[WikiEN-l] Former Wikimedia employee was a felon.

[Charlotte Webb]

On 12/15/07, Andrew Gray <shimgray at gmail.com> wrote:
> The rest of it seems to boil down to "when we knew about it we could
> google and find confirmation!" Well, bully for you. How many of your
> current colleagues do you regularly google to check on their criminal
> pasts? If the answer is more than zero, um, this strikes me as a
> little worrying...

Life in general can be a little worrying, Andrew.

The "Google panic" issue has come up before.

Once upon a time, some of us on the mailing list were genuinely
worrying... partly because Wikipedia is (and has been for most of its
existence) the top search result for virtually everything... about the
ability of a certain former Wikipedia high-roller (and salaried Wikia
employee!) self-identified as "Ryan Jordan, 24" to secure and maintain
gainful employment in the future.

Yes, as far as I know Essjay has no criminal record, and it wouldn't
be relevant if he did.

The fact of the matter is that most employers (though requiring a drug
test, and in one case of personal experience, a post-interview
breathalyzer!) don't actually run a background check, even those who
have required the applicant to sign below a lengthy waiver that says
something like:

> "I, _____, (hereafter "Applicant"), authorize ______ (hereafter,
> "Company") to perform a criminal background check, investigative
> consumer report, etc. etc. on Applicant and make general inquiries
> as to Applicant's character, general reputation, personal characteristics
> and mode of living, etc. etc. Applicant releases Company from any
> liability from here to eternity, etc. etc.

For some reason companies generally don't actually do this. Call it a
hollow scare tactic, call it lack of resources, call it assuming good
faith, or call it incompetence. Maybe Applicant has nice legs or good
handwriting. Maybe Company needs warm bodies and needs them yesterday.
Doesn't really matter until somebody points a finger later and said
"this should have prevented that", especially if one is merely trying
to explain why convicted felons outnumber unemployed people. ;-)

Of course I have yet to see one of these release forms that mentions a
"Google search" ;-) It may be a cold cold post-post-modern job market
but still primarily lacking in technical savvy, otherwise what would
they need you for...

—C.W.