He was "furious," West says. "Absolutely furious, he did not raise me like this. Nor did my mother."

The police showed up at his dad's house. He hasn't been charged, he said Tuesday, but has to go down to the station on Wednesday.

Hamilton police Const. Steve Welton said Tuesday he had no had a chance to review the case and could not comment before The Spectator's deadline.

West doesn't know about Reid — he says he hasn't been able to reach him.

In the meantime, he says, his family is embarrassed and scared.

"People are taking pictures of (my mom's) house and saying they're coming for her," West said. His mom had chimed in a particularly critical thread, apologizing for his behaviour.

While an obvious moral of this story is to respect people, says communications expert and Alex Sevigny, the arguably more crucial lesson — for young people in particular — is of the permanence of the Internet and the importance of thinking before you post.

"I think the temptation to have a moment of fame, where you have your 15 seconds, where you are doing something that you know your friends find funny on reality TV or on Internet TV shows … that's a very powerful pull — particularly when you're under the influence," says the McMaster University professor.

"If you think about it, the Internet runs on this concept of momentary celebrity."

The difference between a reality TV show and your personal Facebook page, Sevigny says, is that those shows are curated for a specific audience with a specific sense of humour — "but when you post something to the Internet, you're speaking to the entire world, potentially."

In one of many of his apologies Monday, West acknowledged they had been drinking, but that it wasn't an excuse.

But Sevigny says there should be "a universal law … to never post while under the influence … you're just not in your right mind — what seems funny in that moment, when you're full of adrenalin … might not seem so funny — even to you — tomorrow, when you're sober."

West says he's willing to deal with the consequences of his actions and wants to apologize to the man face-to-face. He says he's never had any interactions with the law before.

"I just want everyone to know, like, I feel lower than scum … I'm sorry … I'm just so deeply sorry," he says, barely louder than a whisper.

And as hate mail continues to roll in, Sevigny says that on the other side of a coin, there's a similar temptation to "pile on."

"I think it's almost the same phenomenon. Those guys wanted their moment of celebrity; these other guys are participating in this chastising moment … (it feels like) a reinforcement of a public value," he says.

Sevigny says Internet fame (whether for positive or negative reasons) tends to be fleeting: "Internet crises burn more brightly, but they burn out more quickly as well."

mhayes@thespec.com

905-526-3214 | @MollyatTheSpec