Comments on: Petite Anglaise got ‘dooced’ and sues

By: Pete

Pete — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 17:34:57 +0000

I know that in Spain you cannot simply fire someone for example, who you know simply by taking a look at the company server, is spending all day dicking around on the internet. Technically, you can’t even take that look at the server without a court order.

Even in the states, the courts have ruled that dicking around on the internet is not a fire offense. They equate it to reading the newspaper at your desk. Frowned upon sure, fireable offense, negative.

By: Guy

Guy — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 16:26:47 +0000

By the way, French blogger Eolas, who is a lawyer, is discussing the case on his blog Journal d’un avocat:

http://maitre.eolas.free.fr/journal/index.php?2006/07/18/404-petite-anglaise-viree-pour-son-blog

Et Dixon Wilson[3] se ridiculisant en virant une de ses employées pour des motifs dont chacun peut constater la futilité en lisant le blog incriminé. Comment se tirer une balle dans le pied, à voir cette réaction impulsive et un rien paniquée face à la découverte que les employés, notamment les femmes, d’une part ont une vie privée en dehors du travail, et d’autre part ont un esprit critique qui s’exerce même au travail.

Si l’intelligence n’a pas totalement déserté cette entreprise, elle conclura rapidement un accord transactionnel et fermera ce dossier avant que sa réputation ne soit durablement affectée.

By: Guy

Guy — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 16:17:17 +0000

@Annet: You have a point, but why not add links and provide some publicity yourself for those detained bloggers? Like this one:

http://committeetoprotectbloggers.civiblog.org/

(committee to protect bloggers)

http://morphemetales.blogspot.com/2004/12/statistics-on-fired-bloggers.html

(Statistics on fired bloggers from the same author as the committee to protect bloggers)

@Pete: That is why this case may turn out to be very interesting. It may not be legal in France to sack someone without prior warning. The ‘bad publicity’ argument seems pretty weak. But, let’s see what kind of a precedent Petite’s case will set.

By: Pete

Pete — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 15:55:56 +0000

If what her employer claims is true, that she was maintaining her blog on company time, then they have every right to fire her.

By: Annet

Annet — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 13:40:30 +0000

I think she is lucky enough to be only fired and not detained like other bloggers, Alaa ,hao and al-sharqawi. So enjoy being fired and a part of news coverage.

By: RB

RB — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 05:39:25 +0000

I would ponder that this has little to do with blogging itself, but with a self-empowered female typist existing. Her very existence is “gross misconduct” and that private perspective has been enforced with persistence and means. Undone, because she is “not done”.

I would guess and hope that Petite has a fair case.

By: claus vistesen

claus vistesen — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 02:06:19 +0000

I would not have seen it coming either …

Tell me one thing why is this a problem?

‘But partners at the leading British accountancy firm Dixon Wilson alleged that she made herself and therefore the firm identifiable by including her own photograph on the weblog.’

No really tell me, I don’t get. A lot of bloggers are blogging under their full name and some of them hold high positions in big organizations.

I can only put it like Randy McDonald … too late

‘I wonder if I would have chosen to blog anonymously back in the day if I’d had any idea. Foolish thoughts, these; my die is cast’