[LINK] Telstra cracks down -- on employee web posting

[Jan Whitaker]

Telstra lays down rules on worker web use

http://business.theage.com.au/business/telstra-lays-down-rules-on-worker-web-use-20090419-abfj.html


Dan Oakes

April 20, 2009

TELSTRA has become the first major Australian company to set 
guidelines on employee use of Facebook, Twitter and similar websites.

Under the guidelines, backed by a threat of disciplinary action, 
employees using those sites on official Telstra business should 
disclose who they are, ensure they don't give away confidential 
information and treat other users with respect. [JW: actually those 
are pretty good guidelines for official use or even personal use]

Employees must also complete an accreditation process and undergo 
training to update their "knowledge on emerging social trends and 
evolving best practice in social media".
[JW: accreditation????? Weird]

Telstra's six-page set of rules comes after the recent controversy 
over a Telstra worker setting up a Twitter account in the name of 
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy. [SIX PAGES of RULES???? 
That's more than the principles of the Privacy Act, which fit on 1 
page quite easily.]

Leslie Nassar was disciplined last month after he was exposed as the 
creator of the satirical "Fake Stephen Conroy" Twitter page and 
author of such entries as: "Being a minister is so much better than 
being a fireman or astronaut. Suck it, childhood dreams!"

Its readers were then shown Mr Nassar and Telstra executives publicly 
playing out a vitriolic dispute over his actions.

Telstra says work on the guidelines began long before that furore, 
however, and the move recognised the fast evolution of social media websites.

Telstra public policy chief David Quilty said yesterday that under 
the guidelines, Mr Nassar would have been allowed to continue with 
the Fake Stephen Conroy page if he identified himself as a Telstra 
employee. [JW: So being Fake SC was "official" Telstra business??? 
Who *are* these people? Don't they even read their own rules or pass 
their own 'accreditation'?]

Tougher to enforce will be its guidelines on using sites in a 
personal capacity. Mr Quilty noted if Telstra employees wanted to use 
pseudonyms, telstra could do little to stop them. [JW: That's more 
like it. If Quilty thinks Nassar was behaving in an 'official' 
capacity, he has rocks in his head. But if Nassar *was* acting in 
official capacity, then Telstra has a LOT to answer for in terms of 
taking pot shots at our 'fave' Minister.]



Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
blog: http://janwhitaker.com/jansblog/
business: http://www.janwhitaker.com

Our truest response to the irrationality of the world is to paint or 
sing or write, for only in such response do we find truth.
~Madeline L'Engle, writer

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