Web posts lead to death threats - Godlike Productions

NORWALK -- In the dark and shadowy world of Internet bloggers and conspiracy theorists, Christopher Rodia is a mystery man connected to last month's school shooting in Newtown. But police say that's just not true. Still, that hasn't stopped the postings and hasn't stopped Rodia from receiving death threats. Sites like USAHitman, "a conspiracy and alternative news site," say the black Honda confiscated at the scene of the Dec. 14 mass murders belonged to Rodia, based on a policeman's call to dispatch on an audiotape posted by Radioman911TV.

Link to full story: Police: No Newtown conspiracy

I've been a long-time lurker on of ATS. I'm on the site almost daily. I feel our mainstream news outlets (CNN, FOX, ETC) are biased and distort the news to fit their own agendas, but unless I or someone else can independently verify and demonstrate proof of any information posted here, I take it all with a grain of salt. What happens when people don't and believe EVERYTHING they read on forums such as this. Innocent people start receiving death threats!

The headline on one USAHitman posting reads: "Adam Lanza's car registered to Christopher Rodia: The conspiracy begins." That site is run by Jim, a New Jersey resident who declined to give his last name. He calls himself a blogger and said posting stories like the one about Rodia is his "hobby." He said he didn't verify the information he reposts from other sites to see if it's accurate. "I have a full-time job and don't have time to research the stories," he said. "I like to post things I find interesting. I update the stories when more stuff comes out."

One of the things I admire about my fellow ATS members is how quickly people will dissect a story and either rebuff or demand clarification/proof here. If someone posts something way out there, we want proof! We hold each other responsible for what we post. I've seen others post information from Godlike Productions in the past and most here just shoot the info down.

What do you think about the actions of Jim, posting information he hasn't verified?

reply to post by Stan71


DO NOT visit that site.

Oh, nice, just one more thread trying to show how the conspiracy theorists who question the official version of Sandy Hook are "irresponsible".

The government shills must be really desperate... They really messed up everything in this very badly planned false flag...

They are REALLY desperate...

reply to post by Stan71


This is why ATS doesn't allow personal information to be posted on the ATS site!

That name came through on EMS radio dispatch along with a certain license plate description. ATS has had an issue with people making claims about that person as being connected with the crime. There were a number of people whose names came over the radio that day and while I understand the desire to get to the bottom of the story we cannot go around leveling serious charges against people. That's libel or slander and can make for nasty lawsuits.

That's why there's a policy of no personal information being released on ATS.
Cases such as this really show the need for such a rule being in place.

reply to post by Asktheanimals


Exactly, no one should be accusing anyone of serious crimes without any proof. And even then, it should be reported to the proper authorities rather than bandied about on the internet.

I, for one, do not want to live in a world of trial by media and of a lynch mob mentality. It isn't perfect but give me the rule of law any day..............

Originally posted by Flavian
reply to post by Asktheanimals

 

Exactly, no one should be accusing anyone of serious crimes without any proof. And even then, it should be reported to the proper authorities rather than bandied about on the internet.

I, for one, do not want to live in a world of trial by media and of a lynch mob mentality. It isn't perfect but give me the rule of law any day..............

Amen to that!
Any one of us could get caught up in something and end up as the internet punching bag of the day.

reply to post by GLontra


So you think that someone reposting "interesting information" without verifying it is responsible?

If posting the transcript of a radio transmisson is irresponsible the reporting of the facts in any situation is equally irresponsible. Drawing a conclusion based upon one snippet of information is also irresponsible however are you going to shutdown all the media outlets in the world of which all are guilty ?

I have agreed with Jon Stewart for years that the media is incredibly irresponsible, and it's their own fault. They made stories bigger and bigger, and now the only way they can survive is to report before checking anything out, which is dangerous. I'd love to see them shut down and start over again. It would be amazing to see a media report where they actually fact checked first, and reported responsibly.

Originally posted by DOLCOTT
If posting the transcript of a radio transmisson is irresponsible the reporting of the facts in any situation is equally irresponsible. Drawing a conclusion based upon one snippet of information is also irresponsible however are you going to shutdown all the media outlets in the world of which all are guilty ?

if what is said cannot be proven, AND, it threatens the life of someone...yeah...shut it down...people need to take responsibility for what the say and do....i don't see why this is so hard to grasp

Either some are being disingenuous, purposely obtuse, or some that are defending this over the top behavior never read what was said. Who knows, but on my board Id have banned them already. Theyve been asked, its been explained, theyve been warned, we've all had the patience of Job with them, and they whine about freedom of speech on a privately owned board.. and keep going. There is an admin I truly respect and have observed for a long time. a GOOD person of a sort thats hard to come by. Personal ethics and fairness.. and a fearlessness to say and do whats right regardless of popular opinions. I take it personally when these people of NO understanding put him and this thing he and others made that we use for free at risk just to stroke their ego and play super secret private investigator and repeatedly post PI and nonsense. I happen to like it here and plan on this board sticking around.

The majority of the rest of us did see what was happening as it was happening and it wasnt a matter of folks ONLY discussing what was in dispatch transmission or discussing facts. Not even speculations based on facts. It was wild disjointed, illogical leaps which not only could be considered libelous, but smacked a freakish stalking mentalities. Absolute ignorance of real world and real life things.. and then they circle jerk eachother on how awesome their super sleuthing skills are. Some posts were really great.. and were informative. Those arent the people who the objections are aimed at by other members and administration. The fixation some of our posters have with certain aspects of this is really disconcerting and worrisome. It is as sick as back when the wm3 case was going on and autopsy pics of the children were passed around like trading cards on certain boards. Heinous behavior. It was not a matter of what Ive seen here at ATS since 07 ( this is 2nd account) which was at times wild speculation but never harmful or vindictive toward a private citizen or posting PI... or groups of ghouls.. and the few times it happened it was very isolated... and taken care of bu BOTH membership and administration. Now we have large groups of posters gang stalking a person nd thinking that freeedom of speech gives them the right to do so! Its outrageous.

It is a normal standard by most GOOD message boards/forums do not allow PI to be discussed, posted, and libelous statements to be left to stand. Unfortunately the patients are running ( and even own) some of the asylums when it comes to conspiracy theory based boards. Im seeing a lot of GLP behavior here.. as in the OP article. I personally have some faith that the owners/mods will take this in hand as a hell of a lot of people will leave if this turns into anything like that place. I see a HUGE influx of new members recently.. I only pray they arent GLP refugees.. its happened before.

Im very much for open conspiracy discussions. Even sensitive subjects can be handled by ATSers and have been in the past. Why this one is bringing out the absolute ghoulishness and stalker idiocy, I dont know. Maybe its not the story, its the posters themselves ( many new) who have no idea concerning board etiquette or common sense when dealing with private citizens and legal issues.. yet say they can do these things and disgustingly hide under a "freedom of speech" shield. Even if you explain it to them.. they reject fact and babble on and on! We all know its BS.. now theyre being called on it.

I personally intellectually comprehended the tragedy, but I didnt cry in my car, wallow in sadness, all of the things that were described here. I just dont feel over the top things like that and spew it all over boards. However, even I can understand that there are acceptable and non acceptable behaviors and actions concerning a tragedy and folks private lives. Im repulsed by those who are obsessed with this case and smear the dead kids' blood all over themselves and then when called on it... pretend they do this as they are "investigating" things out of a sense of justice to get the REAL story. Theyd not know justice if bit them and it doesnt take a genius super sleuth to google and then post some disjointed nonsense together and call it a theory. barf.

reply to post by Stan71


This is exactly why the ATS site owners and moderators brought the hammer down when this crap was being pushed here.

Originally posted by Stan71

NORWALK -- In the dark and shadowy world of Internet bloggers and conspiracy theorists, Christopher Rodia is a mystery man connected to last month's school shooting in Newtown. But police say that's just not true. Still, that hasn't stopped the postings and hasn't stopped Rodia from receiving death threats. Sites like USAHitman, "a conspiracy and alternative news site," say the black Honda confiscated at the scene of the Dec. 14 mass murders belonged to Rodia, based on a policeman's call to dispatch on an audiotape posted by Radioman911TV.

Okay, I've been in Conspiracy Theory forum land for years and years and years. Although I mainly just lurk here I first came to ATS back when it was pretty much all Area 51, etc. Pre-9-11 at any rate.

I have never heard of USAHitman, and I know most of the pretty obscure corners...

Originally posted by Zaphod58
I have agreed with Jon Stewart for years that the media is incredibly irresponsible, and it's their own fault. They made stories bigger and bigger, and now the only way they can survive is to report before checking anything out, which is dangerous. I'd love to see them shut down and start over again. It would be amazing to see a media report where they actually fact checked first, and reported responsibly.

My grandmother was a journalist back when they had a deserved reputation. Near the end of her life about a decade ago or so, she wrote a big long article about how reporting and speculation had essential merged into one. One of the worst habits of journalists these days it just copy and paste from paid news wire services, or press releases they get from wherever.

I spent time on another site warning people that when 'reporters' don't know all the facts about a breaking news story, they just make up crap, hoping that if they get it right, they can credit themselves with 'being the first'. A lot of people don't understand or realize that that's exactly what they do - simply make it up!

First thing taught in Public Relations classes: Journalists are lazy.