All right, here’s my thing with doxxing (IE, revealing a user’s personal information on the ‘net.)
For all that some people chide and ridicule anyone who posts personal information online, the reality is that anyonewho’s net-savvy and an active member of any social forum has more than likely posted enough tidbits about themselves over time for any intrepid ‘net user to compile into a full-fledged identity of the person behind the screen. In every doxxing case I’ve seen the personal information about the user that ends up being revealed is no more than what they thoughtlessly let slip through the years.
But I still don’t think that makes doxxing okay. In most cases, including this one, it’s needless escalation of conflict, and worse than that it’s childish. Sending doxxed users prank pizza orders, nasty letters, and anonymous death threats might provide a few seconds of catharsis but it doesn’t actually solve the problem, and worse you’ve started nudging it towards a police matter rather than an internet one.
Hot heads don’t win arguments, and displays of petty revenge don’t win hearts. There’s something to be said for taking the high road, especially when you’re pissed.
I read over the list that was posted because I was worried someone I know might be on the list. I’m not going to go attack the people on the list, but I’d like to know if some creeper in my community might be taking pictures of me or people I know and posting them online for weirdos on the internet to get off to. Lists like this are useful to help people protect themselves from predators in their community.
Moreover, if these people have engaged in criminal activities, it should be a police matter. The fact that it happened on the internet doesn’t keep it from being criminal, and frankly, I think it’s kind of screwed up that someone would be unhappy that people engaging in criminal activity on the internet might get in trouble for their actions in real life because they somehow have this mistaken belief that what happens on the internet has zero impact on people’s real lives.
In some cases, these are dudes actively stalking women in their community, taking photos of them without their knowledge, and posting them on the internet for strangers to fap over. That’s gross, and if the police think it’s a serious enough problem to investigate, then it should be investigated, whether it happens on the internet or not.
Finally: doxxing in this scenario was successful, because it got this forum taken down. It might not be a 100% solution, but it’s better than fucking nothing.
This wasn’t done just to send someone fake pizza deliveries. This was done 1) to get this content taken down and 2) to have the men posting this stuff experience real-life consequences for their shitty ass actions. That’s not childish. That is protecting real life women who have been hurt by what these people have done.