I originally said "Yes" to the first one, but then changed it to "No", and then back to "Yes".
Because I don't think that it should be taken as a death threat - it's a public statement, being made from long distance. So I don't think of it as an actual death threat. I _do_ think of it as generally abusive behaviour though. And while I'm in favour of free speech, my limits are when it comes to deliberately setting out to make someone feel threatened.
When it comes to making jokes on Twitter about celebrities dying, I see there being a world of difference between "I'm going to laugh when Sting dies, the pompous arse" and "I'm going to laugh when @Sting dies, the pompous arse". The first will be seen by you and your followers/friends. The second is one where you've deliberately included the person you're joking about, and have thus turned a semi-public/semi-private conversation into an attack on someone. Thus, appalling behaviour.
no subject
Because I don't think that it should be taken as a death threat - it's a public statement, being made from long distance. So I don't think of it as an actual death threat. I _do_ think of it as generally abusive behaviour though. And while I'm in favour of free speech, my limits are when it comes to deliberately setting out to make someone feel threatened.
When it comes to making jokes on Twitter about celebrities dying, I see there being a world of difference between "I'm going to laugh when Sting dies, the pompous arse" and "I'm going to laugh when @Sting dies, the pompous arse". The first will be seen by you and your followers/friends. The second is one where you've deliberately included the person you're joking about, and have thus turned a semi-public/semi-private conversation into an attack on someone. Thus, appalling behaviour.