Is a Threat on Facebook Really a Threat?

The Supreme Court is hearing a case about the free-speech rights of people who use violent or threatening language on social media.

The court is to hear arguments Monday in the case of a man sentenced to nearly four years in prison for posting violent rap lyrics on Facebook about killing his estranged wife, shooting up a class of young children and attacking an FBI agent.

A jury convicted Anthony Elonis of violating federal law by threatening another person. An appeals court rejected his claim that his comments were protected by the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech.

Elonis said he was just venting his anger over a broken marriage and never meant to threaten anyone. But the people mentioned as targets testified they felt threatened.

Prosecutors said his intentions do not matter if his words make a reasonable person feel threatened.

In the past, the Supreme Court has said "true threats" to harm another person are not protected speech under the First Amendment.

But free-speech advocates said comments on social media can be hasty, impulsive and easily misinterpreted.

They point out that a message on Facebook intended for a small group could be taken out of context when viewed by a wider audience.

In a Facebook post about his wife, Elonis used the pseudonym "Tone Dougie" to write, "There is one way to love you but a thousand ways to kill you. I am not going to rest until your body is a mess, soaked in blood and dying from all the little cuts.''

Elonis said he is an amateur rapper inspired by Eminem, and these "threats" were not serious; they were just rap lyrics.?

A decision in the case is expected by summer.

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Why Gamers Haven't Really Won The War With Xbox One

Many gamers were overjoyed on Wednesday when Microsoft announced it would remove the most controversial restrictions for the Xbox One after much backlash. No longer would Xbox One owners need to connect their consoles to the Internet once a day or face byzantine restrictions on selling used games when they buy the systems in November.

While the stunning change of heart showed the power of public pressure, the death of these features to quell angry gamers has brought out another set of critics.

It's clear that Microsoft had envisioned a future of gaming that was really, truly always connected -- though some of their assumptions may have been a bit ambitious. The original page on the Xbox site regarding connecting online made the dubious assumption that "every Xbox One owner has a broadband connection."

But Microsoft's original plan would have allowed digital games to be shared with 10 friends and family, with others being able to log in and play the titles. The cloud-based system would mean that software could be available from any console, sans physical disc, and downloaded titles could be shared and sold -- though it wasn't necessarily clear how.

"We think, actually, that having the content that’s yours go with you is an important thing," Microsoft Studios corporate vice president Phil Spencer told Edge, before the company's about-face. "You could have multiple Xbox Ones, your content is yours on every one of them, and it doesn’t require that you carry discs back and forth."

Over at Gizmodo, Kyle Wagner broke down the Xbox One's vision for the future of gaming and how -- perhaps a bit optimistically -- the system's setup would lower game prices. With publishers missing the entirety of the $1 billion the used game market nets Gamestop alone, this new used game ecosystem would mean more money for the people that actually made the games. Wagner likened the system to the Steam marketplace for PC gamers, which despite years of growing pains while working out the kinks, actually ended up becoming the beloved, affordable gaming darling it is today.

At Ars Technica, Kyle Orland saw Microsoft's vision as something resembling Netflix, one where gamers could pay a flat rate to rent games, like a digital GameFly. The problem is that Microsoft did not do a very good job at selling these "imagined" features, instead leaving gamers to dwell on obvious limitations of owning an Xbox that needed a daily Internet connection.

Many have pointed out that the dedication to physical games is akin to advocates of physical music putting down digital songs, which, of course, have become increasingly popular. In a perfect world they envision that the gaming market would go the way of music: an emphasis on digital, but still with a option to buy physical games -- or CDs or vinyls if you're a music fan.

While Microsoft may have quelled an ongoing PR disaster with many gamers beating their chests in victory, it's clear there's still a debate on what was lost in the midst of temporary gain.

Earlier on HuffPost:

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LOOK: This Groom REALLY Wants Dave Grohl At His Wedding

Groom Marcus Cox's love for his soon-to-be-wife is matched only by his love for one other person -- Dave Grohl.

On Friday, Cox's sister, Reddit user TakeMeOhmTonight, posted Cox's open letter to the Foo Fighters frontman on the site. In it, he invites "Dave f***ing Grohl" to join him (with a plus one, of course!) at his August 2013 wedding. The humble groom-to-be -- who describes himself as "30-year-old Caucasian male...with a receding hairline. Control your jealousy" -- writes:

"In the off chance that you decide to accept my wedding invitation, I will make sure that you are well taken care of with whatever it is your heart desires. If your heart desires an outdoor wedding with a reception to boot (all in the same place; I got you) that will have the finest draft beer, then I'd say we've got you covered."

Check out the rest of the hilarious, but sincere, invitation below:

No word yet as to whether or not Grohl will be making an appearance. (Dave, if you're reading this, email weddings@huffingtonpost.com if you'd like to attend).

Click through the slideshow below for eight celebrities who crashed "regular" people's weddings.

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Teen heartthrob Justin Bieber and then-girlfriend Selena Gomez were strolling on the beach in Malibu, Calif. in July 2011 when they heard Bieber's hit song "One Less Lonely Girl" playing at a local wedding reception. According to TMZ, the famous pair snuck up on some guests and then got on the mic to give the newlyweds a toast. "We just crashed it. We heard a party so we decided to just come. So let's party," Bieber said in an exclusive video.

When Freya and Graham McAnally got married at the Manchester Town Hall in England in December 2011, they knew that cameras were nearby filming "The Iron Lady" starring Meryl Streep. But what they didn't know is that Streep would show up at their wedding. According to The Daily Mail, the Oscar-winning actress made an appearance at the couple's nuptials, then sent them autographed photos of herself bearing messages of congratulations. "I thought it was amazing, the last thing you expect is an A-List celebrity at your wedding," the bride said.

Believe it or not, royals crash weddings sometimes too. In March 2012, Queen Elizabeth showed up at John and Frances Canning's Manchester, England wedding and completely shocked the couple, who had invited her but never really expected her to actually attend. "Basically it was a wedding gift for us," the bride told CNN affiliate ITN.

In September 2008, "Entourage" actor Adrian Grenier accidentally walked into a wedding while leaving the Ritz-Carlton's spa in Marina del Rey, Calif. But according to the New York Daily News, no one really seemed to mind. In fact, some guests were all too eager to take some snapshots with the actor.

John Travolta and Robin Williams once crashed a wedding together, but it was long before the two were big in Hollywood. According to USA Today, the friends had stopped to get a drink near Travolta's Santa Barbara home back in 1977. After a few drinks, "We were having fun, starting to relax, when we saw there was a wedding next door," Travolta told USA Today in 2009. "We figured we'd crash it."

In April 2013, comedian Conan O'Brien crashed an Atlanta couple's wedding. A friend of the couple had been tweeting at O'Brien all day, inviting him to the wedding -- and he actually showed up! At left, O'Brien is pictured with the bride.

Keep in touch! Check out HuffPost Weddings on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

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