To get, “dooced,” is to lose your job for something you posted in your blog. It comes from Dooce.com, the website where the first reported blogger was fired for her reports on drug-addicted executives and dotcom debauchery. The ol’ El Dooce’ came up again this week when a Google blogger got fired. It was also a topic during the sessions at BBS 05 and was discussed as “fear of blogs,” “freedom of speech,” and “PR” issues. I’ve seen countless emails on it and get asked a lot about employee blogs. My answer for bloggers is that your freedom of speech ends with your employer. For employers, your employees need to understand that they can and will be fired for their blog. Regarding getting fired for her website, Dooce.com notes, “Be Ye Not So Stupid.” Good advice.
Washington is an At Will state, meaning your contract can be terminated at any time for any reason. An employer could fire me because they didn’t like the tune I was humming, the coffee I brought in for the staff, or the way I like to say, “Byronicus Maximus!,” when I enter a room. The topics on my blog end at the work I do for companies and I’ll keep it that way. I will not risk pissing off the people that pay me and I’m not surpised when bloggers do get dooced.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Charlie O'Donnell 02.10.05 at 10:33 am
Agreed. Its not about legality. Its about professionalism. Rag on your company in a non-constructive way, take provacative photos of yourself in company uniform, or do anything else equally unprofessional and you should expect to get canned. I think of it like, “Don’t blog/do anything you wouldn’t do at an industry cocktail party in front of your boss, clients, and peers.”
-b- 02.10.05 at 10:59 am
I remember one company said something like, “do not post anything the press would call you over, ever.”
Nick Finck 02.10.05 at 2:45 pm
Dooce was not the first to get fired for a posting on their blog.. Cam from Camworld was in Nov. 1997.
-b- 02.10.05 at 3:20 pm
Thanks Nick. I didn’t know about Cam. Checking now.
Eliza 02.13.05 at 7:35 am
I do agree, if they know ahead of time that they can get fired from what they say in their blogs then they already have the heads up. But those that do not and don’t post names should be warned or something. This does seem to becoming a trend though, blogging about what we do.