Rosie
Well Known Member
It's after 0200 on Sunday on the west coast and just now catching up on VAF posts. I was saddened to read about the midair that happened yesterday over Lake Conroe but even more concerned with the speed at which the name of an accident victim was posted on VAF;
1. The very first post showed a link to an internet news report. The link pointed to a news report had a time stamp: Posted on August 13, 2011 at 12:22 PM
2. The time of the first post (on my computer) showed 12:57pm. I'm in California and the post came from Texas meaning could be 10:57am (but really doesn't matter)
3. The story showed the N number of the plane; Ok, you can look it up and see who it's registered to. I can accept that.
4. At 3:48pm (once again, my computer time stamp, but STILL less than 3 hours later from the first post on the thread), a post is placed on VAF naming the pilot.
Folks, I would think it very wise that NO NAMES be posted on any VAF thread until you first find it IN PRINT somewhere in a news report.
I do see the accident victim's name on the very same internet news report, however, the story was updated later that night:
Posted on August 13, 2011 at 12:22 PM
Updated yesterday at 9:35 PM
I can only imagine if the family of the victim had not yet been notified within those 3 hours.... then here comes a phone call from a VAF member who read the post and just happens to know the family personally. They then call the family (because the know where they are) to offer their condolences....
YES, that could happen and that would be HORRIBLE.
I urge all of us to please think twice when posting the names of accident victims within hours of an accident. The family may not yet have been notified. Rosie
1. The very first post showed a link to an internet news report. The link pointed to a news report had a time stamp: Posted on August 13, 2011 at 12:22 PM
2. The time of the first post (on my computer) showed 12:57pm. I'm in California and the post came from Texas meaning could be 10:57am (but really doesn't matter)
3. The story showed the N number of the plane; Ok, you can look it up and see who it's registered to. I can accept that.
4. At 3:48pm (once again, my computer time stamp, but STILL less than 3 hours later from the first post on the thread), a post is placed on VAF naming the pilot.
Folks, I would think it very wise that NO NAMES be posted on any VAF thread until you first find it IN PRINT somewhere in a news report.
I do see the accident victim's name on the very same internet news report, however, the story was updated later that night:
Posted on August 13, 2011 at 12:22 PM
Updated yesterday at 9:35 PM
I can only imagine if the family of the victim had not yet been notified within those 3 hours.... then here comes a phone call from a VAF member who read the post and just happens to know the family personally. They then call the family (because the know where they are) to offer their condolences....
YES, that could happen and that would be HORRIBLE.
I urge all of us to please think twice when posting the names of accident victims within hours of an accident. The family may not yet have been notified. Rosie