Lame companies don't have policies which have been defined. I remember a while ago Microsoft fired an employee for putting up photographs of their MicroSoft Press building loading zone, and back enterance etc. in an unmarked building, and in his case he violated a defined policy of Microsoft, yet clearly in Joyces case she did not violate policy.

I have no doubt there is more to this story. But we'll never know, since we only get the fired employee's side of things.

But then, it's more fun to blame it all on the big, faceless, soul-less, clueless corporate Nazis, right?

If there is more to this story, then I wish Friendster would come out and say as much at least to the employee they fired.

Let's have a friendster boycott!! Cancil your friendster accounts (if you can.) Then signup for an alternative (at my blog, http://websurfboard.blogspot.com I list a few of them.) Then leave me a comment, and tell me which service you signed up for. You can also spread the word, take my blog post, send it out to everyone you know who has a friendster account, and post it on every blog you, or someone you know owns!! Then (if you want to,) send me an invite to the service you signed up for, and in doing this, it will make a network of friendster protesters!! A fun way to try something new, and link up!

how can you be so sure that the woman didn't violate her confidentiality agreement ?

Mike, because she is a friend of Jeremy's and he trusts her. I, in turn, trust his judgment.

While I sympathize, employment is an "at-will" relationship, and the parties involved can terminate "at-will" for whatever reason they want. And if I were in management (which I am, though not in an upper classification), and discovered that someone under me was talking unofficial talk about the company to the public as a whole.. you can bet that some kind of action would be taken.

Depending on the knowledge one might possess of a company, and it's inner workings, and financials, and such.. someone talking about their company in a public forum could be walking on very poor legal ground, as well.

I would like to note that I have not read the particular offending entries, as claimed by the person, but i'm just stating a general position. Anything said in a public forum about a company, by it's employees, if they don't have the right to speak for the company.. that's bad.

My experience is that if a company (read a person with power in a company) wants to get rid of someone, they will find a way. The blogging issue could just be an excuse.

More importantly though, everyone with a blog should take this as a lesson - avoid mentioning you workplace in your blog. Right or wrong really doesn't matter. What matters is can your lawyers take on their lawyers. I think most of us would lose that battle.

Did anyone check out who runs the company? They are all men. Hmmmm. Anyone want to start a conspiracy theory?

Just killed my friendster account :D

Quote: "And if I were in management (which I am, though not in an upper classification), and discovered that someone under me was talking unofficial talk about the company to the public as a whole.. you can bet that some kind of action would be taken"

That has got to be one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. If you had READ the "particular offending entries", you would see that they are completely benign, bland, and even a little boring. She says nothing derogatory about the company or the management (which, even if she had, that is free speech... we still have the 1st amendment in this country, right? -but I digress), she reveals no company "trade secrets", she doesn't discuss anything that isn't public information... what is the big damn deal??

i agree with you

We're designers, not programmers, but we stand behind Joyce Park. Read our discussion on the matter here:

http://www.cranbrookdesign.com/comments.php?id=510_0_1_0_C

LECHE

In a normal business, I'd have agreed with the company. However, in a "social networking" business, this is not acceptable.

I never had a Friendster account to begin with. I believe that if Uncle Joe really thinks you and I should get in touch, he can send e-mail himself to connect us. Otherwise, it is too much like spam.

Friendster is lame. PHP is open-source, what's the big secret about them using PHP? Management must be old school retards! Ooooh, an employee reveals to the public that we're using PHP, an open-source scripting language.

Shitcanned with a positive outcome you could say:
Joyce Park, blogger ID Troutgirl, with a huge following,
was shitcanned by Friendster, a blogging company,for.....blogging.

Duh, %&? you might be tempted to say.
Not so fast. Now and then, the interactive
media gets reverse-engineered in the worst
sense of the word, by big, huge succesful
TV execs who Bring Their Business Expertise
to the Interactive Field. By sharks, whose
world is one of one-way broadcasting,
where dumb consumers can't talk back and employees,
*if they're smart*, will say
what they're told. Two-way conversations
in any way are an anathema to the foxy
toxidity of general non-ecletic dishing
out of news speak mentality.

Joyce Park is currently getting
deluded with job offers. Interactive
is cool, Sharky.

Gisela Strauss
Technical Translator
Munich
http://bloggerati.blogspot.com
gisela.strauss@gmail.com