Five minutes’ screenshotting is more than too much time to waste on this insubstantial nonsense.
I think this is intended to be provocative. I’ve taken screenshots of all the replies at the time of posting. Including the one where I say I’m going to take the screenshots. Meta, eh? But categorically not a tidal wave of vile abuse.
As before, if there’s anything else out there referencing this tweet, please email it to me and I’ll add it to this post.
This is an exhaustive record of a real live Torrent Of Cybernat Abuse™.
Frances Barber is a respected English actor. Today she tweeted this:
She then repeatedly claimed to be subject to abuse by Cybernats. I think this abuse deserves to be seen in full.
She did receive at least two or three abusive comments (where abusive language was used against her):
Those are the worst tweets I was able to find. The rest were comments like this:
“They died so you could make small political points with their bodies and memories. Better people than you any day.”
“You do see that many perfectly reasonable Scots will be deeply offended by you scoring cheap points off D-Day dead don’t you?”
“It’s not an election. It’s a referendum. Ill informed insulting nonsense like yours simply drives more people to vote Yes.”
“Really? My Dad is English as is my Grandfather. You have nothing to say other than that? It’s people like you who drive us”
“You insult the war dead by using them to make a snipe political point. You clearly have no class.”
“Wow, this is poor. I have family who were POWs, died and some went missing presumed dead in the war. This is disgraceful.”
“Have a word with yourself you attention-seeking troll. Shame on you for making such a shabby ignorant facile comment.”
“Not even reading the comment here. But how distasteful. These men saved the free world. Shame on you.”
“Why Frances? Are you suggesting that Salmond has no regard for British troops who gave their lives? Shameful.”
“Bigots use people’s background or beliefs to make insulting generalisations about them. Like you just did.”
“Disgraceful thing to say. Your bias is ridiculous. Your judgement of people is sickening.”
“Very poor taste. Ill measured comment.”
“Why make Salmond sick? Scots died fighting for freedom on that beach. The peaceful fight continues today. Crass comment.”
“I think you’re a liar and a bigot so hey ho.”
“Unhinged, tragic and disrespectful. I’ll wager @FrancesBarber13 is one of these ‘uber nationalists‘ people keep talking about.”
These are all of the negative comments about Frances Barber which I have been able to discover today. By which I mean, any comment which could be loosely interpreted as negative. Whether or not this is ‘abuse’, you can judge for yourself.
Meanwhile, this is what Frances was saying (in reverse order, newest comments first):
A year or so ago, comedian Susan Calman claimed to have received death threats from Cybernats, but never provided any evidence of this. So, as this unfolded, I was keen to catch any evidence before it got deleted.
As far as I can make it out, there is one person repeatedly posting personally abusive comments about Frances Barber. I won’t stand for abuse, but imaginary abuse is even worse.
If anyone has any evidence of abusive comments against Frances Barber, preferably tweet them at me @roamingadhocrat, or if necessary email me, and I’ll post it here.
I’d like to end this on a vaguely positive note:
Whew. I need a drink.
Roaming Adhocrat 