BLOG LEADS TO DISMISSAL OF FRIENDSTER EMPLOYEE

Maybe I should rethink about my blog as my girlfriend and I move to the Bay Area and start my job search there. I don't know the details behind Joyce Park's firing, but I do wonder if it really was about her blog. I remember reading about another firing earlier this year, but I believe it was because the blog criticized her company and colleagues. In this recent case, it could have been about a preventative measure but I assume they would have given her a warning. I'm guessing it was about something else. Maybe an excuse to fire her for another reason, such as when companies dismiss someone for minor expense account mishaps.

Friendster, known for breaking new ground in online social networking and promoting self-expression among peers, fired one of its employees Monday for her personal Web log, or online diary. Joyce Park, a Web developer living in Sunnyvale, Calif., said her managers told her Monday that she stepped over the line with her blog, Troutgirl. They declined to elaborate, except to say that it was CEO Scott Sassa's ultimate decision, Park said.

"I only made three posts about Friendster on my blog before they decided to fire me, and it was all publicly available information. They did not have any policy, didn't give me any warning, they didn't ask me to take anything down," said Park, 35. (full article)