Be Careful What you Tweet

[Mike Seidle]

Chris Flener got me thinking (Chris has a habit of being thought provoking) with a comment he made. Chris's was to the effect that people's comments, especially political ones, on sites like Smaller Indiana should not be used against them in real life. Ethics aside, reality is that everyone from your next employer to law enforcement to the IRS can read what you post, and they can and do use your comments to make real decisions that affect you (especially on very public sites like Twitter and MySpace).

* What are the biggest train wrecks you've seen people create with a comment?

* Should informal comments be used to make important real life decisions, like hiring and firing?

* Do forum and social network owners bear responsibility for removing comments when asked?

[Elizabeth Friedland]

Extremeist views, especially views that show a lack in logical or critical thinking (such a gay-bashing, bigoted views, etc.), is what would make me uncomfortable.

[Mike Seidle]

Is it agreeing with you on issues what is important, or is it the evidence of extreme views and a history of voicing them in public that would make you uncomfortable with making a hire?

[Elizabeth Friedland]

When I get an applicant for our agency, the first thing I do is Google stalk them. Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Smaller Indiana -- a find out as much as I can. People's responses on sites like this tell the true story of who they are. Of course everyone is on their best behavior during an interview -- but not everyone (ahem, cough cough) is as nice and rational on sites like this. Even if an opinion was shared in a respectful manner, the content will still influence me when it comes time to evaluating the candidate. A good personality fit for our office is vital -- so if someone had blog post after blog post about hating Obama, not believing in evolution or calling homosexuality a sin you'll bur in hell for, I might be hesitant.