No,
it isn't funny, not even by the standards of this QOTW, and it doesn't get funnier because there is video proof. And compared to a lot of other posts where people have found it quite sufficient to relay stories of unidentifiable relatives, neighbours etc, you choose to actively spread a video which makes it easy to identify the person concerned. It is very easy to stop and consider: "if I had severe psychiatric health issues like this man, would I want complete strangers to record me while I was displaying the symptoms thereof, while laughing at me, and then put them up on the internet for the whole world to see, laugh at, and distribute, without me having any control over it?". And of course the answer is no; I wouldn't, and you wouldn't.

And it doesn't matter that you find him "a lovely fella" as you claim, because obviously to him, or me or you, if we CARED to put ourselves in his shoes, there would be fuck-all difference. You're still laughing at him.

The same principle applies to all other kinds of gloatware on the internet: if I was pictured or filmed having an accident, getting hit by a truck, being beaten up by a mugger, falling clumsily into a hole or walking into a doorpost, caught having a wank, or maybe just being ugly, I wouldn't want it documented and spread beyond my control for other people's entertainment. It's a very simple and easily understandable principle.

Your defence is: I didn't make this video, I'm just watching and distributing it. Because someone else did it it's okay and I'm free of guilt and responsibility. It is also okay because it's funny, and the spirit of this social group (B3ta) allows and encourages things like this.

But it's only funny because it didn't happen to you, and referring to the accepted behaviouralistic norms of B3ta, a network of anonymous internet users, as a alibi, that is just not on. I could and wanted to use stronger words than "not on" to emphasize the magnitude of notonness here, but I was brought up very well. I can put it differently by saying: you have no moral obligation towards B3ta, you answer to this man, this "hobo", and the fact that he as one of the weakest members of society cannot defend himself or take care of his own interests makes no moral difference at all.

Now, you may feel unfairly singled out, because you are not the only one doing this. The reason for all this is simply that I started reading the QOTW backwards and this was the story that definitely put me off spending any more time on it.

What I want to say, to reiterate, can very simply be summarized as: before you film another person in a compromizing situation, you should walk a mile in their shoes; that way, when you put the video up on youtube and tell people about it, you are a mile away and even if they find you and make you take it down the damage is already done.

And I don't want the door, you have it back. Feed it to your cat, or sell if for charity. Maybe in aid of the psychiatric care of England, which seems to be lacking.
(Warrior_Librarian Level 37, Tue 4 Nov 2008, 17:22, Reply)