Hi there, everybody! Thank you, GuyWhoInventedFire, because you have inspired me to take the plunge and finally post here, after having signed up last Friday.
[I've been lurking here since forever, it seems, and it may sound too weird for words, but I finally signed up to participate as part of my self-assigned therapy "homework," -- to try to do one brave thing each day. I'm in therapy for PTSD, and the fact that this RI community has shown so much understanding for its members' struggles with inner pain encouraged me to sign up. I hope this isn't "too much information" for a first post, but I wanted to let y'all know that the general sensitivity found on this board, in spite of the occasional flash of all-too-human temper (in addition, natch, to the irresistible goals of "rigour" and "intuition"!

) prompted me to finally join.]
Now to the topic (and trying to do two more brave things, namely, to try out the bbcode with which I'm not familiar, and secondly, to disagree with our gracious host, Jeff -- yikes!!!) --
Also on reflection, even if the admin for Giffords' Youtube channel knew the ID of the suspect so early, it seems unlikely that he or she would both hastily subscribe to his page and then not login again since.
With no desire to make a bad first impression by using my first post to disagree, gulp!, I must say that comment makes no sense to me from my own experiences with different types of trauma.
From all accounts, Giffords' staff was a friendly, tight-knit group who worked well together. I'm going to assume that her Youtube admin staff member knew Giffords fairly well, and most likely admired her. It's also not unusual for a person with such a job to be out and about with a wireless laptop or an iphone or blackberry. Perhaps that staff member was even present at the shooting? Even if not, I know all too well the kind of shock that strikes when someone you care about very much has been attacked "just" by a mugger, much less shot in the head.
I can also imagine a scenario where law enforcement was very quickly asking staff about Loughner by name, had they ever heard of him? Has he made internet contact, etc. etc. You would think that law enforcement folks at that point had no way of knowing if this guy was acting alone, or if terror was on its way, so VERY quickly asking all staff about him by name makes sense.
I can also imagine an all-things-internet admin, in shock over the situation, could have inadvertantly hit the subscribe button.
I mean, I normally know what belongs in a refrigerator, but under emotional shock, I've been known to put my shoes in the refrigerator, while my mind was racing in panic or horror over a current tragic occurrence. Why would it be unlikely to hit the wrong button? And as to the idea of "forgetting" to go back and unsubscribe, again, I ask why does that seem so strange? Can you imagine the upset, the uproar, the upside-downness of the staff's undoubtedly crazy life these past few days? Just the mourning of a dead staffer (were there more who were "just" injured, other than Giffords, I mean?); imagine the nightmare of trying to carry on with some of the unavoidable work of the office while being interviewed by police and FBI, etc. Preparing to go to funerals. Making calls to other congressional colleagues or constituents to cancel events. Maybe a computer admin doesn't take part in other staffer activities like phone calls, but surely grief can cause serious cognitive problems.
I was greatly upset Saturday evening when I learned of the shooting. It was the first day in a while that I hadn't check out any news. And I was freaked out -- even "only" in second-hand fashion by an event circa 25 years ago -- the multiple shooting by Sylvia Seegrist at the Springfield Mall in Delaware County, Pennsylvania on Oct 30, 1985. Which came to mind, naturally. Because I lived only minutes from that mall, and that same afternoon began to go there with initial eagerness to buy the finishing touches for my Halloween costume -- only to inexplicably change my mind when I was almost there, turn the car around, and drive back home. I suddenly felt weirdly uncomfortable, and just went home. Was it precognition? Dunno. But I mightily freaked out when I found out I would have been on the scene when Seegrist marched through the mall, shooting many shoppers. I felt grateful, then guilty for feeling grateful, if you see what I mean. I was walking around in circles in my apartment that night, and I didn't even KNOW anyone who had been shot.
Imagine if people you knew and loved had been shot, injured grievously, killed -- couldn't you imagine doing the Youtube equivalent of putting your shoes in the refrigerator and completely forgetting about it? Especially if your entire daily "routine" has been completely upended in innumerable ways...
Well, I sure typed slowly enough that maybe somebody else has made a similar comment in this thread in the interim; if so, sorry for the inadvertant redundancy!
Now, to be brave and hit the submit button....