All New CommentMILK Version 1.0Detained Student uses Twitter to help get himself out of Prison
Want to Learn How to Build a Business Not Just a Blog.. for FREE? CLICK HERE Now to Find Out How!
So as you know, things have been pretty busy around the JC pasture’s. Now that our COWpetition is over, we thought maybe your brains (actually ours too) could take a little bit of a break and we thought we’d share some interesting information for you all.
So sit back, put your feet up on the desk and grab that nice cup of coffee Milk and have some fun.
So you have heard of Twitter right? Of course you have.. it was part of our Cowpetition and we also posted about it a while back. Our Twitter page is http://twitter.com/johncow
Well have you ever heard of a student named James Karl Buck?
Google him, you’ll probably come across his Twitter page.
Well James was arrested in Egypt (that would suck), and it is an interesting story.
Here’s what happened. See James went to Egypt to work on his master’s thesis. He met a 23-year old Egyptian veterniary student in Mahalla named Maree. Maree then offered to help James out so he could photograph local anti-government protests.
Well during the protest, James said that families began to throw Molotov cocktails and also began setting tires on fire as they demanded the government’s help over low wages and the rising food prices. James and Maree fled but we’re later stopped and then detained by police officer’s along with other journalists and bloggers who were there also covering the protest.
James and Maree we’re later released, but they were obtained again before actually leaving the detention facility. James was then separated from his translator Maree.
So we know, your probably wondering where Twitter comes into play, right?
Well you see, while James was on his way to the police station, he took his cell phone and sent a quick message to his friends using Twitter that simply said “Arrested”. That was sent at 6:33PM
His next message wouldn’t be until 10:40PM, it would say “Still holding us no charges very scared for my translator.”
Then nothing again until 11:21 “Taking us to general prosecutor, changing mhmd”
Another message would come after midnight, and then another one at 9:16AM saying “Alive and ok. Still in jail.”
He would continue to send updates when he could until around 3:27 PM that would say “Free” and another one again at 3:32PM Saying “Free. No mohamed. Thanks so much.”
What was great about this was that after James had sent his first txt message that said “Arrested”, his group of friends back home and his blogging friends from Egypt were all alerted that he was being held. Not long after that it sent off a chain of events that actually led his college to hiring him a lawyer.
Obviously James has since been free’d but he has been using the power of Twitter along with other social networking websites to get the word out about his Translator Maree who is still being held.
Check out James’ Twitter page http://twitter.com/jamesbuck
Here is even more links for you about this (we thought it was interesting)
- Webpage: http://jameskarlbuck.com/
- CNN Page: http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/04/25/twitter.buck/index.html
- Another CNN Page: http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/06/05/twitter.maree/index.html
So… what you think of this whole thing?
Did You Download Your FREE Copy of "How to Build a Business NOT Just a Blog" Yet? Click Here Now to Get Your Copy!
Wow, interesting story. I guess from his Twitter page, his friend/translator is still being held.
EntreBlasts last blog post..Sponsor EntreBlast’s Summer Credit Splash!
Wow, the power of such quick communication and the ability to use it so discreetly is proven, what a testimonial for Twitter usage! Hope his translator gets out very soon though..
MouthyGirls last blog post..GirlFriday “Highlight” on the Weekend
nice john. hope next time you’d give us a story about how people make money from twitter
Jacky Supits last blog post..Contest on JackBook.Com - Win A Total of $100 + 20,000 Entrecard Credits
Dropped here from Nickoo Shore’s list. Your site’s name caught my attention. Good parody. I don’t like J Chow, too full of himself.
As for the story, I read about it some days ago. I thought the case was settled.
It’s amazing how quickly word can get out and spread, almost ‘virally’, as it were.
I spent a summer in East Germany during the hayday of the Cold War, back in 1985. I shudder to think about what might have happened if I had ever gotten into seroius trouble there as an American.
Luckily for him the authorities let him hang on to his cell phone. Not likely to have happened that way here in the US. Under the same circumstances he might have found himself naked in a dark cell down in Guantanamo. He’s a lucky man! Hope all goes well for his translater.
That’s a great story! When I first heard of Twitter, I thought it was kind of silly.
My son showed me how it can be a great way to communicate to a group of people very quickly. James Buck was a fast thinker!
Ted
The power of communication is paramount.
Twitter has done it again.
Extremely interesting story- thank god for twitter!
Erica DeWolfs last blog post..The New Gen Y: Embrace Them
Wow, I tend to be very cynical of Twitter due to it being a soundbyte-like bastard sibling of blogging with barely existent potential to yield frequently interesting material… but I gotta admit, this story kicks ass.
Interesting .. using Twitter while arrested ? Can anyone actually be able to use his phone while being in this situation ? Even more .. use Twitter ? That`s a great Idea .. Well.. not going to Jail soon .. so here`s my Twitter page follow me if you`d like
http://twitter.com/broalex
Great post`s cow .. already reading your blog daily
broalexs last blog post..AdSense Optimization Tips - Part 1
One of the most amazing stories I have ever heard
It also seems that he has set up his own blog:
http://jameskarlbuck.com/
Rajaie AlKoranis last blog post..Search Engine Friendly Titles In Less Than 60 Seconds
Using twitter shall set you free!
Darin Carters last blog post..Yahoo and Microsoft Search Combined