Imagine yourself walking through a public square which carries about 1,000 people. Megaphone in hand, you make a racist statement. What would happen? Except for the possibility of immediate physical violence, you can make a parallel to this situation with the Internet in times of social networks. Among the 1,000 people, is a bit angry, so much ignored, and the other portion passed the message forward. Hard to know the total number of people who got the message, but it was enough that the court would take action.
And who does not think that anything, was wrong. Recently, a law student who said on Twitter that Northeastern was garbage and should be drowned was rendered.
Words of a Law Student
Now companies are warning employees that are positioned in social networks on controversial issues such as the March of bitches, Marijuana, Freedom of Expression, the naked cyclists ... Anything that breaks the decorum in the view of managers. Even politicians about questionable conduct. Last week, this happened to an acquaintance of mine. Facebook it is personal, but issued an opinion about a minister recently dismissed cost him a warning of the multinational where he works.
Exaggeration? Maybe, maybe not.
Never been so much talk about freedom of expression. Some people do not like blacks or gays, and marijuana users who say they are constrained when they show their ideas.
Indeed, we are free to say what we want. However, we live in a state of law, and it is precisely to maintain a healthy and free society, valuing mutual respect, there is the Criminal Code. Your opinion is not restricted, provided they know to do it without running the risk of inciting hatred or make apology for banned substances.
You can, for example, be in favor of decriminalization of marijuana without an apology. See former President Fernando Henrique Cardoso. But, social networking, there are those who do not measure the power of words and thinks it is a bar table. The worst that can happen after telling a racist joke is someone to feel bad joke. In social networks do not work that way - this is the mistake that most novice Internet users.
No, even if you have 4 or 5 followers on Twitter, you're not a bar table. Or rather, it may even be, but it would be the equivalent of climbing the table with a megaphone in hand. Anyone can access your profile and read your posts. In the background nor the Messenger is safe, although the IM conversations are private, they can be accessed in the future by judicial order. As the telephone conversations.
In the corporate environment, the matter is more delicate. No need to apologize explicitly a crime to be fired for cause. Just put up some news about the controversy. But the metaphor still holds the megaphone. You circulated through the halls of your company saying some truths to anyone who will listen? There are corporations more liberal and more conservative, but in both a public outburst may have unpleasant consequences.
If you still think the Internet is no man's land needs to revisit its concepts. You can open blogs and profiles using pseudonyms to offend others or incite crime. But nobody is ever anonymous. Whoever comes out of the line can be easily tracked, and when you reach your final destination, the author will have to answer for their actions.
