Was Friendster right or wrong? It's not black and white.

Michael Gartenberg | August 31, 2004, 11:29 AM

Hmmm... This one's a little tricky Robert. There are times when a single event necessitates a person's termination. Whenever you start blogging about your company and internal affairs, you're opening yourself up for issues. If you wrote a scathing post that Jim allchin was an idiot and the development process for Longhorn was all messed up beyond recognition and what if that was picked up in the press and affected the stock price? Would you be subject to action or termination? Personal blogs should have no impact on a professional situation (although like anything else done in a public forum, they can indeed have ramifications) but as soon as corporate issues get discussed, all bets are off. Frustration is always the result of expectation and that's why it's critical every business must have clear policies on corporate weblogs as well as discussing corporate issues on private weblogs. Folks need to be told what is OK and what's not. In the absence of a policy though, you many blog about your company on your own time but also at your own risk.

Troutgirl was firedfrom Friendster for blogging.

That's weird. I'm more of the firing-is-a-nuclear-weapon-never-to-be-used style of person. If a manager fires someone that should be the last in a very long string of attempts to get an employee to turn around. And, along that vein, I'd never fire someone for blogging. I'd make sure there were at least three other reasons for firing first. Why? Because if you fire someone for blogging you just guarantee that you'll make them a martyr and you'll do horrid damage to your brand. Just like Friendster just did to their brand. Look at my link blog for swift and negative reaction from around the blogosphere.

[Scobleizer: Microsoft Geek Blogger]