Twittering media target wrong Alan Joyce
Whoops.
It was a social media lynching, but the mob got the wrong man.
As the Qantas dispute escalated, some were quick to target Alan Joyce on Twitter.
The Age reported that Channel Ten political reporter Hugh Riminton was among those who sounded off on the social network, tweeting "If you're so proud of taking the 'hard decision' how about making one about your pay @alanjoyce ?"
And the ABC's Marcus Westbury chimed in with, "After feeling sorry for @theashes last year i manged (sic) to help get a flight to Australia. Sadly for @alanjoyce there's no flights just now."
One little problem: the broadcasters were aiming their jabs at the wrong Alan Joyce.
It turns out the @AlanJoyce account belongs to a Stanford University student of the same name.
The New York Times said Alan Joyce - the student - has suffered a "steady stream of hateful tweets."
But he seems to be taking it in good humour.
"I can handle being called "coward", "bully", and "thief", but "cad" — now that really stings," Mr Joyce tweeted in response to one angry traveller.
"I’m no more CEO of Qantas than @willsmith is a famous movie actor." (Will Smith being the editor of a consumer technology website, not the Hollywood actor of the same name.)