Workfarce Calls it a Wrap

   

I'm not pleased that Workfarce is shutting down ... freedom of speech should allow for his caustic, but non-threatening, style.  But as we saw in a more extreme case, Imus crossed the line beyond which customers (advertisers in the case of Imus, members in the case of Workfarce's employer) begin to back away from controversy.  Workfarce regularly walked near this line, and while entertaining at times, I think he is right to see that the potential impact on his employer is no longer worth the risk.

   

May I be so bold as to suggest that if it is worth saying, it is worth saying with our names attached?  Anonymous public comments, and postings under fictitious names, do more harm than good in my opinion.  Because in addition to the right of free speech, there is also the right of an accused to confront the witnesses against him ... see the confrontation clause of the 6th amendment.  In public discourse we need to balance these two rights.

   

Personally, I'd like to see Workfarce quickly rejoin our blogging community under his own name, writing with a style that reflects positively on his employer.  We need strong voices.

   

PS:  Dear Workfarce ... don't even think of posting a comment here unless you are willing to post it under your real name.  Otherwise you can be sure I'll delete it.

Comments

[Recruiting Animal]

Hawaiian Shirt, I think you're wrong about the Anonymity issue. If you live under a brutal dictatorial regime you'd be a nut to sign your own name to your critiques. In the business world, your fate is often in the hands of others. So you have to remain anonymous. Workfarce erred in not being anonymous enough. He was readily identified as soon as he appeared. Ideas can stand or fall on their own no matter who authors them. I don't know any of the authors of the Bill of Rights but does that make it less valid?

Anonymity does run into problems when accusations are made that might be true but are not stand-alone in terms of validity. The Cheezhead blog bullet in the head story was one of these.

Also, Workfarce was working in the vein of a venerable tradition of harsh vulgar criticism. Think of the Yahoos in Gullivers Travels. They drop their bodily wastes from trees on passers-by. It seems to me that a certain company was named after them.

[Bob Wilson]

We'll have to disagree on this issue Animal.

The founding fathers all signed their names to the Declaration of Independence knowing that if America didn't win the war they would be hanged. That's commitment!

I support the tradition of anonymous sources ... but there needs to be corroboration before this information should be used.

Bottom line, if you make a charge, be prepared to face the accused ... at least that's the principle I live and write by.

Bob

[WorkFarce]

Comment posted by 'Workfarce' deleted ...

[Steven Rothberg, CollegeRecruiter.com]

I agree with Bob that anything worth saying is worth attaching your name to, but that doesn't mean that something is worth saying simply because you attach your name to it.

I agree with Animal that some bloggers work for less enlightened employers and could be subject to discipline or even termination simply for blogging. The solution? Quit and find a better place to work. Life is too short and the economy is too good to put up with that type of nonsense.

[Dan Schawbel]

People are allowed to remain anonymous, but I thought the point of blogging and free speech was to create your own Personal Brand online.

Dan Schawbel
Personal Branding Spokesman
www.personalbrandingblog.com