Twitter throws things out of whack. On blogs, you can easily have a disclaimer/disclosure statement and even link to your organization’s online policies. On my blog I have a clear statement of where I work and that the blog is my own opinion and not those of my employer. However, I’m still held to the firm’s online policies for anything I do online.

Though it isn’t necessarily a part of my online persona that I broadcast, I am mindful that I’m representing my firm and my actions may have an impact on attracting clients and employees in either positive or negative ways.

Chris

Tamera

That said, there is actually an issue to discuss here.

Are we allowed to be humans, or we really supposed to be cogs in a machine? Are we allowed free will or are we supposed to be subservient to our corporate overlords? The same people who want us to be working from home in the off hours, who gave us a blackberry so we will never be out of touch can not now say, so we have overtaken your life and your time, so you must always behave as I dictate. Of course, they could, and we would just have the choice as to whether or not to take it.

Do I want airforce pilots to be this way? neurosurgeons? constitutional lawyers? I don’t think so, but I do respect their humanity. What is the degree to which the level of responsibility comes to play here? The answer, it is all situational.

A PR person engaged in social media on behalf of a brand is their own voice first despite clearly being a rep of the brand. They must each balance out the issues and come to their own conclusions of what is appropriate and what is not. If they cross an unseen line and their employers deem it so offensive that they choose to fire them, so be it. We are all responsible for ourselves it would seem, unless of course you meet an anonymous troll who has an axe to grind, who doesnt want to give up control of the blessed PR message and has emotional baggage preventing them from proper social interactions…

I side with our humanity, and all the messiness that we have to deal with as a result… even in dealing with Amanda and whatever terrible personal thing happened to them in order to think this way. I have true compassion for them as I have published previously – that is why I just leave them alone and dont talk to them anymore, though I do get a great laugh everytime they remind me of some great national spumoni day in an effort to personally attack my health/weight and demean me and my public reputation.

PS – Core Reid +++

PPS – OMG, lets be clear, this is someone who not only didnt see Dell’s customer service as a problem, but publicly defended them? So let me get this straight, people aren’t allowed to be human, and when companies are screwing up, its ok, so long as they get to keep their control and no individual voice should rise up to complain – now I see the problem, Amanda thinks the world of business is perfect as it is and is resistant to changes (for the better at least)

The employer should define whatever limits they feel they want to impose — possibly no support or putting down of a political candidate, for example, or no viewpoint on abortion or gun control or the war. That’s up to the company, in my opinion.

The employee should still be free to express his or her unfettered views on his own personal blog or twitter.

But if I were a marketing or communications head at a large company where people are participating in social media, I’d be sure to lay out some guidelines. Depending on that particular company’s corporate culture, the guidelines might be very loose or very tight. The company has a right and an obligation to protect its brand and reputation.

My point is that the only winner in a discussion about issues raised by a troll is the troll itself.
I’m sure whoever is putting on the tatty Amanda Chapel costume these days would delighted to think they’d sparked a serious discussion among real people.
That is after all, part of the point — to hide behind a pseudonym, spout contentious views and hope someone bites. They’re not interested in the point itself, just the debate (and the bigger the better). Getting real people to express their personal views in response is the fuel that keeps a troll going.
There is no real issue of personal vs professional blurring here worth discussing — and Amanda Chapel is just having fun making people chase their tails.
But then of course people should give no more credence to my opinion on-line than any other troll.

Thanks for dropping by. It’s been made quite clear this post is not about Amanda Chapel. Did you have any thoughts on the issues and ideas that myself and others have brought up here or were you merely interested in trolling yourself in this thread?