idiot

Breaking News: World of Warcraft full of idiots! Story at 11.

HEY LETS GIVE THE TERRORIST WHAT THEY WANT! Which is are freedoms taking away, because we live in terror.. I don't blame WOW mod for this.. I don't even blame the FBI for investigating. I do blame any judge that gives this kid anything. This is utter bullshit... Hey how about we get some mind readers and put everybody in jail for everything they think.. Even though 99% would never dare to do anything as they know it's wrong. Good game america are fourfather would be absolute sick if they seen this shit!.

its not a public place, its private property owned by blizzard.
also, what is he going to be charged with? I know freedom of speech has limits, saying this on a plane, or in an airport puts ppl in physical danger, but saying it online, probably from his room miles away from any public place or airport, unless he was serios, which I doubt as he said "he was merely testing a theory", you can't charge him just because you had to go to all the trouble of finding him and interrogating him.

He wanted to test a theory? Was his theory on how to be an idiot? Or maybe how to attain federal chrages? I completely disagree with you kingnoobe. I would not fault a judge anything for condemning this kid. I mean try to go out in public and say you're going to blow something up or go into a crowded movie theater and yell fire. See what happens. I might have felt a little sorry for the kid if he was merely jesting, but

? Someone stop this kid before he hurts himself...

I think it would matter if he had some type of explosive/or device(s) that would indicate he was serious. If he's just kidding around (yeah, I'll blow up the universe), it would make the FBI seem pretty stupid, in my opinion, if they pursued a conviction purely on some silly comments and no real intent.

I bet his theory was the FBI are f'ing idiots. Sounds like he was right

Always something to complain about. Boo hoo...the FBI investigated something. Then someone makes threats but ends up actually hurting someone because no one took them serious and dismissed the situation. Then people can sit around complaining "Where was the FBI and police?" "Why didn't anyone do anything?" "Where were the authorities?" "Why didn't the school do something before it came to this?" "There were warning signs! Who can we sue?" I'm not for reducing liberties or freedom of speech, but predicting future violence is imprecise. Which threats do we dismiss and which ones do we take serious? I don't want to have to make that decision and I am glad that there are people out there who are better equipped to deal with these situations.

So now do we employ thousands of people around the world to listen to ever word we say and read every word type on the net? Do we then give these people complete discretion on what is "Acceptable" and what isnt? Do we tie up our court system with cases full of angsty teens spouting off at the mouth?

Once again, Orwell already said all that needed to be said on this topic.

Interrogate him? Yes. Charge him? No. He got his answer, and he should be fined something for the bother, but really? He never meant it as a threat to the country or the lives of anyone. I think interrogating was necessary, but NOW you know he didn't mean any harm, so let him go and slap him on the wrist for being stupid. Don't put him in jail because he said something online in a game. ( Although WoW players can get rather serious..... XD )

amazing how the only book you can cite is required reading. dont make threats publicly if you're not prepared for the consequences. what if this kid was serious? its the same as screaming fire in a theater when there isn't or saying bomb on a plane.

People have to realise, anything they say can be taken literally at face value. Unless it was *obviously* a joke, then that is not the kind of thing people should say, regardless of online or not, or public or private. If there are other members of the public around, use your common sense!
I think the authorities have taken the right action to investigate it further.

matt87_50 - doesn't matter if it's a private place, 'cuz there are other members of the public present.
If I met with a al-quada member in my work staff room at a lunch break, and we were plotting to blow up something, does that mean if another person overheard it they shouldn't do anything because it took place in private property?? Of course not!!

Now, if it turns out he was just joking, there should be no further action - he's learnt his lesson and hopefully other people reading this have as well..the lesson being, don't make threats even in jest!!

The moderator did the right thing...imagine what would have happened if this guy *was* serious, and he did blow up a plane.. then it was found out later peole knew he made the threat but ignored it. Like I said, unless it was *obviously* a joke - better report it and be safe rather than sorry...

I was going to write a comment about the FBI here, but now I'm too scared to do it...

True, the WoW servers are a private and NOT public.

Um... When did we become a society based on what ifs? This is a case of ignorance. I don't fault the kid as this is just retarded... Listen to these idiots whom use the 9-11 case as justification for scare mongering. If anyone was going to plot to bomb an airline they would either discuss it in tells, party, or if they made a guild... Guild chat. So... should MMO companies now hire mods that sit down and do nothing but read all the tells, party chats, guild chats, and raid chats? Some people have morbid sense of humor so now they should have to moderate themselves in a fucking game?

Why don't we just have moderators sit in our houses to moniter what we say and talk about....

The police take this sort of thing very seriously. I contacted the police after someone said online that they were going to burn down their school and the guy got arrested. :|

Out of 11 million people, there have to be some fucktards. I guess his theory was CONFIRMED. He should've just sent it to the mythbusters.

i'm wondering how the directors/actors/script writers/etc get away with terrorism?? they obviously have all their evil plot written up, their terrorist armed with explosives. How is this any different? Or maybe it's because they have one of those quotes at the beginning or the end of the movie saying that this is all fictitious and shouldn't be taken seriously. So does that means if we add that quote into anything that we say, we can't be held accounted for?

The above comment is purely fictitious and should not be take seriously.

What if, what who, what where.....what a JOKE!! I agree if you make a threat then prepare to sit with it. But I will say it loud and proud and with a little constitutional fear!

The fact you can be tracked this way in America disgusts me....there is no POSSIBLE way these powers are not being corrupted. Over shadow and coat it with all the candy you want...its still sour as hell. I don't liken to the fact of people getting hurt because someone ignored a situation. But words mean nothing and they OBVIOUSLY have the power to know ANYTHING about this guy...amazingly they want to set an example.. makes me sick, and bewildered to what you will imagine when they come to your door because you disagreed with faceless men in washington.

*rant off*

The only thing I can agree with is that these BOGEYMEN let this fellow go free. No I don't feel safer with hounds with those powers at my back.

the new world order is here

Right... because it's not like the ISP don't keep track of your IP or anything.

Sigh, helps to know how the internet works. I can do the same thing really.

Lol.... really they need to stop making the computer easier to use.

touchy topic obviously. Some of the arguments here are just as stupid as the kid. Some may argue that its a violation of freedom of speech, freedom of speech is your right to state your opinion, not terroristic threats, whether they are real or not. we wouldn't have "big brother" listening if it weren't for a-holes like the kid in question.

Yes you can question authority, blame the government for our problems, that there is a conspiracy, call the president an idiot, anything along those lines but threatening someones life?! With out it sounding like a joke, you should be sent to jail.

BTW this was probably text in chat, probably even "yelled" it in game, all it takes is one person to turn him in or a gm who happened to be there at the right time at the right place.

Everything that happens on those private servers is documented for such occasions, not to spy on you, but ever the situation comes up, it is there. These people are not going to spend the time or money to looks though line after line after line after lines of text for your bullshit threats.

Ummm so you want to send the FBI after ficitions characters to destory fictious things? The reason why that's not terrorism is be everybody (or so I assumed) realized that it is a movie (i.e. not real).




You do realize that almost all law is based on "what ifs". Why do you think they say (and I do mean only say) "innocent until proven guilty". The idea is "what if he is guilty". That's why when people are arrested they're called "suspects" not "people who do it". Also, you do realize that the current job of a moderator is to sit and read/monitor what you do (i.e. moderate).




Yeah, but movie theaters are private (owned by a company) as well. Wanna try to go yell fire in a crowded theater?

As we all said, we're all for freedom of speech. It's just that most of us advocate being responsible for those words as well. What the guy did was stupid plain and simple. Fine him and go about your business. (Now his theory will be complete)

this is pretty sad considering the only thing the nerd is going to blow up are the zits on his face

I agree and people should know what the hell they are talking about when they say freedom of speech. Limitations do apply. If harm could be caused to others as a result of what you say your freedom of speech would no longer apply.

Study up:
According to the Freedom Forum Organization, legal systems, and society at large, recognize limits on the freedom of speech, particularly when freedom of speech conflicts with other values or rights. Limitations to freedom of speech may follow the "harm principle" or the "offense principle", for example in the case of pornography or "hate speech". Limitations to freedom of speech may occur through legal sanction and/or social disapprobation.

knee

jerk

lol

It doesn't matter. There are certain things you cannot say. They're pretty common sense.

The governments job is to protect it's citizens and if there is any [ANY] indication that there is a threat to it's citizens then the government acts on that. Why? it's their job. It's why we have government. If the FBI doesn't look into it and a plane blows up, your loved one being on that plane, you'll be pointing fingers at the FBI and Blizzard. Questioning why they didn't do anything after saying what he said.

He better hire a really good lawyer or he'll be in jail for a long time. What an idiot. I hope testing his theory was worth the thousands of dollars in lawyer fees and stress he'll be suffering while being held in jail until his court date.

Oh and on top of that if the FBI or Blizzard does nothing they become liable if something does happen. For you kids that means the employer, employees (that means you if you work for blizzard and did nothing), and the agency can be sued by the victims. It's pretty frigging serious!

So ya they have to report it to the officials just for liability reasons.

Good point. Actually didn't think about that, but yeah you're right. Hmm...let's see what would be worst a couple of people complaining he was just joking or law enforcement shutting you down due to lack of moderation.

Newton's 3rd law:
"For every action there's an equal and opposite reaction".

Test something in theory, and something real happens. Gotta love physics. Who says you don't learn anything useful in school...