Cyber bullying - fact or fiction? (1 Viewer)

[Vassago]

What I have proposed earlier in this thread is for all Social Media sites to have a proving process to confirm the identity of the profile person..

Such as when creating a new profile, having a proof of age, such as a Passport Number, Social Security Number, Proof of Age card...etc... also only accepting profiles registered via a residential IP address, not a public one.. I know this information can be forged, but at least it is a start in the right direction..

As I have said before, I am a 45 year old male in the UK, yet I could tomorrow create a profile on Facebook and be an 18 year old Girl, there is nothing stopping me from doing this...If I register from an internet café, and only access facebook from an internet café I am invisible...

And what right do they have to your personal information? Who would actually sign up? I know I wouldn't sign up for some social media site asking for everything they would need to steal my identity.

I agree that there needs to be cyber-bullying laws and we actually have them in my state, as we do in pretty much every state:

http://www.stopbullying.gov/laws/florida.html

I don't think censorship is the right move. Yes, I'm going to cry foul over Freedom of Speech. But, with freedom comes responsibility. You always have freedom to say what you want, but you also have to deal with the consequences. If you harrass someone online, it's harrassment, plain and simple.

Everything is obviously up to interpretation and should be considered on a case by case basis.

 

[scott-atkinson]

And what right do they have to your personal information? Who would actually sign up? I know I wouldn't sign up for some social media site asking for everything they would need to steal my identity.

I agree that there needs to be cyber-bullying laws and we actually have them in my state, as we do in pretty much every state:

http://www.stopbullying.gov/laws/florida.html

I don't think censorship is the right move. Yes, I'm going to cry foul over Freedom of Speech. But, with freedom comes responsibility. You always have freedom to say what you want, but you also have to deal with the consequences. If you harrass someone online, it's harrassment, plain and simple.

Everything is obviously up to interpretation and should be considered on a case by case basis.

It one thing having a law, it's another thing catching the perpetrator...

Reports are made on bullying to Socila Media sites, who in turn shut down the offending profile, only for the same person to create a new profile under a different name, and carry on the bullying...

 

[Vassago]

It one thing having a law, it's another thing catching the perpetrator...

Reports are made on bullying to Socila Media sites, who in turn shut down the offending profile, only for the same person to create a new profile under a different name, and carry on the bullying...

It doesn't do any good if you don't actually contact the police about it. The social media sites certainly can't be bothered to do so. Sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands.

 

[scott-atkinson]

The point I was making is even if it is reported to the Police, how do they trace the person responsible, it's no good asking the Social Media site, as all they can provide is any personal information entered by the person on their profile, if all that is nonsense, or is none existent, then the only other trace they have is the IP address, and if the profile was created on a Public IP address, and was only ever accessed via a Public IP address there is no way to trace them...

The Law then becomes unforceable, and a farce...

 

[Vassago]

The point I was making is even if it is reported to the Police, how do they trace the person responsible, it's no good asking the Social Media site, as all they can provide is any personal information entered by the person on their profile, if all that is nonsense, or is none existent, then the only other trace they have is the IP address, and if the profile was created on a Public IP address, and was only ever accessed via a Public IP address there is no way to trace them...

The Law then becomes unforceable, and a farce...

True, but most online bullies I've seen aren't that ellaborate or technically smart. They don't cover their tracks very well.

 

[SmallTomato]

It is extremely easy to hide your IP, it does not take someone of technical expertise. While many do not, if legal action became a real threat many would. Just like plenty of people use to DDOS without protection but as soon as legal action was a realistic outcome people have taken the extra precautions to be bullies.

However, Scott's solution seems to be extreme to deal with a subsection of a subsection of the problem (annoyomous bullying that gets reported to a government agency only on applicable websites). I do not have enough actual data to confirm or deny this though.

 

[scott-atkinson]

It is extremely easy to hide your IP, it does not take someone of technical expertise. While many do not, if legal action became a real threat many would. Just like plenty of people use to DDOS without protection but as soon as legal action was a realistic outcome people have taken the extra precautions to be bullies.

What is or was DDOS?

However, Scott's solution seems to be extreme to deal with a subsection of a subsection of the problem (annoyomous bullying that gets reported to a government agency only on applicable websites). I do not have enough actual data to confirm or deny this though.

I do not think it is extreme, I am all for Freedom of Speech, but where that Freedom for one person subjugates another person then there should be consequences.. All I am promoting is that Social Media sites become more responsible, and only offer access to people who can prove who they are and where they are, anybody who is unprepared to do that is in my mind prepared to be up to no good.. This would not restrict peoples Freedom of Speech, but would make people think twice before posting that hate message...

 

[SmallTomato]

DDOS is a denial of service attack and I consider it a form of online bullying. There are many forms of it but basically flooding someones router/server with requests that bring it to a standstill. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denial-of-service_attack All the person has to know is your IP, which can be gotten through IP grabbers or just Skype. People also use it for online protests (bring down opposition websites).

It is a lot more popular today than it ever use to be because public tools (scripts) have been released where anyone can do it.

 

[scott-atkinson]

This seems a much more focused attack rather than the Cyber Bullying we are discussing in this thread, that seems to be much more against corporate entities and systems rather than against individuals, I would imagine this form would be easier to trace as there would be some level of sophistication needed to perform such an attack

 

[Vassago]

People do DOS attacks on others, but it's not very effective compared to the DDOS attacks groups like Anonymous collectively do to corporations. I don't really think it's bullying though as it's not targeting someone's attributes and spreading it for others to see. Bullying to me has more to do with targeting someone because they have some sort of physical or mental fluctuation from perceived normality and expoiting this for others to see or for personal satisfaction.

 

[SmallTomato]

People do DOS attacks on others, but it's not very effective compared to the DDOS attacks groups like Anonymous collectively do to corporations. I don't really think it's bullying though as it's not targeting someone's attributes and spreading it for others to see. Bullying to me has more to do with targeting someone because they have some sort of physical or mental fluctuation from perceived normality and expoiting this for others to see or for personal satisfaction.

I do not think I follow. So, if I were to pick someone out using a Random Number Generator, then beat them up every day in private without telling anyone about it... it would not be bullying?

 

[Brianwarnock]

Vassago's last words were

"or for personal satisfaction"

Brian

 

[SmallTomato]

Vassago's last words were

"or for personal satisfaction"

Brian

Then DDOSing a person is bullying. But I feel like I have thrown this way off track :banghead:

 

[Vassago]

Then DDOSing a person is bullying. But I feel like I have thrown this way off track :banghead:

It depends on why they are targeted I think.

 

[Bladerunner]

How true. I consider myself conservative, but in a few areas I probable don't fit the mold.

All the above!

Have a nice day :>)
Bladerunner

 

[Bladerunner]

As is said, its not the conventional bullies that are the problem. Its the people that bully online without realizing it. And you cant get "out into the real world" as a teenager these days, because social media is a huge part of their social life. It would be like saying that you have to leave the town or school or whatever to evade traditional bullies. And for the argument: They dont have t read it. Well, when you get threatened to be killed or something like that by mail, you dont have to read that either, do you? And still you would probably be terrified, if you would get letters like that.

One of the best way to solve the bullying problem on line is to stop the internet.


have a nice day :>)
Bladerunner

 

[Bladerunner]

This seems a much more focused attack rather than the Cyber Bullying we are discussing in this thread, that seems to be much more against corporate entities and systems rather than against individuals, I would imagine this form would be easier to trace as there would be some level of sophistication needed to perform such an attack

It would tend to shut down Freedom of Speech for the individual.

Have a nice day :>)

Bladerunner

 

[scott-atkinson]

As I have said I believe in Freedom of Speech, but where that freedom for one person subjugates another then it should be revoked or at least have consequences to the perpetrator.

 

[Bladerunner]

I know the bleeding heart liberals will cry foul over legislation of the Internet, Freedom of Speech and all that... but 1 child's death is one too many..

Think you have the conservatives and liberals mixed up. The liberals care nothing for freedom of speech as long as you DO NOT agree with them. When you do agree is when they believe in the Freedom of Speech

I know I cannot stop my children from using the internet,

Maybe and maybe not.. You can least limit their use. Like I stated sometime ago, If you have not given you child the rights, wrongs, morals, etc. of being a human being by the time they are 15, you can forget it.

and when they get older I will not be able to stop them from using Social

Don't know what you consider 'older' is but as long as they are home, you can limit that. When they move out, they are on their own of course with a little support from the parents from time to time..

Media, the only ammunition I have is my limited experience, and I can offer education to them and do on what they should and shouldn't do whilst online..

Like I said before, there are no rules for raising children especially the older they get. You are no different than several million other parents trying to cope.

Just as in real life, don't speak to strangers, tell an adult if anything happens that concerns you..

Good rules for the road in any scenario.


have a nice day :>)

Bladerunner

 

[Vassago]

It would tend to shut down Freedom of Speech for the individual.

Have a nice day :>)

Bladerunner

Freedom of Speech comes with responsibilities and consequences. I get so sick of hearing this argument when it pertains to bullying. There are plenty of things you can't say under freedom of speech and not have a price to pay. You can't walk into an airport shouting you have a bomb and expect to not be arrested. You can't tell people you are a cop and search their person if you aren't. You can't verbally harrass someone. All of these things come with consequences. You end up in jail with charges. Why should bullying be any different?

And not all consquences of speech are criminal. You can face civil liabilities as well! You can't publicly or even privately bash a company you work for and expect to not be fired if they get wind of what you did. You can't create a facebook page pretending to be someone else and knowingly post falsehoods about the person in attend to defame them. You can be sued and likely would lose. That's not protected freedom of speech and you'll have to face the consequences.