# Social Networking - Be careful What You Write



## Dave Martell (Mar 20, 2012)

I'm pretty sure that most everyone knows that employers have been using Twitter & Facebook (& before MySpace) to take a sneak peek into perspective employee's lives but apparently things are taking an even darker turn for the job hunter...be careful what you write (or like) as they're watching you.


http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/local_news/job-seekers-asked-for-facebook-passwords


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## Eamon Burke (Mar 20, 2012)

Pssh. I wouldn't do that. I have standards for what I will put up with to make money, and don't negotiate on those things


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## Dave Martell (Mar 20, 2012)

My answer would be, "I don't do social networking....next question"


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## slowtyper (Mar 20, 2012)

Dave Martell said:


> My answer would be, "I don't do social networking....next question"


"I'm not social. Want to see my knifes?"


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## DeepCSweede (Mar 20, 2012)

slowtyper said:


> "I'm not social. Want to see my knifes?"


 :knife:

:muahaha: LMFAO

and my guns :shotgun: :gunner:


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## Shinob1 (Mar 20, 2012)

It seems like the jobs listed in the article are ones for the government, where they're going to pry into your life. In that case I would have two accounts, one for the public and another one for personnel. 

My brother in law deleted his Facebook when he was looking for a job in the public sector. After he landed a job he reopened his account.


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## Chef Niloc (Mar 21, 2012)

They would have to find me here, I avoid face book and the such like


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## dragonlord (Mar 21, 2012)

Not new news to me, however I work on the it sector and have been aware that some employers have been doing this for a couple of years. One way to avoid this is to use an alias everywhere on the Internet.


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## Taz575 (Mar 22, 2012)

I know of a Police Dept that makes all applicants hand over their cell phones and log into ALL of their online accounts. Email, forums, etc. They don't give the people their passwords, but they have to let them access and look back at what they post, say, etc. When told this, some people walk out of the room. One guy and his wife were swingers and he had to sign in to his adult accounts, too. The PD was fine with it since it wasn't illegal. But then they found 3 or 4 more accounts that he concealed and the people he talked to a lot and hung out with were major bad news, criminal histories, etc, so he got kicked from the process, mainly for lying. Another guy had some incredibly racist videos of himself being an A** hole, he got kicked from the process. They also have a fake FB account that they make everyone friend and they monitor Facebook for their prospective employees and also criminals they are watching that the crims don't know about. 

I have a FB account, but rarely use it; my brother and cousins post baby pics, family gathering pics, etc. Some of my friends post fishing stuff, etc. I am always aware that someone may be watching what I post, so I always try to keep that in mind! I don't have a problem with the social networking stuff, but I keep it to a respectable level. I don't have to be on FB all day long and comment on everything stupid thing people post.


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## dough (Mar 22, 2012)

wow i enjoy the idea of thinking you know someone based on facebook.


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## apicius9 (Mar 22, 2012)

I can't imagine that asking people about their accounts, let alone the passwords is legal in any way. But this may still be a grey zone where the rules are unclear. I am active on facebook, not like my students but I check regularly. If an employer searches for me, that's fine, everybody should know that this is a public space. And if you are a <}%|<|hole on facebook, chances are you are an &#8364;~><>><hole in real life... But handing them my passwords? No way!

Stefan


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## knyfeknerd (Mar 22, 2012)

Chef Niloc said:


> They would have to find me here, I avoid face book and the such like



+1 
it just seems like narcissistic, shameless self-promotion. I could see if you had a business to pimp or an extended family to keep up with, I've just grown sooooo anti-social over the years. I'm definitely going to be a crusty old hermit after the kids go off to college. 
I'm not dissing people that do it. My wife, mom, dad, grandparents are on facebook. I just see how dumb some people get on there.


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## Johnny.B.Good (Mar 23, 2012)

Looks like we're not the only ones that find employers asking for passwords a bit much:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/23/us-facebook-idUSBRE82M1BH20120323


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## Dave Martell (Mar 23, 2012)

I have such mixed feelings on the internet in general. I realize what a great tool it is and how my business wouldn't be squat without it but part of me misses the before internet days, things seemed simpler.


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## RRLOVER (Mar 23, 2012)

One of my co-workers posted a few choices words about his supervisor on facebook.He got in trouble for posting the comments when he was "on the clock" and not the content of the post.


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## SpikeC (Mar 23, 2012)

Justifiably, he was not being paid to post on facebook!


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## Eamon Burke (Mar 23, 2012)

Agreed.

Though admittedly, I'd rather pay someone to text and play on Facebook than smoke cigarettes.


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