Ridiculous headlines spur dumb conversations

An AP News article came out today entiled, “Job seekers getting asked for Facebook passwords.” Sounds crazy, right?  This spurred a bunch of follow-on articles/posts like the one below, Facebook and Twitter mentions, etc.

Except when you actually read the content of the article (the one above), it turns out that these were rare and specific instances, mostly within the realm of law enforcement positions.  Does that make it right or more acceptable? Maybe not, but it is certainly a very different topic with different arguments.  This is not a widespread tactic, but a rare (albeit bizarre) circumstance.  It would be no different if a headline said, “Employers assign specialists to do a 6 month background check, interviewing your closest friends and family.”  It is true that for certain government and law enforcement jobs that is the case, but generalizing it in the headline is misleading.

Because a lot of lazy online readers don’t read the full content of articles, arguments and speculations about the generalized assumption proliferate and before long people are wasting their time arguing about something that isn’t even the case.

How do we fix this problem of sensationalized headlines spurring a domino effect of inappropriate conclusions?

Employers Want Your Facebook Password

Candidates are being asked with alarming frequency to share their Facebook logins with employers. It’s becoming a widespread practice that’s not limited to tech by any means, which represents a dangerous development in your efforts to separate your personal and professional lives.

via: news.dice.com

Related articles

• Job seekers getting asked for Facebook passwords (thehimalayantimes.com)
• Your comments: Some employers are asking job applicants for Facebook username, password (nj.com)
• Want to Friend Your Employer? (signal108.com)

Only united action will defeat patent trolls

Image via Wikipedia

This week, a bunch of prominent technology names have come out with vehement positions against Yahoo’s patent lawsuit vs. Facebook.   E.g. Fred Wilson and Mark Cuban.

As is documented below, David Sacks, the CEO of Yammer went further by holding the employees of Yahoo responsible for the reprehensible actions of their management by announcing that he won’t hire any ex-Yahoo employee that doesn’t quit within the next 60 days.  While it sounds extreme and potentially silly given the small size of Yammer, I think it’s an important step in that it’s an action that if joined by others could have real impact.  The protests that helped defeat SOPA/PIPA (for now) are  a good example. The tech community needs more people like David Sacks who are willing to stand up and take action against patent trollsand actions like this.  Perhaps we can get companies to publicly go on record saying they won’t file software or process patents?

Our patent and intellectual property laws need broad reform. Software and process patents probably should be eliminated altogether. Right now, the patent system serves to reward trolls and penalize companies who are innovating/operating.

Any other ideas for ways to stand up against patent trolls?

venturebeat.com

Yammer CEO says he won’t hire anyone from Yahoo who doesn’t quit in next 60 daysMarch 14, 2012

David Sacks, the CEO of Yammer, is pissed. Last month he was hit with his first lawsuit from a patent troll. So when he saw that Yahoo was going after Facebook for patent infringement, he drew a line in the sand. “I’m declaring it: Yammer will never hire another former Yahoo employee who doesn’t leave in the next 60 days. Who will join me?

Related articles

• Yammer CEO offers $25K bounty for Yahoo engineers (news.cnet.com)