An Unfortunate Tweet...

[Sporkman]

...resulting in job loss & near bankruptcy:


That's what pretty much what's happening to Paul Chambers, a U.K. resident found guilty and fined after posting this comment on Twitter in January: "Robin Hood airport is closed, you’ve got a week and a bit to get your s--t together, otherwise I’m blowing the airport sky high!!"

http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/09/23/5164913-one-dumb-tweet-could-ruin-this-jokers-life

[gnomeuser]

We've all had moments like that.. long queue at the market, f*ckers, if only I had an AK-47, bulldozer, group of starved rottweilers, cake and what not.

Perhaps it is best not to put those on Twitter but honestly do we not have freedom of speech anymore? Even unfortunate speech such as this is harmless, he didn't actually blow up an airport, nor did he conduct himself in a manner to suggest that he would (say like suddenly buying up lots of fertilizer).

I don't think such occasional rage should result in this. It's disturbingly disproportionate and entirely without evidence of actual wrong doing.

[Naiki Muliaina]

That is just dumb.... Like GnomeUser said, nothing to suggest he would actually do it...

If I tell Nick_Jinn I will kill him if he doesn't agree with me* in a debate will I get arrested for sending death threats?

*(cause much though I have fun debating with him, and think hes one of the best folk to argue with over gaming on Linux, he NEVER agrees with me :P hehe )

[Arex Bawrin]

That's an unfortunate situation, but often times people don't understand just how permanent and public these social networks can be.

[Sporkman]

...and, airport-related threats carry special weight. It's always been that way, well before 9/11.

[sydbat]

...and, airport-related threats carry special weight. It's always been that way, well before 9/11.This is very true.

There are words/phrases you are not allowed to say in an airport (for many decades now) such as "Hi Jack", or "That was the bomb". I worked for a tour bus company in the 90's and saw a couple of younger people being stupid at the Calgary airport. I think they wanted to know what would happen if/when they said things like this. The microphones hanging from the ceiling picked up their idiocy and security gang-tackled them and they were hauled away.

In the same vein, people being stupid on Twitter has consequences. No one cares that you are walking, or having a sandwich, or whatever...but they do care if you make threats (even idle, seemingly innocuous ones).

[MooPi]

Silly comments like that are meant for close friends in private jokes. Our new social web now encompasses the entire wired world and off hand comments meant for friends as a joke can bring down the pillars of society. Here in the US our Vice President made a comment that dropped the "F" explicative for everyone to hear. That's all I heard for two days on the news. School children expelled for stupid comments on Facebook and Myspace are also realties of modern social networking. Years ago it would have been a folded note passed in class, and now it's a twitter feed gone round the world. Oops I'm sorry doesn't take it back and eating the note isn't possible.

[Swagman]

Yeah.. Airports are No,No's for tom foolery. I recall being in Perth Airport in 1983 about to return to the UK and my mates jokingly said.. "pull your windcheater down.. we can see the colt 45"

A passing air hostess overheard and told us "NOT TO MESS ABOUT OR WE WILL BE ARRESTED"

She wasn't being arsy or anything but she made it clear that security has no sense of humour AT ALL at airports.

In this case security shoulda done some research before flying off the lid !!

[ticopelp]

In the same vein, people being stupid on Twitter has consequences. No one cares that you are walking, or having a sandwich, or whatever...

OMG hilarious! :roll:

I do wonder if this hysteria over online expression will die down when people who grew up with the Internet become the vast majority and people just stop caring about this sort of thing, or whether we'll see everyone carefully cultivating online personas that are nothing like their actual selves, in order to shield themselves from the judgmental panopticon. :D

Although joking about blowing up airports is pretty boneheaded under any circumstances, Twitter or no Twitter.

[gnomeuser]

...and, airport-related threats carry special weight. It's always been that way, well before 9/11.

So what, Freedom of Speech predates human flight.. as does the presumption of being innocent until proven guilty.

There is absolutely no evidence to indicate that he was actually planning to blow up that airport and before any action could be taken against him on the matter this would have to change.

[whiskeylover]

Ubuntu and Elizabeth Hurley - the only good things to come out of the UK.

[jasonshim]

Wow... what the hell is wrong with this world? The guy's life is ruined just for telling a stupid joke and a pedophile priest next door gets away with buggering crippled little boys.

Couldn't be better:guitar::)
Keep up the good work.

[TriBlox6432]

Wow... what the hell is wrong with this world? The guy's life is ruined just for telling a stupid joke and a pedophile priest next door gets away with buggering crippled little boys.

Couldn't be better:guitar::)
Keep up the good work.

This.

[duanedesign]

Not all speech (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shouting_fire_in_a_crowded_theater) is protected by the first amendment

~duanedesign

[pwnst*r]

Pretty stupid move.

[cprofitt]

Yeah.. Airports are No,No's for tom foolery. I recall being in Perth Airport in 1983 about to return to the UK and my mates jokingly said.. "pull your windcheater down.. we can see the colt 45"

A passing air hostess overheard and told us "NOT TO MESS ABOUT OR WE WILL BE ARRESTED"

She wasn't being arsy or anything but she made it clear that security has no sense of humour AT ALL at airports.

In this case security shoulda done some research before flying off the lid !!

Wow they get that touchy about you brining your own beer on the flight, heh?

http://www.complex.com/assets/images/products/Liquor/Holiday_Spirits/COLT-45_liquor.jpg

[cprofitt]

Not all speech (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shouting_fire_in_a_crowded_theater) is protected by the first amendment

~duanedesign

Not all of man's rights are enumerated in the Constitution either; so said Thomas Paine. I believe John Locke would have a word on the subject as well.

[Rasa1111]

Wow... what the hell is wrong with this world? The guy's life is ruined just for telling a stupid joke and a pedophile priest next door gets away with buggering crippled little boys.

Couldn't be better:guitar::)
Keep up the good work.

lol :lol:
No doubt man.

Beat.

Stupid move on his part..sure
(what does he think these are, free countries?)
[fooled'ya]

but still..
Beat as hell.

[Rasa1111]

Ubuntu and Elizabeth Hurley - the only good things to come out of the UK.

hey, you came up with more than i could for america.

oops, am i a "terrorist" to now? :confused:

[thatguruguy]

"Freedom of speech" does not include threats. It never has. Under the common law, an "assault" was a threat to do physical harm (as opposed to a "battery" which was an unwanted touching), and British common law existed before the Constitution.

It may not be illegal to be stupid, but maybe it should be.

[Rasa1111]

It may not be illegal to be stupid, but maybe it should be.

lol, agreed.

but then, like 60+% of the worlds population would be locked up.

ok, so maybe it should be..... lol