bullying on the forum

[Peter Abraham]

I've got 27 years in as a Steadicam Operator. I've also taught over 1,300 Steadicam Operators worldwide. Those of you who trained under me know for a fact that " be an abusive bullying jerk " to the community and to each other is about as far from what I believe as is possible.

 

The thread referenced in here that Garrett started has been deleted. Russian Revisionist History is really not what allows our community to thrive. I personally feel that it should be re-inserted into the timeline intact. Dave started a thread recently along these lines and now Brooks has been good enough to share his well-articulated thoughts.

 

Enough. Nobody is better than anyone else here when it comes to humanity. Nobody gets to muzzle another - and the Moderators have done a superb job of Moderating without muzzling except in the most extreme situations. I encourage them to continue in this vein. With a member- any member- whose posts are continuously reported and whose abusive comportment is detrimental to the positive supportive tone that we know the worldwide Steadicam community wants to be, that member should face a clearly articulated series of disciplines, including eventually a permanent ban.

 

I'm a member of a few other message boards, one of which is titanic in terms of volume of posts and active members compared to ours here. I've never seen a board that didn't have written rules that were applied evenly to the community. And when needed, with finality.

 

For those of you reading this thread- and others on this topic- who are relatively new to Steadicam and are wondering of this is the way things are, allow me a moment.

 

We are members of a community worldwide. We support each other, even as we compete in a respectful and honest manner for the same jobs in the same markets. I've loaned gear to strangers, I've borrowed gear from titans well above my experience level ( back in the day ), I've loaned gear in an emergency to someone who was on a job I lost out to them.

 

That kind of behavior does not make us weak. It makes us strong. It shows respect, support and professionalism.

 

This mind-set extends beyond gear. It is what those of us with quite a few years in have always found in this forum- and wish to continue to find. ( This applies to the AOL Message Board that pre-dates this Steadicam Forum as well. )

 

Everyone can do their part to maintain respect, professionalism and common courtesy.

 

And yeah, this has for many years been a very fun place.

 

As I wrote a month or two ago on the Facebook Steadicam Group, Nobody likes a bully.

 

Best to all,

 

Peter Abraham, S.O.C.

[Zak Draskovich]

Well from my not so humble opinion - the world runs on bullying. My friends and I bully each other about everything. Drinking too much or not drinking enuf. Working too hard or not working enuf. If some ones says or posts something abrasive that you don't like, why take it personally? Why not take it the same as if one of your friends said it? Why does there seem to need to be some much control and censorship? I personally tell people everytime I hear "there needs to be a law" that there are too many laws already out there! Even our President epitomizes bullying! Every country has to be just like the U.S.A. or we withold aid. It is a world wide way of getting people to do things. I don't see it going away anywhere anytime soon!

Best regards,

Zak Draskovich

[Mark Schlicher]

You and your friends have an agreement to "bully" each other, which is therefore not actually bullying. It is horseplay. That's not what's being discussed here.

 

Bullying (intimidation, sarcasm, piling-on, personal attacks, ostracism, shaming, and so on) is an aggressive attempt to control, or censor the target, or to increase the power or influence or self-image of the bully at the expense of the target, or of the community as a whole.

 

All healthy communities (online or otherwise) establish rules and cultural norms around what is considered appropriate social behavior, in order to ensure the health of the community.

[jay kilroy]

How come none of the bullies chimed in to defend themselves?

[Alan Rencher]

They're too busy making negative comments in other threads, I suspect.

[Lars Erik]

Actually Alan, I've seen little bullying lately. Perhaps they actually listened this time. Here's hoping!

 

Zak; it's not so much rules that need to be followed. I think it's more about respect for each other and the immediate termination of master suppression techniques.

[Kareem La Vaullee]

How come none of the bullies chimed in to defend themselves?

 

They are too busy posting snide remarks on their new playground: Steadicam groups on Facebook...

 

And as they think they are so right about everything in the whole friggin universe they don't feel necessary to defend themselves!

 

K.

[jay kilroy]

Funny how when bullies are called out in public, and in private, they never respond to defend themselves?

[Tim Fabrizio]

I took the workshop in Pennsylvania years ago. On our last day, the instructors were handing out our certificates, and making final announcements. Jay Kilroy simply said, "And don't be a dick on the forum. We are a family." Every time I log on and see people being dicks. I hear those words.

Edited December 23, 2013 by Tim Fabrizio

[Elizabeth Hylton]

Wise words all around.

[TerryWest]

Well put, Brooks. I have always made myself available to answer questions about the equipment, because that was how Steadicam raised me. In such an industry where each and every operator has only educated me with their thoughts, I would be closing off one of my greatest resources if I were not to listen them. Keep your minds open to the two-way flow of ideas. We need it now more than ever. We all have something to contribute to Steadicam.

 

To paraphrase Rob. PEACE OUT!