[hn_throwaway_99]

This kind of feels like "privilege" of the sort where you can kind of identify with this kid (he's a hacker, into computers) so you're excusing his actions.

Yes, everyone has done some dumb things at this age, but the consequences of this were pretty severe, and he certainly knew what he was doing. Just calling this a "meme-worthy fake post" is minimizing what he did.

[totony]

>but the consequences of this were pretty severe

Can you elaborate on this? The consequences were mild at best, with people easily duped being duped and twitter having a (understandably) worse reputation.

[ImaCake]

Think of what this teenager could have done if he had hacked Trump's twitter, or any other current head of state. The best case scenario then is a diplomatic incident, the worst is war or genocide.

[Biganon]

But then again he hasn't, so what's your point?

[ImaCake]

But the potential was there. I was providing an all to likely possibility of someone hacking twitter in the way that happened here. Not sure why I have been downvoted for stating something sensible to the question that was asked.

[totony]

It's the context of the answer; you stated possibilities, but, when considering consequences of actions, possibilities don't matter.