anything else there is the potential for abuse. Most of the people who have been involved in mass shootings have left tips and clues of what they were planning on social media prior to their crimes. They often come to forums like this asking questions that may seem innocent at first, but are looking for advice on how to best carry out their crime. That is the very reason so many threads end up getting locked here. I don't always agree with the moderators, but understand what they are trying to do. Quite often a shooters social media is looked at AFTER a crime and it is easy to see that some of those people should never have a gun. The idea is to identify them BEFORE they commit a crime.

 

[Heir Kommt Die Sonne]

Has a later mass shooter ever been to this thread, and asked such questions?

 

[Old Dog]

Most of the people who have been involved in mass shootings have left tips and clues of what they were planning on social media prior to their crimes. They often come to forums like this asking questions that may seem innocent at first, but are looking for advice on how to best carry out their crime.

Really? Care to document this?

 

[Heir Kommt Die Sonne]

Really? Care to document this?

I know of one case where the shooter did leave little clues. The shooter of the Virginia school back in 2006 did animation on Newsgrounds, and was active in forums where he identified as a nazi. One of his cartoons on Newsgrounds involved a stick figure man shooting a few people, then killing himself. Give me a minute, I'll try to find it

EDIT:
The shooter was Jeff Weise, and he was in Minnesota not Virginia.
Here is his Newsground video:
https://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/195194

 

[dh1633pm]

A forum is different from social media in many ways. It is different in the information it captures and how that information is shared. Also among the interactions between members. It is however a form of social media.

 

[Old Dog]

I know of one case where the shooter did leave little clues. The shooter of the Virginia school back in 2006 did animation on Newsgrounds, and was active in forums where he identified as a nazi. One of his cartoons on Newsgrounds involved a stick figure man shooting a few people, then killing himself. Give me a minute, I'll try to find it

EDIT:
The shooter was Jeff Weise, and he was in Minnesota not Virginia.
Here is his Newsground video:
https://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/195194

Sigh. I was asking someone to provide documentation that any person who'd committed a "mass shooting" had been active on any internet firearms forum, fishing for tips on how best to commit his atrocity.

 

[CapnMac]

Sadly, everything here can be subpoenaed, it all represents "public record" even if not associated with one's actual name.

We already have precedents that use of "avatar" names does not protect a person from their online presence. (In other words, you cannot argue that your "ThugBunneh4Lyf" account which exposes all sorts of evidence against interest is "just a persona dramatae" and "not really me."

No, the social media reveal is just another ploy, a way to make gun owners guilty until proven innocent, and to drive a wedge between factions within the community.

"We" as a group need to be able to share in the good, the bad, the mundane, and the excellent in our communities, in our activities, in our mutual gestalt. So, a "show us your" thread is to our gain.

 

[Heir Kommt Die Sonne]

Sigh. I was asking someone to provide documentation that any person who'd committed a "mass shooting" had been active on any internet firearms forum, fishing for tips on how best to commit his atrocity.

What I did provide is documentation of someone who attended forums, and did post clues accross his various internet accounts. However your exact question about the firearms related forums, is exactly the same as mine. That's what I asked jmr40 but he hasn't responded yet

 

[AlexanderA]

Social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) are mostly the province of younger people. Old farts, like me, never got into it. We were content with bulletin boards, Usenet, and eventually forums like this one.

I think that for people growing up today, there is tremendous pressure to take part in social media. Schools and employers expect it. If you are applying for a job, and have no record of social media postings, employers might not hire you, because they can't really perform their "due diligence." This is something that's expected. They expect you to participate, but have mainstream opinions.

I fear that if checking social media accounts becomes a thing with respect to guns, then the absence of a record might be as bad as a detrimental record. Either one might tend to show that you were antisocial.

This is a lose-lose situation for gun owners.

 

[rust collector]

I try to keep in mind that whatever I put out there can be seen by anyone and will live forever. That makes me a bit more circumspect than many who are chronic social media users.

 

[FROGO207]

Social media is not for everyone and I do not use it. It reminds me of a giant party line (remember those?). The people that put up posts/pictures of firearms or sex themed things when they are young and forget it. The people hiring/admitting you to college now do a social media search to find out what beliefs you hold in most cases. Want to apply for a job at a hospital or school and have a bunch of firearms posts/pictures that are way out there and wonder why they pass you up. I don't.