Another one bites the dust. Blogging has suddenly become a dangerous habit for corporate serfs. Google recently fired Mark Jen, specifically over his weblog 99 Zeros. You can read all the gory details directly from Mark on his blog or see what CNET News has to say about it.
Mr. Jen is the latest is a string of high profile bloggers busted for posting content deemed inappropriate by their employers. You may have heard of Ellen Simonetti aka Queen of Sky, who was fired by Delta Airlines for posting mildly provocative photos of herself in uniform. As of this writing, she is suing the company. I wish her well; that is a long and difficult road.
Then, there is the saga of Michael Hanscom,
the Microsoft employee dismissed for posting a photo of new Apple G5
computers being unloaded on Microsoft's dock. Here is the offending
photo, courtesy of Mr. Hanscom, that cost him his job. If you click on his name you can read his version of the events that led to his loss of Microserf status.
CNN recently published a good article on the perils of blogging titled Have a blog, lose your job? . The author correctly points out that our treasured right to free speech, enshrined in the First Amendment, does not apply to the corporate world. Most workers are considered "at-will" meaning they can be fired at any time for any reason other than discrimination based on race, gender or age.
If you are a blogger and employed by a corporation be aware. Ask if there is a company policy about blogging or publication. Check any employment or confidentiality agreements that you signed to ensure that you are not violating company policy. Avoid discussing or identifying your employer.
Remember — blogger beware!
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