RT @DannyBrown Virtual Stalking - A Real World Problem for Social Media http://bit.ly/tITiD

6 months, 3 weeks ago byindiehouse onTwitter

Brilliant, I really enjoyed reading this post. Online stalking is a problem, a person in my family was being stalked. I wonder how many of commenters was having such problem among friends and family...

10 months, 2 weeks ago byJacek Becela onDisqus

I had an online stalker since 2001 up until 2008. Apart from stalking me he also impostored my real name and attacked members of the following website, he published hundreds of malicious, defamous and libelous posts about me on the same website, all ending up in google searches. Through his activities i received death threats from around the world. He made a big mistake one day on http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk where he did the majority of his stalking. He posted in their forums under the pseudonym 'ronnielockstock' and from certain things he said in the post i knew for sure now who my stalker was. I googled his alias, and over several weeks found years old posts he had made on various websites using that alias, that were very interesting and mentioned other aliases which i searched and found even more. One of the posts revealed certain information that proved to me who he was, i then googled his real name and found more interesting information. in 2007 i presented certain information to my local police and this led to him getting a harassment notice, but it did not stop him, just fired him up to do more, and it got much worse. At one point, his antics started a war on saatchi and they closed down their forums, blogs and chatroom several times for long periods. Eventually i had enough information early 2008 to return to the police, and in april it resulted in him being arrested, not once, but twice. I have found out a lot more about him since.
What he did to me destroyed my life, career and reputation, and i will never ever forgive him. ... See all content Hide content

1 year ago byonDisqus

Hi Mary,
I'm sorry this is a problem for you, and that the networks don't seem to be helping (or in a position to help).
One of the best options is to visit this site:
http://www.wiredsafety.org/cyberstalking_harassment/stalker.html
It is the world's largest resource for cyber bullying and online harassment and has a multitude of resources available.
I hope it helps, and my sincerest wishes your situation is resolved. ... See all content Hide content

1 year, 2 months ago byDanny Brown onDisqus

hello. i read your article and found it useful and gave me some incite. i am a victim of harrassment and a stalker. i have 2 order of protections in real life, but i have not enough proof for the cyber stalking. all i do is print out the info, and report the person with fake names to facebook and to myspace. i dont know what else to do. i hate that he is getting away it breaking the orders, and the cops wont help me. do you have any advice for me? also, i would also love to help other victims like me out there. thank you! ... See all content Hide content

1 year, 2 months ago bymary onDisqus

RT (please) "A Real World Problem for Social Media - the problem with Ripoff Report" by @dannybrown ( http://tinyurl.com/cyf2o9 ) [from http://twitter.com/johnhaydon/statuses/1719302689]

1 year, 2 months ago byJohn: @johnhaydon onFriendfeed

Yes it is upsetting and disappointing. If you knew the entire story about that non-profit group you would be quite appalled. In those two cases it was quite calculated, but I imagine that is not always the case. ... See all content Hide content

1 year, 2 months ago byChristy onDisqus

That's really sad to hear, Christy, and the fact that a non-profit could act this way is equally as upsetting.
It makes me wonder at times whether some bullies do so without realizing that's exactly what they're doing, or if it's always calculated?
Either way, you're right - we need to take a stand and highlight these issues as opposed to hoping they just go away. ... See all content Hide content

1 year, 2 months ago byDanny onDisqus

Thank you, Danny, for raising the issues of stalking and harassment on social networking sites. These issues are much larger than most realize. I constantly struggle to balance the online expectations of transparency with my personal need for online privacy and security. I wish I knew a good solution to the problem. In my experience, many abusers, stalkers and bullies are adept at leveraging information and technology for their hateful purposes. Information is power, and these types are all about power and control.
I dealt with a very tech-savvy stalker (and hacker criminal type) who made my online and offline life hell for a couple of years. More recently, I was unfairly maligned by bullies from an apparently disreputable, yet highly regarded and successfully marketed nonprofit organization with whom I previously volunteered. Both situations leveraged buddy lists and online communities to magnify the effects and reach of bullying and harassment.
Bullies and stalkers will always be bullies and stalkers. Obviously, social networking increases the reach, efficiency and effectiveness of their negative activities. Most bullies, stalkers and abusers are not fringe types, by the way. They are often popular and public figures in an online (or offline) community. The usually have large networks and are skilled at twisting perceptions and flying below the radar.
The details one provides online do enable those haters to cause damage in a myriad of ways. I choose to speak the truth, shine a light on bullies and abusers, and block or ignore all those who participate in OR otherwise enable negative activities of that sort. Sometimes that makes me the bad guy and odd man out, but I sleep very well and am happy with the difference I make in the world. It would be great to see more doing the same. Most don't want to get involved.
Thanks again for your thought-provoking article. ... See all content Hide content

1 year, 2 months ago byChristy onDisqus

But what happens when the eyes that social media puts you in front of aren't the friendly kind? What happens when being transparent in social media opens you up to harassment, abuse and virtual stalking?

1 year, 2 months ago byKimberly Saia onFriendfeed

I think maybe some have no problem treating us the same in public.
"It’s no different than a bunch of us showing up in a bar or restaurant to have a conversation."..Actually, it is different.
In an offline atmosphere, the supposed offense is viewable and likely supported by persons which have no incentive to lie or relation to one another. Online, it is frequently the opposite and claims against someones supposed fouls, can (and does) harm innocent and otherwise productive members of communities. Those sorts of resolves are not hindrances to determined haters and gangs who are more than willing to email 100 friends asking them to terrorize you.. the abusers call it "Reputation Management". ... See all content Hide content

1 year, 2 months ago byKimberly Saia onDisqus

It's quite sad that such abusive situations occur in today's social media, but it's an age old problem going back (I'll date myself here) to bulletin boards and then in chat rooms. I think there is a dynamic in which people commit these acts online because they can hide behind their monitor and mouse - they typically wouldn't do such things in public.
As to the social media sites, they absolutely need a dedicated department to handle abuses and complaints, suspending accounts that engage in any uncalled for behavior. It's no different that a bunch of us showing up in a bar or restaurant to have a conversation. If someone gets out of line the bouncer/manager/bartender asks them (or forces them) to leave. ... See all content Hide content

1 year, 2 months ago byGlobal Patriot onDisqus

"like the Internet, it’s healthy and vibrant growth is partly a product of it’s non-regulation." I disagree with the "healthy" part.
Slow growth of healthy innovation ranks higher than fast growing harm in my book. ... See all content Hide content

1 year, 2 months ago byObservation Humanoid onDisqus

It's an interesting take and certainly relates to the school bully mentality.
The only "problem" I can see is that at least in school you had a physical being to "target" with recourse; online it's less obvious who you're dealing with.
Anonymity gives a lot of power that the abuser may not have felt otherwise, and perhaps (as has been mentioned elsewhere in the comments) they feed off the attention. The more they receive, the more they abuse?
Tricky one. ... See all content Hide content

1 year, 2 months ago byDanny onDisqus

Hi Robert,
That's really sad to hear - sorry you are going through this kind of grief at the minute.
I guess that's the main problem with online identities - you can be whoever you want, and many sites won't really care just as long as you boost their numbers for stakeholders.
IP blocking would work, but only minimally - he'd simply move to a library or a friend's house to log in.
As you say, when you get to his level of activity, legal sanctions probably don't bother him - there's a far deeper underlying reason for what he's doing.
It's a minefield for sure - question is, how do we traverse it? ... See all content Hide content

1 year, 2 months ago byDanny onDisqus

While I can see what you're saying, Stuart, on this one I'd have to disagree:
"... a necessary evil for the advances that are being made every day through easier communication."
I can't see how any kind of persecution is necessary. Evil, yes; necessary, no.
To me, necessary evils would be having to give up your date of birth to confirm eligibility for a promotion; or put up with spam emails or messages to use an online forum or similar.
I don't see how you can relate abuse and harassment to spam. ... See all content Hide content

1 year, 2 months ago byDanny onDisqus

Morning Danny
How you doing Grt post
Danny I have an intresting take on the situation; blocking is indeed the right way to go for most.
Ignoring is a grt way for ohers
Taking them to court or getting them removed off a sight or reporting them to the social or police are definetly ways to go.
But here is the real problem wih all of the above tactics they do not learn, and they move on and become someone ele's issue.
Tthe individuals and the problem of what basically are just schoolyard bullies, is an age old one. We all knew the schoolyard bully and we all know someone who was harrassed by them. Danny it's kinda like your noisy neighbors. No matter how hard you ignore, you try to block out you really accomplish nothing more than sending them away, letting them be someone else's problem.
We need to remember how the school yard bullies learn thier lessons. By meeting someone bigger stronger, tougher, and meaner. The best way to handle a social bully is not to make them someone's elses but with creativity, an inventive spirit, and sharper wit. Be so nice they get the message. Let them be the one who blocks, ignores, and runs.
Because when they recieve a lasting memory than perhaps the next time they may do it; they may remember WOW That smarts
Perhaps no, Perhaps yes, but usually until they experience they wont learn.
Maybe warped thoughts or a warped way to deal with it. But then you know me Danny
Pat ... See all content Hide content

1 year, 2 months ago byPBadstibner onDisqus

Unless I'm understanding you wrong..If you suggestion were the case, it would have to be 'discreetly' inserted into prominent communities. Hubs, where the 'herd' inevitably flocks.
Ironically, this allows the criminal ample time to establish readership, reliant clientele, sales/conversions, and increased stats for Jimmy Criminal & assoc..having time to fortify a larger crew. Amplified.
Like the myth of drinking milk to rid stomach acid. Milk ceases production of the acid temporarily, then rebounds to increased production x 2.
It sounds a bit similar to how a dope dealer is oftentimes apprehended by the use of a discreetly planted observer/participant. By the time the apprehension takes place, they have already created multitudes to continue on. Neverending. Temp solution. ..Online law will have to be comparative to offline, yet twisted in a fashion that will not double or triple what began.
Awake at night trying to catch the angle.
I see more when I step inside cycles of conversations, personalities and what nots and simply observe..wondering how offline law would react if the win/lose ratio were equivalent to SMs in their attempts to regulate comparatively, and the adaptation/adjustment of those left behind. I feel SM drama extends beyond the virtual zone, as you seem to have suggested, and it's possible that the this zone can be an effective testing ground for offline application as well.
I'm a blonde hair twirling creative nobody yet I Do know this: SM is a [potential] breeding ground for serious criminals. It's not a movie. It's on and underguestimating. not. good. ... See all content Hide content

1 year, 2 months ago byKimberly Saia onDisqus

We're in the midst of a similar sit. on twitter, being trashed by a guy who hasn't been very successful. He has a decade long history of spamming, identity impersonation, faked messages, signing people up for ezines. He always gets caught, and been turfed once by twitter, once by yahoogroups, and banned from pro groups.
He's trying to prevent us using hashtags, by pouring junk posts into the timestream that are irrelevant. It goes on and on, and he's caused on good twitter to go private because of harrassment on twitter and elsewhere. Her sin was, many years ago, to complain about his violating her copyrights.
The bottom line is that the time and effort needed to do something is high, while the returns are small. When he was turfed from twitter, he just made another account and started over. But the deal is that people like that have very little real influence, and most people simply aren't interested in mudslinging.
Harrasers still end up with their own sad lives, and that's often the biggest punishment life doles out.
This guy has been in and out of court so much in "real" life that its unlikely he has anything to lose, anyway. If you can live with it, try to ignore it.
@rbacal http://twitter.com/rbacal
(Sorry, couldn't log in via twitter. ... See all content Hide content

1 year, 2 months ago byrbacal onDisqus

When you invite the public into any forum (and give them access to monitoring tools) you are opening up some vulnerable people to exploitation. Unfortunately I think that is just the price of certain darker aspects of human nature. I think it's insanely screwed up...but a necessary evil for the advances that are being made every day through easier communication. ... See all content Hide content

1 year, 2 months ago byStuart Foster onDisqus

[riffly_video]F695BE223A8C11DE9D5EC94D49680BD4[/riffly_video]

1 year, 2 months ago byKimberly Saia onDisqus

[riffly_video]994ADD443A8A11DEB8C4C94D49680BD4[/riffly_video]

1 year, 2 months ago byKimberly Saia onDisqus

Very interesting article, thank you for pointing out the dangers, we all can incurred by venturing in the web. It is scary that we have predators amongst ourselves.

1 year, 2 months ago byJaime Marin onDisqus

The blocking option is definitely effective. I'm just curious how many times someone has to be blocked before Twitter investigates, while in the meantime the abuser or harasser continues to bombard people. Sometimes they seem really slow to react. ... See all content Hide content

1 year, 2 months ago byDanny onDisqus

Agree with you 100%, Shelly - we do need to be more active as a community in helping out those affected.
I know in the past I've tweeted conversation links of people doing the abusing, and I've seen others do the same as well, so it's encouraging.
I guess the problem is there's only so much we can do, and it would just be nicer to see the networks themselves get involved as much as the users of their sites.
And thank you for the compliments, very kind :) ... See all content Hide content

1 year, 2 months ago byDanny onDisqus