I found some interesting info.
Interview with Tim DeMello, owner of Internet company Ziggs:
When DeMello was asked if he does an Internet search for online profiles when he chooses whom to hire, he replies, "Of course. Everybody does."
DeMello estimates that about 20 percent of companies are secretly scanning online profiles before they interview applicants.
"Within a short period of time, you could find these 83 photos on every search engine on the Web, and these 83 photos could be attached to your name for the rest of your career," says DeMello.
An Ottawa , Canada grocery store (Farm Boy) fired two employees after they read postings on a Facebook groups called " I Got Farm Boy'd" The employees had talked about stealing merchandise from the store. One of the employees spoke out and denied stealing from the store. He said the post was only hypothetical.
A minimum wage Argos employee in the UK was fired for gross misconduct after he vented on Facebook about a frustrating day at work.
A 29-year-old police officer from Ohio was fired from his department after he posted photos of evidence from criminal cases and of the speedometer of a police car going 100 mph on MySpace; he was the subject of a recent ABC News story.
People across the country have been fired for “not living up to the moral code of the company,” Stacey Elderbroom, co-creator of the “Protect Your Privates” campaign, said.
Last May, LSU swimmers Eddie Kenney and Matt Coenen were kicked off the team after athletics officials discovered they belonged to a Facebook affinity group that put up disparaging comments about swim coaches.
Loyola University Chicago is forbidding its athletes from belonging. Loyola athletics director John Planek says he ordered athletes off the site to protect them from gamblers, agents or sexual predators who could learn about them, or contact them, through their profiles. It is also an image issue for schools. Schools could be deeply embarrassed if underage star athletes are seen on a website drinking from a beer bong.
Officials at the University of Oxford are using Facebook to find — and fine — students that engaged in a spasm of "trashings," rowdy revels after exams end that include dousing classmates in foam, eggs and flour.
Disciplinary officials at Oxford scanned Facebook, found pictures of the rowdies and have begun e-mailing students fines equivalent to about $85 to $210 for breaking campus rules.So...it is not just high schools using Facebook and Myspace to gather info. From what I read it sounds like coaches are just starting to use Myspace and Facebook as a place to keep tabs on their athletes. Employers look at it. It sounds like you have to be careful what you post--even if your account is set to private. Thoughts??????
25 comments:
I guess that I don't know too much about Facebook because I don't have an account. It sounds like you could avoid a lot of conflict by not having an account. People are losing jobs, money, and respect from what comes off of these websites, even if your profile is set on private. One guy even said that the images and things you put on your profile now could stay with you for the rest of your professional career. I definately would not want a picture of me at age 17, at a party drinking, held against me at age 25 when I am out looking for a career. Kids need to use facebook for what it is meant for, talking and viewing appropriate pictures.
silly silly people these people are. I understand that if you put crap on the net its not coming off EVER. so lets avoid it by not talking crap on these accounts and leaivng the drunk photos to email only.
It doesn't matter whether its Facebook or Myspace or a similar site. These sites are like Internet bulletin boards. Anyone might happen upon your page. I wouldn't put anything on my page that I wouldn't mind everyone seeing.
Even if you post your webpage as private, it isn't. Be careful on what you are posting on the internet because anyone can access it. I think that it is insane to fire someone because they said they had a rough day i work. Thats going a little too extreme.
I think that this is dumb. First of all, those swimmers shouldn’t have got kicked off the team just because the said their opinions about the coaches. Maybe those coaches had it coming. They probably just had a bad day and needed to get things off their mind. I also don’t think that colleges should fine kids for things on facebook. I also don’t think that the man should have gotten fired for complaining about a long frustrating day of work. People can’t get in trouble or fired for voicing their opinion. That’s against the law.
I have to say wow this is kinda dumb but if i disagreed with what they did i would be a hypocrite after what i wrote about that drinking blog. I think its an absolutely wonderfull idea Companies use the internet to find backround info, props to them. I do find it foolish to base decisions over old pictures and things people have said. Just because a person says they stold from work dosnt mean they did. if an employer feels suspicious about an employee they should better monitor the employees behavior and make a decision on that not solely on some face book bs. Alot of people try to sound "Hard Core". In the end isnt every one a gun slingin, grocery theiving, gangsta wanna-be. _ jameson p
i dont feel sorry one bit for these people that get in trouble for thier facebook pics and blogs thier have on thier. i mean its their own idea to put that stuff on their for the whole world to see it. so they have to take the penalty for thier actions. if they dont want their employers seeing thier acounts and stuff maybe they desing a way to keep them out of your personal life because it is a bit of a invasion of privcy but i can understand them getting in trouble if it is illegal atvity they are praticpaitng in.
every action has a consequence and for these people it was being fired, losing their spot on a team, or just plain looking like an idiot. i currently have both myspace and facebook accounts and know that most people do. a lot of people put "bad" pictures on their accounts, but as an athlete and an employed person, i abstain from doing that. i think you should be able to say what you want, however your boss or coach may not agree with it and you have to then respond to what consequences that may take place for just putting a picture on the internet or gossiping.
I think that it's good that employers look at your myspace and facebook, etc. People put so many things on there that can determine what type of person they are. If they're posting pictures that are offensive to most people maybe they're not someone you want to hire. People put their life out online on these websites and in turn people learn about you, whether it's good or bad.
People should think about the pictures and stuff that they post before they post it. If they think it could cause them problems then they probably shouldn't post them. Coaches shouldn't be able to kick athletes off the team for what is posted on Myspace or Facebook. People would have to be dumb to post something about stealing from the grocery store that they work at say it was only hypothetical.
I think that if people want to use face book they should use it appropriatly and not put anyhting on there that you dont want other people to see. If you want to avoid the conflict of things that might conflict you in the picture mayeb dont have a face book account or use it how it should be used and think before they put picture or saying that might affect your future
If you dont want to get in trouble, then dont put any pictures of you drinking up. I dont feel sorry for these people because their putting theirself at risk. Dont talk about it over the net so people could see it and there wouldnt be any problems.
Its your own fault if you get in trouble for the stupid things you put on your profile. Facebook, MySpace and other sites are good place to see what people are really like. If you put things on your profile for the public to see, its fair game for employers and coaches to use as well. But the actions probably shouldn't be solely based on what they see on facebook. There's lots of people trying to be something they aren't so they can look cool or something.
i find this article rather outrageous because if someone gets fired for posting pics of his car doing over a hundred on facebook is very stupid i guess thats jus me.
Irresponsible people having consequences coming back at them. That's what they all get by posting such stupid and ridiculous pictures and comments. People have to realize that the internet is not so private and by posting stuff, it is like telling the world to 'look at me!'
I think this is outrageous that you get fired because you said that you had a rough day at work. I think
that you should have the right to say what you want on anything and anywhere. I think that facebook is going to ruin this country someday. The way people just put anything on it what they want. It is outrageous what people do leave the drunk photos off the facebook and leave them to your personal email.
People have to be responsible for what they say and do. If they put stuff on facebook that is inappropriate and get caught they have to pay the consequences. Putting stupid pictures of yourself or others on a public site is an obvious dumb mood.
i don't think you should put pics on that u don't want other people to see!
I don't think anyone should assume anything by profiles. Everyone complains about their job and they shouldn't get fired for it. People are going out of their way to get people in trouble and it's ridiculous.
okay. posting pictures of yourself drinking/partying with alcohol or any other kind of similar substances is just plain stupid. i mean come on! lets say your profile is private, but you add a school mate to it, they learn of your underage drinking, they can just log in, go to your profile and turn you in.
And for the moronss who talk about getting "Farm Boy'd", they were just fricken stupid, they deserved to get fired, but for the misconduct charge for ranting about a bad day at work, that was just assinine; they probably wouldn't have been charged in the first place if they had said the same thing in public.
Okay. People for real why would you post pictures of yourself drinking on the web for everyone to see. You are just setting yourself up for a bunch of trouble. Thats great you wanna brag yourself up and everthing but think about what you are really doing. I would rather keep it to my friends then have it follow me for ever!
I guess people are really going to watch what they put on there so it doesn't back to hurt them. I just wonder why these people put that stuff on the internet especially when they should know that people can get a hold of that information.
The punishments that were given to these students are dumb. The School should not punish them for posting pictures on their facebook that is allegedly of students "drinking alcohol" if the schol can prove what they are accusing the students of doing then let them punish them, but if the school is going on some accusation that cannot be proven then they should just mind their own business.
I dont know if anyone agrees with me, but personally i would rather keep my dumb choices and actions away from everyone else. I would rather appear as someone with a clean record and respect for others. I dont see how it would be cool to post pictures of a party or post a comment about stealing from my employer. I think these people deserve what they asked for. They were looking for attention, and they got it. Maybe not the same way they were looking for, but they got it.
I guess that is what stupid people have coming to them if they are going to post these things on public sites that everybody can see. Although some of the things that appear on the internet may not have been put on there by the person whom they are about.
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