Yokohama Accidentally Tweets That NK Missile Is Inbound

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Yokohama Accidentally Tweets That NK Missile Is Inbound

Posted by ryuzaki0 on Wednesday April 10, 2013 @03:10AM from the just-a-drill dept.

ForgedArtificer writes "Earlier today, the Crisis Management Office Affairs Bureau for the city of Yokohama, Japan had some startling news for its followers; to wit, a North Korean missile was on its way to Japan. The tweet stayed up for about 20 minutes before being removed and replaced with an apology. The city reports that a pre-written tweet was released due to a malfunction in the 'mechanism' that would have released the tweet at the appropriate time."

131 comments

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Apparently by netwarerip · 2013-04-10 03:13 · Score: 5, Funny

They wanted to be first to tweet the news.
Must be a Slashdot user.
1. Re:Apparently by pixelpusher220 · 2013-04-10 04:01 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Note to self: Maybe that RaspberryPi Tweet monitoring Nuke launcher was a bad idea...
  
  --
  People in cars cause accidents....accidents in cars cause people :-D
2. Re:Apparently by serviscope_minor · 2013-04-10 04:08 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Maybe.
  Though being twitter, I'd expect it to be something more like:
  missile coming were all going to die lol
  
  --
  SJW n. One who posts facts.
3. Re:Apparently by wonkey_monkey · 2013-04-10 04:23 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  #ohshit
  
  --
  systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
4. Re:Apparently by Bigby · 2013-04-10 04:37 · Score: 1
  
  It was their "FRIST POST", except their spelling mistake was the whole post.
5. Re:Apparently by bill_mcgonigle · 2013-04-10 04:52 · Score: 1
  
  There's a story from the USSR that one time an automated nuclear counter-strike system was erroneously triggered and it was only human intervention that stopped it.
  Agreed, humans need to be at the switch.
  
  --
  My God, it's Full of Source!
  OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
6. Re:Apparently by Sperbels · 2013-04-10 05:22 · Score: 2
  
  Right. They just taught the automated system tic-tac-toe and it decided to give up on the launch. Computers are so stupid.
7. Re:Apparently by Sam+Nitzberg · 2013-04-10 05:57 · Score: 2
  
  Here are the two relevant Wikipedia Links regarding this series of events that happened:
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Able_Archer_83
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_RYAN
  There is also a documentary on this called something like Soviet War Scare 1983 that has been on the military channel.
  -- Sam
8. Re:Apparently by DavidD_CA · 2013-04-10 06:01 · Score: 0
  
  There is also a documentary on this called something like Dr. Strangelove that has been on the military channel.
  Fixed that for you.
  
  --
  -David
9. Re:Apparently by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 06:03 · Score: 0
  
  #shikataganai
10. Re:Apparently by isorox · 2013-04-10 06:28 · Score: 2
  
  #ohshit
  #NOCARRIER
11. Re:Apparently by Deekin_Scalesinger · 2013-04-10 08:36 · Score: 0
  
  Too lazy to search for the actual article, but search Wikipedia for Sept 26, 1983 - that's the day it happened. Stanislav something or other - guy actually saved the world that day.
  
  --
  "As the intrepid kobold companion continues his journey, he begins to wonder... if priests raises dead, why anybody die?
12. Re:Apparently by eyenot · 2013-04-10 11:37 · Score: 1
  
  There is also a documentary on this called something like WarGames that has been on the military channel.
  
  Tweaked that for you.
  
  --
  "Stratigraphically the origin of agriculture and thermonuclear destruction will appear essentially simultaneous" -- Lee
joshua what are you doing? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 03:13 · Score: 5, Funny

joshua what are you doing?
1. Re:joshua what are you doing? by interval1066 · 2013-04-10 04:26 · Score: 1
  
  Nial set us up the bomb.
  
  --
  Python: 'And then suddenly you have a language which says "we're all stuck with whatever the whiniest coder wants".'
2. Re:joshua what are you doing? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 05:22 · Score: 0
  
  He's tweeting random codes! He's trying to start a war!
3. Re:joshua what are you doing? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 07:24 · Score: 0
  
  You should know, you #programmed me.
4. Re:joshua what are you doing? by Nefarious+Wheel · 2013-04-10 16:05 · Score: 1
  
  What you say?
  
  --
  Do not mock my vision of impractical footwear
Pre-written? by ZorinLynx · 2013-04-10 03:14 · Score: 4, Insightful

This sounds like something serious enough that a pre-written tweet is not the best idea. If a missile were inbound for my area, I'd want a real person to write the tweet, with actual pertinent details, rather than "releasing" a prewritten, generic tweet.
Something that can cause panic like this should not be automated.
1. Re:Pre-written? by HaZardman27 · 2013-04-10 03:17 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Seriously, how long would it take in the event of an actual launch detection to write a tweet? Doesn't seem like this "mechanism" is nearly worth the risk.
  
  --
  Apparently wizard is not a legitimate career path, so I chose programmer instead.
2. Re:Pre-written? by alen · 2013-04-10 03:19 · Score: 1
  
  they probably use some social media program that automatically posts to different social networks
3. Re:Pre-written? by interkin3tic · 2013-04-10 03:24 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Sure, but that wouldn't be very Japanese. On the windows of some trains on the Tokyo subway, there were big warnings that the window could not open. The windows in question were clearly stationary, if you broke your fingers trying to pry them open, that was on you. This is the same country that practices tiger escape drills in their zoos using costumes.
4. Re:Pre-written? by medv4380 · 2013-04-10 03:27 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  It's automated because they're using the same system that they use for earthquakes notifications. They're just lucky it only posted to twitter, and not a full Text Bombing Emergency Alert. They have a far better EBS then the US, but it still has bugs. Most of the US EBS are just pre-recorded messages with general instructions that later lead to your more personalized message, and instructions.
5. Re:Pre-written? by argStyopa · 2013-04-10 03:47 · Score: 0
  
  Then again, having panic (or outrage) 'on tap' seems to be the raison d'etre for media information centers of democratic governments since at least 9/11, if not earlier.
  
  --
  -Styopa
6. Re:Pre-written? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 03:51 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Depends who operates that "mechanism". If it's a government employee, a few hours to days after the impact. If it's a 14 year old girl with an iphone, about 42ms after the missle was launched...
7. Re:Pre-written? by pixelpusher220 · 2013-04-10 04:02 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Given the proximity of North and South, ahem, Korea. Me thinks you don't get much lead time...
  
  --
  People in cars cause accidents....accidents in cars cause people :-D
8. Re: Pre-written? by sir_eccles · 2013-04-10 04:19 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Actually well run corporate social media often implement an approval process for all tweets replies and other comments to avoid spelling mistakes misinterpretation and ensuring that the right corporate message gets across. I'm sure that a committee sat down here and said "what is the best way to write this?" Rather than let some 20 something quickly write something in the spur of the moment that might be wrong. So yes prewritten is probably a good idea, accidentally pressing send however...
9. Re:Pre-written? by Bohnanza · 2013-04-10 04:23 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Sounds like something serious enough to use an air-raid siren instead of a tweet.
  
  --
  -----
  Sorry, I'm only a 1336 h4x0r.
10. Re:Pre-written? by Hentes · 2013-04-10 04:24 · Score: 1
  
  If a missile was inbound, emergency broadcast shouldn't rely solely on Twitter.
11. Re:Pre-written? by ceoyoyo · 2013-04-10 04:46 · Score: 2
  
  Write it? Not long. Compose it, complete with ass covering? A long time.
  I'm sure some committee agreed on the wording. They couldn't get one out in realtime without prewriting it because there doesn't seem to be anybody around anymore who will step up in an emergency and take responsibility.
12. Re:Pre-written? by the_other_chewey · 2013-04-10 04:50 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Given the proximity of North and South, ahem, Korea. Me thinks you don't get much lead time...
  Good thing then that Yokohama is in, ahem, neither.
13. Re:Pre-written? by RivenAleem · 2013-04-10 04:50 · Score: 1
  
  Because we'd hear an air-raid siren in our soundproofed basements?
14. Re:Pre-written? by pixelpusher220 · 2013-04-10 05:00 · Score: 1
  
  Doh! Still I doubt Japan has much lead time either :)
  
  --
  People in cars cause accidents....accidents in cars cause people :-D
15. Re:Pre-written? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 05:00 · Score: 0
  
  Since the point of a tweet like this is basicly the same as an air raid siren (telling people to take cover and try to avoid dying if they can), not only is there little point to a customized message for every event, but the extra time to involve a human typist (let alone the people who write and edit the tweet's content) could easily be problematic.
  For example does it meaningfully affect you if the tweet is:
  "North korean type KR-908-Mk2 missile inbound, citizens advised to take cover in event U.S.S. Tripoli unable to intercept #missile #damnyounk #duckandcover" vs "North korean type KR-908-Mk2a missile inbound, citizens advised to take cover in event SDF interception effort fails #missile #damnyounk #duckandcover"?
16. Re:Pre-written? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 05:08 · Score: 0
  
  Yeah, screw the deaf...they don't need to know. And beside, why "instead of"? Why not both? What makes you think this was planned to be their only form of notification?
17. Re:Pre-written? by Jens+Egon · 2013-04-10 05:36 · Score: 1
  
  This is Japan. They have PA systems all over the place to bring earthquake warnings.
  Backing that up with whatever they can lay their hands on .
  Apparantly that includes twitter.
18. Re:Pre-written? by asylumx · 2013-04-10 05:37 · Score: 1
  
  Why is your basement soundpr.... oh... nevermind.
19. Re:Pre-written? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 05:42 · Score: 0
  
  What if the account were hacked by NK and they posted such tweets to provoke a "retaliation" which they would then retaliate against?
20. Re:Pre-written? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 05:47 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  She'd also include an instagram picture of the missile with some pretty effects to boot.
21. Re:Pre-written? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 05:49 · Score: 1
  
  I seriously doubt it was a mechanism.... Reminds me of a WISP we used to run. When someone missed their payment, we logged in and shut off their radio. Then when they call we say "Oh, it looks like the 'system' disconnected you for non-payment...."
  There was no fucking mechanism :D
22. Re: Pre-written? by Runaway1956 · 2013-04-10 05:52 · Score: 1
  
  "prewritten is probably a good idea,"
  When the shit hits the fan, there won't be any bean counters around. That 20 year old kid isn't going to remember which "button" sends which message either. Might as well let him ad lib it.
  "The bomb set us up, we all die now!"
  
  --
  "Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br
23. Re:Pre-written? by rtfa-troll · 2013-04-10 06:50 · Score: 1
  
  Look up "nonstop". if you haven't soundproofed (and actually I mean all vibrations) your basement yet then you might as well be using Windows on the open iternet. I mean, get with the plan. This is, of course, after you have already built a Faraday cage and a fully independent power supply.
  
  --
  =~ s,(.*),<sarcasm>$1</sarcasm>,g if any_point_you_wish();
24. Re:Pre-written? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 06:53 · Score: 0
  
  If a missle were coming here, a tweet would do no fucking good at all because I'm not a twit on twitter! Jesus, use the radio, TV, email, text, phone... lots of ways normal people get information. NOT Twitter and Farcebook!
  Fucking kids...
25. Re:Pre-written? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 07:14 · Score: 0
  
  If it's an employee of a big corporation... Well, legal is gone for two weeks, so check back on that in a month.
26. Re:Pre-written? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 07:33 · Score: 0
  
  Apparently if you're not hip with facebook and twitter you're old enough to be stuck in a nursery home and not in need of air-raid sirens.
27. Re:Pre-written? by geekoid · 2013-04-10 08:03 · Score: 1
  
  It's standard procedure in automated warning systems.
  I suspect it's one of several outlets that get hit when the system is activated.
  Remember, it's a 24/7 system so you need to maximize the chance it gets out.
  Accidents happen. Would you rather have a rare false positive to the general public, or a increased chance of the system failing ?
  
  --
  The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
28. Re:Pre-written? by geekoid · 2013-04-10 08:10 · Score: 2
  
  You're statement is completely false.
  It's rewritten becasue t's part of an automated 24/7 system. I work with Emergency responders, and with people who design these systems. Plenty of people are willing and do take responsibility. People who aren't don't hold those position very long, assuming they could get one.
  When talking about the US government, remember a few things.
  1) 10's of thousands of project go on every year.
  2) the media only reports things they perceive as failures*
  3) The people in your government work far harder then any media ever shows
  5) The US government employees do a damn good job compared to any other government in the world.
  Yes, there will be problems. People make mistakes and people aren't perfect.
  *most aren't, there just a lack of understanding of the situation by the medias.and of course, some are.
  
  --
  The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
29. Re:Pre-written? by flimflammer · 2013-04-10 08:12 · Score: 1
  
  It doesn't. It just so happened that when this bug or error or whatever the hell it was happened, it only posted to Twitter. They have a rather indepth system for informing the population of threats.
30. Re:Pre-written? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 08:20 · Score: 0
  
  Except for it happened ... and there was no mention of any panic.
31. Re:Pre-written? by OhSoLaMeow · 2013-04-10 08:25 · Score: 1
  
  Oh, so it was YOU!
  
  --
  They can take my LifeAlert pendant when they pry it from my cold dead fingers.
32. Re:Pre-written? by ceoyoyo · 2013-04-10 08:53 · Score: 2
  
  Really? So if you were call officer for the emergency response system in your city and you got a notification that a North Korean missile was incoming, would you hop on Twitter and tell everyone what you knew? Or would you crack open the manual and see what you were supposed to do?
  I should have been more specific - nobody wants to take sole responsibility for making public announcements. That's because all you hear about in the media is the failures. If you had taken the initiative and made the announcement that Yokohama was about to get nuked, in your official capacity as emergency response duty officer, the media would be stringing you up right now, and your bosses probably wouldn't be on your side. By following the book or, better, having an automated message, carefully worded by committee, individuals can deny responsibility. Even if Yokohama was about to get nuked you'd probably be criticized for making a typo or using unnecessary adjectives relating to North Korean ancestry.
33. Re:Pre-written? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 09:32 · Score: 0
  
  Que? I've seen those warning stickers on various buses and trains in the U.S.A. I don't think that's a particularly Japanese thing, unless hundreds of thousands of people on the west coast are actually Japanese disguised as white people.
34. Re:Pre-written? by creepynut · 2013-04-11 00:46 · Score: 1
  
  Not sure if Funny or Informative. Which one more represents "probably true"?
35. Re:Pre-written? by dintech · 2013-04-11 01:29 · Score: 1
  
  The peace V sign being somewhat confusing given the inbound nuke.
Wow, talk about being eager for "First Post" by kannibal_klown · 2013-04-10 03:14 · Score: 4, Funny

Man, I thought the first-post messages on Slashdot were bad.
At least the incorrect messages on slashdot won't incite World War III
1. Re:Wow, talk about being eager for "First Post" by cellocgw · 2013-04-10 05:25 · Score: 1
  
  Man, I thought the first-post messages on Slashdot were bad.
  At least the incorrect messages on slashdot won't incite World War III
  Never seen a flame war break out over God, Not-God, Apple, Microsoft, ClimateChange, emacs vs vi? It's practically WW-III every day here on Slashdot!
  
  --
  https://app.box.com/WitthoftResume Code: https://github.com/cellocgw
2. Re:Wow, talk about being eager for "First Post" by kannibal_klown · 2013-04-10 05:33 · Score: 2
  
  True, but the closest thing we have to permanently damaging artillery is a link to the goat*x pic.
boy that cried fire by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 03:14 · Score: 1

no one will believe it when the real one comes
1. Re:boy that cried fire by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 05:20 · Score: 0
  
  Boy that cried fire? I think you mean "wolf". I would also have accepted "missile" as a twist to adapt it to this story, but not "fire".
  Also, it's "who", not "that". The boy is a person, not an object.
2. Re:boy that cried fire by Runaway1956 · 2013-04-10 05:55 · Score: 1
  
  Who's on second.
  
  --
  "Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br
This business will get out of control... by BMOC · 2013-04-10 03:14 · Score: 1, Funny

It will get out of control and we'll be lucking to live through it.

--
I swear they give me mod points to shut me up.
1. Re:This business will get out of control... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 03:17 · Score: 0
  
  Big fan! Love your work on "Law & Order". Cheers.
2. Re:This business will get out of control... by pixelpusher220 · 2013-04-10 04:03 · Score: 1
  
  Less so his work in actual 'law' and 'order'....
  
  --
  People in cars cause accidents....accidents in cars cause people :-D
Twitter fails as warning system. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 03:15 · Score: 5, Insightful

Good test. No widespread panic. Nobody changing their behaviour. No flood of retweets. Thanks to this production test we learned that twitter is not a good warning system.
Had to add this... by ForgedArtificer · 2013-04-10 03:15 · Score: 2

I texted the story to a friend of mine before posting it here.... his comment:
"Whoopsie."
I'm still giggling half an hour later.

--
The right to offend is central to the right to free speech.
Smells like... by SYSS+Mouse · 2013-04-10 03:15 · Score: 2

WarGames.
Of course, here's the thing... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 03:15 · Score: 0

They are EXPECTING a North Korean missile to come their way! (and that raises the question of when an "appropriate time" is)
1. Re:Of course, here's the thing... by Dan+Dankleton · 2013-04-10 03:54 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  A more appropriate time would be, y'know, when a North Korean missile is inbound.
2. Re:Of course, here's the thing... by mrbester · 2013-04-10 04:10 · Score: 2
  
  Personally, I'd rather not know there was an inbound missile as spending the last few minutes of my life going "WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!" (are you really going to be calm and phone a loved one [who you can't contact because they're trying to phone you] to say goodbye?) doesn't sound much fun.
  
  --
  "Wait. Something's happening. It's opening up! My God, it's full of apricots!"
3. Re:Of course, here's the thing... by the_one(2) · 2013-04-14 02:58 · Score: 1
  
  If you had a few minutes you could get to a bomb shelter and survive.
My fellow Americans by Alranor · 2013-04-10 03:26 · Score: 4, Funny

I'm pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes.
1. Re:My fellow Americans by ValentineMSmith · 2013-04-10 04:47 · Score: 2
  
  I can remember my parents laughing when that happened, and I can remember the news (for some reason, ABC News REALLY sticks in my mind) was REALLY offended and angry.
  Which may have been part of the reason my folks were laughing so hard.
  
  --
  Karma: Chameleon - mostly influenced by bad '80s New Wave music
Anxious to get it over with by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 03:27 · Score: 0

I think there's a growing feeling of being anxious to get it over with. Didn't little Kim say yesterday that he would launch... yesterday? Not sure about the time zone or the translation. If "today" was really a proper translation, then we have him caught in a bold lie about his actions. He can't escalate any further and be taken seriously after making a claim like that.
I think I speak for a lot of people when I say, "just get this fool out of the news cycle".
Godzirrra! by DougOtto · 2013-04-10 03:29 · Score: 0

Godzirrra!

--
Solving Unix problems since 1989...
1. Re:Godzirrra! by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 06:13 · Score: 0
  
  Godziruuuuuuuuuuuuu!
This is a test. It's only a test. Do not be afraid by fustakrakich · 2013-04-10 03:33 · Score: 1

Had this been a real emergency, we would be telling you to kiss your ass goodbye...

--
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
Retaliation tweet by sl4shd0rk · 2013-04-10 03:36 · Score: 4, Funny

lol whops... sry Kim my bad. -Obama

--
Join the Slashcott! Feb 10 thru Feb 17!
1. Re:Retaliation tweet by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 04:06 · Score: 0
  
  /me scratches head.
  I don't get this one at all. So, someone that has nothing to do with X happening apologizes to someone else that has little to do with X happening (directly none).
  One of our reading comprehension skills needs working on.
2. Re:Retaliation tweet by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 04:28 · Score: 0
  
  Obama launched a retaliation nuke over your head on this one....
3. Re:Retaliation tweet by Wookact · 2013-04-10 04:31 · Score: 1
  
  You hear that noise above your head, thats not a missile, its just a woosh. The joke is that upon seeing the tweet, that Obama launched a counter attack. Upon finding out the tweet was a mistake, that Obama then tweeted an apology.
4. Re:Retaliation tweet by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 04:35 · Score: 0
  
  Try to follow along here.
  NK bombs Japan (or at least it appears that way)
  Japan is a US ally.
  Obama issues a retalitory strike.
  Then sends the aforementioned tweet.
  Get it now?
140 Chars... by ZiakII · 2013-04-10 03:38 · Score: 1

Seriously a tweet is 140 characters, that's not something they can just write in a second if and when it happens?
1. Re:140 Chars... by Endo13 · 2013-04-10 04:04 · Score: 2
  
  Well, let's see. We'll do a little quick math here. A typical typist does about 40-70 WPM. Really quick ones can top 100. So let's be generous and assume they have one of their fastest on this, and he/she can do 120WPM. Now, when calculating WPM, five keystrokes is considered one "word" (not counting keys like shift or control). At that rate, it would take 14 seconds to type 140 characters, not a mere single second as you so rashly assume. /ducks
  
  --
  There is no -1 Disagree mod. Slashdot.org/faq defines mod options. USE IT.
2. Re:140 Chars... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 04:25 · Score: 0
  
  Ahh, but you are rashly assuming they will use the full 140 characters, "Kim Jong Un set us up the bomb" is only 30 characters, still 3 seconds, but certainly not the laggardly 14 seconds you estimate.
3. Re:140 Chars... by CastrTroy · 2013-04-10 05:06 · Score: 1
  
  Well, to be fair, in the event of a real missle attack, the last thing anybody is going to be thinking about is sending out that tweet. Plus you didn't account for the time to get to the computer, open the browser, go to Twitter, log into your account, realize you forgot the password because you've never used the account, get a reset password request, wait for the email to come through, wait longer than you should, resend it assuming it failed, wait a while longer, check your spam folder and fine the reset email, click on the link, reset the password, and then type your tweet. In an emergency situation, you want that tweet going out automatically, as soon as the system is put into the state of "incoming missile", if there's people relying on it for emergency warnings, you don't want it to be the case that someone forgot they were supposed to send out the message via twitter.
  
  --
  
  Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
4. Re:140 Chars... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 05:13 · Score: 0
  
  Well sure you can write in in a few seconds, but then it has to sit on the JAG officer's desk for a week before it get's approved to be sent to the Public relation officer who has to run it past a committee, and then send you back notes so you can re-write it and resubmit it to the JAG officer...
5. Re:140 Chars... by Cederic · 2013-04-10 05:43 · Score: 1
  
  set up us. c'mon, know your memes.
6. Re:140 Chars... by Jason+Levine · 2013-04-10 05:56 · Score: 1
  
  Seriously a tweet is 140 characters, that's not something they can just write in a second if and when it happens?
  Or, at worst, have in a text file somewhere. How long would it take to go from "We just got word that North Korea fired missiles" to "Open Text File" to "Copy" to "Paste" and "Send Tweet"? Probably less time than it takes to realize your tweet went out accidentally and delete it.
  
  --
  My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
Kentucky Fried Movie by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 03:38 · Score: 0

Moscow in flames. Missiles headed towards US. News at 11:00.
Or...... by 3vi1 · 2013-04-10 03:50 · Score: 2

Or their twitter feed got hacked by some NK'n kids and they just didn't want to admit it.
Boy who cried wolf by Enderandrew · 2013-04-10 03:53 · Score: 1

With so many false alerts, will people believe the real thing?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc60XPCXrh8

--
http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
1. Re:Boy who cried wolf by Applekid · 2013-04-10 04:26 · Score: 1
  
  With so many false alerts, will people believe the real thing?
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nc60XPCXrh8
  Who cares if they believe it? It's not like they would be able to do anything about it.
  
  --
  More Twoson than Cupertino
2. Re:Boy who cried wolf by Enderandrew · 2013-04-10 04:42 · Score: 2
  
  My first thought when I saw videos of that fake EBS broadcast was "this is funny."
  My second thought was "I hope some nut-job doesn't kill his/her family to save them from being eaten by zombies."
  
  --
  http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
3. Re:Boy who cried wolf by mabhatter654 · 2013-04-10 06:09 · Score: 2
  
  If Il quit threatening, people would stop reaching for the "retaliation" button.
  Somebody is accidentally going to wipe his country off the map if he keeps this up.
"Mechanism"? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 03:53 · Score: 0

What mechanism would that be?
Staff: "Sir, we are under attack!"
Leader: "Initiate our contingency. Inform the INTERNET."
1. Re:"Mechanism"? by Xphile101361 · 2013-04-10 04:57 · Score: 1
  
  This is japan. They'll likely crash a satellite into the incoming missile. That may buy them enough time to upload their cyberbrains into the internet.
2. Re:"Mechanism"? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 05:48 · Score: 0
  
  But what if the cyberbrains are stored ON that satellite?
3. Re:"Mechanism"? by mabhatter654 · 2013-04-10 06:12 · Score: 1
  
  Their Ghosts can Shell the enemies?
It's Actually Headed Towards Tokyo by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 03:57 · Score: 0

Apologies for the mistake
- Crisis Management Office Affairs Bureau for the city of Yokohama
1. Re:It's Actually Headed Towards Tokyo by mabhatter654 · 2013-04-10 06:14 · Score: 1
  
  After the war, the people responsible will be sacked.
Prior Art by seven+of+five · 2013-04-10 04:03 · Score: 3, Informative

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_begin_bombing_in_five_minutes
Oblig: by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 04:04 · Score: 0

Nuclear Launch Detected.
1. Re:Oblig: by ArcadeMan · 2013-04-10 04:19 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Nuclear launch cancelled. Not enough minerals.
  
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2. Re:Oblig: by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 04:33 · Score: 0
  
  Nuclear launch cancelled. Not enough minerals.
  You must construct additional pylons.
3. Re:Oblig: by SYSS+Mouse · 2013-04-10 04:52 · Score: 1
  
  #Fail.
  Nuclear is Terran while the pylons is Protoss.
4. Re:Oblig: by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 05:11 · Score: 0
  
  #Fail.
  Nuclear is Terran while the pylons is Protoss.
  Pretty sure they knew that... They were just making a well known quote regarding the subject of not having enough of something SC related.... #Fail understanding basic logic.
5. Re:Oblig: by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 05:30 · Score: 0
  
  Kill the ghost.
It's the first ever False Flag event on Twitter! by turp182 · 2013-04-10 04:10 · Score: 1

Twitter is really growing up these days.

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not sure what the glorious leader by nimbius · 2013-04-10 04:26 · Score: 1

is planning in terms of warfare, but so far his campaign seems to be extremely effective in its ability to insight terror. He even made some large superpower play chess with its missile defense, at their own expense.

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Good people go to bed earlier.
1. Re:not sure what the glorious leader by khallow · 2013-04-10 04:45 · Score: 1
  
  He even made some large superpower play chess with its missile defense, at their own expense.
  Which also happened to be a convenient pretext to plant anti-missile systems in Japan, South Korea, and Guam. China's nuclear reach just got a bit weaker.
2. Re:not sure what the glorious leader by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 04:50 · Score: 0
  
  FYI - it's "incite" terror, unless you mean to say that he's providing some deep thought and understanding of terror.
3. Re:not sure what the glorious leader by Xphile101361 · 2013-04-10 04:59 · Score: 1
  
  One could argue that we should have had these defenses in place long before Kimmy-boy said that he would set the world on fire.
Fitting reaction by thrill12 · 2013-04-10 04:34 · Score: 2

Barman: Did you say the world is coming to an end? Shouldn't we all lie on the floor or put paper bags over our heads?
Ford: If you like.
Barman: Will it help?
Ford: Not at all.
[Ford runs out of the pub]
Barman: Last orders, please!
(THGTTG - DNA)

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99 Red Balloons. by Gabrill · 2013-04-10 04:38 · Score: 2

Nena seems appropriate here. 99 Red Balloons.

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1. Re:99 Red Balloons. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 09:25 · Score: 0
  
  There you are.... I just knew this reference was going to be embedded in here somewhere.
Unacceptable by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 04:40 · Score: 0

This is unacceptable, the kind of outcome this could have had could have been disastrous. Not to mention people could have taken it as the city has the expectation of being bombed and that could have created great panic, which coulda lead to injury or even death in itself. It could have gone viral and actually escalated tensions further in an actual war breaking out. Automatic Tweating in my opinion is misusing the technology. It isn't meant to be your automatic message board for news. Whoever screwed up here should be reprimanded to the extreme.
Found the Bug by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 04:41 · Score: 0

if ( radar.state = MISSILE_DETECTED )
{
post_twitter_warning();
}
1. Re:Found the Bug by nedlohs · 2013-04-10 04:52 · Score: 1
  
  let's hope the twitter warning is posted after the "launch missiles back" check is done.
Really, it's that hard? by bryan1945 · 2013-04-10 04:50 · Score: 2

They pre-wrote a 140 letter missive? Are they using a drugged-out, one-armed sloth as their spokesman?

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1. Re:Really, it's that hard? by DerekLyons · 2013-04-10 05:26 · Score: 1
  
  Ever tried to communicate in a real emergency? (One where seconds rather than minutes means the difference between life and death?) I have, and it's not nearly so easy as you think to communicate clearly under those circumstances. There's a reason why military folks and 911 dispatchers undergo extensive and ongoing training.
2. Re:Really, it's that hard? by Cro+Magnon · 2013-04-10 05:31 · Score: 1
  
  So, those tweets & texts I've gotten were life-and-death? That explains why they were so incoherent!
  
  --
  Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
It has already started! by Anonymous Coward · 2013-04-10 04:50 · Score: 0

A North-Korean missile has hit Espoo, Finland. Luckily, it failed to explode:
Later that day... by sootman · 2013-04-10 05:28 · Score: 0

... someone hacked Japan's phone and tweeted a racy selfpic.

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1983 Soviet nuclear false alarm incident by happyhamster · 2013-04-10 05:36 · Score: 3, Informative

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Soviet_nuclear_false_alarm_incident
cabinboy, bring me my brown trowsers! by Thud457 · 2013-04-10 06:09 · Score: 1

more like "LAST POAST"

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the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
password: JOSHUA by eyenot · 2013-04-10 11:44 · Score: 1

What inanity! If the early-warning system is connected to the internet, there's this huge chance of somebody else connected to the internet being able to trigger an early warning.
Even if it's offline until the moment -- and only during the moment -- it needs to login and send the tweet, there are so many possibilities as far as hacking the early warning system.
It must have sensors of some kind, and sensors can be quickly and easily fooled. And if the sensors aren't so vulnerable? There are obviously some people attached to the system who can also be quickly and easily fooled.
This is even worse than electronic voting! Seriously! I think we should be petitioning the local government of Yokohama to cease and desist!
As another user here joked (and I find the joke hilarious), "maybe my Tweet-monitoring Nuke launcher was a bad idea..."
Well, the Tweet doesn't have to trigger a chain reaction of nukes to have potentially dangerous, even deadly side-effects. And certainly the people of Yokohama don't deserve those minutes of accelerated aging over the supposition that nukes are literally right on their way.

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"Stratigraphically the origin of agriculture and thermonuclear destruction will appear essentially simultaneous" -- Lee
1. Re:password: JOSHUA by eyenot · 2013-04-10 11:50 · Score: 1
  
  Granted some things:
  1. I think this North Korea bullshit is way over-hyped by a death-worshipping media circus that wants to keep us all frightened into angst-driven consumerism. I have every reason to believe this is just a new leader going through the sick motions required of a really stupid political organization. With the White House being more or less sedate about N. Korea's nuclear antics, I'm surprised the liars and whores of the media monopoly press are bothering to bug their eyes out this far and deliver so many hamkicks -- it's like b-grade horror. You really have to ask yourself who's convinced.
  2. I'm not against smart weapons (or smart weapon systems). I'm against stupid people building smart weapons and systems.
  
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  "Stratigraphically the origin of agriculture and thermonuclear destruction will appear essentially simultaneous" -- Lee
Accuracy in journalism by StikyPad · 2013-04-11 01:31 · Score: 1

The tweet was accurate, but North Korea accidentally the missile.

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