On 12/15/07, Andrew Gray shimgray@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.