Do you believe what you read?
It’s funny how people think.
Or not think, as the case may be.
A frustrated traveller in Britain decided he would vent his frustration via Twitter. As The Guardian reported, Mr Chambers made what could only be construed as a bomb threat in under 140 characters.
Did officials overreact? Isn’t this just Twitter, after all? Can’t people just take a joke?
No, no, and you must be kidding. If this was uttered verbally, it would have been considered a bomb threat. If it was only spoken, I’m sure that less than 769 people (the number following him on Twitter) would have heard. So, in essence, this is much much worse than a vocal utterance.
Consider the duality: Twitter is used by many as a form of communication to raise awareness of business matters, blog posts and services to gain web traffic, reach clients and advertise. It’s not a locker-room whisper game (anymore) and should be considered a major player in the matter of public relations for any company. So why would one person think they should use it to snicker to a couple of friends? What if he really did want to create panic and mayhem? What would he use, Facebook?
Twitter is serious stuff, and British authorities have made sure that it’s taken seriously.
Now, I wonder if Chambers is going to Tweet about his cell experience. Or has he learned to keep his mouth shut, lest he be heard?
