But sometimes they’re not so fortunate.
One person who found that out the hard way was Joe, from Edinburgh, Scotland. A store employee in Waterstone’s (a book store), he was recently fired for having posted sarcastic remarks about his store, under a ‘gross misconduct’ charge.
Now whether he was in the right or wrong can spawn nearly endless debates: free speech vs. company policy, satire vs. libel, etc. But the end result is nobody wins – he’s out of a job and Waterstone’s will no doubt come under some flack for the firing.
Another example closer to home was the self-titled ‘the butcher of mayfair‘, who made some unflattering remarks about the U.S. president just before election day – and that in turn got him Secret Service agents at his front door. Now he writes about how awful it is to have an F.B.I. dossier…
Again, it’s not about who’s right and wrong here, but the fact that both sides lose – one fellow now has an FBI file he doesn’t want, and the President has given people another reason to be annoyed (not that I think the latter is going to lose any sleep over that).
Of course, saying something and paying for it later isn’t new – it’s just the speed of delivery has increased. As we saw in the past with email, so too now – it’s just too easy to write, hit the send button, and then think if it was suitable.
Blogs amplify that even more. Now that same missive doesn’t go out to one person with the potential for leaking out – it’s available immediately to the whole world, warts and all.
I hear about a lot of bloggers that ask if anyone’s listening. When you think you’re talking into a vacuum, it’s tempting to raise your voice, or shout – but don’t.
Even if no one reads your words in an hour, or two, or even a week, they will when you least want it – at that job interview, when you’re bidding on a contract, when you’re meeting the future in-laws (who, as luck would have it, are cooler than most and DO use the Internet).
Take time with the words. If you have something interesting to say, then by all means say it. But if it cuts too close, or may offend someone, or could get you into trouble – is it worth it?
Let me repeat – once you publish online, there’s no going back.
So make it count – or don’t say it.
