Ryanair, which recently announced that it would let its passengers use mobiles while flying, may not be so keen on phones being used for updating blogs mid-flight. The firm has been left red-faced, and more than a bit flamed, after calling bloggers 'lunatics', and telling them to keep the blogosphere to themselves.

The situation arose after one internet user, developer Jason Roe, discovered a glitch on the Ryanair web site. He did what any sane person would do and shared the glitch over micro-blogging site Twitter, only to be insulted back via a comment. This is a blogger and web developer being insulted, so he was unlikely to let it lie. So he set about discovering where the response came from.

Perhaps surprisingly, or unsurprisingly, the comment Roe received calling him an idiot and a liar were traced back to Ryanair's own headquarters, which really should have embarrassed the company. Only it didn't.

Rather than apologise, the firm decided to make this announcement: "It is Ryanair policy not to waste time and energy corresponding with idiot bloggers and Ryanair can confirm it won't be happening again. Lunatic bloggers can have the blogosphere all to themselves as our people are far too busy driving down the cost of air travel."

You got that bloggers, don't bother trying to engage with Ryanair using social media, the firm is not interested. And you will only end up looking stupid. Well, in Ryanair's eyes you will anyway.

Everyone else will think it's the other way round.

26 Feb 2009