Stream sniping on the VATSIM Network - a CoC / CoR breach?

[Zain Khan]

I have been having problems that whenever I am streaming controller sessions connected to VATSIM, on Twitch, I seem to have occasions where people would end up stream sniping the controller on the network by spawning on the runway deliberately or by descending below controlled airspace without a controller's clearance.

 

All this is deliberately ruining the enjoyment of VATSIM for the controller who strives to provide a good service for pilots on a frequency to ensure separation and safety, plus also ruining the fun of the controller to stream on Twitch showcasing the operations of a VATSIM controller.

 

Can this be considered a grave breach of VATSIM Code of Conduct and Code of Regulations?

[Don Desfosse]

Doing things on VATSIM to intentionally ruin the enjoyment of any member are a violation of CoC A1. Doing other things that are violations of the CoC are, well, of course, violations of those sections of the CoC. To use your examples, spawning on a runway is a violation of CoC B1. Descending without a clearance intentionally is a violation of CoC B10. VATSIM can take disciplinary action against members for violating the CoC and/or CoR regardless of streaming or not. A stream, however, provides a great piece of evidence to be used against the perpetrators.... Those who enjoy sniping should keep that in mind....

[Mats Edvin Aaro]

The CoR 6.03C can also be used on this. As Don says, it doesn't really matter if you're streaming or not - just call a supervisor like usual and we will deal with it appropriately. And having the stream there is a great way to gather evidence!

[Trevor Hannant]

As above, the more evidence you can provide, the better! If there's no SUP around and you're streaming, make sure you report it after with a link to a copy of your stream.

 

I'd make sure than when you have a "spawner", you highlight their aircraft so that you can see their CID in the bottom of the Euroscope window as that will let the SUP who handles it after see exactly who it was and can save time trawling round trying to work out who connected at the time.

[Johnny Coughlan]

spawning on the runway

 

descending below controlled airspace without a controller's clearance.

 

You sure this was 'stream sniping'?, sounds like an everyday occurrence to me.

 

If pilots are flying around in an F15 with an intent to disrupt or playing music on freq, that to me would be more of a deliberate attempt to disrupt.

 

Anyways, you're streaming, so it should be recording also, take note of the pilots CID and report it to the SUP team via email with the video evidence. There is even a way to get who was transmitting with a timestamp that corresponds with the online time to see who is playing music over the freq.

 

Very easy to get action on these people.

[Trent Hopkinson]

Spawning on the Runway is pretty much the newbie's M.O isn't it?

 

Quick .wallop at a supervisor and they'll be moved on and given the newbie news. Asked to log off. Or "logged off" from the supervisor's end.

 

Descent without clearance? I hear stuff like that happening every other week. Pilot reads back someone else's clearance. or just hits the magic FMS Top of Descent and "THE FMS MADE ME DO IT"-itis sets in.

 

If someone wants to drop out of CTA, that's easy. Squawk 1200, contact 122.8, biee!

 

If they're dropping Mayday's - well that's covered in COC too. Don't want to handle emergencies as a controller? don't accept them. The pilot can then either stop the emergency, log off, or you can .wallop if they keep going.