Social Media - where do our responsibilities end?

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DCLane

Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
I'm going to stick my neck out here and state that I'm uncomfortable with the actions being taken by many.

Yes, these drivers have made a serious error. They're already in the media for it and have often been through the state justice processes.

Do we really need the level of personal attack that's happening? Really? *

* i.e. do I need to know where he lives (Richmond), in a semi, that his partner drives a silver Audi estate, his company has no assets but liabilities, the Tripadvisor reviews are very mixed and that he has a small tinkle? And that's just from the road.cc comments!
 
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raleighnut

Legendary Member
People ought to realise that once something has been posted on t'internet that it is pretty much there forever however they try to delete it (thinking particularly of the Ducati idiot who deliberately knocked the old fella off his bike.)
However some people do post half truths and falsehoods on-line to wit the cyclist who 'knocked over the toddler, swore and cycled off' despite him being taken home by his father in a car, was I the only one who wondered just where the photograph of him came from as it couldn't have been from the CCTV footage (I'm not defending the cyclist, just pointing out that the parents of the poor little girl lied to the 'papers')
I think that is why I do not go onto Twatter or Faecesbook, they just seem to be a means to put across your opinion with any slant you wish to add to your comments.
 

siadwell

Guru
Location
Surrey
In the case of the Land Rover driver, he has been given the opportunity to reply but declined. A simple statement of regret would go a long way to calm tensions.

The Richmond & Twickenham Times says that a spokeswoman for Samphire Communications, speaking on behalf of Mr Wells, said she was “not confirming” whether or not it was him in the video, adding “ and “There will be no comment at this time.”
http://road.cc/content/news/153086-...e-road-rage-driver-sw-london-cafe-chain-owner
 

John the Monkey

Frivolous Cyclist
Location
Crewe
I think that is why I do not go onto Twatter or Faecesbook, they just seem to be a means to put across your opinion with any slant you wish to add to your comments.
It's probably worth mentioning that Twitter is a medium in which you choose whose opinions you see. Facebook is, to some extent as well, although it's a little more complicated in that promoted stuff appears there as well.

It's possible to unfollow people on twitter, mute particular keywords and mute retweets, should you wish to. In neither medium are you a helpless consumer of opinions you don't like.

In a way, it's one of the weird things about it. A recent Jon Ronson interview had him talking about "we did..." and "twitter said..." when the things he talked about (cases detailed in his book "So You've Been Publicly Shamed") hadn't appeared on my radar at all. There's an assumption of shared experiences and reactions that just isn't borne out by actual experience, for many.
 
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The nature of Facebook and twitter is that you are creating a space for information and inviting comments. If you don't like it, don't have a page. His Facebook page is littered with cyclists venting and as long as it is legal then he gets no sympathy from me.
 

Falco Frank

Über Member
Location
Oup Norf'
OP makes an interesting point but in the most recent case and for many others in this forum, we are discussing OUR LIVES being put at risk by poor, inconsiderate or simply dangerous driving.
I'll admit, I looked up the vehicle details out of curiosity - 3240Kg kerbside weight, a frightening amount of mass to be driven by someone who wants to
"eat you for breakfast"!
 

Falco Frank

Über Member
Location
Oup Norf'
I am speechless.

I'd never heard of the Ducati rider incident and as a motorcyclist am shocked at the crass, unthinking actions, of someone who thinks a few seconds is worth more than a Gentleman cyclist's life...

I hope he did lose revenue for posting this on the internet in an attempt to shift blame:

 
It's hard to ignore now as most news has a reference to a Twitter or Facebook account or a blog. Some of the witch-hunts amount to no more than vigilantism and are ugly in the extreme but then a small number of people are themselves quite ugly even when they hide behind a cause.
 
The question posed is by itself an interesting one. It plagues the police everyday, with no exaggeration. We get endless complaints of "such and such is calling me a slag on Facebook" and we are expected to somehow police and remove people saying naughty things about other people.

There is a line... But defining it is difficult. Part of me suspects that when crossed it would be obvious... But the realist in me knows it's wholly dependent on the sensibilities of the reader. Using the recent tool in the Range Rover as an example, most (not all) cyclists would probably revel in his social media embarrassment. Some would disagree feeling the public order fine should have been enough.

Personally in that case, I think if you are going to act like that in public you can't complain about being called on it, and if you happen to own (or work for) a business, expect consequences... But the naked image was probably a step too far in a moral sense - but is it fair to expect others to act can and reasonably when you don't yourself?
 

slowwww

Veteran
Location
Surrey
The element that I find particularly appalling is that in the immediate aftermath of such an incident, the inclination of so many people when they take out their phones is not to call the emergency services, but to take videos and pictures of the event so that they can post these on social media, assuming that somebody else will be summoning the Police/Ambulance services.

A friend of mine works on an Air Ambulance, and they are constantly amazed at the number of people jockeying for the best position to take the most gruesome shots, even obstructing or almost elbowing the paramedics out of the way to do so
 
The element that I find particularly appalling is that in the immediate aftermath of such an incident, the inclination of so many people when they take out their phones is not to call the emergency services, but to take videos and pictures of the event so that they can post these on social media, assuming that somebody else will be summoning the Police/Ambulance services.

A friend of mine works on an Air Ambulance, and they are constantly amazed at the number of people jockeying for the best position to take the most gruesome shots, even obstructing or almost elbowing the paramedics out of the way to do so
I was delighted to read about the summoning of, what 15 people, who were caught filming a lorry accident recently.

http://www.theguardian.com/technolo...ted-for-filming-multi-lorry-traffic-collision

More of that please.
 
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