Re: Comments posted on this ng, by myself

[Greg Rudd <grudd@mail.usyd.edu.au>]

paul wrote:

> 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.
>

This just is a case of shooting the messenger and not dealing with the message, and
hoping that the issue will just go away.  However I agree that when a serious incident
has occurred, e.g. a derailment etc., any comment to the mejia should be left to the
PR people.
Your comment also gives the impression that if anyone as if it were to "Blow the
whistle" so to speak. That they could expect to receive a dismissal notice, instead of
the claims being investigated.

>
> 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.
>

But these people are posting to the newsgroups (which effectively are chat rooms in
the new internet speak) in their own time and as private citizens

>
> 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.

The powerful person that does this is generally a low form of life anyway.  He/She is
more concerned with covering their own ass and trying to make a name for themselves,
and in the process they lose sight of what they are being paid to do i.e. run a
efficient railway system, that is relevant to its users. Instead these people act like
emperor Nero, fiddling while Rome burns.

>
>
> 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.
>

Remember this attitude I have seemed to have found about the mass media and how they
think of themselves.  We are the media and we "MAKE" public opinion.  I don't think
any usenet news group will ever have this effect on the masses who believe anything
that is dished up to them by these organizations.

> 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.

You can be guaranteed of that happening anywhere you work.