Worker Free Speech: Rights, Responsibilities, Sensibilities, and Getting Away With It
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A subject has arisen that I think our community should discuss. The discussion may help guide local business owners and employees in how they behave online. The result could be increased and higher quality online participation by those parties.
I refer to the subject of discussing local businesses and organizations on IdahoFallz.com. Because IdahoFallz.com is focused on all things in the Idaho Falls geographic area, inevitably local businesses and organizations are discussed. They may be praised, critiqued, or neutral information may be passed around in response to questions.
I have always thought of IdahoFallz.com as a more public version of the same conversations that happen in our local bars, churches, homes, classrooms, workplaces, etc. The only difference is the pool of talkers is larger and the words are more permanent.
Local organizations should pay attention to what is being said about them on IdahoFallz.com. Statements made here are not necessarily representative of our whole city, but if one person says it you can bet that many others are thinking it.
Obviously local organizations are delighted when people praise them here. Obviously local organizations are concerned when people critique them here. How do local organizations feel when seemingly neutral information is discussed about them here?
For example, a question may be asked in comments or chatbox about where to eat or get local daycare or local news or whatever. Someone may reply a local organization or two, and will often add a bit of information. The tidbits of information may be factual, out-of-date, or leftovers from an old smear campaign (e.g. the urban legends about Chinese food). The information may have been posted out of spite towards the local organization, or it may have just been said in passing, like a normal conversation.
For another example, employees may want to vent about their workplace conditions or their boss. There have been many comments left by local police officers critical of Chief Livesy. We sometimes hear from eatery ex-employees, and those comments can be extremely critical.
My hunch is that more local workers visit IdahoFallz.com than do local business owners and organization leaders. These local employees may see information about their workplace being discussed, and they may feel compelled to respond on their own. Why would employees want to do this? They may see their bosses do not reply, and feel someone should defend the organization. They may want to say thanks for a kudos. They may see misinformation posted, and they just want to clear up the error.
Because of IdahoFallz.com’s conversational structure, someone is likely to respond to an employee’s discussion. It could be a factual challenge or it could be a clarification question. The employee who answered once may feel compelled to answer again. A dialog may begin, with that employee being seen as representative and spokesperson for the said local organization.
And that is right where many business owners get uncomfortable. The employee may be loyal and have the best intentions, but they usually were not hired or trained to be the organization’s public spokesperson. The employee may think they are helping, but the business owner may not appreciate the exact perception the employee is presenting. I heard a company fired an employee some years ago when he spoke to the media about his view of an ongoing labor dispute. Their justification was that he was not the company’s spokesperson and had signed an agreement not to speak to media as a representative.
However, IdahoFallz.com is often derided as being another blog and certainly any part of the media circle. If this is so, are employees posting about companies here merely engaging in local conversation, and can their free speech rights be restricted?
Some business owners may “kindly request” their employees to not speak for the company to the media or on IdahoFallz.com, and some may forbid it. However, do those owners think they can forbid their employees from any public activities that may reflect badly on the company? What if an employee goes to a bar and gets thrown out for acting like a buffoon? Would the employee be asked to not wear that company-supplied coat or t-shirt? Are employees asked to not answer questions or discuss the company in any informal conversations held in local bars, churches, etc.?
While employees may have the constitutional right to discuss their companies, bosses also have more than one way to eventually get rid of employees. Workers may have the right to free speech, but how does that right balance against responsibilities to their employers?
Realistically, employees can register anonymously and discuss their workplaces without bosses finding out who it is. The leaders can try an in-office witch hunt, but if the employee takes a few simple precautions it is unlikely they will ever be caught.
What are local business owners and organization leaders to do then when IdahoFallz.com discussions focus on their workplace? What kind of guiding policies should workers be asked to follow when talking about the company on IdahoFallz.com? Should bosses be prepared to quickly make their own responses on IdahoFallz.com? Are bosses who do quickly respond to comments on IdahoFallz.com demonstrating appropriate leadership to their workers?
What do you think about how bosses or workers should engage in or respond to discussions about their organizations?
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Comments
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0 
0 my response to your article is that it was very confusing, I don’t get the point…
In addition, there seems to be alot of assumptions some positive and some negative, again it was confusing to read.
Are you just asking for opinions? a healthy conversation? instigating a debate?
Because no one posted a comment I suspect it was not a topic of interest…
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0 0 Oh, maybe you are right. I am trying to ask opinions and start a healthy debate.
I agree there were a lot of assumptions because there is little precedent and lots of rumors going around.
What would you think if your business was being criticized here, and your boss never responded it?
What would you think if your boss told you they specifically did not want you to participate in IFz discussions?
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0 0 If my boss asked me not to participate in the IFz discussions I would want to know why, however, I also believe that if such a request was asked it would be due to the subject matter and not necessarily discussion in general.
When you speak of rumors, where and what specific topics are you referring to?
I also believe that any business in the public eye may be open to skeptics… and various perceptions and observations, negative and positive.
It stands to reason that when an attack or negative assumption is placed on a business the logical response would be for a ‘boss’ to explain and offer reasonable explanations.
And then the responsibility for accepting the explanations are left to the listeners, it is their choice to believe or not believe the rumors or explanations from those in the know…
does this make sense?
…and as always, consider the source, especially when hearing talk… and try not to get overheated and jump to conclusions without a reasonable research on your part…
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0 0 As one who is sometimes on the receiving end of criticism (lots of it outrageous enough to appear on a supermarket tabloid cover), I’ve found it is almost always the better choice to ignore such criticism. To respond to it tends to lend legitimacy, and legs, to whatever criticism is leveled. If I consider the criticism to approach the level of libel or slander or other actionable offense, I turn the matter over to my attorney.
I would never rebut someone’s criticism of me or my business on a website not under my direct and complete control without the full and unqualified agreement of my attorney to do so.
Vote:
0 0 Anyone saying anything too risque about an employer should use this site. Its basically a free proxy server and will disguise your IP address. I have no reason to believe Joe would ever divulge who we are but this site creates yet another barrier protecting your real identity. On the downside, it does slow browsing down a bit.
However, I only assume this site works as advertised. I’m a semi regular poster here so it would be interesting to see if Joe can match my IP or not to who I really am.
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0 0 You don’t need to sweat the slower browsing through anonymizers because I have never given up an IP address to an employer or such. I vow to only do so under court order or to save a life.
You would want to surf IFz from a non-work computer, of course. They can match up your access times to your comments published here.
I appreciate what the guests and NotNomallyAnonymous have said, I would like to hear some more opinions before I pose another question.
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0 0 So let’s say one day someone writes a post criticizing a local business, naming specific employees they have had troubles with, and generally painting a horrible picture of how the whole business operates.
If you were an employee at the business, how would you respond? Would you leave a comment to try explaining some of the misconceptions? Would you forward the article to your boss and hope they respond? Would you just figure the person was blowing off steam and leave it alone?
What if afterwards, several other comments quickly got posted from many other locals agreeing and adding their own fuel to the fire?
What would you do?
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0 0 My fear doesn’t come from my employer, but from some of the regulars who post on this site. Unfortunately they don’t always have the facts and when you try to correct them, they attack. Even if your intentions are in a nice way.
I think a spokesperson from a company is great to clarify and correct posts that may be incorrect. But I doubt many will because of the attack that comes from some frequent visitors, or should I say residents of the IFz site.
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0 0 NufSaid You make some interesting comments in your last 2 sentences. I’m wondering if you know who uses this page as their home page, helps Joe monitor here, or keeps a browser/tab open all day? Have you read Joe’s request for people to use Idaho Fallz.Com as their home page?
Your comment about “Residents of IFz site,” I would like to know who you think that is, as I want to get to the facts of what you may not know.
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0 0 I actually don’t know who monitors. I simply watch the people that post a lot and the comments that are left in the live chat box.
One inpaticular tends to take offense if people don’t agree with Joe or themselves. I actually enjoy Joe’s posts and tend to agree with him quite often. He actually works hard at not attacking individuals and also admits if he didn’t have the facts. To this my hats off to him.
I refer to “Residents of IFZ site” to those who are here often. Not that they own the property, but simply are at the public domain.
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0 0 So there are facts that you don’t know about this site? Did you ever think about when people are on here and what gets left at what times of the day/night? Sometimes the chatbox moves fast, sometimes it doesn’t.
I also know some people don’t want certain comments left in the chatbox, so they will put repeated posts until what they want is off of the screen.
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0 0 I liked Guest_1948’s response, because reading both or three sides to the story and making our own decision is about all we can do to arrive at the truth.
Unfortunately, what can happen though is some people may start bad-mouthing a particular organization, and others chime in the same, until an employee gets mad and responds to clear the air.
Sometimes an employee may just make a little comment for a small clarification, and someone asks another innocent question, and the employee responds innocently, and it starts going back and forth and the conversation heats up until the employee finds themselves in an argument and defending the organization.
Wouldn’t it be nicer if some of the local leadership would engage themselves to quickly take care of questions or issues or concerns?
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0 0 I think NotNomallyAnonymous’s response is typical of an older vanguard who don’t “get” the Internet and are very standoff-ish.
I think this type of person would be very disappointed to find out that many of the laws they know in the real world apply in different ways online.
For example, “… ignore such criticism. To respond to it tends to lend legitimacy, and legs, to whatever criticism is leveled.”
Most often I see minor criticism leveled for a small thing that often is a misunderstanding.
For instance, I mentioned a restaurant health inspection i read in the PR, and that it grossed me out. Someone (probably the owner) filled in some more of the details of the violations, and cleared up the air.
The explanation made sense to me and probably anyone reading it, so what could have been months of me and others boycotting a restaurant was taken care of quickly by an attentive owner.
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0 0 I also laugh at NotNomallyAnonymous’s statement “I would never rebut someone’s criticism of me or my business on a website not under my direct and complete control without the full and unqualified agreement of my attorney to do so.”
If NNA heard someone going off on their business in a restaurant or bar, would they refrain from approaching and trying to talk to that person until their attorney agreed it was a good idea?
I see it as the same principal.
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0 0 > I see it as the same principal.
It’s not the same principle at all. Face to face, I can engage and read the 80% of communication that is non-verbal. I can see if I’m being understood, or making things worse or better, and I can convey my sincerity with words, the tone of my voice, my posture, and my actions.
Here, all I have is my written word. In addition to being persistent (which spoken words usually aren’t), writings on blogs and via email are often misinterpreted or misconstrued. It’s hard to get the tone exactly right, and even then, someone will often twist or take those words out of context.
It’s FAR riskier to respond here than to someone in a restaurant.
Which is why, when I KNOW that many subjects of posts here, or people involved in situations cited here, read the blog, at least occasionally, I’m hardly surprised that I’ve never seen them post. Or at least, not under their real names…
And real names matter. If I confront someone in a restaurant, I have to assume that they can find out who I am (and vice versa), which places constraints on what each of us is willing to say or do. Here, where I can be anonymous (presumably, since I’m testing out anonymouse), I can say things I wouldn’t dare say in person with impunity. It doesn’t particularly foster honest communication.
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0 0 NuSaid
You wrote, “My fear doesn’t come from my employer, but from some of the regulars who post on this site. Unfortunately they don’t always have the facts and when you try to correct them, they attack. Even if your intentions are in a nice way.”
I find it interesting that YOU, after those remarks, couldn’t answer what Fact Seeker asked, as FACTS. Please explain how you can judge others while not knowing the facts about their involvement on this site.
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0 0 How about a scenario of an employee posting criticism of their company on IFz?
How might you handle that?
Vote:
0 0 NufSaid, I apologize for my typo in your username. It was just a typo, no hidden meaning, since you want facts.
Vote:
0 0 I’m going out on a limb here and stating that I agree with NufSaid’s comments on this thread. I have a lot of trust and respect for Joe Vandal. I think we all owe Joe a lot of thanks for inviting us to this site and the honorable way in which he runs it. However, some of the others who spend time here are not as congenial.
I have made honest comments before and presented facts to support my comments and received harassment and confrontation for my efforts. Some people just can’t handle having others disagree with them and they get all uppity. That is why I no longer log in under my registered screen name. It’s just not worth the hassle. I don’t come here to argue. And I have no problems from my employer regarding visiting here, but I have been visiting less than I was before for the same reason NufSaid brought up.
Ok4Now, please objectively read what NufSaid wrote in their previous two posts. I have personally seen what they are talking about many times. Then read your Post #17. It looks like you are acting exactly as NufSaid stated. Confrontational and defensive. And by the way, your writing style looks eerily similar to that of “Fact Seeker.” But you are the one with deputy privileges, not us, so even though you know may who we are, we don’t know who you are. And I believe that if something is so sensitive it needs to be cleared from the chatbox, it shouldn’t have been there in the first place. That’s just my opinion.
I really don’t feel that comfortable making these statements because it is not my desire to hurt anyone’s feelings. But NufSaid made statements that I could have made myself and this issue has been raised now. I thought maybe I was the only one who felt as I do but I see that’s not the case.
I’m really not here to complain. I just want to make things better. Maybe everyone here could work just a little bit harder to be respectful and tolerant while agreeing to disagree, myself included.
And to end this on a positive note, keep up the good work, Joe!
Vote:
0 0 Thanks for your thoughts. I obviously have no ability to change your perception and thoughts of what anyone has written in this thread or elsewhere on this site.
I don’t have a clue of your implied meaning about my deputy status and “so even though you know may who we are, we don’t know who you are.? Please clarify? Because I have the ability to remove profanity and inappropriate words on this site, when needed, doesn’t mean I have the ability to know anything else.
I’m confused by your comment and would appreciate you connecting the dots for me, as I don’t follow your thoughts. Thanks.
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0 0 The amazing thing is how anyone can guide the conversations back to positive productive.
Perhaps I should admit something. I have obviously made many decisions for IFz, but I wanted to involved others in formulating community policies regarding employee and business interactions at IdahoFallz.com.
Trust me, there are thousands of possible outcomes I have envisioned. Since this is an Idaho Falls community website and not just my website, I am seeking the wisdom of our masses to make some decisions.
Suppose again an unknown employee is badmouthing their company. The owner cannot figure out who it is, and the badmouthing is very critical but not quite libelous.
What then? What would you want IFz admins to do if you were the employee?
If you were the business owner?
As a community member watching community precedents be set?
Vote:
0 0 Bottom line - it is nearly impossible for anyone, Joe or the rest of us - to determine whether someone is stating an honest experience from a business or trying to “get back” at a boss or others.
As I am “new in town” - I don’t have long held gripes about anyone or anything, (yet!) but I certainly have already had some good and bad experiences with businesses in town.
To somewhat answer your question, as a reader and user of this site I would like to know that people are posting what honestly happened in the course of their business and not out for some revenge game. Who cares if you use your real name or not, just be truthful!
(Joe) maybe you could contact blossoming issues directly since you have everyone’s email addresses and “politely” advise them about the path they are taking with posting about certain topics?
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0 0 new in town: thank you for your comment, I agree wholeheartedly with the idea that identity is not as important as demonstrated authenticity.
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0 0 Joe:
Would you please address post #20, from “Me Too Says” in paragraph 3? I seriously doubt this person would believe me regarding the limits of what I can do on this site. Somehow s/he has made assumptions that are 1000% inaccurate and I am no longer willing to let some continue making those inaccurate statements about me.
I’m really tired of trying to help people here who need some posts cleared and prnted in a timely fashion and then someone later has to comment about my motives. Or, I’ve removed some posts that were so offensive and inappropriate that as I recall, you as well as the others you asked to help you, were shocked at what was written (when I e-mailed all of you the contents of what I had removed).
I’m not tired of trying to help others here; but I’m greatly disappointed that some users have apparently decided I have abilities I do not have and have created an agenda about their own inaccurate beliefs.
I doubt many know how many users you asked to help you monitor this site. Now, I better understand why some aren’t as actively involved as they use to be. There is a limit even for me.
And while I’ve told dozens of people about this site and encouraged them to visit, register, comment and perhaps even use it as their homepage like I’ve done (per your requests), that means my username is shown as being here for many hours each day or night.
I might not even been in the same room as my computer, and I’m almost always using another window or tab to complete my work. Nonetheless, because the chat box shows me as logged on, others are making assumptions, direct and indirect comments about why I am logged on for so many hours/day or night, that I don’t feel are fair to me. I feel like some people think all I do is watch this page and wait for certain users to log on, given some comments I’ve read.
The identity of anyone on this page is of NO interest to me more than I can say! Jeez, if people only knew how much I don’t want to know their real names, given my work, it would be laughable, if it weren’t so unbelievable! But, it appears some users either can’t comprehend that I don’t want to know any identifying information about them. I’m not sure why some people apparently believe I want to, or potentially even know who they are; however, I’m not willing to deal with their assumptions, without them checking the facts first, any longer.
I’ve been interested in the views of many simply because they have backgrounds so different than mine and bring ideas here I never would have thought of. But, their ideas, suggestions, beliefs about the future, hopes for changes etc. are all that matter to me.
Being an “old timer” here compared to many, I have become friends with several other users. I don’t know how many current users have ever been in the chat box at the same time as One Eye and others who use to be here a year ago. Naturally, I’ve developed closer friendships with some who have similar interests, responsibiities or restrictions as me, yet I have no idea who they are, unless the person is posting with their real name. And often for guests who have used their real names, I’ve suggested they pick a username, given what they do or who their relatives are. The relative of the undercover Narc Officer is a prime example of someone I recommended use a name that didn’t connect that person with the officer in any way.
I’ve NEVER asked for anyone to identify his or her real name to me, as I know why I can’t use mine here or on any other site. Remarks from some suggest to me they have never worked in an environment where they had to sign an agreement to never user their real name, the name of their employer or any other identifying information on any Internet site, as terms of their employment.
It seems like it is time for me to change back to my former home page, as I’m tired of the both the direct and indirect remarks of why my user name is here so much. I’m not willing to deal with the ignoramce and/or paranoia of some users any longer.
I know this is longer than you’ve suggested remarks be, but there are some facts that I have to write, regardless of the length. Now I can refer people to a post number in a thread for their answers instead of trying to explain anything anymore.
Just like others, maybe it is time for me to use a “guest or anonymous name” when signing in.
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0 0 Inacurate statements can hurt, but when you try to set the record straight and are attacked. It makes a person not want to post much.
I was frustrated when “OK4Now” posted the comment after me but truly appreciate “Me Too Says” for backing me up. I almost said enough is enough and not post at IFz anymore. Thanks for letting me know that others feel this same way. I will probably keep posting now.
Vote:
0 0 They said good job Joe that’s awesome 8^)
Actually it looks to me like part personality conflicts and part concerns about what some admins can and cannot see.
I am the only one that sees the names and email addresses that people register with. The three other people who have been promoted to help with the site have the ability to release the articles of people with less than 3, approve stuck comments, delete comments, and delete/edit chatbox comments; that’s it. They help with keeping the site humming along, but any personal information registered at IFz is still restricted.
Comments that disagree with the site moderators are not deleted because of that. The only comments ever deleted are blatant advertisements with no discussion value, and those that when the name-calling is bleeped out there is really nothing left to the comment.
I see maybe one comment a month deleted, not too bad out of the hundreds we get monthly. Do not fear that your efforts will be deleted simply if you disagree with me or anyone else.
I am disappointed to hear anyone say they don’t like the site anymore because of disagreements, and I know I haven’t been on my best behavior all the time either.
All I can offer for that is what you have done, revisit under a new username if that makes it more comfortable for you and you still enjoy the site.
It’s natural to feel defensive when others point out things we don’t like. I personally try to wait awhile before responding, both so I don’t shoot denials from the hip and so I can think about the validity of the criticism.
Umm what else? The chatbox, it should be considered temporary conversation, there is no archive for it. I can dig out the old comments, but I never do because it’s difficult. Anyone who wants to clear the box can by hitting . and enter 35 times. If a few words are all that someone wants removed then those can be edited and leave the rest alone. This is important because lots of people who never speak up or participate in conversations like to “eavesdrop” on the chatbox conversations, some find it quite entertaining so we should keep it from being completely emptied as much as possible.
I don’t know what else to say about that. Obviously you are both disagreeing and grating against each other and I don’t quite see why. It’s like a big party here, plenty of room for all to roam around and choose your own conversations without butting up against someone you disagree with. If someone keeps jumping over your comments, just ignore them and direct your responses to others.
We’re all humans here and are expressing our opinions, so it’s inevitable it will grate some people and inevitable that we will express things we don’t always mean later. I see it as part of learning. Nobody learns if they never make mistakes.
Vote:
0 0 So again,
Suppose again an unknown employee is badmouthing their company. The owner cannot figure out who it is, and the badmouthing is very critical but not quite libelous.
What then? What would you want IFz admins to do if you were the employee?
What would you do if you were the business owner?
Vote:
0 0 Joe, why is this question about business owners and employees badmouthing them such a interesting topic for this site?
OK4Now, you might want to take a break and breathe, too long of a post (#24) and very confusing, might want to try using the KISS method… keeping things brief and to the point…
*just an observation on my part, not meant to insult or degrade, but I could not follow several of those lengthy posts above.
Vote:
0 0 Joe keeps fishing, but no one seems willing to answer a direct question. As a former journalist, I can’t resist any more.
“Suppose again an unknown employee is badmouthing their company. The owner cannot figure out who it is, and the badmouthing is very critical but not quite libelous.”
Thanks for the distinction — critical, not libelous. That’s a big grey area, because in this day and age anything critical can be interpreted (but not necessarily in a court of law) as libelous.
“What then? What would you want IFz admins to do if you were the employee?”
IFZ admins aren’t the police. They’re not reporters. (As they’ve said umpteen times.) If people want to vent on IFz about their employers, places of business, let them. It gives them a place to air their concerns, maybe in a way where they can find fellow travelers or just get it off their chests. Many employers say they accept criticism, but then freak out when they get it, so finding a place where someone will listen — or at least let them talk — is a fine thing. Employees ought to try to do this at work, but I know there are situations where employee/employer relations aren’t the best. If an employer asks them for the details — who is posting this crap — there are legalities to explore. It would take a determined (and liquid) employer to take a libel/slander lawsuit to the courts to get any information out of good ol’ Joe. I suppose it could happen. But Je’s already said he won’t reveal any information even if he’s being water boarded, so that’s that. It’s his site; he has to accept the legal responsibilities.
“What would you do if you were the business owner?”
I’d gather my employees, say that a situation has come to my attention, through IFz, and then talk it through. With everyone. Without anger. I’d tell my employees I’m thankful the problem is being aired. All of this discussion would be private, off-line. When a resolution comes about, I’d discuss it privately. If they want to post on IFz the results, that’s fine. But they’d know I’m aware of the site, and can counter-post if something needs clarification. But that’s me. There are plenty of bulletheads out there who would go a’ headhunting.
Different strokes for different folks, obviously, as this thread has proved.
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0 0 THANK YOU BRIAN! I heard on Neal Larson’s podcast yesterday about how sometimes he thinks a subject is exciting but gets no calls, and other days he thinks a topic is ho-hum but it lights up the board. I get that a lot also.
I really like your response. It seems the most open, honest, and communicative. It allows the business owner to take best advantage of comments made on IFz.
It demonstrates the business owner is savvy to the happenings at IFz so hopefully those employees won’t go too far, but they know they have an anonymous source if they don’t feel comfortable talking to their boss (for whatever reason).
Thanks again; any other agreements or disagreements or opinions on this?
Vote:
0 0 Just some questions:
How many employers routinely monitor IFz (or any website for that matter) to find out what is being said about them?
What effort does IFz make to insure that the object of complaint is aware that the complaint has been issued?
When a complaint is found to unfounded, what corrective and/or remedial action does IFz take to negate the damage inflicted?
There are many more questions, but this will do for now.
Vote:
0 0 I have been thinking about this ever since Joe posed the question but I didn’t have a chance to write a post until now. My opinion is that if a person is employed by another person they should be very careful about public criticism of that employer. It just seems hypocritical to me to accept wages and employment from somebody on the one hand, and be critical of the business on the other. My usual reaction when someone is ranting about where they work is “then why do you choose to work there?”
It still depends on the degree of the criticism I suppose. We all have moments when our job sucks. But if a person really dislikes it to the point of making public comments that are very critical they are doing themselves and their employer a disservice by remaining in the situation.
Now to try to answer Joe’s hypothetical questions. I guess that if I were the employee who was badmouthing the company I would expect IFZ admins to allow me to speak my piece as long as it doesn’t cross the line. I have no problem trusting Joe to determine where that line is. However I would also expect to take some criticism from other posters as to why I choose to continue working there. I realize that most of us need to have a job and it’s not always going to be the one we desire most. But if the conditions are so bad that one feels the need to vent and be publicly critical then they should really assess whether it’s in their best interest to remain there.
If I were the business owner it’s hard to say what I would do. I think I would respect everyone’s right to express their opinion but I would hate to think that one of my employees thought that poorly of me or my business. I don’t think that I would ever expect IFz admins to disclose any information about any of the contributors to the discussion boards. I would hope that any of my employees would not reveal confidential information or spread lies, but I’m not sure what could be done about it. I think that if the information reflected poorly enough on me or my business I would probably try to figure out where it was coming from. For one thing, bad attitudes in a company can grow like a cancer. I would want to prevent that from happening. Also, if an employee was posting negative comments about their job while on company time or using a company computer I don’t think that there would be anything wrong with investigating the source. I’m usually against any kind of Big Brother tactics but I think in this case I would be justified.
I hope this is the kind of dialogue Joe was trying to start. I’m sorry for the lengthy post and sorry it took so long to respond. I just wanted enough time to organize my thoughts. Anyone else have an opinion on this?
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0 0 Yeah, those comments are awesome.
I know some bosses around town tune in here to see what is said about their businesses, but most don’t.
I cannot recall a single time I’ve ever made an effort to alert anyone they were being talked about here (except maybe Tom Luna or the politicians in last election). I don’t see that I should, given that anyone can hit the “email this to a friend” and alert the employers.
“When a complaint is found to unfounded, what corrective and/or remedial action does IFz take to negate the damage inflicted?” Excellent question! I usually leave them up, because I figure others may have similar misconceptions and it is helpful to leave the whole discussion up. So the point is unfounded complaints should be responded to in comments. A great example is John McGimpsey who often provides excellent facts to dispell misconceptions here. I leave the whole thing up. Do you agree or disagree with that?
I really like Company Man’s remarks. What do you think?
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0 0 What if if the employees are local police?
What if the employees are INL workers?
What if the employees are in the Mayor’s office?
What if the employees are in [insert name of any local company]?
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0 0 INL workers are lucky in the fact we have a very similar resource to IFz on the site’s internal Web site. There are a lot of questions asked, and responses are offered by those in the know. I read it frequently and have learned a lot.
I’m also reminded of somethin Drew Carey said a while ago. Someone was whining to him about how much they hated their job. His reply: “They have a group for people who hate their jobs. It’s called ‘Everyone’ and they meet at the corner bar!”
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0 0 Mr. Vandal:
Ok4Now had recommended several weeks ago that I look at your website to advertise on or potentially even buy. I am a private business. I have nothing to do with city, state, or federal government for the state of Idaho Falls.
I’ve been watching it for several weeks now, and am greatly disappointed in some of what you allow here. I’m surprised you don’t try to back hose who have helped you monitor this site. You didn’t even respond to Ok4Now’s request to clarify to the people who accused Ok of things that weren’t done. Do you have a responsibility to those who use to or presently help you monitor this site?
Rumors are running wild here. Ok makes up Ok’s own mind, but given Ok’s professional licenses, I’ve asked OK to stay away until these paranoid people go home. I don’t know what business or government or just ticked off people are posting here, but I don’t want my family, my employees or my business caught up in unfounded rumors.
My business deals with rumors and dissatisfaction straightforwardly. We have a lot of trust placed in us buy licensing officials, the state and others individuals and businesses.
While I’m no longer interested in buying this site, I do hope you will review the posts in this column carefully. Private business owners have tried to share with you openly and your response has been to imply they are outdated and don’t understand the Internet. I don’t believe that is always accurate Mr. Vandal.
There is so much about business you don’t seem to understand, our about licensing of professionals and what some can never say.
As new in town suggested I do, when I left a comment in another column just to see how you and others would handle it, I’ll be moving on now so “intelligent” people can have a discussion.
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0 0 Wow. I don’t know what to say. I said in another post that I don’t have any business experience or wisdom, I do not claim any. I hope nobody mistakes that I self-perceive myself a genius. I don’t know how else to express humility, but I will try harder.
Somehow I don’t believe you, it seems such a ploy to say “I was going to invest” when not a single other business ever has. Curious. Any business-sensible person would know they could change whatever they wanted if they purchase IFz; they are just buying what I have built up.
I have never heard such a horrible comment from anyone so obviously upset about what they found at IFz. I have not deleted those argumentative comments because none violated this community’s guidelines. They were not pleasant to read, but they were not over the line.
I do programming and writing here; I am nobody’s referee. Everyone here is an adult and I respect their right to act like it or not. In fact I probably need more babysitting and censoring than most other visitors.
Change is inevitable, certainly at IdahoFallz.com. While old times are nice, nothing lasts forever. New times are inevitable and can be great in their own way too.
If you don’t like the changes then I cannot keep you here. I wouldn’t want you to stay where you are unhappy.
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0 0 To extend the analogy discussed before, what if a business owner discovered one of their employees running a blog site about their business or industry?
What would you do if it was positive? If it was neutral?
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0 0 Is there a difference between private company employees blogging or talking shop on IFz vs. public employees?
Is what goes on in a private company less of anyone’s business than what goes on in our government. Do we cringe at a private company employee spilling beans but rejoice when a public employee does the same?
I might agree with that, because we the public have stakes in the public organizations.
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0 0 Man this stuff is funny. I agree, I don’t think Mr. Investment was for real. i have always wondered if some businesses or other entities may be posting here in attempts to discredit what is said by others, or trying to sniff out the posters themselves. Fact of the matter is that this is a blog. Write to your heart’s content if you feel the need. And, if the public needs to know, then let them know. If someone writes that Business A “really bites”, let Business A write back saying “No we don’t”. Let the rest of the public decide using their own system of judgment, which they will do anyway.
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0 0 Is your P.O. still open Joe? I’d like to send you either a photocopy or the voided check AKA had drawn for you, along with the letter to the attorney with instructions of how to contact you etc.. I don’t work for AKA, but we often work on contracts together, so I have access to that voided check.
AKA has been observing the site for quite a while, along with others and talking to some other designers. When consulted, I told him to take a look here and why.
Must say I agree with Speakout about the part of some companies trying to potentially discredit others. I don’t personally find it funny, even though my business isn’t in jeopardy. But, rumors are not going to strip me of the years of education to obtain advanced degrees, and my licenses, due to abundant rumors that aren’t true about me.
I do understand, however, how it could appear funny to someone who doesn’t have professional licenses, 16+ years of education, and any ownership in any businesses.
If you would prefer a FedEx or some other sort of a delivery let me know. I’ll have to blacken out the checking account number, but you’ll see how serious AKA was.
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0 0 I must be getting worse at this discussion thing.
So to meander back on track if anyone’s interested in the guidance this could help set…
I have not spoken about my employer here. I would not, either. I might be more protective about my job (being a father), or I might be more reserved from my military time carrying a security clearance.
I don’t think it’s right to post negatively about your company here. I hope employees would feel they could talk to their bosses about problems before taking them public.
What about employees speaking positively? We had a girl talking quite a bit about her Idaho Falls employer last year, and it was all positive.
What do you think of employees discussing their employer positively on IFz, and interacting in positive manners with other site visitors?
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0 0 Ok4now,
I didn’t mean to imply that slandering businesses was funny. What I referred to was the fact that you really can’t control that kind of thing on a blog, so trying to resolve the issue here is not going to get anywhere. I know that I have posted some articles that could be considered inflammatory, but they deal with issues the public should be aware of, and if pushed came to shove, I would step forward to support my postings. I don;t know if anyone else would, but I won’t post if I don’t have the integrity to back it up. I think everyone should at least follow that rule when posting. I too am a professional and it would not help my credibility to become known as a poster who merely uses forums such as this to viciously spread information that was knowingly false.
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whew, slow day, time to all start commenting again!
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I guess no comments means all the bosses have scared their employees from commenting on anything here?
Has your boss said anything to you about commenting on IdahoFallz.com?