POP INTERVIEW: James McGibney Chases Kate Gosselin’s Twitter Bullies
Bullyville.com founder James McGibney made headlines in early April when he revealed the identities of Kate Gosselin’s Twitter bullies. At the time, he told Radar Online, “No one encourages me to do anything. I’m a grown man who makes his own decisions.”
Why would anyone want to discuss bullying online versus in person?
Bullyville.com is the first anti-bullying website that helps victims of bullying, whether they have been bullied in “real life” or online. The website offers a safe haven for victims to share their stories, find emotional support and connect with experts who can help them through difficult times. Fact of the matter is that in today’s society, bullying is far more prevalent online than it is in person.
Which user story has surprised you the most?
I was very surprised by Dj ASHBA’s (lead guitarist for Guns N Roses) story. He’s a good friend of mine, however I didn’t know how severe his bullying was as a child. It just goes to show you that anyone can take a negative experience and use it to fuel their continued success in life.
Do you think bullying gets worse over time?
It definitely can get worse over time and often many victims are left feeling as if their only option is to take their own life. I want victims out there to know, they do not need to take this extremely devastating and drastic action. There is a community of people out there who care about them. Cyber bullying is a major issue in our country right now and in fact, we just launched @bullyblast, a new platform to turn the tables on bullies and make them accountable for their actions. There was a guy on twitter recently who was telling a 15-year old girl that she should kill herself. We went after him and thanks to Twitter’s swift action, his account was closed and one can only hope he’s gone for good. Unfortunately in the online world, ten more people are lined up ready to take his place. It’s a battle worth fighting for, we will never quit.
If a school or workplace doesn’t want to do anything about taking bullying seriously, what should you do?
Talk to your parents or an adult that you trust, in some cases it may be a teacher, an aunt, uncle or even a neighbor. They can help you to ensure that you will be able to clearly communicate the issues at hand without fear of verbal dilution. If you are able to, document cases of bullying and present them to the school. It might be in the form of a Facebook message, a tweet, a video shot with your phone or a photo.
You have created a couple of websites and earn a living from the web. How can someone follow in your footsteps? What gets involved in setting up the actual website?
Step #1 – Come up with an idea/concept that you believe in, something that will make you want to work 80 hours per week. If you’re not passionate about your idea, others most likely won’t be either. Step #2 – go to uspto.gov and see if anyone has an idea that is similar to yours. Look for patents and trademarks, if you can’t find either proceed to Step#3. The most time consuming; believe it or not, is Step #3, coming up with a clever name for your company and immediately checking to see if the .com is available. Try to keep it short, the less syllables the better. Step #4 – go make it happen and don’t forget to protect your intellectual property along the way, that’s so important.
And the big question: how can someone earn enough money from websites to quit his or her day job?
With hard work it can absolutely be done. However be careful what you wish for. Your definition of a “day job” will change dramatically and it’s not as glamorous as one might think.
