Words have Power
Media & AdvertisingThere’s an article up at CNN.com called “The coming out stories of anonymous bloggers.” It’s a relatively quick, interesting read that I’m still trying to digest. It maps out some instances where anonymous bloggers were forced or found out and had to reveal their identities. In some cases, it resulted in a trip to the unemployment office.
I suppose I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, it seems that people commonly forget that they are writing in a public space and if you’re concerned with your public persona at all, then this should be a consideration. On the other hand, wouldn’t this constitute free speech? It seems a bit harsh for someone to lose their job (that had nothing to do with what they were posting about) when they genuinely tried not to have what they say reflect back onto where they work by obscuring their name.
Hmm, I’m still mulling it over. Thoughts, anyone?
August 26th, 2009 at 5:04 am
My big sister worked at McDonald’s and she said that the mics in the drive-thru are a lot more sensitive than most people could ever imagine. I didn’t believe her until I got a job there. One day this obese man came through (and I have nothing against obese men, I’m just saying) and he ordered a dozen Big Mac’s and I told him (in jest) that you eat that much McDonald’s your gonna get sick and at that point he rudely started yelling at me as he proceeded with his order and I said sir you don’t know how loud your coming through, could you please quit acting so crazy! My manager (my ex-manager) herd me and got so angry he said Kim you know its customers first here, your always supposed to say have a nice day, even if its night. I said, what does that supposed to mean? He said I was being ironic. Obese shorty (he was not a tall man) pulled up to the first window and hawked his thigh-size neck all the way through the window and said let me talk to the manager at point which Chris said I’m sorry sir Kim is knew here she didn’t know what she was doing. He said to the customer Kim will apologize now. I said apologize? What do you mean apologize, apologize for something I didn’t do? Shorty said it makes sense, but I said sir, I don’t like your attitude and Chris sided with me cos we were both wearing the same uniform and in unison we said to the obese man McDonalds is bad for you. I told you, so? And we closed the first window on him and pointed to the left (to the second window) and you could see steam piping out of his ears he had so much gusto to his crazy act. My point is, we both explained to that poor sap at the second window, that even by talking about anything you can cause controversy, the obese man, the shorty, any color of the rainbow,
August 27th, 2009 at 3:15 am
I don’t know who wrote that last comment, but if I could add my two cents, I think whoever wrote this post is write: it’s a matter of free speech.
August 27th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Ha. Trying to cover your bases there, Kim? ;)
Oh, I don’t really have a definite point of view on this. I can understand both sides of the laptop, so to speak. If I owned a business then I certainly wouldn’t want an employee’s life interfering with the productivity of my business, but, I would never keep that person from saying what it is they think–even if I disagreed. So, it’s hard for me to be ultra solid on either side, really.
I suppose, no one has persuaded me to thinking there way quite yet. ;)