Another interesting blog re: being fired for blogging

[simplydamon]

http://morphemetales.blogspot.com/2005/01/blogfired-bloggers-and-employers-test_20.html

One aspect of the blog covers the probable need for companies to have a policy on what an employee can blog about. Some interesting questions, at least to me, is how does a company enforce this? Should an employee blogging on their personal time be subject to the rules of the employer? What if the blog was paid for by the employee? Is there harm in an employee blogging about their work? What if the employee was certainly complaining about work (after all, an employee can complain verbally to other people)?

Note: I do believe that employees should take care not to divulge private information about the company.

[simplydamon]

"Note: I do believe that employees should take care not to divulge private information about the company."

I hope that people don't read my recent questions about blogging as NOT meaning that companies shouldn't fire people in certain circumstances. My questions are really directed at *how/when* an employee should be fired.

For example, at eBay/PayPal we had to take great care not to mention things that could influence stock price. This could mean releasing information to the general public about new products coming out, earnings,etc. A company has valid reasons, including legal and regulatory, for wanting to restrict what an individual could release to the public ( I believe some of these concerns are eradicated if you are a private company).

I also believe that directly naming an individual is an offense that someone could/should be fired for. It is one thing to complain about their boss in general terms - but naming them in a visible forum (the internet) is an entirely different issue (it is why I will strictly enforce not naming individuals & companies in a post; the comments made are strictly a subjective opinion). In this case, however, a company may want to provide some leeway on the issue before directly firing someone.

[George]

For me I just avoid the whole issue by not blogging about work. I think having a paycheck is more important than blogging for the work to see. Thats what I think.