Cyber-sentence

[Gob]

In the digital age, there's a new controversial punishment for crime – sentenced to a lifetime of embarrassment on YouTube.

Our story yesterday about the laptop thief who returned it and apologised after an embarrassing clip of him dancing was posted on YouTube by the computer's owner, who had installed online backup software that the thief was unaware existed, has stirred an ethics debate.



The crook pleaded for the clip to be removed immediately, saying his reputation was being trashed. The laptop's owner is undecided, though our readers in a poll yesterday were overwhelmingly in favour of the video being uploaded, with 84 per cent of 14,653 voting in favour of the online shaming.

Asked this morning if he had any second thoughts about leaving the video up on the video sharing website YouTube, the 18-year-old computer owner, Mark Bao, told Fairfax he did.

"Yeah, I mean, essentially it's a good idea to [remove the video]," Bao said in a telephone interview. "But I don't know. It's still something that'll be on my mind for the coming week at least. I could [remove the video]. I'm leaning towards maybe doing it. Yesterday I was set on pretty much not doing it. But today it's a little changed."

Yesterday afternoon the video had attracted more than 500,000 views. By late this morning it had reached more than 750,000.

An Australian ethicist, Dr Robert Sparrow, said Bao was "probably within his rights to upload the video" but questioned whether he should leave the footage on YouTube.

"I do think that there is a real question nowadays about the impact that posting anything to the internet can have on people's lives and that's something you would want to keep in mind," Sparrow said.

He said posting the video might have "dramatic consequences" for the person that had now returned it.

"Maybe the first thing that people think of when they think of him may be something that takes years to recover from," he said. "It depends a bit on how widely it's circulated and how recognisable he is for those that know him ... Maybe this is just a kind of drunken lapse from someone who is otherwise very upstanding. We just don't know."

He also said it "might reduce his opportunities for employment".

A spokeswoman for Bao's Bentley University, Michele Walsh, said campus police would not be providing comment but said that they were "considering charges of trespassing and larceny" against the thief who stole Bao's laptop and were in discussion with their county's District Attorney's office and "reviewing evidence with them".

"No decision has been made yet," Walsh said.

Asked if any action would be taken against Bao for the video being uploaded to YouTube, Walsh said: "I will confirm with our police in the morning but since the video file was on his laptop – which was his personal property - I don't believe so."

Sparrow said it was a question of "what kind of character" Mr Bao wanted to demonstrate when asked if the video should now be removed.

"He has had his laptop returned, he's received an apology ... I note his remarks that were quoted where he wasn't convinced of the sincerity of the apology because the spelling was poor. I'm not sure that I would choose to judge whether or not someone was sincere in their apology by looking at their spelling or grammar because some people have difficulties with those things.

"So I guess the issue here is: does Mr Bao want to be sort of forgiving and charitable on these virtues and [is he] aware that something like this can have a dramatic impact on another person's life and maybe more dramatic than had it gone through the court system? Or does he wish to seek vengeance? I think that's a question for him."

http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/comp ... 1c9di.html

[Timster]

I think it is a great object lesson. I don't see how ruining this guy (the thief) is going make anything better than the results already gained though. Plus, the damage is already done. 750,000?

Cut him some slack says I. But I am just forgiving like that when my stuff has been returned with an apology.

Although... If I had a video of the rat bastards that stole my work tools that I had for 20 years; I'm not so sure how benevolent I would be... Although I have not had the luxury of making that call since I never saw them again.

Perhaps a video of the beat down they received would be payment enough. Just saying. It's all relative.

[Gob]

Oh man, I'd give my left bollock not to be seen dancing like that..

I'd give the guy my arse if he was that way inclined!