Wires Crossed 16 – November 22

Sobriety Test For Drunken Posters

Sobriety Test For Drunken Posters
A few months ago Google released an app that tries to stop you from sending gmail when you are drunk. You know how it is – you get a bit of Dutch courage after a few so email an ex-girlfriend or boyfriend you are pining after, or give a spray to that smarmy supervisor at work who's been on your case. As we all know, it can only end in tears – usually yours –as you can’t take back what has already been sent. So, software developer Webroot has invented an online sobriety test that will stop you doing something you later regret online. You have to download it and set it up, but once done, it will ask you to perform certain tasks. If you fail, you cannot log on. Tests include typing the alphabet backwards (we at Wires Crossed think we would pass this) and following a finger drifting around your screen and following it with a mouse (not so confident with that one). Now, if only they could do something similar with drunk drivers

Google Employee Sacked For Leak
Google has been voted as one place most people would like to work – and having seen the inside of their offices,  I don’t blame them. However, there can be a downside – just ask the unfortunate Google employee who was sacked for leaking information that employees of the search engine giant were getting a 10 percent pay rise. Having lost a huge number of its experienced staff to the likes of Facebook, Google realised it had to stay competitive so gave people pay rises. When it gave25,000 staff a payrise, an employee ‘leaked’ the information to magazine Business Insider. Undisclosed sources (don’t you just love that term) say the leaker was fired, although Google will not confirm this happened. Colour me this though: apparently the 25,000 workers were notified via email about the raise – does Google seriously believe somebody wasn’t going to pass it on to a third party? At Wires Crossed, we’re guessing more than one person forwarded the email. Seems ironic to sack somebody over a pay rise that has been instigated to hold onto staff.

Counciller Arrested For Stoning Tweet
Social media is causing all sorts of headaches for ordinary folks these days, but getting arrested for tweeting a ‘joke’ has gotten a Tory councillor arrested in England. Birmingham-based counciller Gareth Compton tweeted on his Twitter account “Can somebody please stone Yasmin Alibhai-Brown to death?  I shan’t tell Amnesty if you don’t. It would be a blessing, really,” after  the latter had a dig at British PM David Cameron. Compton – a barrister of all things – soon found he was arrested under Britain's Communications Act of 2003. Although he has apologised profusely for any offence caused, Alibhai-Brown is having none of it and has stated publically that she will support the prosecution.

Police Monitor Facebook For Party
There have been numerous accounts of parties being announced at short notice via social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, only for said gatherings to be broken up due to too many participants, with alcohol being a contributing factor. However, in New Zealand, the police have taken a proactive stance by monitoring a Facebook page that was trying to organise a party at Castor Bay, a beachside suburb on Auckland’s North Shore. This came about after a similar incident the week before at the same location. After the police broke up the event, a Facebook site was set up to annouce a similiar event was being held the following weekend. Over 1500 people replied to the page, saying they were going to attend. Auckland police say they will be there in numbers if needbe. Moral of the story? Trying to organise a piss-up on an open Facebook page can have a downside.