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Cyber Bullying Pilots

Old 28th Dec 2017, 01:20
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Cyber Bullying Pilots

Cyber bullying is an epidemic that mostly affecting prepubescent teenagers. Apparently now this toxic fad has spread into Australian aviation.

A Facebook page called Spuds of Aviation was recently set up and used exclusively to make fun of other pilots. The owners of the page posted screenshots of other pilots who use social media for self promotion, captioned with sarcastic, comments to point out the obvious narcissism in the posts.

The Facebook page has been shut down but an Instagram account still exists.

There are rumors of one of the targets being left mentally in bad shape since being publicly shamed and laughed at by his peers. Those responsible, cowardly hiding being the anonymity of the internet.

Whether or not there is humor to be found in this kind of thing, or how socially twisted the levels of narcissism in the targets are. This is vile behavior and can lead to sad consequences.

What an embarrassing and sad time for us all. Is there any integrity left among pilots? Once upon a time being a pilot was relatively respectable line of work. What is it now?
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Old 28th Dec 2017, 02:02
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This is vile behavior and can lead to sad consequences
And consequences such as defamation proceedings.

Some Lawyers absolutely love commencing these actions!
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Old 28th Dec 2017, 02:37
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The way I see it, if the victims material comes from a public instagram or facebook profile then its fair game. Reap what you sow. Put yourself out there to what? Impress the commoners or 'pull the chicks'? You deserve to be pulled into line and cop a bit of flack.

However should you keep your content private and somebody leaks it to the amusement of the masses then that isn't fair.
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Old 28th Dec 2017, 03:18
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What ever happened to: "sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me!"

Super sensitive society theses days. If someone posts crap then delete or withdraw yourself...
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Old 28th Dec 2017, 03:45
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I with you TBM, I don't really understand social media or the general public's fascination with it. They can heap **** on Aussie Bob and no offense will be taken.
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Old 28th Dec 2017, 04:49
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If someone posts crap then delete or withdraw yourself
They can heap **** on Aussie Bob and no offense will be taken.
The problem is, they aren't heaping **** on screen names like Aussie Bob. They're posting a photo of someone's face and heaping **** on them publicly while their peers laugh. The target is public but the attacker is anonymous. It means that when they walk out into the real world their abuse still exists. They can't just log off from that. They can't even remove the photos if they suddenly regret posting them, because someone else has copied them and has posted it again. How is that a fair fight?

Reap what you sow. Put yourself out there to what? Impress the commoners or 'pull the chicks'? You deserve to be pulled into line and cop a bit of flack
I agree that some of the self worship out there is just awful. But who are you to decide that it deserves discipline? And where would you draw the line? A bit of flack to you might mean a lot more to some of these people. If this stuff leads to self harm like the rumors suggest it already has, are you going to stand there and tell that human being's family that they deserved it because of the photos they posted of themselves on the internet?

Who cares how people use their social media accounts! If you don't like what you see then take TBM-Legend's advice and withdraw yourself. Spend your time doing something better than trying to destroy people who are clearly insecure to begin with.
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Old 28th Dec 2017, 05:24
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Some of it was pretty off colour but frankly, some of these guys, and it’s largely guys, bring it upon themselves.

Some of them have very active Instagram and Facebook accounts, generating significant traffic and engaged in commercial deals with a significant number of suppliers.

At that point, their profile is no longer personal, they are an influencer and their social media persona reflects a business.

It’s not unreasonable then that self-aggrandising, self-indulgent, self-promoting social media posts, including some I’ve seen which could only be described as semi-naked, while trading off their supposed reputation and social standing as a pilot, to earn money, are called out for what they are.

Once upon a time being a pilot was relatively respectable line of work. What is it now?
Some of these guys would also do well to remember that.

Last edited by DirectAnywhere; 28th Dec 2017 at 05:43.
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Old 28th Dec 2017, 08:44
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Originally Posted by Pinky the pilot
And consequences such as defamation proceedings.

Some Lawyers absolutely love commencing these actions!
It can clearly also constitute several indictable criminal offences including using a carriage service to harass or cause fear, stalking and the like.

And the publisher of those comments includes the website/social media owner.

Subpoenaes are a useful tool to obtain information regarding the posters and Personal Safety Intervention orders banning the poster from any place where the victim works might cause the poster difficulties.

Kaz
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Old 28th Dec 2017, 11:23
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I think there's a big difference between Cyber Bullying and what was mostly being done on that Facebook Page.

Before social media you did something stupid and hoped no one heard about it, if they did it went through the grapevine the old fashioned way, this limited the exposure and range of stories being told. With Social Media doing stupid things can reach far and wide.

I think though, there is a big difference between doing something stupid and people laughing at you and posting something stupid of yourself that you thought was "Top Sh*t" and being called out for it, which was mostly what was happening there.

In this case you either turn around and have a laugh as well knowing you posted it in jest and happy that others are getting a laugh as well or you feel put down because what you thought was going to make you look like a rock star ended up making you look like a tool because you likely were being a tool. In that case it's up to you to be like "Yeah, I can see why that ended up there, good call!" or you can go the way some do and get all upset about it because people are calling you out.
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Old 28th Dec 2017, 12:04
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Watch this folks:
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Old 28th Dec 2017, 12:31
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Originally Posted by TBM-Legend
Watch this folks:
That's all so true, TBM.

I saw an example of that on 29th October 2017 when 29 year old Michael P. took his own life. (RIP, Michael.) Here's a young guy who joined the Australian Army and I was so proud of him at his passing out parade at Kapooka.

(I was a close friend of his mother during his teens and helped him to learn to drive.)

He was discharged from the Army due to psychological issues, a few months ago, then apparently constantly bullied on social media. None of us recognised how depressed he was.

I now reckon that social media isn't always that "social".
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Old 29th Dec 2017, 01:06
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Ignoring the irony that there are strong arguments that MTV created the negative traits of this generation (Google MTV generation), what he's saying is obviously true. It doesn't take a genius to see these people have problems. So why are other pilots so cruel that they have to make life harder for them? Don't you guys have something better to do?

You can package it however you want, but if this Spuds in Aviation page is committing social justice then why isn't anyone showing their real names? Right is right and wrong is wrong. If there's no wrong doing here, then why hide?

Show us all your real name if you believe this page is ethical, and we'll see if you're still sticking by your warped morals after someone gets hurt(or sued).
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Old 29th Dec 2017, 03:35
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THE FULL VIDEO IS INSTRUCTIVE

Originally Posted by TBM-Legend
Watch this folks:
Take time to watch the full fifteen minutes.

I spent 15 minutes this morning watching this video. It concisely describes an issue that clearly resonates with members of our community. Do you own an alarm clock? How many likes on your last Facebook post?

Yes, the lads need a shave but I think they’ve hit the nail squarely on the head.

MJG
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Old 29th Dec 2017, 04:15
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It's all very well to say "names will never harm me", but the truth is words can and do hurt. Verbal abuse and constant belittling obviously do genuine damage. Sufficient unrelenting verbal, written, and pictorial bullying can do serious psychological harm to almost anyone, given enough time.

I haven't seen the pilot-mocking page, so I'm not commenting on that specifically.

I'm just a little disturbed that people are still trotting out the old "sticks and stones...." singsong, with its mindless lack of both accuracy and basic compassion. Especially given some of the truly vile and vicious sh*t posted online these days, or disseminated via other technological means.

And given there isn't actually any justification for getting ones jollies by publicly humiliating others. So why on earth should targets of unprovoked attacks be exhorted to tolerate the intolerable? Human beings are not objects to be used at will by immature cowards for purposes of public entertainment.

Again, too much online alleged "humor" these days goes FAR beyond anything remotely tolerable or defensible. It is not good-natured teasing. It is not simple name-calling. Very few people could withstand it for long. More power to those who can, but for them to mock those who can't is just more of the same problem, the equivalent moral low ground.

In short: perhaps we could refrain from adding to the onslaught by sneering at the victims?

Last edited by cordwainer; 29th Dec 2017 at 07:32.
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Old 29th Dec 2017, 08:33
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Why is anyone surprised? Just because a person is a pilot doesn't make them special or a better person, does it. Like in all walks of life there some nasty pieces of work, pilots included.
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Old 29th Dec 2017, 08:35
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Why is anyone surprised? Just because a person is a pilot doesn't make them special or a better person, does it? Like in all walks of life there some nasty pieces of work, pilots included. "Sky Gods" included.
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Old 29th Dec 2017, 08:45
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Cordwainer, while I am not exactly "sticks and stones" on the matter, the fact is, in order for these demeaning sites (wherever they may be) to prosper an audience is required. You can send me the link but I aren't looking if you do. IMHO the folk who "innocently" view these sites are the root cause of the issue. Like porn addicts, the viewers think that simply looking at images causes no harm. I think they are wrong.

My recent short foray into Facebook to promote a business left me perplexed and underwhelmed. Endless self promotion, pictures of dinner, folk posting stuff to get nothing more than likes, pure garbage videos and targeted advertising was all that I could see. The whole thing left me cold. If Facebook posts are what is causing the ridicule then the poster deserves some of the blame.

Last edited by Aussie Bob; 29th Dec 2017 at 08:58.
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Old 29th Dec 2017, 09:28
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I was on that FB page and found it a great laugh. The spuds making that page were textbook attention seeking narcissists who had no qualms posting photos and "look at me i'm a skygod / puhlot" comments publicly in the digital realm. I didn't see any bullying or harassment while I was on it, just comments being made in humour on photos posted to the internet.

The victimhood culture is out of control in this PC world we live in now.

Gone are the days of personal responsibility. Somehow we've arrived at a point where soon as anything goes wrong or untoward in an individuals life, someone else is to blame and an authority is expected to fix it.

It's given rise to these special kind of snowflakes that don't live in reality. They live in "safe spaces" where they only hear or see what they want to.

Unfortunately for them, the internet is one of the last places left where people will still speak their mind freely, and without (for the most part) fear of consequence. So guess what, if you act like a f*ckwit, people are going to call you out for it.

If you can't come to terms with that, do not post photos about yourself on the internet.
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Old 29th Dec 2017, 11:37
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I was on that FB page and found it a great laugh
So you still think it's a good laugh knowing it drove someone to self harm?

Again, I refer back to the abuse of anonymity on the internet and how no one seems to have a problem with THAT, like you cowards have more moral fiber than the targets of this abuse.

You can talk about PC and victim-hood all you want, but unfortunately for people like you, the courts don't see it that way when it is pushed too far. The justice lies in the fact that absolutely everything can be traced on the internet. Screen names, proxies, VPNs mean nothing when legality becomes involved. Even Pprune has been known to provide information about it's posters that has lead to huge trouble on posters end:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/r...um-kfvtpqq9gdr

Maybe that changes how you waste your time on the internet rather than cheering on school yard bullying like a 14 year old girl.
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Old 29th Dec 2017, 11:48
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These guys don't deserve to be bullied but you can have a laugh at it.

I remember a heading *airline pilot turned model* popped up on one of them. Now if you post that publicly in any forum, you'll cop some backlash.

If you want to reap financial rewards from public / social media, you have to be prepared for negative comments. It's not just the poor 20 year old cadet pilot who has copped it, politicians and actors etc all have.
My 2c.
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