Karen Rants: Internet Censorship and Cyberbullying on Professional Business Internet Forums
Okay Kids, here is some controversy for us all to consider, courtesy of my pal – Karen Mattonen. Enjoy…
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Internet Censorship and Cyberbullying on Professional Business Internet Forums
by: Karen Mattonen
It is troubling to see a rise of censorship on the internet, specifically on Forums – Censorship not only in the banning of an individuals material, but, mainly in the Cyberbullying which sensors comments through fear, harassment, intimidation, and limiting what can be said or not in a community.
There are some whom believe that one may choose to do as one pleases on many of these forums, and that certain behaviors may only apply for some members but not for others. There are some who also believe that the “owners” of forums also should have the choice to censor or moderate as they choose, singling out specific members, and applying conditions for some, and not for others.
More Legitimate and Alarming Concerns arise on business and/or professional forums. When a business, one that is an Advertising and Marketing Medium, which profits are directly generated by the members who add content to these forums, and the said members Also Profit from business relationships gained from the very use of these forums, then there are issues that may arise from what may be reasonably viewed as unfair, unprofessional moderation and behaviors.
Business Interference, fair and equitable publicity, unfair competition, deprivation of rights, preventions of fair use, loss of prospective business, and yes in some cases what may even appear to be or has the potential for potential collusion, and possible conspiracy against those said rights.. especially when the censorship appears to give specific members an unfair advantage and monopoly, impeding competition and innovation, and can negligently or intentionally interfere with economic relationships; in what already appears to be a monopolistic competitive community.
What becomes more disturbing is when the singling out on these forums doesn’t stay on the forums, and this behavior is not distinguished only with the members, but it becomes evident that the “owners/employees” of the business are also involved with the “cyber bullying” and chilling of free speech. Especially when it harms or has the potential to ham the reputation of an individual’s personal and business character, especially in respect to their Business, profession, business or trade. Forums should allow individuals the Right to Allow Reader’s Comment Without Fear and or Retaliation.
It also becomes unacceptable when the owners/employees of these forums will share or disclose information about individuals and former members with other current members and/or clients in private conversations and emails; When negative, inaccurate, misleading and disingenuous allegations are shared with other parties, clients, and members of the business, questions arise regarding the professional integrity of the company.
Concerns of invasion and intrusion of privacy, defamation, intrusion, false light, libel per se, even appropriation . It becomes even more questionable when the individual does not have a fair and equitable opportunity to defend their character or set the record straight. An Individual Should Always have an open medium to allow them the Ability and Right to Defend and Protect their Professional and Personal Reputation, Identity and Character at All times.
Granted, forum content moderation is indeed necessary, and rules are provided to allow for uniform free exchange, and the professional integrity of the community, allowing for an atmosphere of sharing of All ideas, even if they may be contrary to the majority, without the fear of retaliation.
Most importantly, the moderation on these forums should be fair and equitable. When one is being tarred and feathered for behaviors that appear to run against the Rules and Regulations, so then should all other members who display the same or similar behaviors, as Long as the discipline stays within the guidelines of the forum.
It is concerning when the Owners and moderators of the forums will warn or banish only select members!
Other issues that ultimately can arise is when a member is removed from the site due to censorship, but unfortunately even though they are removed, their content and name remains, and in such a manner that there is a discernible attempt to bring disgrace to the former member, which also allows the said business to maintain a profitable value from the member’s
original creations.
Then the said company issues technical barriers which prevents authorized, legitimate, attainable access and control from authors being able to edit, remove, monitor or even view their own Published Materials or even the fair rights and use of their names, Ultimately creating a monopoly and control an individual should have the right of Fair Use of their own Intellectual Property
BUT… Concerns need to be addressed when freedom of speech and expression, freedom of sharing of developing of beliefs, judgments, ideologies and opinions, the chilling of speech and silencing of members is slanted due to warnings which ultimately create censorship and restraint — Especially when the moderation, and ultimate banning of members, is being based NOT upon the Guidelines, rules and boundaries set in a Terms of Agreements of the Forum, but based upon what may appear as preferential treatment and favoritism – When men have realized that time has upset many fighting faiths, they may come to believe even more than they believe the very foundations of their own conduct, that the ultimate good desired is better reached by free trade in ideas, that the best test of truth is the power of the thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market, and that truth is the only ground upon which their wishes safely can be carried out. That at any rate is the theory of our Constitution. It is an experiment, as all life is an experiment.
- Justice Holmes; Abrams v. United States; In dissent; 250 U.S. 616; 630; 1919.
If you believe that progress of human civilization depends on individual expression of new ideas, especially unpopular ideas, then the principle of freedom of speech is the most important value society can uphold. The more experience someone has with the Internet the more strongly they generally believe in the importance of freedom of speech, usually because their personal experience has convinced them of the benefits of open expression. The Internet not only provides universal access to free speech, it also promotes the basic concept of freedom of speech. If you believe that there is an inherent value in truth, that human beings on average and over time recognize and value truth, and that truth is best decided in a free marketplace of ideas, then the ability of the Internet to promote freedom of speech is very important indeed.
Quoted from http://www.livinginternet.com/i/ip_speech.htm
ABOUT KAREN MATTONEN
Karen Mattonen CAC, CSP
Karen is an experienced, successful recruiter who operates her own business and is actively involved in many industry organizations and activities. Her recruiting career began with Snelling Corporation. In 1998, after a successful tenure as a recruiter with Snelling, Karen struck out on her own, founding Advanced Career Solutions (ACS). ACS focuses on recruiting for the HVAC Industry. Karen has achieved accreditation as a California Accredited Consultant (CAC) through California Staffing Professionals. She has also gained her Certified Staffing Professional Certificate (CSP) through American Staffing Professionals. www.americanstaffing.net. Karen has a new and future-oriented vision of what recruiting can and should become: a profession we can be proud of for its ethical standing, professional conduct and ability to build great organizations. Her doing-well-by-doing-right philosophy is shaking up the status quo in an industry that needs to be shaken. She does this with conviction, leadership, and a distinctive voice that cries out for change.
Karen was a co-creator of the landmark webinar event – “EEOC Discrimination Debate.” This event featured senior members of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and staffing industry experts discussing and debating difficult issues about discrimination in today’s workplace environment. Company executives, hiring managers, recruiters, and human resource professionals from across the United States were invited to participate in the free Webinar and live panel discussion. Karen also served as one of the panelists on the discussion team in the March, 2006 event.
As co-host of the popular podcast “The Recruiters Lounge,” Karen discusses her frank opinions on the recruitment industry with her co-host, Jim Stroud. Click here to reach Karen via email.
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Comments
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Karen, your timing for this post couldn’t have come at a more ironic time as I myself am currently undergoing perhaps the most offensive cyber-bullying I’ve ever seen in my professional career. I have been informed by the professional networking site where this bullying is taking place that they themselves have not censored my attempts to defend my personal and business character; rather, I have been advised that the Group Moderator censored me (meaning my defense attempts were censored, while simultaneous & sustained personal attacks ensued). In addition, an employee of the professional networking site informed me via email that it would be “in my best interest to move on”, at the very time in which my personal character was being slandered and defamed.
Perhaps a brief history is in order – in a nutshell, I was attacked on the basis of the 3 following statements:
1. It is in all of our best interests, as business persons, to look beyond a testimonial page on a website or in a marketing brochure. Looking on the surface does not constitute due diligence, as I’ve never seen an endorsement on a website or marketing brochure that was anything but ringing.
2. My contention that SALES (not ‘independent research’ or ‘telephone name gathering’) will get an executive search firm through a recession is agreed with by not only 95% of the recruiters I know, but also fellow owners/managers at search firms.
3. My statement that the thread was an overt disregard of the professional networking site’s posting guidelines to not post content which could be construed as promotional in nature.
These 3 statements have led to the following (condensed) laundry list of terms/phrases used to seed anger and discontent in the reader’s mind from a neuro-linguistics programming perspective:
“venom”, “agenda”, “defamation”, “disparage”, “shills”, “perpetuated”, “instigated”, “distasteful”, “resent”, “insults”, “controversial”, “hostile tone”, “venting”, “disruptive”, “ugly”, “loud voice”, “conspiracy theories”, “disappeared”, “coming out swinging”, “detracts”, “is really what you’re all about”, “false accusations”, “attacks”, “incessant need to school”, “poor simpletons”, “touted your brilliance, your affiliation with the Marines and your MBA”, “You’re like a guest at a party eating all the hor’derves and criticizing the hostess”, “condescendingly”, “innuendo”, “dirty accusation”, “unsolicited”, “you know nothing”, “absolve your intention”, “The fact you are somehow trying to backpedal is rather revealing of either your ignorance”, “passive aggressive”, “not wanting to take responsibility”, “dirty insinuations”, “smokescreening”, “do-gooder”, “And if Joshua were to come to me and show me that he had little money, I would pay for part of his course with (Group Moderator). A nice discount. It sounds like he might appreciate that kindness.”
While several posts have been removed by one attacker, they are so egregious as to attack me for nearly everything with the exception of my race and religion. For example, I also received an email from one attacker stating, “You don’t have a top 10 MBA so why even tell anyone you have a MBA. It means next to nothing. . . . No wonder (the professional network) is going to kick you out.” Surprisingly, this attacker was even audacious enough to use the professional networking site’s email tool to send me this insult. Then, just when I think that the situation is diffused, I receive the following bombshell from an anonymous email account with one of the attacker’s initials at the bottom: ““U.S. Marines are nothing but body bags – too bad you’re not in Iraq.”
As of this point, my attempt to clear my name has been removed on 2 separate occasions, and I have now been informed by an employee of the professional networking site that “Unfortunately at this time I cannot allow you to repost that message.” This is censorship and chilling of free speech at its worst. At the same time, a legal threat of a lawsuit from one attacker has been allowed to remain. In other words, I am told by the professional networking site that the Group Moderator originally censored me (not them), while not censoring others, however the network then reinforces this censorship by denying me the post pursuant to the Group Moderator’s preferential censorship.
When things get to such a point that someone is attacked on the basis of their education, financial status, military background, and any & all things not even remotely related to business, this is extremely unfortunate. When these actions are harbored and the bullied party is not even able to clear their name, while the libelous & slanderous attacks are not equivocally stemmed or curbed, it’s downright shocking.