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Tony Kessler
409 Posts
Wow. Bozeman, MT, is requiring city job applicants to provide their user names -- and passwords -- for their social networking sites, including Facebook and MySpace. What do you think? tk
[URL]http://montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=10551414[/URL]
[URL]http://montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=10551414[/URL]
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Passwords?? Are you kidding me? Is the city of Bozo-man going to peruse the inbox of applicants?
If I was a transgender, disabled, pregant minority I would APPLY IMMEDIATELY and begin searching for a competent employment attorney and a great vacation destination to celebrate my settlement.
Public Facebook or Myspace pages are up for grabs. Private areas are just that, private. Even if I were willing to share them with a prospective employer (and that is a big IF), I would not be willing to share my password. How could I trust them NOT to post something in my stead? Their policy inspires a lack of trust in me. I wonder why?
"Since the application policy has been released, Bozeman City Attorney Greg Sullivan said in The Daily Chronicle that the policy may change – instead of asking applicants for login information, applicants would be required to “friend” officials on Facebook so the city could see the individual’s profile, for example."
I am guessing that Bozeman did not want to become the poster child of the internet privacy debate. This policy is truly unbelievable. I cannot imagine asking applicants to provide log-in passwords nor would I WANT such information.
What were they thinking???
Or maybe it was a test to see how well they followed orders..."we didn't really want to use your passwords for anything, we were just seeing if you'd give them to us if we told you that you had to".
Sounds like Bozeman is already realizing what a stupid idea this was, and rightfully so.
Meanwhile, the phones are ringing off the hook from reporters asking for a comment about the media firestorm their policy has created.
[B][URL]http://tinyurl.com/pr5rt9[/URL][/B]
[url]http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=10577236[/url]
Contrary to what Sonny suggested, it WAS the HR person who suggested this policy. They are now looking at a 30 day review for changes to hiring policies.
They could save 30 days and just post their crazy ideas here for our comments and feedback.
Bozeman learned very quickly how fast a story can spread in the internet age. It took just hours for their policy to gain worldwide notice from news agencies, bloggers, and privacy advocates.
Hopefully the adage "all publicity is good publicity" is true.
The article said they should run all major changes through the commission, but would the HR person (Berg) have considered this major?
TK: please contact Berg and tell her she NEEDS us and to sign up right away!
They also ask supervisors not to request to be "friends" with subordinates and personal profiles should have no political statements. So much for free speech.
You would think the AP would be more media savvy but even they seem befuddled by how to respond to the rise of social networking.
Link here: [url]http://mashable.com/2009/06/23/ap-social-media-policy/[/url]
AP has even threatened to sue Google, for example, because Google searches link to AP articles. Umm... I thought that was the goal - to be listed as high as possible in every search result. Most large organizations actually pay someone to make sure that happens, and AP is complaining.
I received no reply to the formal inquiry I completed and submitted a few months ago to AP, questioning their ability to use their standard "This AP article may not be reproduced etc. etc." on the transcript of an Obama speech. I mean, they didn't write the speech. There was no analysis accompanying the speech. It was just the transcript. How can AP copyright the transcript of a speech delivered over the public airwaves?
[I]Disclaimer: When I was a newspaper editor in the '80s, AP routinely ripped me off without attribution. I may still harbor some resentment... I leave that to you to decide.
A stadium employee with the Philadelphia Eagles was fired in March after a Facebook post calling the team “retarded” for trading a star player. A North Carolina teacher was suspended in November for posting on Facebook, “I hate my students.” Three Harrison, New York, police officers were suspended in February after making untoward Facebook comments about their mayor.
I am a little suprised that people are getting terminated for Facebook comments. That seems heavy handed. On the other hand, I think people need to understand that you may be held accountable for what you post online in a public medium.
AP has even threatened to sue Google, for example, because Google searches link to AP articles. Umm... I thought that was the goal - to be listed as high as possible in every search result. Most large organizations actually pay someone to make sure that happens, and AP is complaining.
I received no reply to the formal inquiry I completed and submitted a few months ago to AP, questioning their ability to use their standard "This AP article may not be reproduced etc. etc." on the transcript of an Obama speech. I mean, they didn't write the speech. There was no analysis accompanying the speech. It was just the transcript. How can AP copyright the transcript of a speech delivered over the public airwaves?
[I]Disclaimer: When I was a newspaper editor in the '80s, AP routinely ripped me off without attribution. I may still harbor some resentment... I leave that to you to decide.
As a newspaper reporter in a past professional incarnation, I feel both your pain and resentment. My editor had worked for AP before coming to our small town paper, and he didn't have many good stories to tell about working there. Tony might be able to chime in, too . . .
And, I stand corrected on my wrong guess. Figures.
Is there any other kind? I loved the job, but job fulfillment doesn't pay the bills, and after a while it's pretty easy to become disillusioned with it all (especially after the AP picks up your story but doesn't include a byline or even credit your paper).
But Sonny brings up an interesting point. . .what other careers/jobs did you work at before coming to HR? If you have any good (or better yet, bad) stories, please join us in the "What Did You Do Before HR?" thread in the "Har-de-har-har" forum. Now . . .:back to topic:
P.S. Time to get back to non-newspaper stuff! :back to topic:
It bothered one employer enough to fire the employee.
Of course, if they are sitting around or playing around they should currently have a lighter work load. If they are swamped and are playing, then I would have to take action.
A general rule is don't post anything publicly if you dont want EVERYONE to see it.