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[Lord Shonus]

Here's a potentially amusing subject to discuss.

Basically, I 'd like to discuss the appropriateness of using information gained by Googling an prospective employee in the hiring process, something which employment coaches frequently warn about. Do you think that it is a sound business practice, and do you think it morally justifiable?

Personally, I'm divided on the subject. While character is important in a prospective employee, it is hardly fair to judge someone, for example, based on the party pictures posted on their Myspace/Facebook page, as the fact that the pictures were posted in no way implies that the person parties harder or more reclessly than an average prospect. On the other hand, it could be argued that posting the pictures implies a lack of judgement.

The chief moral dilemma is that there is no real way to verify the veracity of the information obtained. I know from personal experience that Myspace accounts can be and often are faked.

[Urist Imiknorris]

There's another issue - Same name, different person.

[Lord Shonus]

An excellent point.

[Nilocy]

But you also have things like Facebook and stuff where they'll most likely contain photos of the person you just interviewed. So you'd have to be a pretty stupid employer to mistake someone for someone else.

[fenrif]

The kind of employer thats going to scour the internet looking through all my activities and then decide to not hire me based on them is the kind of employer I'm going to hate working for.

Saying that, if you're worried about this kind of thing, just dont use yourr real name on the internet. Thats what screen names are for.

[Qloos]

I googled my name once, a gay porn site was first on the list.  I stopped caring after that.

[fenrif]

I googled my name once, a gay porn site was first on the list.  I stopped caring after that.

Once you're on one gay porn site it's all downhill from there.

[Calhoun]

If you put it on the internet for all to see, then you can't complain if they use it against you.

[Char13magne]

Generally what I find wrong about that particular practice, is that what you're really finding out by looking to see if someone has any unflattering photos online is not whether or not they do that kind of thing (though that does come into play), but more whether or not they were stupid or unlucky enough to end up with it in picture form online.

[Nilocy]

A good example of this is that quite a few of my friends are drug users, and they quite often post very funny pictures of themselves while high. This is not good, though, for how you appear to employers, especially if that employers going to be the military...

[Qloos]

[MrWiggles]

When I first saw that image, I thought it was kinda of funny.

Though now view in this context. I don't know...

The employee was blowing off steam about work in a semi public forum. I should be allowed as an employee to talk shit about my employer when not at work or on the clock, no?

The boss didn't seem to satisfied with her work output or quality. So he not solely using this post as his reason for termination. She doesn't do a good job and she doesnt like to work there, so as an employer I can see where firing her is a good option.

[Zangi]

Or it could just be retribution.

[Bauglir]

-snip-

[TheDarkJay]

When did we forget our dreams? The infinite possibilities each day holds should stagger the mind. The sheer number of experiences I could have is uncountable, breathtaking, and I'm sitting here refreshing my inbox. We live trapped in loops, reliving a few days over and over, and we envision only a few paths laid out ahead of us. We see the same things each day, respond the same way, we think the same thoughts, every day a slight variation on the last, every moment smoothly following the gentle curves of societal norms. We act like if we just get through today, tomorrow our dreams will come back to us.

And no, I don't have all the answers. I don't know how to jolt myself into seeing what each moment could become. But I do know one thing: The solution doesn't involve watering down my every little idea and creative impulse for the sake of someday easing my fit into a mould. It doesn't involve tempering my life to better fit someone's expectations. It doesn't involve constantly holding back for fear of shaking things up.

This is very important, so I want to say it as clearly as I can: FUCK. THAT. SHIT.

http://xkcd.com/137/

Facebook solution is simple: Split people into groups on facebook so bosses can't see photos and most status updates ^^