Threats to explode UK airport flood Internet following Twitter user's conviction.

kiwilostineire

http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/afua-hirsch-law-blog/2010/nov/11/twitter-twitter-joke-trial?intcmp=239

I think this may be the start of the end of twitter. I love how the judge has to be explained twitter.

Freedom of speech is fine in the right time and place and audience. Someone reads a tweet and they are sitting in a different place...(the airport) not fine, and a tweet is like yelling to the world. A one liner, can be taken out of context when there is no story around it. Boards, there is the rest of the thread to build context around a statement made.

Made me think of ironman 2 in the court room, reading just a sentence and ignoring the story can definately have different meanings.

strobe

kiwilostineire wrote: »

http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/afua-hirsch-law-blog/2010/nov/11/twitter-twitter-joke-trial?intcmp=239

I think this may be the start of the end of twitter. I love how the judge has to be explained twitter.

Freedom of speech is fine in the right time and place and audience. Someone reads a tweet and they are sitting in a different place...(the airport) not fine, and a tweet is like yelling to the world. A one liner, can be taken out of context when there is no story around it. Boards, there is the rest of the thread to build context around a statement made.

Made me think of ironman 2 in the court room, reading just a sentence and ignoring the story can definately have different meanings.

No, it is fine. Perfectly fine. Anyone that read that message in an airport and got worried it might have been serious is a complete fukking imbecile and should be executed on the spot to prevent their genes polluting the human species.

Can't believe some people in this thread are actually agreeing with the conviction. You are all idiots. Sorry, personal abuse and all that, but if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. Quit being part of the fukking problem and put the other guy back on.

Rabble Rabble

Rabble Rabble wrote: »

OFFS the authoritarian muppets are out in force again in this thread.

1) It was a joke.
2) First they came for the twitters then they came for you. That's right, you there posting on t'internet just like a tiwtter except not as openly.

I bet there are threats against FF, Mary HArney and more all over these here boards, said as a joke.

Guy posts threats about blowing up an airport. Given the current climate that we find ourselves in, he was a complete idiot. It's akin to someone saying that they have a bomb in an airport. How exactly are the cops supposed to tell that it is a joke?

Perhaps it was a little heavy handed in the charges, but he must have some common sense.

My name is URL

There was another guy arrested yesterday for Tweeting about stoning someone to death.

Birmingham councillor Gareth Compton posted a message after hearing journalist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown claim on the radio that Prime Minister David Cameron did not have the moral authority to chastise the Chinese government about its human rights record because of the torture allegations surrounding the behaviour of the forces which invaded Iraq.

His message said: "can someone please stone Yasmin Alibhai-Brown to death? I shan't tell Amnesty if you don't. It would be a blessing, really".

Compton was arrested for an offence under the Communications Act, according to news service the Press Association. The arrest reportedly was for breach of the section of the law which says that it is an improper use of a public electronic communications network for someone to send "by means of a public electronic communications network a message or other matter that is grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character".

http://www.out-law.com/page-11545

Pace2008

strobe wrote: »

Can't believe some people in this thread are actually agreeing with the conviction. You are all idiots. Sorry, personal abuse and all that, but if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. Quit being part of the fukking problem and put the other guy back on.

+1000. Had to be said.

Venom

While it was a pretty dumbass thing to broadcast over Twitter the chaps lack of experience, materials and previous links to anything to do with bomb making should of gotten this case thrown out of court.

The fact Twitter needed to be explained to the judge should of sent alarms bells ringing to those in power as it would be like a doctor asking someone with zero medical experience on how best to perform surgery.

brummytom

My name is URL wrote: »

There was another guy arrested yesterday for Tweeting about stoning someone to death.


http://www.out-law.com/page-11545

Heh, he's the councillor for where I'm from.


Fucking Tory idiot

CrazyRabbit

I seriously doubt a real terrorist is going to tweet "FYI...I'm about to blow up a plane".

Terry

meglome wrote: »

Man makes threats... man gets convicted of making threats. Am I missing something?

Humour, sarcasm, irony...

easyeason3 wrote: »

Anyone who thinks the rest of the world needs to know their every movement or thought is a self obsessed wAnKeR in my book.

But the guy shouldn't have been brought to court. Jesus, if that was the case here anyone who has posted in AH would be jail bait.

Damn right.

Mr.S wrote: »

Seriously? he tweets about blowing up an airport, in this day and age - and he gets in trouble & hes SURPRISED?!

****ing hell...

9/11 9/11 9/11 9/11 9/11 9/11 9/11 9/11 9/11 9/11 9/11 9/11 9/11 9/11

Never forget!!!

Don Juan DeMagoo wrote: »

Right so, I am going to blow up the governments private jet tonight!!

Patiently awaiting for the "Craic" Garda Rapid Reaction Unit to descend upon my residence.

... ring... ring....ring...

Hello?
Oh whats that you say? It being officially the weekend and the departmental cutbacks can I postpone my devious plan until Monday?

Well I guess i could... what do mean between the hours of 9am and 4pm? I wish you to know this is totally unsatisfactory!....... WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU REVERSED THE CHARGES FOR THIS PHONE CALL:D

If you're going to do it, at least use your real name and go into fake detail.

Hi. My name is Terry O'Dowd. In two hours time I am going to blow up Weston Airfield in Leixlip.
Those bastards have been pissing me off for most of my life with their low flying Cesnas. They're far too noisy. And don't get me started on the rich ****ers with their helicopters hovering over my house. Yeah, I'm a pov, but I'm not going to leave my house just so you bastards can point and laugh from up high in the air.

Guess what, bitches. I've planted a bomb in every aircraft that has landed in your Airfield for the last two months. It's time for revenge.

I'd just like the Gardaí to know that I won't be at home for the next few hours, but I'll be home at about 11 tomorrow morning if you want to arrest me. I'm not going to tell you where I am going because it's my birthday and I am going to enjoy myself in the knowledge that Weston will be obliterated at 11 tonight.

See you in the morning.

bogshepherd

meglome wrote: »

Man makes threats... man gets convicted of making threats. Am I missing something?

Hardly what I'd call a threat judging by the tone of the message, what's the world coming to if we have to watch what kind of flippant jokes we make on the internet...

Freedom of speech and personal privacy are being eroded away one bit at a time...

Donkey Oaty

bogshepherd wrote: »

Hardly what I'd call a threat judging by the tone of the message

The police and the airport agreed. He was convicted for a different crime.

Funny old world.

meglome

Snakeblood wrote: »

Context.

bogshepherd wrote: »

Hardly what I'd call a threat judging by the tone of the message, what's the world coming to if we have to watch what kind of flippant jokes we make on the internet...

Freedom of speech and personal privacy are being eroded away one bit at a time...

Fair points but who in their right mind thinks it's a good idea to make any kind of public threat about airports, especially in the UK or US. Really flupping stupid thing to do.

Penn

meglome wrote: »

Fair points but who in their right mind thinks it's a good idea to make any kind of public threat about airports, especially in the UK or US. Really flupping stupid thing to do.

But again, it wasn't a threat. While the police were right to bring him in for questioning (because after all, they have no knowledge of the man or what he's like), but surely after about 10 minutes of speaking with him they would have realised that he was just making a flippant remark and that there was never any intent behind what he said. Just a poor choice of phrase.

A friend of mine who is friends with him from a football forum, the guy wanted to be a Chartered Accountant, but now he can't because he has a criminal record.

I don't think it was a stupid thing for him to do. I think he was just unlucky. Unlucky that his message was not picked up with the intent he meant it to be. Unlucky that after being brought in for questioning and investigated, that the fact he meant no intent by his message and did not have the capabilities to proceed with his threat were not realised. And unlucky that even on appeal, the judge found his message to "contain menace". Come on.

If a threat is made, it should be taken seriously. If it becomes fairly obvious that there is no threat, he shouldn't still be given a criminal record.

Run_to_da_hills

bogshepherd wrote: »

Hardly what I'd call a threat judging by the tone of the message, what's the world coming to if we have to watch what kind of flippant jokes we make on the internet...

Freedom of speech and personal privacy are being eroded away one bit at a time...

Hopefully this will bring an interenet free for all in hoax jokes,

bogshepherd

paddyirishman85 wrote: »

And unlucky that even on appeal, the judge found his message to "contain menace". Come on.

Yeah i agree, I imagine the judge was reluctant to set a precendent which would make it harder to convict people who were making genuine threats. Just another example of how the legal system doesnt incorporate commen sense. Especially sad the thing about him not being able to get a job now because of it.

skelliser

"in this day and age"

"heightened fear"

"recent scares"

sheeple much!!!

CrazyRabbit

Just imagine.

You're walking through the airport listening to some MP3's using earphones. Without realising it, you start singing along to the chorus of one of the songs.
Suddenly, a group of security guards taser you, drag you to the ground and handcuff you.

Only then do you realise you've been singing along to the chorus of this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llyiQ4I-mcQ

kiwilostineire

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

Just imagine.

You're walking through the airport listening to some MP3's using earphones. Without realising it, you start singing along to the chorus of one of the songs.
Suddenly, a group of security guards taser you, drag you to the ground and handcuff you.

Only then do you realise you've been singing along to the chorus of this song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llyiQ4I-mcQ

Are they taking you back to a room so you spend the night together???:eek:

DeVore

You all should watch this...
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/barry_schwartz_on_our_loss_of_wisdom.html

DeV.

Run_to_da_hills

Ive just planted a large bomb in After Hours, mods and posters have just one hour to clear the forum. :eek:

CrazyRabbit

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Ive just planted a large bomb in After Hours, mods and posters have just one hour to clear the forum. :eek:

Oh no! I guess we should all run to da hills.

(Sorry, that was terrible...but I couldn't resist.)

meglome

paddyirishman85 wrote: »

But again, it wasn't a threat. While the police were right to bring him in for questioning (because after all, they have no knowledge of the man or what he's like), but surely after about 10 minutes of speaking with him they would have realised that he was just making a flippant remark and that there was never any intent behind what he said. Just a poor choice of phrase.

A friend of mine who is friends with him from a football forum, the guy wanted to be a Chartered Accountant, but now he can't because he has a criminal record.

I don't think it was a stupid thing for him to do. I think he was just unlucky. Unlucky that his message was not picked up with the intent he meant it to be. Unlucky that after being brought in for questioning and investigated, that the fact he meant no intent by his message and did not have the capabilities to proceed with his threat were not realised. And unlucky that even on appeal, the judge found his message to "contain menace". Come on.

If a threat is made, it should be taken seriously. If it becomes fairly obvious that there is no threat, he shouldn't still be given a criminal record.

Look I already know the British police are seriously anal and I'm guessing yer man did too. So here in Ireland I feel free to say almost what I like. But in Britain or the US I really wouldn't. In the US lots of people have been fired or convicted for stuff like saying they'd like to kill their boss. Not in a serious way but in the off the cuff way, teachers have been banned from teaching for life as they committed an act of 'terrorism' by making this 'threat'. Yes it's over the top, yes it shouldn't be like that but it is and people should know better than to do it. If they want the law changed then they should go out and campaign for that, though I don't think the rods can be removed from their collective asses.

Lirange

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

Oh no! I guess we should all run to da hills.

(Sorry, that was terrible...but I couldn't resist.)

When you get there Steve Harris will be waiting to rape you with an Aardvark.

DeVore

The contra to that is that if you make a criticism of someone, or you voice an unpopular opinion about someone, some company or some event.... you wont get sued to sh*t over there whereas here everyon in the chain of publishing it gets f*cked it seems. </rant>

On the whole, I'd rather have their laws.

DeV.