A recent outbreak of insulting Twitter remarks (Tweets) in Britain reminds the world how the networking system that is Twitter encourages adults to act like gossipy high-school kids. A Twitter user called brumplum said something mildly insulting about British actor Stephen Fry, and as a result, Stephen Fry (who is known for struggling with depression) considered quitting Twitter. This lead to an outbreak of insults and attacks towards brumplum by friends and fans of Mr. Fry. He was even called a "moron" by British comedian Alan Davies. The story went so far as BBC and The Sunday Times. A very large number of Tweeters got involved in the dispute.
Eventually, brumplum and Mr. Fry apologized to each other and so the debate ended. However, this is just one of the many times that Twitter has been used as a forum for a mob of people to gang up on a fellow Tweeter who has said something they don't agree with. This particular incident has gained brumplum a lot of Twitter followers and overnight fame, and is just a testament to how quickly information spreads across Twitter (and the internet in general).
Posted by: Jessica Bilstein
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