can someone tell me when the definition of "prank" changed?

[s_stabeler]

the difference between Snape and James Potter is that James grew up somewhat- though it's true we only have Lupin and Sirius's word for it- while Snape plumbed new depths of assholeness.

also, I'm actually dubious he reformed at all. Aftre all, Snape asked Voldemort to spare Lily- and ONLY Lily- but that was because he hoped that Lily would fall for him. His motivation was always because Voldemort had killed Lily- I'd say it's more accuate to say he turned against Voldemort, while still being a despicable person.

[Hyena Dandy]

As long as we're talking Potter, the way I see it is that Snape wasn't the most noble guy, and had the potential to be a garden variety thug. But what he wasn't was a genocidal madman.

[catcul]

I remember a comedian said it must not be a crime if you call it a "prank." I remember a story that happened near UNC Greensboro. Janet Danahey set a couch on fire outside of her ex-boyfriend's apartment as a prank. She ended up burning down the entire apartment building. Four people died because of her "prank."

Actually, there was a petition to grant her clemency. The governor rejected the petition. If Janet makes such poor decisions, she is exactly where she belongs.

Woman Sets Fire to an Apartment
Woman seeks clemency after fatal apartment fire in 2002

[Sarah Valentine]

I remember a story that happened near UNC Greensboro. Janet Danahey set a couch on fire outside of her ex-boyfriend's apartment as a prank. She ended up burning down the entire apartment building. Four people died because of her "prank."

Actually, there was a petition to grant her clemency. The governor rejected the petition. If Janet makes such poor decisions, she is exactly where she belongs.

I'm glad he did, her extreme stupidity and poor judgement is her own fault. However the bitch in the original post knew exactly what she was doing, she was trying to get back at them for owning the house that she wanted.

[mikoyan29]

To me a prank is something like setting a bag of dog shit on fire and ringing the door bell. Or toilet papering someone's house that you don't like. Granted those two aren't harmless and could have ramifications but you better be prepared to deal with those ramifications.

Doing what the woman did in this crosses the line over into harassment.

[AccountingDrone]

You can headbang to Orffs Camina Burana, especially O Fortuna.

[protege]

And if anyone tried to get in my house they'd be lucky to leave without a knife in their chest.

Same with me. If some idiot was trying to break into my place, they'd find themselves with injuries. I'd assume that they were going to harm me, and I'd defend myself with whatever is handy. If that means some crackhead gets a crowbar or hammer upside the head, I'm OK with that.

[XCashier]

can someone tell me when the definition of "prank" changed? to crap like this?

Bullies have tried to excuse their assholishness as "just kidding" or "pranks" for millennia.

This woman was not really joking, and she darn well knows it. She deliberately meant to hurt her neighbors, but when she got caught, she went with the ancient "Just pranking!" excuse to try to get out of trouble, like so many bullies throughout history. I hope she has a nice, long stay in prison with cellmates who respond appropriately with "pranks" of their own!

[protege]

Bullies have tried to excuse their assholishness as "just kidding" or "pranks" for millennia.

They can always dish it out...but when they have to take it, they try to claim they were kidding. It's always someone else's fault.

For example, the bully in my neighborhood enjoyed roughing up smaller children (including my younger brothers) at the elementary school playground. That is...until my dad nearly ran his ass down with the car and got in his face. He left us alone (the bastard was in high school, a year ahead of me), and pretty much disappeared after that.

He resurfaced a few years ago, and apparently didn't learn his lesson. One night, he was found, beaten to a bloody mess, behind a dumpster near a bar. Seems he (and his two stooges) decided it was a good idea to call some black people the N-word...and they beat the fuck out of him They told him to get lost, and he attacked them. When the fight started, his minions fled, leaving him to face the mob alone!

When the story made the local paper, he was quoted as he was "only messing with them." He acted like he couldn't understand why someone would want to kick his ass

[Gilhelmi]

I just read the article.

The magistrate DISMISSED the charges? Who the hell is that idiot and how do we get them fired?

Luckily, the Appeals Court Reinstated the charges. But still, the hell that magistrate put the victims through is just disgusting.

[XCashier]

For the rest of the time I prefer the pranks that aren't directed at anyone in particular and leaves the person the option to simply ignore our shenanigans. As in my previous example, the having a sword fight with a blind girl who is holding an epee in one hand and her seeing eye dog and cane in the other.

Also popular are when I'm reading on the bus to and from work. I enjoy making my own dust jackets for my books. Things like "How to Serve Man", "The Idiot's Guide to Necromancy", "Necronomicon for Dummies", "Evil Overlord's Handbook", and many many more.

Other things I like doing are headbanging while driving with the top down and blaring some Bagpipe Music.

Those actually are pretty funny! They're more along the line of street theater than pranking.

[Andara Bledin]

Just needed to fix that for you because this goes WELL past "inconsiderate people".

You don't have to be a sociopath: Garden variety narcissists are also utterly unaware that other people have feelings that aren't identical to their own.

Sociopaths are actually more likely to empathize with potential victims than narcissists because most sociopaths are aware of their own limitations.

[BlaqueKatt]

If I could have felt any motivation to sympathize with Snape, it pretty much evaporated when Lily Evans intervened on Snape's behalf, telling Potter off for picking on him ... only to have Snape repay her kindness by saying that he didn't need help from a "Mudblood" like her.

Bruised ego, and because lily was already dating James, Snape likely felt she was either responding out of pity, or to keep her beau from looking like more of a jackass. I've had to step in between friends and boyfriends to prevent fights, because they just didn't get along and they mutually felt the other wasn't good enough for me. I was nothing more than something to play rooster over(he doesn't deserve you, *I* do), I usually dropped them both, but sometimes didn't.
And I usually got a similar response, because whoever I intervened for, well they got ridiculed for "needing a girl to fight for them, because they weren't a *real* man."

It was also stated that part of the reason James Potter disliked Snape was because Snape was "up to his eyeballs in the Dark Arts," which definitely doesn't speak well for Snape, either.

He was bullied, didn't fit in, and had a really lousy home life(meaning zero parental guidance for anything).
People who feel powerless will often join groups just to feel accepted, doesn't mean they're a bad person, they just want what everyone else does; acceptance, which Snape never got from ANYONE.
It's possible Snape thought Lily was attracted to James because he was rich and powerful, unlike himself, and was doing what he could to become "worthy" of her, or to spite others who bullied him.

[s_stabeler]

Actually, I'm personally of the mind that Snape was never a particularly good person- I'm also suspicious of if he actually did truly love Lily. ( look at how we've seen him act: when he first met Lily, he was pretty dismissive of Petunia. Note also- as was pointed out by Dumbledore- he cared to try to make sure Lily survived the events of that Halloween- he didn't care that she would almost certainly be distraught at the loss of her husband and son. At no point do we see Snape taking account of Lily's feelings. To me, that smacks of him seeing her like a posession. ( similar arguments can be brought up against James, but from what the books say, James grew out of it.) Not to mention how Snape treats Harry. He goes out of his way to try to belittle harry, or get Harry into trouble. Is that due to Harry looking like James? If so, then Snape is an ass for holding the sins of the father against the son.

Oh, and when Snape called Lily a mudblood, they were in 5th year. James and Lily didn't date until 7th year.

[lupo pazzesco]

Update about the original story in the OP

Here

The little "pranskter" managed to get one year probation, but was ordered to stay way from the family for TEN YEARS

So instead, she moves into a house down the block.

I'm floored.