Recently on twitter, someone was found guilty and now has a criminal record due to his twitter tweet. Paul Chambers is from the U.K and tweeted to his 600 followers "Robin Hood airport is closed. You've got a week and a bit to get your shit together, otherwise im blowing the airport sky high!". This was not a serious tweet but some security saw it and had to bring it to the police which brought him to court. The results were a fine and costs totaling around 1,000 British pounds. As well as a criminal record. There is a lot of controversy over this and Chambers is planning on launching an appeal. It it wondered if he was found guilty to set an example to others.
I found this article very interesting because when you post something online, it just goes to show you that you never know who else is looking at it. I think they found him guilty to prove a point to others.
Work Cited:
Matyszcyk, Chris. "Twitter Bomb Joker Found Guilty." Cnnet News. 10 May 2010. Web. .
This is really interesting. I think that what people say on the Internet can have a lasting effect on people without you even realizing it. I cannot believe how quickly information is transmitted and how anyone can find out information about you. Recently, because I am getting a background check performed on me for a new job, I went as far as to delete my Facebook account. I just do not want anyone to be able to find out information about me that could negatively affect my character. It is unreal how much information companies can find out about you. Using Twitter and Facebook are risks in someway, but I think the things that are said on these sites are being taken too seriously and that in some cases, people need to learn to lighten up.
ReplyDeleteWow, I can't actually believe this really happened. I feel sorry for the poor guy but at the same time people really need to watch what they say or do on the Internet because there are so many people out there watching every move you make. Clearly I could tell by reading his tweet that he was being sarcastic and I don't even know the man but obviously it was taken very seriously and everyone should be aware of the fact that just because you make have certain settings on your accounts to block people, most companies can get through anything and see anything they want on your profiles or on your Twitter accounts. It sucks but it's just how it is.
ReplyDeleteSecurity and safety threats are a big deal in our economy - especially since what has happened in the past ten years. I don't think he was found guilt to set an example to others - I think he was found guilty because what he did could have been serious. If it wasn't for that sole NYC vendor saying something to authorities about the suspicious car he saw - something could have gone horribly wrong. Threats, whether false or true, are still something that should not be taken lightly.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Rachel. Threats should not be taken lightly in any way, shape, or form.
ReplyDeleteThere was no way to tell if this man was serious or not and with the amount of people that go on twitter, he should have thought twice about what he posted.
Whether or not he was sent to court to set an example i think it was a good thing that he had to pay a small price for his mistake.
Well I think at a time like this, since there are so many bomb scares and terrorist attacks, anything someone says or puts out there for others to see that may seem like a "threat" can not be taken lightly. Especially if it is about the safety and well-being for lives, he should get fined. You have to be on high alert with things that joke about hurting people because you NEVER know who is being serious or what is a joke. And since he was "advertising" himself through Twitter with 600 followers, he should know that a comment like that would get himself in trouble. I'm glad someone did something about this because I don't want to get blown up when I could have been saved by a TWITTER!
ReplyDeleteYou would think that something such as a simple tweet wouldn't be found that easily but like you said, you never know who is watching. When you write something on Twitter, it is accessible for thousands of people to see. This guy should've known better than to post something like that. I could understand if he put "lol" or "jk" at the end of the tweet, or corrected it right after to show he was joking... but he just left it and it obviously got into the wrong hands. If people are going to use social medias such as Facebook or Twitter they need to know how to use it properly, and not post things that can get them in trouble.
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