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BainsBane

(53,001 posts)
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 04:28 PM Mar 2013

Remember the argument about work vs. private space?

and how EEOC regulations for what is acceptable at work don't apply online because this isn't work? The Adriana Richards case shows the defense of the internet as private space was empty for a couple of reasons. One, they are now defending the men's behavior at work. Two, they are arguing that Richards deserved to be fired because Twitter was her work space.

Now I'm not making any comments on who did or didn't deserve to be fired. I don't know enough about the people in question and have no access to their performance history at their previous places of employment. But I do find this incident revealing for what it says about public views of feminism, sexual harassment, and women more generally. Richards interfered with a man's god given right to make off-color jokes in the workplace, and for that she must be pilloried. Meanwhile, the unnamed penis joke teller has a Kickstarter account, and some DUers have asked where they can contribute.

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Warpy

(110,900 posts)
1. And their shithead manager who didn't do his job
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 04:32 PM
Mar 2013

has remained raking in his salary and smelling like a rose.

She had a right to object to a barrage of off color humor. The guy had a right to object to being fired over something so trivial.

The manager is the one who needs to be shitcanned. His failure to speak to both of them caused this mess. He just couldn't be arsed to do his job.

BainsBane

(53,001 posts)
2. They didn't work at the same place
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 04:33 PM
Mar 2013

so it's not clear to me which manager you mean. All of this took place at a conference.

Warpy

(110,900 posts)
3. Then two shithead managers didn't do their jobs
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 04:39 PM
Mar 2013

All it would have taken is a warning to him to save the humor for the men's room and to her to keep it off Twitter. Instead, both managers overreacted instead of doing their jobs and simply fired them.

Nobody should have been fired here. That's the problem.

BainsBane

(53,001 posts)
4. possibly so
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 04:40 PM
Mar 2013

I assumed the guy had to have something else in his work history that led the employer to respond to this incident by firing him, but who knows. It may be as you say.

 

seabeyond

(110,159 posts)
7. except he clearly broke company policy. the company he works for stresses NO
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 06:42 PM
Mar 2013

jokes, ect... like this creating a hostile work environment. do they let this one go, and not the next. or.... do they not enforce the policy and it is an empty policy.

Warpy

(110,900 posts)
8. Dunno, that reprimand in a personnel file
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 06:45 PM
Mar 2013

that will affect whether or not he's recommended for a promotion or given a good reference is a pretty good deterrent.

Most of them are discarded after six months, but it can be a very long six months.

It should be reprimand first, firing second unless actual assault occurred.

 

seabeyond

(110,159 posts)
9. well, the thing, the tech industry is widely known for the sexism and hostile workforce. the last
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 06:49 PM
Mar 2013

handful of years, companies and individuals are really addressing this, understanding that they are reducing the work resource by half. with what is happening today, i am not so far out there to appreciate seeing a company have a hard and fast line on what is allowable.

mike_c

(36,213 posts)
5. I find it troubling that anyone views "the internet" or Twitter as "work space...."
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 04:49 PM
Mar 2013

Is the electromagnetic spectrum also "work space?" If the internet is work space-- I use it for work purposes constantly whenever I'm working-- is its use by other people for other purposes something my employer might try to regulate?

Just my $0.02, but I think that's an absurd notion.

Sorry for the off topic intrusion, but hey-- I'm working....

BainsBane

(53,001 posts)
6. well, in fairness
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 06:17 PM
Mar 2013

Her job had to do with social media. They were both at a conference, however, so a conference would also constitute work space.

I can't help observing a contradiction in logic. Defending sexism must be exhausting given the rhetorical contortions folks feel compelled to engage in.

Tien1985

(920 posts)
10. The part that baffles me the most
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 07:21 PM
Mar 2013

Are people arguing the guy was in a private conversation...

I don't know about anyone else, but I don't hold private conversations at conferences. If I'm not at home, I assume my words may come back to bite me if I say something stupid. Anyone who thinks they aren't likely to get photographed, recorded or quoted is deluding themselves. You don't have to like it, but dening the reality of it is just dumb.

BainsBane

(53,001 posts)
11. absolutely
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 07:23 PM
Mar 2013

particularly for people whose lives are devoted to tech. They more than anyone know that very little is private today, especially while you are WORKING. I don't send personal emails of any kind on my work email for that very reason. Chances of my sending anything compromising are remote, but I consider it best not to establish a habit that might lead to something inappropriate.

One_Life_To_Give

(6,036 posts)
12. When you are Professionally employed, what place is Private?
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 06:14 PM
Mar 2013

If you are a faceless, nameless worker then maybe it doesn't matter. But for the University Diversity officer terminated for Homophobic remarks and countless others everything is a potential poison pill.


Essentially, the opposing counsel wants your social media activity. Potentially all of it. A party’s first thought might be that is private! I don’t want anyone to see it. However, depending on the claims advanced by a party this information may be discoverable and potential damaging and/or embarrassing posts may be ordered produced.

http://nationallawforum.com/2013/01/22/are-social-media-posts-discoverable/
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