# Evil Trump supporter tweets a strobe at Kurt Eichenwald **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 17, 2016, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-trump-supporter-tweets-a-strobe-at-kurt-eichenwald/774963 "2016-12-17T19:32:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2017, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-trump-supporter-tweets-a-strobe-at-kurt-eichenwald/774963/101 "2017-03-19T13:23:42Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Eichenwald is a lying, dishonest prick and in a more moral era would be an embarrassment to his publishers. … He was phony, dishonest and dissembling the whole way through. > > Plus so far as I know there’s no reason for him to stay off Twitter. The strobe (whose posting I don’t agree with) was in the form of a GIF, which you have to click to get it to animate. It’s not like simply opening the site is going to suddenly inundate you with flashing strobe lights. Perhaps if he weren’t such a lying, obfuscating and obnoxious twit he wouldn’t inspire people to do things like that to him. Three points. 1. You don’t like Eichenwald. (I wonder if there’s something about the very surname you find detestable.) 2. You “don’t agree” with the strobe, but this disclaimer merits mention only within parentheses. BYW, “don’t agree” is not a synonym of “condemn.” 3. You don’t know what an animated gif is. Pro-tip: If you want to pretend that you’re not delighted to see Eichenwald persecuted, string a lot of adjectives and phrases together: “reprehensible”, “worse than the offense that it protests”, “he has the right to free speech.” You might be smart enough to know this already, so I can only assume there’s some _Starving Artist Fan Club_ and you don’t want them to think you’re going soft. > [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > I clearly stated that I didn’t agree with the posting of the strobe light. If “clearly stated” includes a short noun phrase embedded in parentheses. You spend far more words claiming that you clearly stated it than in actually stating it clearly. :rolleyes: > [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Only stupid people think that. > [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Stupid is as stupid does, and it’s just as stupid to go walking down a dark alley with money hanging out of your pockets, or if you’re a woman to throw caution to the wind and get passing out drunk with no thought as to the possible consequences, as it is to climb into a tiger pen at the zoo. The argument against victim blaming is well-intentioned and it serves a worthwhile purpose…up to a point. But taken to such an extreme that it completely absolves the victim of any and all responsibility for their own behavior is not only irresponsible and ridiculous, but dangerous as well. Not a fan of the First Amendment I see. (I’ve not seen you in the gun threads but would bet money the _Second_ Amendment gives you wet dreams. 😛 ) > [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > I stand corrected then. Every one I’ve ever seen had to be clicked on first though. Cite? I’ve wanted to find a way to stop an animated gif from playing before clicked, but don’t know how. Sure your click didn’t replace a non-animated image with an animated one? > [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > And while we’re on the subject of this manipulative, lying, dishonest faux-journalist, … I’m disinclined to take that guy’s word at face value on anything. You sure don’t like Eichenwald. I bet you’re more comfortable with nice Teutonic names like Drumpf or Himmler. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-trump-supporter-tweets-a-strobe-at-kurt-eichenwald/774963/102 "2017-03-20T14:17:48Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > I’m glad they caught him. I was unaware that over 40 other people did the same thing to the man since the news of the first strobe message was reported on! I’m torn between hoping people get the message and stop sending these tweets, and hoping people continue sending the tweets and more people get arrested. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-trump-supporter-tweets-a-strobe-at-kurt-eichenwald/774963/103 "2017-03-20T17:58:46Z")
Someone was doing it just this weekend. Three separate ones, plus a boast or two that he had done so. I reported the strobing GIFs, although I’m sure Eichenwald is being careful of his settings so that they don’t automatically play when scrolled past. Some people are just jerks. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-trump-supporter-tweets-a-strobe-at-kurt-eichenwald/774963/104 "2017-03-20T18:01:27Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > Someone was doing it just this weekend. Three separate ones, plus a boast or two that he had done so. I reported the strobing GIFs, although I’m sure Eichenwald is being careful of his settings so that they don’t automatically play when scrolled past. > > Some people are just jerks. This isn’t jerkish behavior. This is pathological violent behavior, hidden in a bloodless medium. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-trump-supporter-tweets-a-strobe-at-kurt-eichenwald/774963/105 "2017-03-20T18:06:28Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Thanks. Still not an unconditional condemnation of the act, though. Care to try again? ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-trump-supporter-tweets-a-strobe-at-kurt-eichenwald/774963/106 "2017-03-20T18:11:37Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > This isn’t jerkish behavior. This is pathological violent behavior, hidden in a bloodless medium. The laws of Criminal Justice lag behind once again. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-trump-supporter-tweets-a-strobe-at-kurt-eichenwald/774963/107 "2017-03-20T18:26:09Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > I’m torn between hoping people get the message and stop sending these tweets, and hoping people continue sending the tweets and more people get arrested. As one who gets seizures, I have to say, that’s a messed up idea. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-trump-supporter-tweets-a-strobe-at-kurt-eichenwald/774963/108 "2017-03-20T18:28:55Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > As one who gets seizures, I have to say, that’s a messed up idea. He’s not opening them. He’s sending them to the FBI. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-trump-supporter-tweets-a-strobe-at-kurt-eichenwald/774963/109 "2017-03-20T18:35:21Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > He’s not opening them. He’s sending them to the FBI. As a long-time user of Topiramate, I also think it’s a mess-up idea. Anyone willing to do something this dangerous isn’t above spoofing a loved one’s/friend’s/family member’s email address. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-trump-supporter-tweets-a-strobe-at-kurt-eichenwald/774963/110 "2017-03-20T19:08:59Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > As a long-time user of Topiramate, I also think it’s a mess-up idea. Anyone willing to do something this dangerous isn’t above spoofing a loved one’s/friend’s/family member’s email address. True. In an ideal world, this would simply draw them all out without risking anyone. Well, I guess in an ideal world, such people wouldn’t exist. Nevermind! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-trump-supporter-tweets-a-strobe-at-kurt-eichenwald/774963/111 "2017-03-20T19:18:19Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > As a long-time user of Topiramate, I also think it’s a mess-up idea. Anyone willing to do something this dangerous isn’t above spoofing a loved one’s/friend’s/family member’s email address. Spoofed email addresses aren’t that hard to detect, though. Particularly so if you’re trying to spoof the major email providers, which all have protections in place. It would make a lot more sense just to create a disposable email account, and to use an anonymizing proxy through the dark web, while using free Wi-fi. I was actually happy that the main Twitter user wasn’t smart enough to do this. It’s why trying to prosecute death threats online is so hard–it’s really easy to make yourself effectively entirely anonymous. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-trump-supporter-tweets-a-strobe-at-kurt-eichenwald/774963/112 "2017-03-20T19:24:02Z")
Eichenwald was busy on Twitter last night with a raft of right wing trolls that were posting obnoxious lies about him. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2017, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-trump-supporter-tweets-a-strobe-at-kurt-eichenwald/774963/113 "2017-03-20T20:06:13Z")
… and the person charged with the crime just had felony assault and hate crime charges added to the list. > ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2017, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-trump-supporter-tweets-a-strobe-at-kurt-eichenwald/774963/114 "2017-03-21T22:48:03Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Cite? I’ve wanted to find a way to stop an animated gif from playing before clicked, but don’t know how. If you’re using Chrome, may I recommend [the Animation Policy](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/animation-policy/ncigbofjfbodhkaffojakplpmnleeoee?hl=en) plugin? It permits you to set a rule that makes animated gifs run only once, or disables animation completely. There is a native setting in Firefox to do the same thing: ```auto about:config ``` in the URL bar and then search for ```auto image.animation. You'll see a setting called ``` image.animation\_mode ```auto ; set it to "off." Finally in IE, navigate to Internet Properties / Advanced / Multimedia and uncheck Play Animations in Webpages, then (since it's Windows) restart your entire system. ``` ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-trump-supporter-tweets-a-strobe-at-kurt-eichenwald/774963/115 "2018-01-30T21:30:59Z")
Eichenwald posts an update: > “1.Without warning, I fell today and hurt my arm. Dizzy, no one was around to help me get back up. It happened because I wrote things about Trump that a supporter didn’t like, so 13 months ago, he tried to kill me. Knowing I have epilepsy, knowing strobes can set off seizures…2.…he tweeted one at me. It contained the words “You deserve a seizure for your posts.” It was sent by John Rivello, who identified himself with the online code for anti-Semites of three brackets, calling himself (((Ari Goldstein))) with the twitter handle @jew\_goldstein. The…” He continues for 11 tweets in total. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-trump-supporter-tweets-a-strobe-at-kurt-eichenwald/774963/116 "2018-01-30T21:57:07Z")
That’s pretty gut-wrenching stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-trump-supporter-tweets-a-strobe-at-kurt-eichenwald/774963/117 "2018-01-31T01:42:13Z")
The Lawfare cybercrime blog has a decent May 2017 writeup of the case: > **[Cybercrime Roundup: Using Twitter as a Weapon, Copyright Trolling Porn, and...](https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/cybercrime-roundup-using-twitter-weapon-copyright-trolling-porn-and-script-kiddies-rise)** > > Using Twitter as a Weapon > > On December 15, 2016, Kurt Eichenwald received a tweet from Twitter user @jew\_goldstein that a flashing strobe GIF superimposed with the The FBI appears to have spent some resources tracking the accused down. The state of Texas, where the victim lives, added aggravated assault and hate crime charges. ## There is an online fundraising campaign for the accused, which has garnered support in the low 5 figures, from 448 mostly anonymous contributors. Most do so without comment; some do so with anti-Semitic commentary or obtuse claims that sending out a tweet is no big deal. I used to follow Eichenwald on twitter; I no longer do. Not a fan. But I consider the alleged criminal behavior to be assault and battery and believe it should be punished as such, with other charges added as the law allows. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evil-trump-supporter-tweets-a-strobe-at-kurt-eichenwald/774963.md?page=5)