The Next Rotation - The Universe of Fenris Fox
22 January 2007
 
URGENT: Shadows of Cyberspace.. That Could Lead to Murder: The Internet Rifle

Yes, you read it right, folks: some microbrain set up a rifle - a real rifle, with live ammunition - to be remote-controlled on the Internet.

What bothers me even more, is that the discussion of the issue on the Fox News Channel (between 10:50 and 11:00AM PST) missed a very important - and sobering - point:

As screwed up as it is - and even with myself being a furry - a much more dangerous possibility exists than shooting wild animals from the comfort of one's couch...

...someone could shoot any human who came into range of the rifle.

Given what I've learned about some of the high-end anonymity systems online (e.g., Tor), this means the following:

Some "thrill killing" freak could commit a random act of cold-blooded murder from their own bedroom...

...and be very, very difficult, if not all but impossible, for law enforcement to trace.

Anyone who puts up such a thing - whether the law sees it as this or not, I do ethically - should consider that they could easily end up an accessory to murder.

ADDENDUM: It was mentioned by someone, that they couldn't think of a way the killer's victim could be induced to get within the rifle's range. This is likely - and is why I've removed the words "first-degree" from the headline.

However, that's not my point; it doesn't matter at all whether the murder would be premeditated or not. In this era of completely random and almost-impossible-to-understand criminals, it wouldn't surprise me one bit if someone would pull the trigger if someone walked into the right place, at the right time.

They might not even think it was real... they might think it was a video game.

Regardless, someone is either wounded or dead.
 
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Assorted writings & artwork of a furry. Sometimes presented from the point-of-view of the author's "fursona" (personal furry): Fenris "Fenny" Fox, the futuristic kitsune.

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