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

Run_to_da_hills

Users of Twitter have expressed their anger at a court failing to overturn the conviction and sentence of a trainee accountant who posted a message on the site threatening to blow up an airport.

The guy has now in excess of 3K in legal fees along with a criminal conviction.
and has already lost two jobs over the matter. Stephen Fry a comedian has offered to cover all legal costs however it will not remove the criminal conviction which overhangs the guy which could jeopardies his future careers along with potentially blocking him from entering certain countries such as the United States or Australia.

Apparently thousands of I am Sparticus "bomb threats" on Robinhood international Airport have now appeared on twitter in support of Paul Chambers.

This is an indictment of free speech on a humorous social; network site.



http://twitter.com/#!/search?q=%23IAmSpartacus

Biggins

Rubbish - it was just stupidity on his part.

Rabble Rabble

Robin Hood's own twitter account threatened to blow itself up. This is mass civil obedience on a scale not seen since the last time.

meglome

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

easyeason3

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.

Snakeblood

I retreated that. It's a silly judgement and I doubt much will come of turmoil revolt thats come up. Oh well.

Snakeblood

meglome wrote: »

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

Context.

Biggins

Paul Chambers, a 27-year-old accountant, yesterday lost his appeal against his conviction and £1,000 fine for a comment he made in jest when he was concerned that he might miss a flight to Belfast.

"Crap! Robin Hood airport is closed. You've got a week and a bit to get your **** together otherwise I'm blowing the airport sky high!!" he wrote in January.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/nov/12/iamspartacus-campaign-twitter-airport

Stupidity on his part. I mean seriously - in this day and age you just don't joke about some things in such a public manner.
He could have used better judgement.

orourkeda

Twitter. How apt.

A twit gets convicted for using twitter in an appropriate manner. It is a touch harsh but let that be a lesson to you.

If there is a god in heaven we'll start convicting facebook doucheheads.

Besides, he should be thankful that he missed a flight to Belfast.

Rabble Rabble

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.

2,067 posts. You should try twitter.

easyeason3

Rabble Rabble wrote: »

2,067 posts. You should try twitter.

And counting...

Rabble Rabble

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.

Rabble Rabble

easyeason3 wrote: »

And counting...

your self obsession has to stop. Boards does it's own counting.

sron

Biggins wrote: »

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/nov/12/iamspartacus-campaign-twitter-airport

Stupidity on his part. I mean seriously - in this day and age you just don't joke about some things in such a public manner.

That's a sad indictment of society there, Biggins. Personally I think ridicule (even in the form of terrible jokes, as in this case) is the best response to an age that takes itself -and its security- far too seriously.

easyeason3

Rabble Rabble wrote: »

your self obsession has to stop. Boards does it's own counting.

Ah tweet someone who cares.

4zn76tysfajdxp

Biggins wrote: »

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/nov/12/iamspartacus-campaign-twitter-airport

Stupidity on his part. I mean seriously - in this day and age you just don't joke about some things in such a public manner.
He could have used better judgement.

Why not? I could've sworn people could joke about whatever they liked.

Rabble Rabble

easyeason3 wrote: »

Ah tweet someone who cares.

still posting? i thought you would have realised by now that tweeting and writing on boards is exactly the same thing except for the character limit - you can even post as easyseason3 on twitter if you want - and have given up this self obsessive internet hobby for good.

Leaving the internet a flood of tears.

Snakeblood

Destiny Early Myth wrote: »

Why not? I could've sworn people could joke about whatever they liked.

The legal system has apparently not yet understood jokes.

They were trying to make an example of this to stop others following suit, and they ****ed up royally.

easyeason3

Rabble Rabble wrote: »

still posting? i thought you would have realised by now that tweeting and writing on boards is exactly the same thing except for the character limit - you can even post as easyseason3 on twitter if you want - and have given up this self obsessive internet hobby for good.

Leaving the internet a flood of tears.

WTF????

Biggins

sron wrote: »

That's a sad indictment of society there, Biggins. Personally I think ridicule (even in the form of terrible jokes, as in this case) is the best response to an age that takes itself -and its security- far too seriously.

I hear what your saying and to a great amount I agree.
Sadly however given the very recent scare yet again, his comic timing might have been way off between this joke and its timing.

At a time of such heightened awareness, its one thing to stand on a stage in front of an audience and make all the jokes in the world about blowing up something (and the joke(s) be seen in that context) - but to do it presently (with bad timing), possibly across the anonymous internet where a lot of folk might fail to see the joke in its clearer context, is a slither of stupidity.

baltimore sun

I tweeted it, a lot of people i follow did too.

Read the article, the judge seems like a right sow

sron

Biggins wrote: »

I hear what your saying and to a great amount I agree.
Sadly however given the very recent scare yet again, his comic timing might have been way off between this joke and its timing.

At a time of such heightened awareness, its one thing to stand on a stage in front of an audience and make all the jokes in the world about blowing up something (and the joke(s) be seen in that context) - but to do it presently (with bad timing), possibly across the anonymous internet where a lot of folk might fail to see the joke in its clearer context, is a slither of stupidity.

I know you don't mean to, but you're only perpetuating this ridiculousness with these platitudes. This 'climate of fear' business is nonsense and should be treated as such. Humour, even the poor stuff, subverts all this pollutant fear-mongering by displaying its hollowness.

Those who take this stuff seriously are dolts, and society should not cater to the sensibilities of its most dull and obtuse members. The japers are the ones challenging this artificial fear, and long may they continue.

Rabble Rabble

Biggins wrote: »

I hear what your saying and to a great amount I agree.
Sadly however given the very recent scare yet again, his comic timing might have been way off between this joke and its timing.

At a time of such heightened awareness, its one thing to stand on a stage in front of an audience and make all the jokes in the world about blowing up something (and the joke(s) be seen in that context) - but to do it presently (with bad timing), possibly across the anonymous internet where a lot of folk might fail to see the joke in its clearer context, is a slither of stupidity.

The thing was presented as a joke, to anybody who understands jokes. Starting with Crap! - an exclamation - is often an example of how we start jokes in print. Then exaggerating ( sky high!) and then the fact that he is, as his followers would have known, a miild mannered accountant.

but none of this matters. There was no plan to bomb anything, and he wasnt convicted of any plan to bomb anything, or of anything to do with bombing anything but with "menancing" behaviour based on a law last used in 1930. Even though nobody was menaced.

Feel safer? I feel that if Al Queda generally announced their plans weeks in advance on twitter and those plans were tweeted by one guy without any access or recourse to any bomb making equipment but somehow it all happened anyway, you may have a point. I dont feel safer.

Pompey Magnus

Reuters (London): Actor Alan Rickman has been taken into police custody after police recieved evidence that he had threatened to blow up the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles. Rickman (64) has claimed that he did not actually mean the threat and that it had been taken out of context but a police spokesman has confirmed that any terrorist threat has to be taken seriously.

sron

Pompey Magnus wrote: »

Reuters (London): Actor Alan Rickman has been taken into police custody after police recieved evidence that he had threatened to blow up the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles. Rickman (64) has claimed that he did not actually mean the threat and that it had been taken out of context but a police spokesman has confirmed that any terrorist threat has to be taken seriously.

Is that the fellow who started the Irish Civil War?

Snakeblood

Biggins wrote: »

I hear what your saying and to a great amount I agree.
Sadly however given the very recent scare yet again, his comic timing might have been way off between this joke and its timing.

At a time of such heightened awareness, its one thing to stand on a stage in front of an audience and make all the jokes in the world about blowing up something (and the joke(s) be seen in that context) - but to do it presently (with bad timing), possibly across the anonymous internet where a lot of folk might fail to see the joke in its clearer context, is a slither of stupidity.

He wasn't doing it across the anonymous internet, he was doing it to his followers, who presumably know what he's like, and it was intercepted by people who react then think. And five minutes conversation with him would have resolved this. He wasn't being the imbecile.

thee glitz

Now that we have the sarcasm font, someone better get started on an only joking one.

Ghost Train

Says he lost his job because of it, seems a bit harsh... if twitter was a 999 call then fair enough but its not

Stercus Accidit

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...

Today is far less dangerous than previous decades in England in recent history.

If we trawled boards.ie there would be a serious amount of things like this, sure it was suggested today that grenades be thrown at Mary Harney, how in this day and age is that person still free in our society!

Pookah

I agree he was a bit stupid to put the threat up, but the authorities displayed even more stupidity by prosecuting him.

Or prehaps they're trying to send a message. It fecks up their Echelon system, having to deal with non-threatening threats.

Don Juan DeMagoo

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

My name is URL

It's his own doing.. he knew full well that it was a sensitive subject when he made the joke. Obviously someone didn't see the funny side and reported it. Big deal.. if it was a genuine threat and subsequently ignored, it would have been a lot worse. It's nothing close to 'thought-police' territory.. you might joke about running over a politician, but if you do it within earshot of the people charged with protecting said politician then it deserves to be taken seriously.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Fiver says RTDH never comes back and reads of the replys.

Rabble Rabble

My name is URL wrote: »

It's his own doing.. he knew full well that it was a sensitive subject when he made the joke. Obviously someone didn't see the funny side and reported it. Big deal.. if it was a genuine threat and subsequently ignored, it would have been a lot worse. It's nothing close to 'thought-police' territory.. you might joke about running over a politician, but if you do it within earshot of the people charged with protecting said politician then it deserves to be taken seriously.

Yeah, the whole genuine threat thing is impossible to argue against. In fact we are wasting time on police work and equipment to intercept coded messages, and learning farsi and arabic, all police resources should go to monitoring twitter - a hive of terrorist activity where people generally post as themselves.

Non-anoymous twittering is clearly the terrorist wave of the future. I am glad they caught this one.

Pookah

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Fiver says RTDH never comes back and reads of the replys.

If he quotes your post you'll owe him a fiver, and the rest of us. :pac:

Rabble Rabble

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.

Yep. Another man to prison. Keep the world safe from the Evil Terror Dewers.

Stercus Accidit

My name is URL wrote: »

It's his own doing.. he knew full well that it was a sensitive subject when he made the joke. Obviously someone didn't see the funny side and reported it. Big deal.. if it was a genuine threat and subsequently ignored, it would have been a lot worse. It's nothing close to 'thought-police' territory.. you might joke about running over a politician, but if you do it within earshot of the people charged with protecting said politician then it deserves to be taken seriously.

Arse, jokes are made about sensitive subjects all the time.

Boards.ie is riddled with threats, how many posters here need to taken to court, how many of your 9000 posts do I need to read before I find one I could take literally and see you arrested for?

johnnyskeleton

What I don't get is that in Ireland in order for a threat of this nature to be a criminal offence, it requires intent i.e. the prosecution have to prove that you intended for it to be believed.

My name is URL

Stercus Accidit wrote: »

Arse, jokes are made about sensitive subjects all the time.

Boards.ie is riddled with threats, how many posters here need to taken to court, how many of your 9000 posts do I need to read before I find one I could take literally and see you arrested for?

I don't know.. read them and see. My point is that it was reported, and unless there is some sort of carte blanche shown towards comments posted online then there's no reason for it to be taken any less seriously than if it was made amongst friends in front of people who are likely to misinterpret it. Even if it's a joke amongst friends, the person overhearing it isn't to know that. It could easily cause panic and damage the company. And fwiw, any threat made on Boards should be taken seriously if they negatively affect someone, imo.

Run_to_da_hills

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Fiver says RTDH never comes back and reads of the replys.

Who gets the fiver?

Nerdkiller1991

Twitter...why do people still care about it? Besides, without it, we mightn't have as much attention ho's like that guy.

bleg

Rabble rabble rabble ... in this day and age ... rabble!

FouxDaFaFa

This is trending on Twitter as #twitterjoketrial and I think it's quite apt. It was a joke of a trial based on a joke. I agree it was a bit of a stupid thing to say and could even stretch to agreeing with him being brought in for a chat with the police to be fair as regards to law. But seriously, a quick glance at his tweets show he regularly makes jokey comments. Five minutes talking to him should have been enough to see that he isn't dangerous.

And as other posters have mentioned, those on their high horses would have no problem making "jokes" on boards saying what they'd do to politicians/criminals/celebrities. The fact that Paul Chambers actually got a criminal conviction from this is ridiculous.

sdanseo

The fella was an idiot to do it, there have been conviction before for similar things which were well publicised.

That does not excuse the stupid, senile, blithering idiots who would prosecute someone for an obvious joke. Authoritarianism taken to a fanatical extreme by assholes with nothing better to do. A threat is a threat, but in my understanding of the law it should be MEANT in order to constitute an offence.

PanchoVilla

Rabble Rabble wrote: »

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

Who's joking?

CrazyRabbit

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argosy2006

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

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You all gonna die!!!!

GET TO DE CHOPPA ,,,,,,NOWWWWWW!!!

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Who gets the fiver?

Shuold have read "... and replys to some of the comments" .... but feck it. Sue me.

Wertz

I'm torn on this....if this guy had have been standing in the check in/security queue and said this jokingly to one of his mates and was overheard by security, he'd more than likely have been at the very least hauled aside and probably wouldn't have been getting on a plane...depending on the country he was in, he might have been charged with threatening an aircraft or whatever.
So how is it an different if he decides to post it on twitter?

That said, the sentenmce and the charges are somewhat ridiculous but then I think if he'd been arrested for actually joking in the airport that would be ridiculous too.
Those in power think otherwise and think that any threat is a credible one...
Hard to see where a line can be drawn. What stops someone making a geneuine threat from using the"I was Just Joking" defence when they get caught for phoning in a bomb warning or something?
Like I said I'm in two minds on it.

On the other hand jailing twitter users in general is something I find soemwhat forgivable. :pac:

bonerm

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

along with potentially blocking him from entering certain countries such as the United States or Australia.

Poor fella :rolleyes:

Profiler

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

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You all gonna die!!!!

That's a very nice bauble for a Christmas tree

Alibis'Я'Us