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I am not a big fan of Social Media, which is strange to a lot of people because I work as a "Cloud Architect" developing these services. I prefer a private life and have managed to keep it that way for 20+ years in my career. However, I have become pressured to start using Twitter, Linkedin and Google+ as method to share information in a timely matter with other professionals.
I have to say I am not comfortable with it. I am a very honest person and state my opinion openly... I feel like this is going to get me in trouble at work with Social media.
Are there any lines/protective laws to what I can post about and not get fired?
For example, I **HATE** the name of our new software product...so much that I almost posted about it on Twitter under my personal account. But I stopped myself because I really believe it could get back to the CEO as bad press... and I could possibly be held responsible. It's a delicate balance and again I am not really comfortable with it.
Quote:
Do employees have free-speech rights to publicly criticize their bosses or workplaces, especially in the social media age when venting on Facebook or Twitter has replaced traditional complaining around the water cooler?
"However, I have become pressured to start using Twitter, Linkedin and Google+ as method to share information in a timely matter with other professionals."
Just do it and keep your personal opinions to yourself. I don't care if you hate the name, how bad would it look if someone noticed the guy that works for that company bad mouthed the name of the product? REALLY BAD.
In social media, as in life, this is still a good rule to follow: If you have nothing good to say, say nothing at all.
I may rant on my Twitter or Facebook, but NEVER about anything that happens at my job. Unlike some people I work with...
"However, I have become pressured to start using Twitter, Linkedin and Google+ as method to share information in a timely matter with other professionals."
Pressured by who?
Pressured by the ecosystem: freshness and speed of data exchange really. I now need these things.
Just do it and keep your personal opinions to yourself. I don't care if you hate the name, how bad would it look if someone noticed the guy that works for that company bad mouthed the name of the product? REALLY BAD.
In social media, as in life, this is still a good rule to follow: If you have nothing good to say, say nothing at all.
I may rant on my Twitter or Facebook, but NEVER about anything that happens at my job. Unlike some people I work with...
My job is to be a critical thinker... so I say bad things all day. But you are right, there is a threshold to what you can say, the record of authority becomes a legal thing on social web.
There are places in the workplace where one can share opinions about work issues freely. They're called meetings.
But some meetings include people who are either not receptive to or will react badly to negative messages. You learn fairly quickly not to share strong opinions at those meetings. The correct choices in that case are between not sharing at all and sharing tactfully.
When you share opinions on social media, those same people might be reading it, along with outsiders whose opinions you can only guess. The only good choices for strong, negative opinions in social channels are not sharing at all and sharing verrry tactfully. Social is absolutely the wrong place for bluntness.
Pressured by the ecosystem: freshness and speed of data exchange really. I now need these things.
Then stick to documentable facts on social media or develop a thick skin and response strategies. Speak as if you are in a goldfish bowl. Being a "subject matter expert" or "goto" person is not all that it is cracked up to be unless you can charge out the wazoo for it. Anyone with an aunt or uncle who can't understand computer basics will tell you that.
I am not a big fan of Social Media, which is strange to a lot of people because I work as a "Cloud Architect" developing these services. I prefer a private life and have managed to keep it that way for 20+ years in my career. However, I have become pressured to start using Twitter, Linkedin and Google+ as method to share information in a timely matter with other professionals.
I have to say I am not comfortable with it. I am a very honest person and state my opinion openly... I feel like this is going to get me in trouble at work with Social media.
Are there any lines/protective laws to what I can post about and not get fired?
For example, I **HATE** the name of our new software product...so much that I almost posted about it on Twitter under my personal account. But I stopped myself because I really believe it could get back to the CEO as bad press... and I could possibly be held responsible. It's a delicate balance and again I am not really comfortable with it.
Not sure what the problem is here. I get that you don't particularly want to use these services, but if it's a job requirement, then it's a job requirement. You don't have to pour your whole life out, though, just because other people do. Sign up with your work email, use it for business purposes, and don't worry about it. If you don't give yourself the opportunity to screw up and post something you shouldn't, you won't.
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