This site (not just this blog post) is the my personal opinion and is not the opinion of my employers, friends, lovers (ex or otherwise), or even my mom. In fact, my mom would probably disagree with most everything I have to say but that’s kinda my point.
I do what I want.
Because I’m an adult.
and I can.
As a child I heard stuff like “behave yourself so you don’t embarrass the family” (or something like that) and anyone who has been around kids, or has kids, knows that kids do weird stuff, are funny, strangely intuitive, and sometimes creepy and that doesn’t mean their parents necessarily had anything to do with it – kids are kids. When I come across a weird kid, I think that kid is weird, not that kid’s parents are weird.
Of course there are consequences to our actions. I put something out there and of course it can be well-received or not. A few weeks ago I posted a review on yelp. I’m forced by yelp to set up a profile and I can choose how much information I disclose but really unless you know me, all you see from this profile (assuming I wasn’t lying) is that 1) my name is Shanna Q, 2) I’m in Chicago, 3) I’ve yelped since Dec 08 (but only one review), 4) I like traveling. Done, that’s it. I posted the review because I thought the company deserved a review – they were awesome! In the review, I mentioned that there are other companies in the area that provide a similar service…in my original review I called those unnamed companies jerks, but I purposely did not name the company I worked for or even name the “other companies” – however, the owner of one of the other companies I dealt with called me. Angry. Called my review slanderous and wanted me to call him back and to professionally engage him regarding the matter rather than have an internet argument and a PR mess.
Can something be slanderous if no-specific person/object/whatever is identified?
He just assumed it was about him. And maybe it was. And maybe it wasn’t. I could have called a dozen companies. But he obviously felt it was directed at him and as such requested I remove the “slanderous” wording. What I put out there is what I’m deciding to put out there, my creditability and how “you” perceive me, I only have so much control over. I could disclose my interactions with said angry guy, but I’m not. It doesn’t matter. I don’t have to prove to anyone what I said was right - I said what I said then because I was providing my honest review and I have to accept that once it’s out there people can do with it what they will…that guy happens to be upset.
and then
I reviewed a social media policy recently enacted by a company. I was surprised by the policy because I assumed a company social media policy should address a few items:
- sites employees can / can’t access during business hours
- a guideline on how to get company-branded accounts approved
- a guideline on how an employee should conduct him/her self on a company-branded accounts
- a procedure on handling issues with employee conduct on company-branded accounts
There are other things, but that’s the jist. But this particular policy doesn’t make a distinction between the person-at-home as opposed to the person-at-work — there is a difference. Any company can dictate how an employee spends company time, but when a company starts telling employees how they should conduct themselves off work hours…eekkk that makes me nervous. I get it, if you’re an at-will-employee anything you do is grounds for firing (basically) but that’s a risk everyone takes no matter what. Work can’t tell any employee outside of the business-related functions – just as an employee shouldn’t bring their own personal philosophies into the work space. I think any company that expects employees to “be the brand” on off work time or online doesn’t have appropriate boundaries set up – For example should work review an employee’s online dating profile to make sure it’s inline with company philosophies? Sounds silly doesn’t it?
The yelp-upset and this social media policy has brought to light something that I’ve thought a lot about recently - censorship. Review sites, social media, and this blog even, seem to be spaces where I should feel free to say whatever I want, but I don’t – I censor myself a lot because I understand it has a ripple affect. I may hate that I have to edit my opinion so as to be as even-keeled as possible, but it is a reality. I chose the words in my yelp review very carefully because my goal was to give a positive review to one company, not hurt another. I am careful about what I write in my blog, or on my personal social media accounts about my jobs or personal life because the reality is what I say reaches a broader audience than I may be aware of and I want to be viewed by my jobs/friends/family/the world as intelligent, savvy, industrious, and worth-it (amongst other things). I chose how I represent myself online and in daily life very carefully because I have goals I want to achieve. But I choose on my off-hours, not anyone else.
I choose to censor myself because I am my own brand.
And just like a kid being weird doesn’t mean the parents are incapable –my personal behavior in my personal life is just that mine. Not who I work for, not my friends, who I’ve slept with, and not my mom’s. How they choose to perceive me, it their deal, not mine.
Interesting to note, that Yelp is currently being sued but that’s just an FYI.
