http://www.birdsbeforethestorm.net/2009/10/steampunks-professor-calamity-faces-multiple-felonies-for-twittering/
SteamPunk Magazine author (and, honestly, the inspiration for SteamPunk Magazine) Professor Calamity is facing two felonies for allegedly running a twitter account. He has been accused of running a twitter feed of police movements during the Pittsburgh G-20 protests, protests for which the police are already being sued.
So there, we have figured it out, go back to bed America, your government has figured out how it all transpired. Go back to bed America, your government is in control again. Here, here's American Gladiators. Watch this, shut up. Go back to bed America, here's American Gladiators. Here's 56 channels of it. Watch these pituitary retards bang their fucking skulls together and congratulate you on living in the land of freedom. Here you go America, you are free... to do as we tell you.
You are free™, to do as we tell you.
I'm a big fan of the "We're going to drag you out of bed, handcuff you, make you sit there for 16 hours but tell you that you're not arrested and free to go." bit.
I never did like Twitter much. They're like the bird spies of Sauron.
I think I'll go tweet about this here news right now though. Hope I don't get arrested too. WickedQuill @twitter.
Quote from: Lysergic on November 04, 2009, 06:26:48 AM
So there, we have figured it out, go back to bed America, your government has figured out how it all transpired. Go back to bed America, your government is in control again. Here, here's American Gladiators. Watch this, shut up. Go back to bed America, here's American Gladiators. Here's 56 channels of it. Watch these pituitary retards bang their fucking skulls together and congratulate you on living in the land of freedom. Here you go America, you are free... to do as we tell you.
You are free™, to do as we tell you.
:x
It's all so true
:x
Well, what the hell did he think he was doing? We have the TV to tell us what the police think we need to know. He was obviously aiding and abetting those silly bastards who were so arrogant as to demand a voice in how their lives are run. Well, let this be a lesson to the rest of you...SIT DOWN and SHUT UP.
WHAT IS THIS, IRAN?
Nope - we managed this clusterfuck without the aid of a theocracy :lulz:
FIGHTING THE SYSTEM™, TWEET ME BACK.
(http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/817/tweetmeback.jpg)
Quote from: Cain on November 04, 2009, 03:20:18 PM
(http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/817/tweetmeback.jpg)
:mittens:
Wow, isn't this EXACTLY OUT OF TRANSMETROPOLITAN?
somebody correct me on this if I'm wrong, but isn't there a part where the government is basically silencing legitimate protest using illegal levels of violence, while blacking out all media communications because of a supposed state of emergency? Spider Jerusalem then risks life and limb trying to get cameras on the scene so that the government can't just shoot people to death and later claim "they started it!"
Quote from: Cramulus on November 04, 2009, 03:46:41 PM
Wow, isn't this EXACTLY OUT OF TRANSMETROPOLITAN?
somebody correct me on this if I'm wrong, but isn't there a part where the government is basically silencing legitimate protest using illegal levels of violence, while blacking out all media communications because of a supposed state of emergency? Spider Jerusalem then risks life and limb trying to get cameras on the scene so that the government can't just shoot people to death and later claim "they started it!"
SHADDUP, YOU PINKO COMMIE BASTARD!!!
\
:mullet:
Quote from: Cramulus on November 04, 2009, 03:46:41 PM
Wow, isn't this EXACTLY OUT OF TRANSMETROPOLITAN?
We are living in a Warren Ellis novel. No shit.
Also: http://www.principiadiscordia.com/forum/index.php?topic=22795.0
(http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a356/theonlyang/twittermeme.jpg)
From what I gather from this and the other coverage of this story, the guy and all his roommates were arrested and their belongings taken because he relayed some information from a police scanner to twitter.
I wonder if police cars have any central tracking system. Someone could hook it up to google earth or maps or something.
Yes. Because even though you can legitimately buy a police scanner and listen to it all the time publicly, you cannot post any of that information on the internet, because that makes you a terrorist.
Ehm,
1 - It is a legal requirement that a suspect has a trial before being called a criminal.
2 - One can be convicted for terrorism without a trial.
ergo
3 - Terrorism isn't a crime.
so stop acting surprised.
"Convicted" and "accused" mean two different things. You can be "accused" of anything, including terrorism, but you can't be "convicted" unless you have a trial. Unless our judicial system decided to go inquisition when I wasn't looking.
Quote from: Suu on November 05, 2009, 01:09:00 AM
"Convicted" and "accused" mean two different things. You can be "accused" of anything, including terrorism, but you can't be "convicted" unless you have a trial. Unless our judicial system decided to go inquisition when I wasn't looking.
:lulz:
You're so cute sometimes, Suu.
I try.
If not, the parentheses say it all.
http://friendsoftortuga.wordpress.com/2009/11/03/tortuga-house-update-pennsylvania-drops-all-charges-against-madison-wallschlager-for-twittering/
The arrest authorization becomes public on 11/23[/numerology :fap:]
Either we're not getting the whole story (likely) or these guys went totally overboard (also likely) and should face sanctions.
:fap: SANCTIONS! :fap:
-toa,
i have no idea what this post means
Quote from: Jenne on November 04, 2009, 02:28:15 PM
WHAT IS THIS, IRAN?
Hmmmm so if I overlay stars and stripes on my Twitter avatar, this would help, right?
Quote from: Suu on November 04, 2009, 10:49:20 PM
Yes. Because even though you can legitimately buy a police scanner and listen to it all the time publicly, you cannot post any of that information on the internet, because that makes you a terrorist.
A few years ago I came across an internet radio stream that broadcast the local police scanner live. I haven't been able to find it back again, though.
Quote from: Triple Zero on November 05, 2009, 09:24:54 PM
Quote from: Jenne on November 04, 2009, 02:28:15 PM
WHAT IS THIS, IRAN?
Hmmmm so if I overlay stars and stripes on my Twitter avatar, this would help, right?
Are you thinking Iran = the US here? Americans may have Patriot Acts and illegal wiretapping, extraordinary rendition and Gitmo, but I don't know, we're not Iran.
(not yet)
A major difference between the US and Iran is that Iran doesn't pretend not to be Iran.
To which hyperbolic statements I usually respond with: time for you to visit such a country in order to be able to make that comparison with credibility.
Are you saying that my local news doesn't give an accurate reporting of what life in Iran is like?
[/snark]
:lulz:
Quote from: Jenne on November 06, 2009, 02:37:50 PM
To which hyperbolic statements I usually respond with: time for you to visit such a country in order to be able to make that comparison with credibility.
I suppose I should rephrase to underline the meaninglessness of the statement:
A major difference between the US and Iran is that Iran does not claim not to be Iran.
(This is because Iran is Iran, and the US is not Iran)
Quote from: Enki v. 2.0 on November 06, 2009, 03:00:29 PM
Quote from: Jenne on November 06, 2009, 02:37:50 PM
To which hyperbolic statements I usually respond with: time for you to visit such a country in order to be able to make that comparison with credibility.
I suppose I should rephrase to underline the meaninglessness of the statement:
A major difference between the US and Iran is that Iran does not claim not to be Iran.
(This is because Iran is Iran, and the US is not Iran)
:lol: Ok.
Quote from: Jenne on November 06, 2009, 02:13:09 PM
Quote from: Triple Zero on November 05, 2009, 09:24:54 PM
Quote from: Jenne on November 04, 2009, 02:28:15 PM
WHAT IS THIS, IRAN?
Hmmmm so if I overlay stars and stripes on my Twitter avatar, this would help, right?
Are you thinking Iran = the US here? Americans may have Patriot Acts and illegal wiretapping, extraordinary rendition and Gitmo, but I don't know, we're not Iran.
But that were your words? What did you mean by that, then? Cause I was just riffing on that.
Quote from: Triple Zero on November 06, 2009, 03:10:41 PM
Quote from: Jenne on November 06, 2009, 02:13:09 PM
Quote from: Triple Zero on November 05, 2009, 09:24:54 PM
Quote from: Jenne on November 04, 2009, 02:28:15 PM
WHAT IS THIS, IRAN?
Hmmmm so if I overlay stars and stripes on my Twitter avatar, this would help, right?
Are you thinking Iran = the US here? Americans may have Patriot Acts and illegal wiretapping, extraordinary rendition and Gitmo, but I don't know, we're not Iran.
But that were your words? What did you mean by that, then? Cause I was just riffing on that.
During the "revolt" in the recent re-election of Ye Olden Regime in Iran, we all know the crowds used Twitter to update the people around the world of the so-called mob control that was happening. Smack-downs everywhere. This started a Twitter trend--go to a protest, and Twitter the riot police cracking heads.
The headlines about the repercussions in Iran seemed somewhat parallel (but not in any way congruent) in THIS instance. That was what I was pointing out. If this guy is being prosecuted, however, for things OTHER than Tweeting the head-cracking, that is certainly very different. But it seems the facts of the case in Suu's OP are varied according to when you get them and who you get them from.
The poor fucks in Iran, on the other hand, have had their families jailed, their friends killed, and have lost a lot of lives and so-called freedoms they never really had. And their fight rages on.
Yeah, but at least a shitload of people turned their twitter avatars green for them. I mean, that counts for something, right?
AT least some of the women getting jailed and ticketed for the wrong color hajib had someone carrying their voice for them.
AT least some of the men who were afraid of being shot or beaten had someone phoning it into a major media outlet so their pain wasn't in vain.
At least the crowds of anger didn't get tamped down by fear but instead rose and fell with the swell of human emotion that can carry a crowd forth and make its demands heard.
Worldfuckingwide.
Or maybe it was all just a fashion statement after all.
Yes it was, 99% of the people on Twitter that changed their avatar colour didn't have anything to do with the stuff you just said. There was even a website that would do it for you with a few mouse clicks.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not downplaying what happened in Iran, just downplaying the part that Twitter played in it.
So?
If 1 person out of a million hadn't changed it just to be a dumbfuck, the message wasn't diluted as it was spread.
Sorry, I don't believe that information on tyranny is made separable from its meaning just because there's an idiot carrying the message forth. The message is the same, regardless of the relative intelligence, purity of motives or machinations of the person spreading it.
In fact, that's the best thing about going viral. You get people who don't even understand the depths and breadths of what contagion their spreading is until the results are digested.
You just said yourself the stuff that actually helped, happened by phone and major media outlet. Twitter was just full of regurgitated links and people accusing eachother of being spies and green avatars. Have you actually seen it?
I don't think the protesters in Iran were very aware of the cacophony in the twitterverse. And not because their Internet got locked down, but because the ones that did get online didn't waste their time with some useless new media tool, but were sending emails.
No, the "twitter revolution" was just a way for the rest of the world to pretend they were doing something, by clicking their mouse (you don't need to type to RT old links). Which was blown up by the other media because Twitter was the new hip thing.
Surely "it" went viral. Something went viral. But what was "it" ? What exactly went viral? Information on tyranny? Really?
Because then, in a way, that chain email about the kid with leukemia that will get cured if you just forward this email to 15 other people, could be said to raise awareness about leukemia.
Quote from: Enki v. 2.0 on November 06, 2009, 02:35:22 PM
A major difference between the US and Iran is that Iran doesn't pretend not to be Iran.
Nope. Iran pretends not to be the US.
Quote from: BabylonHoruv on November 07, 2009, 07:01:23 AM
Quote from: Enki v. 2.0 on November 06, 2009, 02:35:22 PM
A major difference between the US and Iran is that Iran doesn't pretend not to be Iran.
Nope. Iran pretends not to be the US.
That's another big difference. The US doesn't pretend not to be the US, while Iran does.
Trip is right. What happened on Twitter during the Iran protests was pure masturbation by comfy, western middle class liberals who want to fight a "war of ideas" without actually, you know, having to move from the couch.
On the other hand, Iranian protestors fought in the streets with religious fundamentalists armed with clubs and guns, made alliances with more reform minded clerics in government, broke open a massive debate about the direction of the republic and brought several major cities to a standstill. If western liberals wanted to help out, they should have been sending guns, bombs and international brigades to help the Iranians, not turning their avatars green and retweeting every link with an #iran tag.
But then, you know, they might've actually had an effect on the world, and its much easier to pretend you're doing something which actually doesn't achieve anything but giving them warm fuzzy feeling of being a principled freedom fighter.
Quote from: Cain on November 07, 2009, 04:45:06 PM
Trip is right. What happened on Twitter during the Iran protests was pure masturbation by comfy, western middle class liberals who want to fight a "war of ideas" without actually, you know, having to move from the couch.
On the other hand, Iranian protestors fought in the streets with religious fundamentalists armed with clubs and guns, made alliances with more reform minded clerics in government, broke open a massive debate about the direction of the republic and brought several major cities to a standstill. If western liberals wanted to help out, they should have been sending guns, bombs and international brigades to help the Iranians, not turning their avatars green and retweeting every link with an #iran tag.
But then, you know, they might've actually had an effect on the world, and its much easier to pretend you're doing something which actually doesn't achieve anything but giving them warm fuzzy feeling of being a principled freedom fighter.
The revolution will not be tweeted! REVOLUTE ME BACK!