This post is to examine the controversy of being apart of Web 2.0 social networks. Social networks offer anything and everything to the users. They allow people to connect, job hunt, date and message. What could possibly go wrong? Well, a lot actually. With the dawn of Web 2.0, there is the opportunity to connect with everyone at all times, but that also means you are accessible by anyone and everyone at all times. A problem that has cost many people their jobs.
An example of this occurred in 2009 when an employee of the NFL team the Philadelphia Eagles publicly criticized his team for not resigning one of their players. He was on the social networking site, Facebook, where he posted as his status ""Dan is [expletive] devastated about Dawkins signing with Denver ... Dam Eagles R Retarted!!". Obviously this isn't the most tactful or politically correct way to express your frustration with your employer or for a team you are a fan of. However, the question remains, when you do something outside of work, on a social networking site, are you to be held accountable for your actions? The full story can be found here.
Do the negative consequences that can result from these social networks make them more of a liability than the benefits they possess? Perhaps the operative phrase when examining this dilemma isn't a phrase at all but rather a singular word: responsibility. At one point did people fail to realize that they are responsible for what they put online? Online represents scribing something in stone, once it's up, it's online forever. The man in question clearly did fully understand the consequences of a simple Facebook post, but the sooner people begin to realize what they do online can be seen by everyone, the sooner people may actually be able to exhibit responsibility. It's the only way to avoid the big F.
I remember when this happened. He wasn't even a permanent employee, just a seasonal temp. He shouldn't have been fired in my opinion. If it was a permanent employee or someone whose responsibility it is for furthering the brand then maybe. But not he gatekeeper.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me that the change that web2.0 has brought us. It seems your boundary between life and world is broken. You boss can reach you from your blog, facebook page, twitter page. If he or she wants, he can know everything about you from those web 2.0 apps. Should we keep the secret inside or just be brave to post them?
ReplyDeleteI think there was a line which separated the real world and the world of the internet and it was definitely crossed a while ago, so now, even though we used to be able to post whatever we wanted on "our" pages, we find that we must censor ourselves so that potential employer does not find us and judge us for over one picture or one status update. Boundary crossed.
ReplyDelete"once it's up, it's online forever." I think not many people aware of this. So what remind us from this kind of news is that we should really pay attention to what we are posting.
ReplyDeleteBeing able to use a web 2.0 technology does not make you intelligent. People make bad decisions all of the time. The internet is just here to document these mistakes for us. Should people be held accountable for what they say in real life or on the internet, yes. Should we as humans be given the opportunity to learn from our mistakes, most certainly. This and other examples like it should be used to educate new web 2.0 users that they too should know their audience.
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