Is a public account, using public data, that tracks a celebrity jets (Elon Musk, Taylor Swift, Bill Gates etc) “stalking”, providing a "public service”, or is a benign ”curiosity”?

Clinton Anderson SwordForHire

This is pretty off topic here, but outside of across oceans, I cannot imagine a plane trip that wouldn't be better by Train, provided there was decent infrastructure... And even then, if I had the option to travel by zeppelin, I'd do it!

I absolutely agree, they should be treated as Public Utilities, like electricity, water, roads... But so should health care, education, housing, groceries... Nothing essential to life should ever be privatized

#FuckCapitalism
#EatTheRich

Katrina Katrinka :donor:

@chris @ClintonAnderson
They made money on privatizing it. They say government can't do the job, but that's because they defund and undermine government services. They're doing it to USPS now.

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸

@katrinakatrinka @ClintonAnderson yup. Same in Canada

Je ne suis pas goth

@chris I voted "public service," although it is moreso depending on the people "targeted:" first, private jets are an ecological aberration, which should be banned except in case of extreme urgency, for statesmen, and even then, most of the time it's not necessary. It's a way of naming & shaming those who abuse this mode of transportation.

Second, for personalities who voice their opinions very vocally, about a lot of things, e.g., Musk, it's a way to display their hypocrisy, groundlessness etc

Samuel Proulx

@chris It kind of depends on who’s doing the tracking and who’s being tracked. A dude tracking Taylor swifts jet is a creep. An organization tracking bill gates to make a point about climate change is not. As with all types of communication, context matters.

John Socks

@chris given all applicable laws and regulations, I don't think anyone could object to a blog, which had an RSS output, with the same information.

The drama, such as it is, is what responsibility social networks have to host the same.

I think the RSS is sufficient for the interested.

AI6YR Ben

@chris This is public info...

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸

@fastfinge for sure. Though (as devil's advocate) are either of those scenarios dependant on bots repeating the information?

Samuel Proulx

@chris Does it matter? Anyone could look up the info, but the entity creating a bot to post it to social media is communicating a message just by that act of creation. I’m okay with “Bill Gates is a hypocrite!” But less okay with “hey, here’s where Taylor Swift is, just in case you want to go abuse her.”

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸

@fastfinge certainly. The question I guess is if the bot owner/creator is saying that. Or if someone using the information is saying that.

Samuel Proulx

@chris Well, the bot owner obviously made the bot for some purpose. Otherwise they’d just go look it up on a flight tracker app if it was just personal curiosity.

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸

@fastfinge indeed.

Samuel Proulx

@chris Personally I’m okay with threads banning it. They’re too big to effectively moderate contextually. This points to why the small instance mastodon model is a good one. Instances each get to decide how they feel about any given account.

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸

@fastfinge good point!

Mother Bones

@chris I want multi-selection option!

Evelyn, who Just. Can't. Even.

@chris For people who have made themselves celebrities (like those mentioned above), it’s a benign curiously. If they wanted privacy, they could fly commercial, use a charter service, or operate their jet through some sort of holding company/legal entity* not bearing their name.

*I am very much not a lawyer

Chris Alemany🇺🇦🇨🇦🇪🇸

@Gorfram this is a very good point

Mark

@mikemccaffrey @bamboombibbitybop @chris Provided the one you already own is a bicycle or a pair of walking shoes

Mark

@chris It would. I don’t have the energy or the data to run those numbers.

The principle is paramount. The massive musk & spaysex carbon footprint is a result of unprincipled leadership.

Jonathan Gerhardson

@chris Voted stalking because it wasn't getting much love but don't think it should be criminalized as much as I think it's unfair to make Taylor Swift more responsible for GHG emissions than a less famous private jet owner.