What Not to Do Online Part I
With practically the whole world online these days, the things we say or do on the internet aren’t as private as we may think they are. In an eye-opening study by Proofpoint, Inc., 8% of companies with more than 1,000 employees have fired someone for bad online behavior. In order to remain happily employed, here is the first article in a 3-part series of what not to do online.
What Not to Do Online Lesson #1: Bash Your Boss
In 2009, Philadelphia Eagles employee Dan Leone publicly criticized the company for losing star player Brian Dawkins to the Denver Broncos. His Facebook status read: “Dan is [expletive] devastated about Dawkins signing with Denver … Dam Eagles R Retarted!!” Leone told the Inquirer that even though he removed the comment, it led to losing his job only days later.
Word to the wise: don’t bash your boss online.
What Not to Do Online Lesson #2: Complain About Your Customers
We’ve all had difficult customers and it’s natural to want to vent. Just don’t it online. Case in point, a waitress at a pizza place in North Carolina complained on Facebook about some customers who stayed for three hours, causing her to work an hour past her shift and only left a measly $5 tip. Because she mentioned the name of the company, it came back to bite her in the behind when she lost her job.
What Not to Do Online Lesson #3: Slam Your Community
While in Memphis on business, James Andrews, the VP-director of Ketchum Interactive, posted a tweet saying how he’d die if he had to live in Memphis. This was right before he did a presentation for one of his company’s most important clients, FedEx, and over 150 employees, many of whom — including FedEx founder Fred Smith — are Memphis natives. A FedEx employee noticed the offensive tweet and called Andrews on it, CC-ing his disappointed email to a myriad of executives at Ketchum and FedEx. Andrews kept his job, but upset a lot of people.
To develop an appropriate radar of what not to do online, earn a business degree. In the meantime, stay tuned for What Not To Do Online, Part II!
What Not to Do Online Part II
What Not to Do Online Part III
Source: 10 Social Media Blunders
About Sarah Ward
Sarah is a social media manager and image consultant originally from Vancouver, Canada. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys shopping on Etsy, cuddling with kittens, and watching Grey's Anatomy.
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