Want a job? Then give us your passwords!

[adameye]

Want a job? Then give us your social networking passwords | Graham Cluley's blog

 

Check the link out.

 

I was just looking for a fix to a problem i had with sophos and i stumbled upon this..

quite interesting article

i would never give mine i can assure you.

[DAckroyd]

t'other day they removed the requirement for that due to bad press coverage - they were going agaist laws and T&C's with that one tho

[adameye]

i'm just worried that it will be a requirement maybe one day..

 

and do they even have a law on stuff like that?

[powdarrmonkey]

It was a week ago, it got the appropriate public backlash and was withdrawn very quickly indeed.

[sted]

i suppose this drags up the question of what is reasonable. Id have no problems letting prospective employers look at my facebook site as thats in the publuic domain up to a point but giving them access to my e-mails etc on google mail erm no i cant see anything in there that would "incriminate" me (for want of a better term) but at the end of the day my email is private, they wouldnt ask to see what came through your letter box would they?

 

besides if like most people you tend to use only a few passwords you could very easily be giving them access to say your online bank/amazon account etc.

 

Where DO you draw a line between what is acceptable and not though? my opinion is that if information is avaliable to the public (facebook/twitter/forums etc) then fine but e-mail no

[dhicks]

my opinion is that if information is avaliable to the public (facebook/twitter/forums etc) then fine but e-mail no

 

Oh, absolutly. Actually, StackOverflow's whole business plan seems to be built around the idea that you want prospective employers seeing your posts and reputation score on their site, and I'm guessing the same could be said of EduGeek. I can just see how this incident came about, though - someone on senior management had an idea, whilst not quite getting how stuff actually works, so they told some lower-down worker to put some stuff on the application form, and it's an organisation where management don't really listen to anyone so that's what got done. Actually asking (nicely, not "requiring") for IDs / URLs / etc is a sensible enough idea, minus the passwords.

 

--

David Hicks

[powdarrmonkey]

Actually asking (nicely, not "requiring") for IDs / URLs / etc is a sensible enough idea, minus the passwords.

 

I don't know, it's still an intrusion that disturbs me - it implies that I'll be checked up on regardless, and I don't think that's fair. What happens to people who don't have a relevant account, does the employer assume that they are not being honest and penalise them over other candidates? What are the consequences of me not listing something?

 

A rapid Google easily reveals my reputation, but then I don't make any secrets out of it. I don't see why I should go out of my way to allow an employer to snoop on me, they can make the effort themselves if it's really such a big deal.

[localzuk]

It's always the same for me - if you post something online, accept that it is no longer yours (except, obviously if it is a money making site etc...). Anyone can read it, including current and future employers.

 

So, don't say things that will damage your prospects and everyone will be fine. Same rules apply to being down the local pub - you don't go shouting out about how stupid your boss is etc... because a) they may find out about it b) it isn't professional and c) you may be overheard by someone who in the future may be involved in the hiring process for another job you're going for.

 

Being a professional isn't just about doing a good job in work, it is also about being respectable and maintaining a good reputation outside of work too.

[dhicks]

I don't know, it's still an intrusion that disturbs me

 

I'd assume that anything publicly posted will be findable anyway, and listing a bunch of URLs simply points a potential employer to the best bits that you want them to see - saves them having to search around.

 

--

David Hicks

[adameye]

i think i would just have another facebook account just for work purposes IF it "ever happened"

lol

[Gatt]

Watch this sneak in through the backdoors of parliament alongside the ID Cards (Manchester Airport anyone?)

[Midget]

I think this is a terrible idea, just look what happened to Jake when his employers started snooping on here. Luckily I've got a username that is very difficult to search for and is used by other people.

[deceptivex]

I think this is a terrible idea, just look what happened to Jake when his employers started snooping on here. Luckily I've got a username that is very difficult to search for and is used by other people.

 

How would they find out your username? I mean, the internet is a big place and nicknames a many.

[cookie_monster]

Only my friends are on facebook and it's not public so I do consider it private to a point!

 

I'd just tell them I don't have a facebook account but they can come and sit with me in the pub if they want to spy, or just tell them to go "insert punishment" with a spoon I think it's disgraceful, "Do you chat with friends online, well we want to see". WTF

 

 

I don't know, it's still an intrusion that disturbs me - it implies that I'll be checked up on regardless, and I don't think that's fair. What happens to people who don't have a relevant account, does the employer assume that they are not being honest and penalise them over other candidates? What are the consequences of me not listing something?

 

Exactly if they have a problem with me at work then they ask me for a meeting and we dicuss it, you don't start spying on your employees without very good cause. I say very good cause as I have a friend who does work tracking down longterm "sick" employees who are working cash in hand somewhere else so there are instances where it may be necessary, BUT still they're in the public domain when this is going on a private facebook profile is just that PRIVATE.

Edited June 25, 2009 by cookie_monster

[bossman]

It will not be necessary for them to ask you for your passwords in the future as Web 3.0 comes around the corner they will have intelligent database software unlike the telephone software you can get now.

 

They will just enter your name into it and if you have posted anything too radical it will be assessed and displayed to them before you even get an interview, if you get one, so all I say to people is be very careful about what you post on these social websites.

 

Big Brother is all around us and it is no longer a conspiracy theory :eek:

[cookie_monster]

As stated by localzuk you should just conduct yourself in a professional manner and I know most of us do. I personally worry for some of our students allot of them have open profiles and rant out their emotions in public on a regular basis as though they think no adults/employee will ever come across it. By the time they're looking for work a quick internet search will reveal allot about them without any effort.