Facebook Posts, Losing Your Job, Your Privacy, And Your Dignity

From the Mediation Matters Blog of Steve Mehta.

Recently I gave a lecture about social media and suggested that people need to watch what they say because it is being used in legal proceedings. In fact, we discussed the issue in the seminar whether it is the standard of care to investigate social media in a case. I also wrote a post about useless comments on Facebook. So I decided to show some useless posts that have many legal uses and implications. In other words, posts that are really embarassing that shouldn’t have been put up in the first place. I thought I would put the post and then some advice along with it.

Was this person not thinking when she made her boss a friend on facebook and then commented about how bad the job is. How about the future employer?

Make sure that you know who you are texting to. In addition, you have the write to text silently. anything you text can be used against you.

I have decided to edit this next one because of language. However, the gist of it as follows: Poor Tracy! Overwhelmed with the excitement of getting laid over the weekend, she quickly sent a Facebook message — or what she thought was a message — to the lucky guy who broke her sex drought, not realizing she accidentally updated her status with the racy note. “I must admit,” she wrote, “I haven’t had sex in a while, so getting mounted by such a strong and powerful man was a pleasant surprise after so many long months of abstinence.” About an hour after posting the update, Tracy wrote in a comment beneath the update: “Oh no! Somebody please tell me how to erase this!!! I wrote inside the wrong box! How embarrassing ” It turns out Tracy mistakenly invited all her friends to “the love-cave-between-my-legs.” Oops! (cited from http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-most-embarrassing-facebook-status-ever/). Here not only has Tracy identified issues relating to her sex life to the entire world, she has opened the door for her future employers to not hire her because of her unfamiliarity with dealing with social media, and her inability to maintain confidences. Imagine having this person as an attorney in your office or as a mediator?

Drew T 5:35 and I just got home and what sucks i was driving home at 5:20and I passed my job, and i thought to my self, i have to be back up here in about 4 hours so i can go to work. This hungover is going to be killer. (Commenatary: Maybe if the boss finds out about the drinking and hangover, he may not have to go back to work afterall.)

Autumn G So I’ve decided that my job sucks, my owner is a dick and I’m wayyyyy to good for this place! F*** 88″s. These last two have completely public facebook pages. If you don’t believe that there are people with public facebook pages, look at www.openbook.org.

Finally, here is a comment from the Herald Tribune regarding Facebook:

From the Tampa Tribune:

More than 80 percent of lawyers surveyed by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers said Facebook is showing up in more divorce cases. Sixty-six percent calledFacebook the unrivaled leader for online divorce evidence, followed by MySpace (15 percent) and Twitter (5 percent).

                       

Steve Mehta

Steven G. Mehta is an attorney and mediator providing unique mediation services in a variety of types of civil litigation. His ability to understand the human process and complex emotional issues involved in legal negotiations enables him to effectively assist the parties in obtaining the best possible results during mediation.… MORE >