Article, CNN.com, February 15, 2005
http://money.cnn.com This article examines a new phenomenon which has because quite popular among affluent young adults: blogging. Blogging, or posting daily diaries or musings online, is growing among young workers. Many consider it akin to a discussion around the company water cooler that could include thousands. This growing phenomenon isn't pleasing many large corporations, because they consider some of this new blogging content as a potential threat to their security or reputation.
The article mentions a number of people who have been fired recently from their jobs because companies deemed their blogs "innapropriate," or "damaging" to their reputations. These companies include Google, Microsoft, Apple, Friendster, and Delta Air Lines. According to the article, a Microsoft employee was canned because he posted a picture showing a shipment of Apple computers arriving at the company's headquarters.
Although some states protect people with detailed laws allowing them to freely express their political views inside the workplace, most don't cover badmouthing a boss to the general public. The first amendment may keep you out of prison, but it generally doesn't protect your job.
Many bloggers mistakenly think that their blogs are part of their private lives, and thus safe from the constraints of the office. This argument unfortunately didn't work for many recently unemployed bloggers. It really didn't work for those who posted content from their office computers.
