Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ We Can't Teach the New Literacies Soon Enough

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community
We really need to take a different perspective on the typical 'posed on Facebook' story. Let me explain. Suppose I robbed a bank. Then suppose I took pictures and video, and posted them on Facebook. Time passes. Then, one day, I am denied a job because an employer saw my Facebook page. Now, the question. Where did I go wrong? Should I have been advised, "If you rob a bank, don't put it on Facebook?" Of course not. The advice should be, "Don't rob a bank." Well and good. But you may argue, the kids that went out drinking did nothing wrong. Quite so. Then why are they being punished for it? Should we be telling them, "What you did is perfectly legal and appropriate, but you could be fired for it?" What kind of message is that? I think we need to take Facebook out of the equation and to stop recommending Facebook hypocrisy. If the action is wrong, then we should people to not do it. If the action is not wrong, then we should not fire them for it. And companies that fire people from perfectly innocent and legal behaviour should be prohibited from doing so.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

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Last Updated: Dec 25, 2024 7:25 p.m.

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