A Disturbing Trend....

Apparently, more and more professionals are getting sacked, or at least getting censured or reprimanded for blogging. What happened to Mark Jen (former Google employee, probably the most famous example of an employee being fired allegedly for blogging - read my earlier post here), doesn't seem to be an isolated incident, as more and more instances seem to be cropping up from all over, particularly in well known organizations.

My take on the issue is simple. If your employer has a specific policy against blogging, it would be wise for you to follow it. However, if your employer doesn't, being arbitrarily fired without so much as a warning or an opportunity to air your side doesn't seem to be legal to me, whether here from where I am, or even in the United States. Take a look at these provisions:

United States Constitution

Amendment I - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified 12/15/1791

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Philippine Constitution

Article III - Bill of Rights, Section 4

Section 4. No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.

I'm wondering a bit to myself why lawsuits haven't been filed (or have they?) considering that the United States is a place where you can sue McDonald's for serving coffee that is too hot. Yeah, I know it's not the same thing, but still...

I have this feeling that lawsuits involving blogs would start mushrooming all over the place sooner or later. I'm not just talking suits involving bloggers and employers. Soon there may be suits involving bloggers against fellow bloggers, bloggers against third parties, bloggers against commenters, commenters against commenters, commenters against employers, commenters against third parties...what a tangled web we weave. Oh well, I guess it would be a field day for the lawyers. Who knows? Before you know it we may even have blogger lawsuit insurance. :-)

Well, for whatever it's worth, we should blog responsibly. Whatever that means. Perhaps we should start a movement? Or is there one already? :-)

Links:

Blogging May Cost You Your Job
Blogger fired by Bastardstones
Blogging can win you a pink slip

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