Twitter chatter initially identified an innocent person as the Charlottesville terrorist

[oberliner]

People apparently used information about the vehicle available online and spread around on twitter (and presumably elsewhere) the name of a person that seemed to be the owner of the car (or his son).

The person that was being identified had some anti-Trump posts on his social media, so numerous pro-Trump people became eager to post this name and assert that the terrorist was actually not a white supremacist but rather a leftist.

I posted on DU at this time that I noticed this chatter on twitter. I made a point not to include the person's name. I found it fascinating how quickly information can be obtained and disseminated online, especially with regard to major news events such as this.

Several posters responded saying that I should not have made the post considering that this was completely unsubstantiated and was mostly being promulgated by RW types. These were good points.

Pretty soon after that, the person in question apparently posted on social media that he was not connected to this and that he was pissed off that people were putting his name out there in this way (understandably).

It then became clear that the actual terrorist was someone completely different, and I self-deleted the post. This was quite a learning experience for me in terms of evaluating information found online.

One thing that I've noticed is that it is often interesting to go to twitter when a news story comes out because you will often find more first hand accounts that sometimes shed additional light on what is being reported. In this case, however, I should have known that this was RW nonsense.

I regret making the original post, and I hope folks at DU who were annoyed by it can accept my apology.

[MyNameGoesHere]

1. Twitter chatter

Yeah I remember your posts and replies to other posts. Apology not accepted.

On additional thought, you should self delete this also.

[Lee-Lee]

2. Social media spreads disinformation after all these big events

You see it around all kinds of things. This wasn't a unique circumstance.

You see the same things around every police shooting too with Twitter and Facebook "facts" that are pure BS being spread like wildfire and taken as gospel truth.

It's the same behavior that lead to riots and many more people injured and one more killed after Kieth Scott was shot in Charlotte because people spread all kinds of BS.

It's not a harmless or victimless act.

What you did was totally irresponsible and I hope not only you but everyone else learns that going around repeating shit you hear with no idea if it's true isn't responsible behavior.

In fact in the initial hours after any event like this is best to sit back and look for real facts and just absorb information and try to figure out what's correct before repeating anything.

[Weekend Warrior]

3. I "appreciated" your post yesterday.

I do think it should have contained links. I think sites like this become grounds for the truth as members quickly analyze information. You were sharing information being shared online very rapidly.

It was a fluid and fast paced situation. I see no reason to give family and friends the possible ability to try to wipe clean some of their social media before we have the chance to quickly grab screenshots. I know it might not truly go away but it does make it more difficult. I even think that is why the investigators kept him for what was probably longer than necessary for initial questioning before charges were pressed. They had their own people going over his online activity in order to truly cement the motive.

I'm comfortable that if I post inaccurate information here it will be quickly corrected. You didn't out said individual incorrectly. Others had already done that.

[AngryAmish]

4. Twitter is a sewer.

[cwydro]

6. Bingo.

You said it.

[mythology]

5. It's amusing that some of those same people are cheering the Twitter posts claiming to id

the protesters.

It's as if there is a complete disconnect.