ne of the internet's most the one launched at Dr. Sam
obvious virtues is its Graham, M.D., former head of
revolutionary and Emory School of Medicine's
unprecedented ability to rapidly Urology Department. A Yahoo!
disseminate information. message board posting accused him
of taking a kick-back from
To quote Shakespeare, "virtue Urocor, a pathology services
itself turns vice, being company, and alleged that this
misapplied" and in the wrong scandal had prompted Graham's
hands, the internet is capable of resignation from Emory. Both
causing great harm. Advances in charges were proven to be false.
cybertechnology, most notably the In fact, the posting's author had
"blog," now allow virtually never met Graham and was trying
anyone—regardless of motives or to increase business for his own
veracity of information—to competing laboratory by defaming
issue streams of invective about Urocor. Dr. Graham filed and won
a person or company, or to a lawsuit against the author.
falsely quote a named individual. Unfortunately, his success is
rare among internet-based libel
Countless unsuspecting cases.
senior-level professionals have
already fallen victim to vicious Essentially, anyone with
online campaigns penned by rudimentary computer skills can
disenchanted co-workers, former publish cyber-slander (and get
clients, and even entirely away with it) if they a) use
unassociated individuals who post false names/addresses and b)
their grievances on online utilize a forum/website that is
business forums. Even more based off-shore, and the search
harmful (and disturbing) are the engines do the rest. Under these
purely malicious attacks, such as circumstances, the applicability
of U.S. libel laws is decidedly network of associates and
muddled. According to a recent colleagues who can be used as
Chicago Tribune article ("A Whole positive references and
Lotta Dissing Going Down On the referrals. Despite the internet's
Web", March 12, 2006), "there's obvious influence on modern-day
little you can do about it." business communications, over 80%
(http://www.chicagotribune.com/bu of all executive-level jobs are
siness/chi-0603120481mar12,1,1771 secured via networking, and that
454.story?ctrack=1&cset=true) percentage is on the increase.
The hazard of potential
The effects of this trend can be cyberslander therefore
especially harmful for the underscores the importance of
job-seeking professional, where building a solid professional
one slanderous remark on the network.
internet can create an entirely
unfounded negative image with the I'll leave my final comment in
potential to severely damage a the capable hands of Walter
job search campaign. Cronkite (no stranger to the
media), who said "I am dumfounded
What defense, then, does the that there hasn't been a
transitioning professional have crackdown with the libel and
against "cybersmear"? Until a slander laws on some of these
more definitive verdict is would-be writers and reporters on
reached on internet libel the Internet."
liability, a professional's best
defense is a solid personal
About the Author:
John Shaffer is the CEO of HiProFile (http://www.hpfjobs.com), a Boston-based executive placement firm. Since its inception in early 2002, HiProFile has established relationships with organizations throughout New England who need to fill positions at the $100K - $400K base salary level.
Read more articles by:
John Shaffer
Article Source: www.iSnare.com
