Re: Comments posted on this ng, by myself

[paulwatts@xoptushome.com.au (paul)]

On Thu, 05 Apr 2001 17:01:32 +1000, Greg Rudd <grudd@mail.usyd.edu.au>
wrote:

>
>
>paul wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 3 Apr 2001 22:30:24 +1000, "Nathan Cox" <nathan1@ihug.com.au>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >I would like to say, that all posts put on this newsgroup are in private and
>> >do not express the views of the State Rail Authority.
>> >
>> >
>> I was just having a chat to Nathan about this yesterday. Regardless of
>> whether or not SRA managers have the right to admonish a staff member
>> for newsgroup posts, it is very, very foolhardy indeed to criticise
>> the Authority in a public forum such as this.
>>
>> "Ve haf vays", might be the message here.
>>
>> From one who has felt the full force of State Rail's "disciplinary
>> action". I don't think it was for newsgroup posts, but hard to be
>> sure.
>>
>> paul x is the spam filter
>
>One does have to worry about SRA management.  They seem more concerned about what
>employees say and do on a internet news group, than doing the job their are paid
>to do i.e. run a railway where the trains are properly mantained, and providing a
>service that is relevant to its users.  What is their philosophy, Loose lips sink
>ships?.  Or do they figure that if the employees are kept under the thumb  that
>the public won't find out how incompetent they really are.
>
>-greg
>
>
I know that comments to the press of any kind are strictly forbidden,
except by those with permission to do this (media section, sector
managers). Where an employee has been involved in some positive
action, permission is usually given to speak to the press. They have
to have this rule, as there is a widespread staff morale problem in
the organisation.

Since newsgroups basically do much the same thing, that is place views
of people onto a public forum, I'd imagine the rules of media apply
equally to newsgroup posting.

I've never seen any instruction on this issue, nor have I heard of
anyone disciplined for it. But you'd be naive to think that posts
deemed detrimental to the Authority or someone powerful within it
cannot bring retribution upon you.

I suspect as time goes on and more people read these newsgroups
management will become just as sensitive to what appears on them as
they are to what appears in the papers and on TV.

Plus you have the infamous distrust of anything new and technological.
You can have a Picture magazine at work and it will probably be
overlooked, or at worst you might get chewed out, but scan an image
from it and put it on an Authority PC and you will probably lose your
job.

paul x is the spam filter