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Experts Trust Americans To Behave Online In Flight
Social norms will develop to keep bad behavior limited on in-flight broadband

As in-flight broadband becomes a reality, concerns continue to be raised about how to monitor and control the use of the service. Concerns have included that customers would talk excessively on VoIP services and browse porn while seated next to children. Different airlines around the world have instituted different rules for monitoring the content, use and features available on their planes. However, experts seem to believe that we can trust society to more or less behave appropriately when it comes to using in-flight Wi-Fi.

Aircell’s chief executive has been quoted as saying that “decency, good sense and normal behavior” will prevail in the use of the service. Wireless news editor Glenn Fleishman notes that public Internet surfing generally doesn’t raise issues of content like porn because people censor themselves when they know others are watching. And professors at major universities believe that social norms will develop that make it safe to leave the responsibility for self-control primarily in the hands of the consumers.

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S_engineer
Premium Member
join:2007-05-16
Chicago, IL

S_engineer

Premium Member

Thats alright....

Behavior concerns shouldn't be a problem with fuel prices anymore....surcharges and ticket prices will thin the heard pretty quick!

pick a name
@DNVR.QWEST.NET

pick a name

Anon

Re: Thats alright....

i think my mother went to that meeting to decide who the experts should be...

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

1 recommendation

FFH5

Premium Member

Professors & Experts have more confidence than I do ...

... that people will behave appropriately while using in-flight broadband.

My experience has been that a significant MINORITY of passengers will behave like boors and show no consideration at all for fellow passengers.

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium Member
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
Netgear WNDR3700v2
Zoom 5341J

KrK

Premium Member

Re: Professors & Experts have more confidence than I do ...

said by FFH5:

My experience has been that a significant MINORITY of passengers will behave like boors and show no consideration at all for fellow passengers.
Exactly right... just like how people behave these days in Public places, stores, restaurants, Movie theaters, etc

Trusting in the public to do the right thing sounds noble but... there are always some people who feel their wants and issues are for more important then everybody else's.

Noah Vail
Oh God please no.
Premium Member
join:2004-12-10
SouthAmerica

1 recommendation

Noah Vail to FFH5

Premium Member

to FFH5
The significant Minority need only be one person
to ruin the experience for everyone.

Everybody in the cabin/theater/waiting room knows every intimate detail of the cell phone yakker's life, after 10 minutes of their cellular bliss.

The social laws we need to address are the ones that keep society from bludgeoning the yakker into unconsciousness.

NV

theedj
Right Back At-Cha
Premium Member
join:2002-12-12
Calgary

theedj

Premium Member

seriously, common sense

Having been a Flight Attendant for 2.5 years in the past I can tell you that in an airplane common sense and decency are not so common. I think that the majority of people will for sure screen themselves however on red-eye flights that will be a different story. The airline I was an FA at has live satellite TV and isn't sensored at all...so you can imagine some of the 'late night' entertainment that's on, and it was watched more then you can imagine.

Observations and people watching are hobbies of mine. I find that when people travel they often over pack and include everything, even the kitchen sink. Then they figure that they can bring it all as carry-on luggage and get upset when they can't lift it overhead. The issue is they pack everything, but I think most of them forget to pack common sense and/or their brain. Porn will make a scene on airplanes, it will just be interestng to see how the various carriers deal with it.

Styvas
Who are we? Forge FC!
Premium Member
join:2004-09-15
Hamilton, ON

Styvas

Premium Member

Re: seriously, common sense

said by theedj:

The airline I was an FA at has live satellite TV and isn't sensored at all...so you can imagine some of the 'late night' entertainment that's on, and it was watched more then you can imagine.
I was thinking exactly the same thing. There is some pretty raunchy TV available via in-flight satellite and even on the pre-saved content. I was watching Superbad on a flight not long ago and was worried that some kid would come walking up from behind in the middle of an "adult" scene. In my case I would have immediately flipped it off if I thought a child was watching it on my screen, but I don't trust others to be even that sensitive.

hep cat
do da dirdy bird
join:2001-02-17
Decatur, GA

hep cat to theedj

Member

to theedj
Or worse as a goof or for serious looking up terrorist sites. Some sees it and tells flight attendant and *pooF* never heard from again. All cause they bought a ticket for 1980s prices. You are correct that there really is a lack of common sense along with an increase in rudeness aimed at the air line worker. Why did you leave?

FattyMagee
@optonline.net

FattyMagee

Anon

Re: seriously, common sense

... what?

hunterjb
join:2001-11-18
Canada

1 edit

hunterjb to theedj

Member

to theedj
said by theedj:

but I think most of them forget to pack common sense and/or their brain. Porn will make a scene on airplanes, it will just be interestng to see how the various carriers deal with it.
As a flight attendant for the past 19 years, I'd have to agree with Theedj. I've seen so many cases of no common sense, I can't count them. The group of guys on a trip, acting/talking like they're in a bar with kids sitting right behind them. People reading looking at porn magazines on board. The list goes on.

When it comes to broadband on the flight I don't see a problem with it at all. I do think it needs some controls though, maybe treat it like a public library internet access. Most libraries have some filters.

However when it comes to VOIP and cell phones I do. The person who wrote this article, inflight broadband, compares sitting on a plane to Starbucks or other modes of transport. Unfortunately this isn't a very good comparison. In a Starbucks you do have the option of not sitting by the person, in other forms a transport you're not sitting (no option of moving) elbow to elbow for anywhere from 1-20 hours. Try and imagine this for your next flight: Sitting beside someone who just broke up with their boy/girl friend. Now you have to sit there as they get on the phone for the next 2 or more hours and discuss it with all their friends: "And he said that. Ya can you believe it!?". Or how about the very LOUD talking person?: "CAN YOU HEAR ME, I'M ON THE PLANE". Trust me, I've seen it during boarding, and arrival. Just think of what it would be like for the whole flight. The cost may prevent some from using it but not all, I watched a guy use one of those old inflight phones (3.95/min) talk for 2 hours.

Styvas
Who are we? Forge FC!
Premium Member
join:2004-09-15
Hamilton, ON

Styvas

Premium Member

Re: seriously, common sense

said by hunterjb:

However when it comes to VOIP and cell phones I do.
I question how effective VoIP would be on in-flight broadband. VoIP over regular wireless can be spotty much of the time, and that's only with the jitter introduced by the average wireless router. I would think that latency and, in particular, jitter would be horrendous on a plane. But perhaps they've found a way around that with whatever method the broadband is being delivered.

Anonname
@rr.com

Anonname to hunterjb

Anon

to hunterjb
The 'loud person' example you gave reminds me of the cell phone guy from Trigger Happy TV...

"HELLO!? WHAT!? WHAT!? NAH I'M ON A PLANE! A PLANE! NAH IT'S RUBBISH! 15 HOURS AND NO IN-FLIGHT MOVIE! ALRIGHT! TALK TO YOU LATER! CIAO!"

Hehe...

Infrequent Flyer
@verizon.net

Infrequent Flyer to theedj

Anon

to theedj
said by theedj:

Having been a Flight Attendant for 2.5 years in the past I can tell you that in an airplane common sense and decency are not so common.

I find that when people travel they often over pack and include everything, even the kitchen sink. Then they figure that they can bring it all as carry-on luggage and get upset when they can't lift it overhead.
While I'll be the first to recognize that overall, flying is generally cheaper today than it was 20 years ago, the government and industry have done a very poor job of making the skies friendlier. For one thing, ticket prices should be flat. They shouldn't look like phone bills.
No add-on fees, taxes, etc. If they're higher, SO BE IT. All airlines are on a level playing field. There is nothing more ridiculous than buying a $39 ticket that costs $80. If its going to be an $80 fare, then be honest and sell it as such, don't hide behind fine print and footnotes.

We take carry-on, because checked baggage gets "lost", and theft is extremely common, especially now that we can't lock it.. If you want us to check baggage, then FIX the baggage system. You've had decades, and it only gets worse.

Otherwise, you're a flight attendant. We're the customer. Deal with it. Singapore Girl does, and with a smile on her face. Its only a matter of time before foreign-flagged carriers operate domestically, so you'd best be up for it.

tmh
@comcast.net

tmh to theedj

Anon

to theedj
said by theedj:

Porn will make a scene on airplanes, it will just be interestng to see how the various carriers deal with it.
Forget porn, just leave me alone while I play GTA-4 with the volume pumped up high and talk trash on the VOIP headset.

Woohoo!
Jean_22
join:2005-08-27
Quebec, QC

Jean_22

Member

Porn in public?

I thought that people who watch porn usually don't want the others to know so why would they watch it in a plane? They don't do it in cafés I believe...

hunterjb
join:2001-11-18
Canada

1 edit

hunterjb

Member

Re: Porn in public?

People seem to act very differently on a plane then any other public place. I don't know why but they do. Many people seem to treat their space onboard like as if they're at home. At a café do you take your shoes off? Put your feet up on the wall? Would you even think of just throwing your garbage on the floor? Would you go to the public restroom in your socked/bare feet? This and more I see on the plane everyday.

Common sense often does not exist in the cabin. When I asked the guy to put away the Penthouse magazine he looked at me like as if to ask "Why?". He didn't get it that he was sitting next to a woman, and there were kids around him.

karlmarx
join:2006-09-18
Moscow, ID

karlmarx

Member

Re: Porn in public?

Why do you expect courtesy from your fellow passengers? I mean, the airline sure as hell isn't showing any courtesy anymore. $50.00 for a 2nd bag? Charging EXTRA to get an exit row seat? Charging for a drink and a stale bag of nuts? Shrinking the seats even MORE so a 6'1", 190lb guy can barely fit? If you treat the people like cattle, then don't expect any more courtesy than you would get from cattle. I sure as hell won't go out of my way to be 'gracious and courteous'. Whens the last time you've tried to board an airline? If you are traveling cattle class, you MUST get on early, or the overhead bins fill up, because everyone, as stated, tries to shove everything in their carry-on bags. Hell, I won't even CHECK luggage anymore, for almost 25% of the time, my luggage never arrives with me. I've filed more 'lost luggage' claims than most people have ever traveled on an airline.

Put in perspective, I have a standard army issue backpack. I traveled around the entire planet on a 45 day trip, with nothing but that and a day pack. Was it a big bag, absolutely. But when you spend over 70 hours, IN THE AIR (not counting airport waits), you sure as hell don't have time to try and find your luggage when you land. So yes, when I travel, I'm one of those people who fills up the overhead bin, simply because I don't trust the airline to get my luggage there. And yes, I'm VERY grumpy after spending 16 hours couped up in a tincan with a bunch of jerks.
eggboard
Premium Member
join:2000-11-18
Seattle, WA

eggboard

Premium Member

Surprisingly old story

This story ran on the AP wire in Dec. 2007! So it's not particularly out of date in some ways, but weird that Kansas City chose to run it six months later. I wondered about it when I saw myself quoted and hadn't talked to Anick for several months.

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium Member
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

pnh102

Premium Member

Idiot Experts

I wonder how much that job pays. Where can I sign up to get paid good money to spout absolute, complete BS?

TRU
join:2005-07-21
Michigan

1 edit

2 recommendations

TRU

Member

My .02

If they can sensor the hell out of the network at my college, i'm sure they will do the same for on-board flight internet.

I don't blame them. They should imho. It's their computers/service, and anything even worth mentioning as offensive should get swept up by the filters(if they do it right). I am in a public place, things are NOT the same as personal space. Hell, there is NO personal space on planes. The internet is still usable in this manner, and shouldn't really cause any concern to public decency or pose any limitations to normal, public use.

I think they should keep the internet usable, but clean. There is no need for an open, all goes internet connection on a plane. You can do that when you get off the plane.
compuwizz
join:2001-03-05
Las Vegas, NV

compuwizz

Member

Plane Porn

Flight Attendants have told me stories of having to ask passengers to please not watch porn on their laptops. I'm sure there will be lots of people bored trying to sneak a look.

However if the speed isn't that fast, I'm sure it will discourage many who will give up and just check e-mail.

pick a name
@DNVR.QWEST.NET

pick a name

Anon

Re: Plane Porn

sneak a peak...r u sure u r a computer whiz?

maartena
Elmo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-10
Orange, CA

maartena

Premium Member

They don't behave offline.....

...Why would you think they would online?

montee4
Premium Member
join:2004-02-15
Chicago, IL

montee4

Premium Member

Common Sense?

But I still browse porn while talking on my cell phone in the library. You mean that isn't allowed anymore there either? I am an American, unless you tell me exactly what to do, I will most likely do it wrong.

DownTheShore
Pray for Ukraine
Premium Member
join:2003-12-02
Beautiful NJ

DownTheShore

Premium Member

There's No Common Courtesy...

...because people aren't taught it anymore. If you're not taught self-restraint and consideration for others at a young age, you're not going to exhibit it when you get older. Examples seen in the public media usually reinforce putting self before others; the idea is reinforced that we should have and we should do whatever we want right now, and just apologize for things later if need be.

Airlines should just filter the content of in-flight broadband - they're the service providers, they should have the ultimate authority in this kind of mixed-age public situation. Those who want to get their jollies from porn will just have to wait the few hours it takes to get back down on land to become master of their domains.

It would be nice if sub-vocalizing cell phones were made available to the public.

Hehe
@ssa.gov

Hehe

Anon

How do that protect from someone looking at a porn magazine?

How do that protect from someone looking at a porn magazine next to a child?