BLOGS: A Place for FREEDOM of Speech ..OR...

[Strappie]

Originally Posted by wolfbittenpoet

I think a blog should be looked at as a form of journalism and people should self limit or self censor. Some people don't, either they are foolish enough to think it doesn't matter what one writes particularly if they use a username that no one could possibly guess (insert sarcasm here) or they simply are people who never limit their mouths so why would they limit their fingers. I'm all for blogs but like most self expression one has to have limits that keep both you and the people around you safe.

I agree with you 100%. Do people really think that these words they write are going to vanish say 5 yrs from now? What if lets say they were going to be hired for a job. The new way of finding out someones character is to hunt them down online. Now I know we all have screen names here but who knows what some employers are able to find if they have the right people searching?

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by Strappie

I agree with you 100%. Do people really think that these words they write are going to vanish say 5 yrs from now? What if lets say they were going to be hired for a job. The new way of finding out someones character is to hunt them down online. Now I know we all have screen names here but who knows what some employers are able to find if they have the right people searching?

A good point to make- I don't agree with employers being able to do this, but, look at how many cases there have been in which forensic computer searching has been used by employers- especially in public employment.

There is a parent that is a neighbor of mine that is way active in school district issues, etc. and she has told me that her kid's school district most certainly has discussed doing this! Although, I don't know that I can trust this- she sort of strikes me as angry with teachers/schools in general. I don't know her well at all.

I would think that this would be illegal- or at least could be fought by unions representing this district's employees. But, with budget cuts always hanging in the air and ways to cut personnel and programs- who knows!

Some of this stuff is done under "consulting" or "background checks." I do know that installing software that traces employee use is legal for employers in many cases. Why take the chance!!

[Daywalker]

I researched an employer once and found Blog info on him and his Father.


He was impressed with it, but surprised I researched...LOL


I did get the GM position at Two Star Dog in Berkeley.


Humz Ringo's 'All those years ago'...

[Strappie]

Originally Posted by Daywalker

I researched an employer once and found Blog info on him and his Father.


He was impressed with it, but surprised I researched...LOL


I did get the GM position at Two Star Dog in Berkeley.


Humz Ringo's 'All those years ago'...

Ahhh and yes Blogs can also be informational and not just bad Karma!!

Smart move Daywalker!!

[Venus007]

I work in education and health care and I find that blogging is a great tool for networking. I use my professional blog on health care to promote my services and knowledge as well as to chime in on current events. I cannot blog about education as my employer would fire me. Part of my employment agreement was that I would not provide or keep or what have you an education related blog, it is grounds for termination.

All that being said in general people are foolish, and people under the somewhat thin veil of anonymity are super foolish. They forget that their words do not go away, they forget what they wrote a looonnngg time ago, they forget so many things.

Every employer I have had in the last 10 years has done an internet search on me (I am pretty lucky in that I have an amazingly common name and so I am a bit of a needle in a hay stack). My employers have checked my facebook page, myspace, linkedin, etc. I am very aware of my public image online as it effects my professional life. I think more and more everyone has to be.

[AtLast]

There are many useful and smart ways to utilize blogs. I think the type of blogs that Strappie is talking about are not bona fide, professional blogs in which the author has professional "scrupples." Sounded to me like the blogs in question are really personal attacks on people.

[Strappie]

Originally Posted by Venus007

I work in education and health care and I find that blogging is a great tool for networking. I use my professional blog on health care to promote my services and knowledge as well as to chime in on current events. I cannot blog about education as my employer would fire me. Part of my employment agreement was that I would not provide or keep or what have you an education related blog, it is grounds for termination.

All that being said in general people are foolish, and people under the somewhat thin veil of anonymity are super foolish. They forget that their words do not go away, they forget what they wrote a looonnngg time ago, they forget so many things.

Every employer I have had in the last 10 years has done an internet search on me (I am pretty lucky in that I have an amazingly common name and so I am a bit of a needle in a hay stack). My employers have checked my facebook page, myspace, linkedin, etc. I am very aware of my public image online as it effects my professional life. I think more and more everyone has to be.

I think Blogs can be an amazing tool for people if done correctly. But in so many cases it's just a forum for Trash talking and Bashing in heads.

I agree with you 100% that people need to put themselves in check. I don't really think the majority of people would speak exactly like they do on line. We do hide behind a screen so it's easier to speak more openly, but not at the cost of others. Hell I am one that sometimes gets ahead of myself.

Good post!!

[Linus]

As someone who has a personal blog, a "hobbyist" blog and is working (eventually) towards a professional blog (that's 3 separate blogs) I do believe in freedom of speech. But it's freedom of speech with responsibility. I generally view online communication no different than in person communication (the exceptions are that written is definitely different since tone is lost and people can choose to be there or not).

Blogs in forums like this wouldn't be a bad thing since they can allow individuals to talk to a specific community without creating a thread about it (although a thread could be used like a blog). Regardless, however, as with anything: when you post on someone's else's "lawn" you are subject to their rules (TOS). So I would expect that to be true.

My own blogs are in my own space but I still have to adhere to the web server provider's rules. I think too many people assume the "Net" belongs to the US and thus, the freedom of speech right applies. It does not. The "Net" is a global semi-private network (that is, various companies own the networks and disk space that is used on the internet and thus, we are subject to what they believe is acceptable).