Is this actually cyberbullying?

[bcguy42 38594]

Here is the article: Lenore Zann, L Word actor turned MLA, alleges cyberbullying

 

As I read this, I was thinking of cyberbllying in the sense that someone harasses or intimidates another person mercilessly as in the case of Rehtaeh Parsons.

 

In this instance, someone posted a screen grab of the politician from the TV series "The L-Word". This upset the politician who then requested the image be taken down. When the OP refused, she tracked him down and contacted his father and school principal to ask them to get him to remove it. The OP, a 17 year old guy, removed the image. He then whinged at her for going to his father. A discussion ensued wherein he responded in a manner consistent with 17 year old guys - badly. Let the name-calling begin!

 

This is not an instance of someone posting an image obtained surreptitiously or an image intended to be shared privately. Anyone looking on imdb.com for information about this actress-turned-politician can eventually run across this image.

 

Notwithstanding the guttural name calling that ensued when she was persistent in trying to get the image removed or the fact that one police person agreed with Ms. Zann's characterization of the events, IMHO this is not actually a case of cyberbullying.

 

To me, this is a case of a politician pissed off that someone has (illegally) posted a readily available image from her past that she might not want her constituency to be reminded of.

 

Politicians get pissed off and piss off people every day so what's the discussion?

 

I feel that putting this episode under the "cyberbullying" label risks trivializing cyberbullying.

 

If you respond to this post and I don't care for your response and I ask you to remove it and you don't and name-calling ensues, have we crossed that line into cyberbullying? In my opinion, no.

 

Be that as it may, I thought I'd throw this out there for discussion.

 

Oh, and here is a screen grab of some of the Twitter exchange:

 

[piano8950 32577]

What the kid did was very wrong. But I wouldn't go as far as saying it should be a criminal offense.

[Guest S*rca****sid]

From what I've read, it seems as though the MLA in question, has two different laws mixed up. She specifically mentions "Cyber bullying laws" in one post, but describes copyright infringement in another. So in terms of the law, the kid could be slapped with a copyright lawsuit.

[fortunateone 156618]

There are a few lessons in this story. One is as an actor, sp or whoever, watch what kinds of pictures are put into the public domain, and that includes advertising (face and body shots, facebook, etc etc)

 

The other is I guess she knew from the time the photo was published in the past that it was copyright protected and someone had the right to demand it be taken down. That someone isn't her, tho, she wouldn't be the owner of it, even tho she is the subject of it. The TV show holds the ownership.

 

However, she is right, that if they don't have permission, people can't post random stuff even if it is on the internet already. That is why I think internet law/public laws need to be taught in school, because a lot of the time people are ignorant of the laws, but now anyone with a computer and a finger can post something that is against the law.

 

 

 

I find the 'it was just a joke' excuse a lame one. A lot of evil things are done by people who think stuff is funny, or simply because they want to do it, and sometimes that goes too far. He lacks empathy, he posted something he knew would be embarrassing, on purpose. When he had to take it down, he had a tantrum and lashed out with more insults. At all times, he knew exactly what he was doing. That he should have known better goes without saying. His real excuse is, 'it's the internet, it's not real life'.